Vehicle Data Hub

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems

NHTSA has received 58 complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and 22% of them involve electrical system. After that come drivetrain & axles (12%) and latches & locks (10%).

At a glance

Complaints
58 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Electrical system 22% of complaints
Crashes and fires
1 and 1
Injuries and deaths
0 and 0
Typical mileage
25,000 miles 16 complaints with mileage

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Where the complaints are

Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  • Electrical system 22%
  • Drivetrain & axles 12%
  • Latches & locks 10%
  • Body & structure 10%
  • Brakes 9%
  • Fuel system 9%
  • Engine 5%
  • Air bags 3%
  • Steering 3%
  • Forward collision avoidance 2%

When problems show up

Complaints by mileage, 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 25,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 8 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 2 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 4 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 1 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 0 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 0 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 0 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 1 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 25,000 miles
Based on 16 complaints that include mileage. 88% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles8
20k to 40k miles2
40k to 60k miles4
60k to 80k miles1
80k to 100k miles0
100k to 120k miles0
120k to 140k miles0
140k to 160k miles1
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Among the 16 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 25,000 miles.

Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 89% of model years in our database.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2021 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 23 model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with enough data (58 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.

What owners wrote

A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the smoke would become more aggressive as the accelerator or brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle caught on fire however the origin was unknown. The contact and his family exited the vehicle safely and discovered unknown fluid emitting from the rear of the vehicle.

Reported at 15,521 miles, July 2024 Fire

The tailgate opened and closes on its own while trailering causing sever binds and damage to the trailer and allowing loads to become unsecured. There is a recall already from GM on this issue, but for some reason our VIN is not included. This is a well documented issue. We have video of this occurrence if necessary. The dealer said it’s water in the tailgate switch.

June 2024 Crash

I got my truck in may and after two months the battery went completely dead without warning so had dealership tow it to service kept two weeks said it was battery. Now same thing happened again. Called roadside assistance from phone because on star wouldn't even work. They come out and jumped it. The jump started truck but now parking break won't release and I have a service light issue,, still waiting for chevy to open to have it towed again. Is anyone else dealing with problems?

Reported at 1,000 miles, October 2010

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that while the doors were unlocked, and the vehicle was idling or in motion; the rear tailgate independently opened and closed with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact manually closed the tailgate and locked the doors to prevent the failure from reoccurring. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V060000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES).

Reported at 50,000 miles, November 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the tailgate occasionally opened and closed unintendedly. The failure had occurred several times. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, an appointment was scheduled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V060000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,040.

Reported at 74,040 miles, November 2025

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