2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500: problems, recalls and reliability
7 recalls and 21 owner complaints on record; most reports concern power train; the 2017 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall May 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Very hard downshift of transmission caused rear wheels to break traction on icy road. Vehicle slid sideways across the road nearly going over the edge of a steep downgrade.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2026
“Def pump and heater module had burned terminals. This caused failure to the def pump and heater module. This was the second instance of this happening on this truck in roughly 40,000 miles. Burned terminals can start electrical fires that are a danger to occupants and others in the vicinity. Failure of this system forces a drop in speed after so many miles that make you a danger on the road.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jan 2026
“Driving at hiway speed and towing a 40' travel trailer the transmission failed and put my family in grave danger. GM is aware of this issue as they have issued a service bulletin due to an engineering flaw.... ( transfer case input and out put shaft failure) This needs to be a recall before someone is killed or injured ( wheels locking up at hiway speeds)”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Sep 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“1st incident: When driving the vehicle dashboard shut off, no indicators working such as speedometer, gauges etc and brakes were not working, luckily I was in a 60 miles an hour zone so I had to just let the vehicle come to a gravity stop. To turn off the engine and start it back up again. 2nd incident: when driving the dash lights turned off and on like flickering on and off and all the gauges mentioned above did not work, and brakes did not work. This is very scary! All power in the truck is lost while driving and braking issue!”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2025
“Known recall. Heating elements on the rear windows cause the window to explode. They said they remedied the recall in 2020 but it just happened when my husband started driving out of the driveway after remote start and warming the car. If a child or pet would have been in the back seat or he was in traffic, it could have caused harm to others.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2024
“I continually receive a "Low coolant " warning on my dash. While the truck was under warranty, the dealership replaced the coolant reservoir which contains the coolant level sensor. Now that my vehicle is no longer under warranty they refuse to fix the problem unless I pay for it. The dealership has refused to acknowledge that there is a problem even after replacing it three times.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2024
“Service trailer brake system appears and my trailer brake information doesn't show up on the dashboard when I try to manually engage the electric trailer brakes.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2024
“The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that on several occasions at various speeds, the contact observed an exhaust odor coming into the cabin of the vehicle from the vents. The vehicle was taken to two dealers where the failure was not able to be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Nov 2023
“The right brake caliper malfunctioned and is available for inspection from dealer. There was significant safety risk due to the fact all brake power was lost making the vehicle very difficult to stop. The dealer confirmed the caliper failed. The component has not been inspected. No warning, or symptoms and vehicle is maintained at dealer at recommended intervals.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Sep 2023
“Transmission exploded from the inside causing catastrophic failure that could have resulted in death. Milage on vehicle was 20k. No indication of transmission issues on warning sensors in the car or through feeling the transmission slipping or hearing any noises before it occurred”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2023
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 7 campaigns
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC Customer Service at 888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N242474500.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 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 N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 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 N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. 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 N252513060.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500 and 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and an optional engine-block heater cord. An electrical short-circuit may occur in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.
Remedy: Dealers will replace engine block heaters and heater cords. Vehicles that have this feature disabled as a remedy to the safety condition will be contacted and offered replacement block heaters and heater cords under a separate customer satisfaction program, free of charge. GM will provide free replacement block heaters and cords under a separate customer satisfaction campaign. For vehicles previously included in recall 19V-328, the heater cord will be replaced and rerouted, free of charge. Interim owner notifications were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 4, 2022. Customers may call GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 212329840.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 vehicles equipped with a dual fuel tank option. The rear fuel tank may collapse and prevent the fuel pump from transferring fuel to the front tank, resulting in an engine stall.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and fuel pump module, replacing them as necessary. Dealers will also add a vent hose to the rear tank assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on March 15, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 21, 2023. 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 N222368030.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 vehicles and 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with Duramax 6.6 liter diesel engines and an optional engine-block heater. The engine block heater cord or the terminals that connect the heater cord to the block heater may short circuit and fail.
Remedy: GM will contact owners, dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Additionally, in Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles, dealers will install a new rerouted heater cord. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N182206310.
How other years compare
Check your exact Silverado 3500 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 reliable?
NHTSA has 21 owner complaints and 7 recall campaigns on record for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The most complained-about area is power train.
Does the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have open recalls?
7 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:side/window:curtain:inflator. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.