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Chevrolet Silverado 3500

1,395 NHTSA complaints and 97 safety recalls across model years 1994–2025.

Complaints
1,395
Recalls
97
Model years
31

The verdict

The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 pairs above-average complaint volume with 97 recalls (heavily recalled).

8th pctile
complaint volume, US models
97
recall campaigns
Follow this model's NHTSA record changes

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 vs. all tracked models

Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data

1,395 Higher than most more complaints than 92% of 3,088 models

tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026

The ChevroletSilverado 3500 appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 1,395 consumer safety complaints and 97 recall campaigns across 31 model years (1994–2025). That averages roughly 45 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 57 investigation files tied to this model, with 2 currently open. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
202512
202458
202317
202229
202150
202047
201932
201826
201714
201670
201576
201410
201336
201231
201142
20104
200910
200835
200741
200660
200560
200446
200360
200264
200197
2000114
199973
1998100
199778
19962
19941

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 211 in 2017-2021 to 327 in 2022-2026, a rise of 55%. That is the 76th percentile of change across the 763 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

4
’97
20
’98
63
’99
65
’00
58
’01
28
’02
34
’03
40
’04
35
’05
29
’06
39
’07
51
’08
34
’09
65
’10
50
’11
51
’12
20
’13
59
’14
45
’15
67
’16
59
’17
48
’18
41
’19
24
’20
39
’21
24
’22
68
’23
104
’24
107
’25
24
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare ChevroletSilverado 3500 to Similar Vehicles

ChevroletSilverado 3500 vs ChevroletMalibu Maxx → ChevroletSilverado 3500 vs FordExcursion → ChevroletSilverado 3500 vs ChevroletSonic → ChevroletSilverado 3500 vs HyundaiSanta FE Sport →

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen2025-10-23

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed2023-11-29

Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module

PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed2020-10-09

Electric Vehicle Battery Fires

EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed2020-08-31

Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed2020-07-05

Fuel Line Leak

PE20009Preliminary EvaluationClosed2020-06-01

Momentary Increased Steering Effort

EA19005Engineering AnalysisClosed2019-12-13

Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative

PE19013Preliminary EvaluationClosed2019-09-17

Passenger Sensing System

RQ19003Recall QueryClosed2019-05-28

Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

AQ18006Audit QueryOpen2018-12-01

Sale of noncompliant school bus

View all 57 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the Chevrolet Silverado 3500?▼
The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has received 1,395 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1994 to 2025, with 97 recalls. That averages about 45 complaints per model year.
What years of Chevrolet Silverado 3500 are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 from 1994 to 2025 (31 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many Chevrolet Silverado 3500 model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Chevrolet Silverado 3500 totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.