The 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500’s issues are frequent enough to be cause for concern, with nearly one complaint for every 200 units sold. But steady manufacturer support and a generally positive reliability rating should put Chevy fans’ minds at ease.
Key Points
- The 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500‘s biggest issue has to do with stiff braking as a result of low vacuum pressure in a faulty pump. There has been a recall, but an investigation remains open and drivers continue to register complaints.
- Several drivers have complained of transmission shudder and even total failure at around 100,000 miles, but this has yet to result in a recall or an investigation.
- The truck has been recalled five times for airbag issues, ranging from cracked computer casing to loose end caps.
- The pickup is still a reliable choice, as long as you get it CPO.
2016 Chevy Silverado 1500’s Brakes May Feel Stiff, Owing to Vacuum Pump Issue
The 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has around 500 complaints on file with the NHTSA, with nearly 200 of these pointing to the service brakes.
A recent complaint reports “Hard brakes. If I press on the brake pedal 2-3 times while making a stop, the pedal becomes stiff and difficult.” Another reads “Pedal went to floor and would not stop when parking.” It’s easy to see the recurring pattern in a third complaint, reading “At low speeds, my brakes stop working.”
The truck has been recalled four times for braking issues, twice because of the brake pedal coming loose. The first of these two recalls was in early 2016, affecting nearly half a million GM units. A followup was issued in August of 2018 for another 40,000 or so units.
More recently, a recall was issued for over 600,000 GM units in 2019 for a software issue that could cause unintended braking, but the recall that seems to be directly related to the above complaints was the one issued in September of that year for potentially faulty vacuum pumps in almost three and a half million GM units, including the 2016 Silverado.
The issue addressed by this recall had to do with the vacuum level in the pumps decreasing, forcing drivers to exert more effort to press the brake pedal and bring the truck to a stop, if they’re able to bring it to a stop at all without the use of the parking brake.
New complaints continue to roll in, but given the scale of this recall, if you’re driving a 2016 Silverado you’re probably covered. That said, an investigation on the problem remains open, so this matter is not entirely settled just yet.
Transmission Shudder May Start at around 100k Miles
Of the Silverado’s nearly 500 NHTSA complaints, 76 have to do with the power train. Among these complaints, we can see a clear pattern in drivers reporting major transmission problems, and even total transmission failure, at just under, or just over, 100,000 miles.
A North Carolina driver reports “at 81,000 miles, truck started having a transmission shudder at 25 mph and 45-65 mph when transmission is at normal temp.” In Texas, a driver complains “while driving at 35-45 mph, the vehicle would jerk forward, then decelerate, and jerk forward again.” This was reported at around 89,000 miles. Over in New York, a driver claims that at 104,000 miles “it stopped going into any gear, and would not move.” This, after several instances of jerking and shuddering.
At present, there are no open investigations on the matter and the pickup has not been recalled for anything pertaining directly to the engine or transmission. In other words, we’re in the “wait and see” stage on this one. Whether these issues point to a manufacturer defect or the complaints have to do with the regular wear and tear drivers tend to put on a truck over 100,000 miles, we can’t speculate. But if you test-drive a 2016 Silverado with six figures on the odometer, make sure you get a feel for how it shifts before putting any money down.
2016 Silverado’s Airbags have Been Recalled Five Times
Since the 2016 Silverado 1500’s launch, it has been recalled five times for airbag issues. The first recall was fairly minor, seeing computer housing fractures in just 90 units. The next recall, issued in September of 2016, was pretty big, with over three and a half million GM units seeing the front airbags potentially failing to deploy. A followup for this recall was issued for just over 40,000 units in July, 2017.
Then came a November, 2020 recall for the roof rail inflator’s end cap, which was liable to pop off the inflator at random in just over 9,000 units, and finally a July, 2021 recall for potential roof rail inflator ruptures in around 400,000 units.
It may seem worrying that the truck has been recalled so many times for airbag issues. But, recalls do mean that problems are being fixed.
2016 Silverado is Still Reliable, But Get it under Warranty
Chevrolet sold over half a million Silverados in 2016, with 1500s making up around 20% of all Silverado sales on a bad year. With just under 500 complaints on file with the NHTSA, that gives us a rough average of one complaint for every 180 drivers.
That may sound a bit high, but these trucks are still eligible to be covered by GM’s CPO program, which includes manufacturer warranty and thorough inspection. So here’s our take: you can depend on a 2016 Silverado 1500, but get it certified pre-owned, and make sure to test drive it.
Photos: GM
