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2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 742 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, most often about the engine (36% of complaints, typically around 68,000 miles). It is 10th of 27 Silverado 1500 model years by number of complaints and has 12 recalls.
Most common 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
Engine
270 complaints · 36%Half of these problems showed up before 68,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, engine.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The dealer became aware of an abnormal sound coming from the lifters and camshaft, which failed to create a misfire.…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at a moderate speed, the fuel warning light had appeared on the instrument panel. After fueling the vehicle at a gas station, the vehicle began to hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several warning lights…
Transmission
232 complaints · 31%Half of these problems showed up before 61,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that once the vehicle had warmed up, while driving at speeds of 50 MPH or higher, the vehicle shuddered abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. There were no warning lights illuminated, or codes…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly hesitated and experienced hard shifting before returning to normal functionality. The vehicle had returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No…
Brakes
115 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 4,500 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components.
Was on vacation and went to eat supper approximately an hour later returned to vehicle cranked up truck and went to leave (in reverse) when I cut the wheel the truck had no power steering and so I pressed the brake and it was barely working, luckily I wasn't going to fast and was able to stop before hitting the…
Traveling at about 75-80mph, on a highway, - brakes engaged, slowing vehicle by about 15mph causing the truck to jerk as if it missed a gear. "service ESC" diaglogue, traction control light, and check engine light came on.
Electrical
114 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 6,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument panel, seat heater.
I have a 2020 Silverado 1500 lt trail boss with just over 5000 miles on it with one previous recall which was completed. On this occasion I was traveling on the highway at roughly 65mph when alert sounds came on followed by a message on the cluster saying to shift the vehicle to neutral and push start button. I did…
This truck doesn't even have 7500 miles on it. It was driven to work this morning without issue and parked for approximately four hours. Upon attempting to start it for lunch hour three messages showed up in the dic: 1) 'service ESC', 2) 'service power steering', and 3) 'park assist off'. In an attempt to evaluate I…
Other or unspecified
75 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 2,000 miles.
When driving vehicle (ours does not have the stop start technology); however when idling low or coming to a stop the vehicle will jerk then die. The motor will completely shut off; stalling, the only way to restart is to put the vehicle in neutral or park and turn ignition again. The motor shuts off entirely user is…
The rear window spontaneously shattered l. Nothing hit the the window and there was no evidence that an object hit the window. The bottom corners broke first. The truck was parked and off in a parking lot. There is sealant on one end of the window that appears to have come out.
Steering
74 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 12,500 miles.
Started the engine and had no power steering. I had a message that said service ecs I believe. Power steering has started working again since.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after being parked for several hours, the vehicle was started and operated in drive(d) and reverse(r) however, the vehicle failed to turn to the right or left. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The contact was able to…
Fuel system
41 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 41,000 miles. Parts named most often: fuel injection system.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact used a diagnostic tool to determine that the vapor…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked; however, while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel modular control regulator and the fuel modular control…
Speed control
28 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 3,500 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
Traveling at about 75-80mph, on a highway, - brakes engaged, slowing vehicle by about 15mph causing the truck to jerk as if it missed a gear. "service ESC" diaglogue, traction control light, and check engine light came on.
The truck has ~3000 miles. While driving the truck at highway speed (65 MPH), a warning came on the dash "engine power reduced", followed by a check engine light, and then there was no response from the throttle/gas pedal. The engine was still running, but no power was available when pushing on the gas pedal. Luckily…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls
Transmission: software
Risk: Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed march 6, 2026. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Gm's number for this recall is n252516560. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on february 12, 2026.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc is recalling certain 2020 chevrolet silverado 2500, 3500, gmc sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24v797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Transmission: valves/valve body
Risk: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. Gm will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed december 12, 2024. Owners may contact gm customer service at 1-888-988-7267, cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, gmc customer service at gmc 1-800-462-8782 or chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Gm's number for this recall is n242454440.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020-2022 chevrolet silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, gmc sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, chevrolet tahoe, suburban, gmc yukon, and yukon xl vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Wheels and tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
Risk: An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires. Owner notification letters were mailed february 7, 2022. Owners may contact gm customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is n212346510.
Full defect summary
General motors (gm) is recalling certain 2019-2021 gmc sierra 1500 and silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.
Wheels and tires: tires
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began march 22, 2021. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267, buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. Gm's number for this recall is n212329050.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020 buick enclave, cadillac xt4, xt5, escalade, escalade esv, chevrolet suburban, tahoe, traverse, gmc yukon, yukon xl, 2018-2021 chevrolet express, gmc savana, 2019-2020 chevrolet blazer, silverado 1500, gmc acadia, sierra 1500, and certain continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Seat belts: critical fasteners
Risk: If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began january 26, 2021. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Gm's number for this recall is n202314670.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2019-2021 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500, 2021 chevrolet suburban and tahoe and gmc yukon xl and 2020-2021 chevrolet silverado 2500 and 3500 and gmc sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
Wheels and tires: tires
Risk: Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have dot number and production mold number combinations identified by continental, free of charge. The recall began december 17, 2020. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267, buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. Gm's number for this recall is n202319030.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020 buick enclave, cadillac xt5, gmc acadia and chevrolet traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 chevrolet silverado 1500, gmc sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with continental tires that were overcured.
Transmission: driveshaft
Risk: If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin december 2020. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267. Gm's number for this recall is n202314870.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2019-2020 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 and 2020 chevrolet silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.
Air bags: inflator
Risk: If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, rrab performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect rrab modules, free of charge. The recall began september 3, 2020. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. Gm's number for this recall is n202305380.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc. (gm) is recalling certain 2020 buick enclave, cadillac xt5 and xt6, chevrolet blazer, silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and traverse and gmc acadia and sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the roof-rail air bag (rrab) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
Brakes: caliper
Risk: Broken caliper bolts can reduce brake performance or interfere with wheel rotation and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake caliper bolts, free of charge. The recall began march 23, 2020. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc customer service at 1-866-522-9559. Gm's number for this recall is n202294420.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 vehicles. The bolts used to attach the front and/or rear brake calipers may have not been heat treated and may break under load.
Electrical: cables
Risk: An intermittent electrical connection between the b+ battery cable and the alternator could cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The intermittent connection could also lead to electrical arcing, which could generate sufficient heat to damage surrounding material, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for the presence of glue or other contamination at the b+ cable attachment to the alternator and clean the connection and reattach the b+ cable connection, as necessary. If arcing has damaged the cable, nut, or alternator, the dealer will replace the damaged components. All services will be performed free of charge. Gm issued owners an interim notification on february 4, 2020. Gm issued second notice and the recall began march 9, 2019. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267. Gm's
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2019-2020 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (b+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the b+ cable and alternator.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began december 18, 2019. Owners may contact cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267. Gm's number for this recall is n192283991.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, chevrolet camaro, silverado 1500, suburban, tahoe, gmc sierra 1500, yukon, and yukon xl vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began december 13, 2019. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267. Gm's number for this recall is n192270600.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2019-2020 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500, and 2020 silverado 2500, silverado 3500, sierra 2500, and sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the carpet.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the l87 6.2l engine produced by general motors (gm). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25v-274. These engines are installed in model years (my) 2019â2024 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500, and 2021-2024my chevrolet suburban and tahoe, gmc yukon/yukon xl, and cadillac escalade/escalade esv vehicles. The subject engine failures were investigated as part of a preliminary evaluation (pe25001).â gm determined that these engine failures were due to multiple supplier manufacturing and quality issues. Gm issued recall 25v-274 to address the suppl
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Summary
On january 16, 2025, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in my2019-2024 gmâs full-size truck and SUV t1xx platform equipped with the l87 6.2l v8 engine. These complainants alleged engine bearing failures resulting in knocking and growling noises from the engineâs bottom end and in some cases more severe consequences such as broken connecting rods leading to engine damage, or engine failure. If the engine fails during vehicle operation, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. On april 24, 2025, gm issued recall 25v-274 to address the concern with l8
Air bag malfunction
Summary
On april 9, 2021, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened pe21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (mil) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by general motors (gm). The vehicles included model year (my) 2020 through 2021 ct4 and ct5 passenger cars, sierra and silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models), xt4 and my 2021 escalade, suburban, tahoe, yukon suvs.technical service bulletin (tsb) 21-na-005, issued in march 2021, addresses air bag mil illumination with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) b0001-1b or b0012-0d. It cites rust particles in the connection terminal interface of the driver air bag
Questions about the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (270 complaints, typically around 68,000 miles); transmission (232 complaints, typically around 61,000 miles); brakes (115 complaints, typically around 4,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?
- 12 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from February 12, 2026 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2020 a bad year for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
- It is 10th of 27 Silverado 1500 model years by number of complaints, with 742 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.