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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 123 safety complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. 6 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the air bags and the hydraulic brakes.

The most complained-about system is the steering, named in 46 complaints, 37% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 35,000 miles, the median across the 79 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers October 2016 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

123 complaints on file

123

Complaints

5

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

4

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
STEERING 46 · 37%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18 · 15%
POWER TRAIN 18 · 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 13 · 11%
ENGINE 8 · 7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 · 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 · 6%
STRUCTURE 5 · 4%
AIR BAGS 4 · 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 · 3%
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 4 · 3%
SEAT BELTS 4 · 3%
0 19 38

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 123.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 18.

20 15 10 5
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2016 Chevrolet SILVERADO 2500, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test PU/CC 4WD PU/CC RWD PU/EC 4WD PU/EC RWD PU/RC 4WD PU/RC RWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 20.5% 20.7% 20.4% 20.4% 20.4% 20.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

6 on file

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR

26V611000 · September 24, 2026

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
The risk
A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262569920. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 24, 2026.

General Motors, LLC · up to 1,559 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR

21V504000 · July 1, 2021

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
The risk
A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Phase I owner notification letters were mailed on May 5, 2022. Phase II owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 20V-736. GM's number for this recall is N202324251.

General Motors, LLC · up to 410,019 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

18V578000 · August 30, 2018

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.
The risk
If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut with increased tightness, free of charge. The recall began October 3, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18278. Note: The vehicles in this recall need this additional remedy despite being covered by recall 16V069 for brake pedal loosening.

General Motors LLC · up to 42,280 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

17V437000 · July 10, 2017

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
The risk
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

General Motors LLC · up to 40,683 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

16V651000 · September 8, 2016

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
The risk
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,640,162 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

16V069000 · February 5, 2016

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 29, 2013, to February 1, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.
The risk
If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the brake pedal pivot nut and reinstall with an increased torque, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 20760.

General Motors LLC · up to 430,771 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 injured · crash · towed · 20 miles

STARTED TO APPLY BRAKES TO STOP FOR RED LIGHT. ALL OF THE SUDDEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHICH CAUSED ME NOT TO BE ABLE TO STOP FOR THE RED SIGNAL. I RAN THRU THE INTERSECTION STRIKING ANOTHER VECHICLE. THAT CAR WAS TOTALED AND OUR TRUCK HAD 7K IN DAMAGE. THEIR WERE MINOR INJURIES TO THE GENTLEMAN I STRUCK AND I RECEIVED TWO TEARS IN MY LEFT ROTATOR CUFF WHICH WILL REQUIRE A SURGICAL REPAIR. SEATBELT DID NOT ENGAGE NOR DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. I ASSUME THE SEATBELT DIDN'T WORK DUE TO THE BRAKE FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint 11280912. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · 13,000 miles

LOCK SYSTEM FAILURE- CHILD'S FINGER CAUGHT IN DOOR. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE. WE WERE PREPARING TO GO TO SCHOOL. BOTH FRONT DOORS WERE OPEN, MY DAUGHTER WAS PLACING HER BACKPACK IN FRONT FLOORBOARD FOR SCHOOL. WHILE DOING SO, I REACHED IN AND STARTED THE TRUCK. THE LOCKS AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED. SHE PUSHED THE FRT PASSENGER DOOR TO, BUT CAUGHT THE FISRT JOINT OF HER THUMB IN THE DOOR JAMB. THE DOOR REMAINED IN THE HALF LATCHED POSITION. EVEN AFTER UNLOCKING THE VEHICLE FROM THE INSIDE, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE LOCK TO PHYSICALLY DISENGAGE AND ALLOW THE DOOR TO OPEN TO FREE HER FINGER. THE ENTIRE TIME SHE WAS SCREAMING, AND OUT OF DESPERATION SHE YANKED HER THUMB OUT. HER ENTIRE

NHTSA complaint 11033981, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

1 injured · 700 miles

MY TRUCK HAS A MAJOR EXHAUST LEAK THAT FLOWS INTO THE CAB OF MY TRUCK. IT HAS A DURAMAX DIESEL ENGINE. I NOTICED AFTER I FIRST BOUGHT THE TRUCK, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS NORMAL AND TOLD MY FAMILY MEMBERS IT WAS NORMAL. 6 MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE, I NOTICED THAT MY SENSE OF SMELL AND TASTE WAS LACKING. MY DOCTORS HAD NO EXPLANATION ON WHY I HAVE LOST MY ABILITY TO SMELL. I DROVE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS TO SEATTLE,WA AND EVERY TIME I ARRIVED I WAS INCAPACITATED. I HAS A SORE THROAT, COUGH, AND DIARRHEA FOR A WEEK. AFTER RETURNING HOME ON THESE TRIPS, THE SAME SICKNESS HAD TAKEN OVER MY BODY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED AN EGR PART AND CLAIMED THE PART WAS LEAKING AND MY PROBLEM WAS SOLVED ON 9/6/2018. I

NHTSA complaint 11139788, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

fire · 104,000 miles

WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING I HEARD A SIZZLING SOUND AND LOOKED IN THE BACK AND SMOKE WAS ROLLING FROM BEHIND MY PASSENGER BACK SEAT. I REALIZED IT WAS COMING FROM THE WIRE CONNECTION FOR REAR DEFROSTER. THE SMOKE STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS SO I CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD AND AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS A LOAD BOOM OCCURRED AND THE PASSENGER REAR SECTION OF MY ELECTRIC SLIDING WINDOW WITH DEFROST EXPLODED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY OR RECALL. THIS IS BEING RECALLED IN CANADA ON THE SAME TRUCKS BUT NOT U.S. TRUCKS.

NHTSA complaint 11309754. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

100,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA complaint 11759838. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
the vehicle developed a extremely hard down shift and then a check engine light came on. the vehicle went into limp mode, took the vehicle to local diesel mechanic and i was informed that the transmission was bad and had to be replaced, while replacing the transmission i was also told the transfer case was making noise and needed to be replaced. this happened in November of 2025 and the parts are not available. This happened while i was towing our trailer across a bridge when the traffic came to a sudden stop, once traffic started moving we could not get up to speed thus causing a traffic hazard. yes the repair shop was able to recreate the issue there were no warnings prior to the failure.

NHTSA complaint 11723400, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
While driving down the road at 60 mph the roof and side airbags deployed on both sides of the Truck with no collision only driving down the road. The vehicle was inspected by GM and they claiming no defect on their side. However Recall N202324251 Roof Rail Air Bag Inflator May Rupture, for other 2016 Chevy Silverado's 2500 exists. This is large safety issue and wondering if the VIN was missed given this happened for the same recall. GM Allegations department has said they will not pay to fix, but didn't provide the reason for the cause of the airbag deployment.

NHTSA complaint 11716586. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Had new Western Wideout snowplow (recommended by western) installed by Western dealership on a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500hd with snow plow prep package. Vehicle's Instrument cluster, HVAS, Radio and other electrical systems cut out while operating snowplow. GM is well aware of this issue which has been discussed and documented per GM Service Bulletin No.: PIT5387C (Feb 2016)- PIT5387P (10/17/2024), as well as GM Upfitter Integration UI Bulletin #124k (11/7/2019). Western states the fix for this issue is for GM to supply and install a wiring harness (per the above GM bulletins) GM dealerships as well as GM consumer assistance hotline state that GM part number 84043394 (fitting 2014-2019

NHTSA complaint 11706936, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Had new Western Wideout snowplow (recommended by Western) installed by Western dealership on a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500hd with the factory snow plow prep package (RPO VYU). Vehicles instrument cluster, HVAC, Radio and other electrical systems cut out while operating snowplow. GM is well aware of this issue per GM Service Bulleting NO.: PIT5387C (Feb 2016) through PIT5387P (10/17/2024), as well as GM Upfitter Integration UI Bulletin #124K (11/7/2019). All list this specific vehicle. This issue effects snowplows by all manufactures and is not confined to Western. Per the above bulletins published by GM, GM is to supply and install a wiring harness under a unique one time warranty

NHTSA complaint 11706942, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

190,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 45-55 MPH and hauling a trailer, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was shuddering abnormally, and the wheels locked up for approximately 4-seconds. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard. The thermostat light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was no under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

NHTSA complaint 11690247. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 8 2 —
2025 29 1 —
2024 140 4 —
2023 47 1 —
2022 95 3 —
2021 87 6 —
2020 108 10 —
2019 74 7 —
2018 53 5 —
2017 54 5 —
2015 176 6 —
2014 40 2 —
2013 51 3 —
2012 53 3 —
2011 104 4 —
2010 21 5 —

Other 2016 Chevrolet models

Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst