2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500

Typical pattern

17.9% of complaints about the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2015 vehicle — around the middle of the 195 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (19 complaints), typically at 4.5 yr or about 21,500 miles.

Complaints: 78
Median age at failure: 5.3 yr
Median mileage: 33,922 n=49
Crash / fire / tow: 17.9% of reports
Safety recalls: 7

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

21V504000 2021-07-01

Air bags:side/window:curtain:inflator

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

20V736000 2020-11-25

Air bags:side/window:curtain:inflator

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator.

If the end cap separates from the inflator, the compressed gas will escape and the end cap can be propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

18V578000 2018-08-30

Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.

If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

17V664000 2017-10-19

Fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tank

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks equipped with dual fuel tanks. The low fuel level sensor for the front tank may stick causing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.

If the front tank overfills, the excess pressure may cause the front tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, possibly resulting in a hole in the tank. The hole will leak fuel, which in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.

17V437000 2017-07-10

Air bags:frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without th

A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

16V651000 2016-09-08

Air bags:frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment o

A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

16V069000 2016-02-05

Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 29, 2013, to February 1, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 90,000 mi 5.3 yr in service crash / fire / tow

I WOULD NOTICE WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT UNDER THE HOOD OF MY VEHICLE. I WOULD MAINLY NOTICE IT WHEN I WOULD TURN ON THE AC . THIS WOULD HAPPEN EITHER PARKED OR IN MOTION. I WOULD OPEN THE HOOD AND THE SMOKE WOULD ONLY LAST A FEW MINUTES, WHICH CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO CATCH ON FIRE.

Electrical system mileage not reported 4 mo in service

I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL ON MY CHEVROLET TRUCK WHICH IS THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL AS THIS ONE. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT FIXED. THEY SAID IT WASN'T RECALLED SO WE HAD TO PAY THE BILL. ISN'T THEIR A WAY TO FIND THE RECALL AND GET REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR BILL AND ALL THE ASSOCIATED COSTS? WE HAVE CALLED AND MADE A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA. NOTHING CAME OF IT. IT STILL IS A SAFETY DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE REPAIRED WITH NO COST TO THE CUSTOMERS.

Electrical system 43,000 mi 6.0 yr in service

ENGINE LOSS POWER WHILE PULLING A LOADED HORSE TRAILER AROUND 10,000 POUNDS. ERROR MESSAGE SAYING POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED. THE TOP SPEED WHILE ON A HILL WAS ABIUT 15 MILES AN HOUR.TRACTOR TRAILLERS HAD TO MANUVER AROUND ME DUE TO THE LOW SPEED ON AN EXPRESSWAY WITH 70 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT. THE DEALER SAID CAUSE WAS FRAYING OF THE WIRING HARNESS PROBABLY AROUND THE TURBO. AFTER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THIS WAS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. TRUCK ONLY HAS 43,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE REQUESTED THE OLD WIRING HARNESS FOR INSPECTION.

Other Silverado 3500 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Silverado 3500 model years

How to read this