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2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
53%
257 of 488 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

53% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 69% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 26 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 50%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
257
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
514
this model year
Fires reported
4
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
7
10 crashes · 11 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN169 · 33%
ENGINE100 · 19%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM100 · 19%
SERVICE BRAKES100 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER58 · 11%
STEERING41 · 8%

The years either side

2010
35%
76 of 424
2011
26%
81 of 638
2012
26%
52 of 284
2013
23%
62 of 365
2014
28%
401 of 1,558
2015
27%
291 of 1,185
2016
36%
270 of 797
2017
44%
343 of 836
2018
53%
257 of 514
2019
63%
658 of 1,076
2020
63%
444 of 724
2021
75%
591 of 815
2022
69%
416 of 617
2023
69%
245 of 370

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other full-size pickups with no elevated signal in 2018

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN11/09/2022CRASH1 INJURED
Motor vehicle accident 4/21/22. Vehicle stalled hit by 18 wheeler. Several times on several occasions after that on several days vehicle stalled in interstates with multiple 18 wheelers, trucks cars almost hitting me/my vehicle each time it stalled. Now and since May 2022, the transmission completely failed and is in…
POWER TRAIN08/15/20181 INJURED
PARKED AND SHUT OFF, DISCONNECTED TRAILER. TRUCK ROLLED BACK WHILE IN PARK. I JUMPED OUT OF WAY AND TRIED TO OPEN DOOR TO STOP. DOOR KNOCKED ME DOWN AND CONTINUED BACKWARDS DRAGGING ME. FINAL STOP OVER EDGE OF POND AGAINST TREE STUMP. HAD TOWED TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION BY CHEVY ENGINEER. 2 WEEKS NO COMMUNICATION.
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE08/23/2026
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.

Three of 257 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (7)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicl…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equip…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.