CHEVROLET · vehicle model

CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500

1,395 NHTSA complaints and 41 safety recalls across model years 1994–2025.

Complaints
1,395
Recalls
41
Model years
31

The CHEVROLETSILVERADO 3500 appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 1,395 consumer safety complaints and 41 safety recalls across 31 model years (1994–2025). That averages roughly 45 complaints per model year, but the distribution is almost never even, most nameplates concentrate their defect reports in a handful of cohort years tied to specific platform refreshes, supplier changes, or component redesigns.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller will accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model simply because more of them are on the road. What matters is the year-over-year shape and the component concentration, which the table below isolates for the SILVERADO 3500 by showing complaint count, crash count, fire count, and NHTSA safety rating side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram below the table shows whether complaints are still being submitted against this nameplate or whether the pattern has plateaued, an important distinction for used-car shoppers weighing older cohort years.

NHTSA has 57 investigation files tied to this model, with 2 currently open. Investigations precede recalls and signal that the Office of Defects Investigation is actively testing a theory about a specific component cluster. Together with the complaint-by-year breakdown and recall remedy status, they are the primary signals used by insurance actuaries, fleet managers, and used-vehicle appraisers when pricing CHEVROLETSILVERADO 3500 risk. Compare this nameplate against siblings in the same platform family to see whether a given defect pattern is model-specific or shared across the parent architecture.

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).

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
View all trending models →

Compare CHEVROLETSILVERADO 3500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

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 41 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 as of 2025. 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.