Problems · by component

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engine problems

103 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 cite engine, 20% of all 522 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
103
20% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I Tried to get a tune up and found out that the Engine need 5000 worth of engine repairs. I have changed the oil and filter every three thousand miles. Those engine are defective and the repair shops are full of the same type of repairs on that type of engine. My engine is a 5.3-liter V8, The engine started to make ticking noises out of nowhere and then it started missing badly. The repair shop informed me it would take 3 weeks before i could get it repaired at the cost of 5000.I did research on the 5.3 liter engine and found out that GM produced a engine that will cost us owners a lot of our heard money for a defect they created, This is so wrong Because i am a senior citizen. I paid over 50,000 for a limon that is just wrong.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2026EngineODI 11765997
“Intermittent issues seemingly related to power or ground problems. At idle, battery voltage drops down from 14-15v to <= 12v (as indicated on the voltmeter on the dash) while turning the steering wheel. "Service StabiliTrack" message shows up on the screen, and the steering becomes very difficult. Last night this issue happened and the truck completely lost power including interior lights, headlights, radio, accessory power, and the engine even turned completely off. This happened in the middle of the street as I came to a stop in front of my house and was going to reverse into my driveway. Cycling the key was enough to restart the truck and the power came back on. When this first happened to me almost two years ago, I brought the truck in for transmission concerns (resulting in a transmission replacement) to my local dealer, and I explained what had happened and they could not reproduce the concern and said everything checked out fine. I've had strange electrical problems pop up every now and then including this StabiliTrack warning message and a trailer brake warning when I am not even hauling a trailer, but this is a major safety concern. My wife and…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 18, 2026Steering, Electrical system, EngineODI 11765250
“Several times, while driving, the truck will simply shut down. It will becoime difficult to steer, then the engine will stall, killing the rest of the steering and the breaks as well as the dashboard, radio, etc. This can happen at any speed, low speed especially. I will give you an approximate date below, but there have been several incidents. The truck was looked at by our local mechanice, who could not find a problem and by the dealership electrical specialist who has also been unable to locate a problem.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 12, 2026Electrical system, EngineODI 11763791
“My truck has been shuttering when accelerating and hard shifts periodically. The engine is also tapping. I have right at 74000 miles. regular oil changes and maintenances.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2026Power train, EngineODI 11758850
“Purchased used 6/12/2026 at 188,882 miles from a franchised Chevrolet dealer. The integrated trailer brake system master fuse and passenger-side turn signal fuse were blown at delivery. When the fuses were replaced, the trailer brake system faulted and the failure disabled the ABS, traction control, and StabiliTrak (electronic stability control). Significant safety concern: with the master fuse blown/open, the vehicle displays NO warning messages of any kind — the safety-system failure is completely masked while trailer braking is inoperative. The warning cascade only appears when a good fuse is installed and the faulted circuit is energized. Separately, at approximately 12 days and ~1,700 miles after purchase, the engine began knocking and set diagnostic trouble codes; a dealer repair order dated 7/6/2026 documents the knocking complaint with no work performed. The vehicle is currently parked as unsafe to drive. No crash, injury, or fire. Reporting so the ABS/ESC failure mode — and particularly its masking behavior when the fuse is open — is on record for this VIN and vehicle line.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 11, 2026Electrical system, Service brakes, EngineODI 11749765
“The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH with cruise control activated, the vehicle shuddered and multiple warning lights illuminated, including the check engine, check oil, fasten seatbelt, traction control, and brake warning lights. The vehicle experienced steering overcorrection and lost power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and slowly driven to an independent mechanic shop, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the first and second pistons and lifters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 9, 2026Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11749304

Showing 6 of 103 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.