2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 transmission & drivetrain problems
Updated from NHTSA data · How we count
30 owners have reported transmission & drivetrain problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 34% of all complaints about this model year. The typical problem appeared around 97,000 mi.
- Transmission & Drivetrain complaints
- 30
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Related recalls
- 1
- Median mileage
- 97,000 mi
Specific components reported
Transmission & Drivetrain covers: transmission shifting, slipping, axles, driveshaft, transfer case.
| Component | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power train | 30 |
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints across Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years
Mileage when the problem appeared
Related recalls
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY
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.
Risk: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
What owners say
- Filed Oct 6, 2026NCDriver Assistance & Safety TechTransmission & Drivetrain
Vehicle braking does not work- since new- dealer said it was funcitioning- sometimes you will get the warning and other times it does not and it never brakes. Transmission- i received a letter to bring truck in to have a software update for modulator valve wear....which was performed...since that time the stator and the torque converter were replaced in September/October of 2025. it was in dealership approx. 6 weeks for the repairs. Since that time i have had the vehicle…
NHTSA complaint #11769229 · source - Filed Sep 23, 2026PATransmission & Drivetrain
Pulling out from a stop sign, a loud bang came from the transmission, and rear wheels momentarily locked up then truck acted like it was in neutral. Truck was able to drift to side of road. We called our GM dealer, and they told us that our warranty had expired. We had the truck towed to our certified repair shop. After review of truck, the mechanic called and said the output shaft of the transmission broke. The mechanic called GM and asked if there was any financial…
NHTSA complaint #11766354 · source - Filed Jul 22, 2026LATransmission & Drivetrain
My 10L1000 transmission had a catastrophic failure internally which caused it to rough shift, sudden down shifting, not want to shift into gear at all, and high engine rpm prior to roughly shifting. I took it to the Chevy dealers mechanic the very next business day, only to find out that from the mechanic that this is a common occurrence with Chevy transmissions in my truck and google also verified this to be a common problem. The mechanic from the Chevy dealership also…
NHTSA complaint #11752243 · source - Filed Mar 19, 2026MITransmission & Drivetrain
Operator of this vehicle was commuting and truck started to slow down and chug. Vehicle hesitated when operator applied gas pedal. -Transmission cooler inlet/outlet pipe as per Chevrolet known issues. -Safety of driver at risk as failure happened in heavy traffic, unable to pull to safety -Yes confirmed by authorized repair facility -Part inspected by authorized mechanic. -No warnings, symptoms, prior to failure.
NHTSA complaint #11725594 · source - Filed Feb 27, 2026INTransmission & Drivetrain
While traveling at highway speed on the interstate in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD (approx. 120,000 miles), the vehicle experienced a sudden hard jolt followed by a momentary rear wheel lockup. This occurred without warning. Immediately after, the transmission defaulted into a fail-safe condition and became locked in 4th gear. The vehicle would move but could not shift properly, resulting in abnormally high RPM and engine load at highway speeds. I was forced to…
NHTSA complaint #11720857 · source - Filed Feb 11, 2026WVTransmission & Drivetrain
The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete transmission failure at approximately 77,800 miles. There was no prior abuse or modification. The failure resulted in loss of normal drivability and required full transmission replacement. The transmission was replaced with a remanufactured unit due to catastrophic internal failure. Repair costs were approximately $7,000. I am aware of similar GM transmission issues and recalls affecting comparable model years and components.…
NHTSA complaint #11717291 · source - Filed Jan 19, 2026MIEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain
first issue was around April-May 2025 when my engine started knocking and burning fuel. Warning light came on and it went right in to the dealer where I have all my maintenance done. They determined that it due to (2) faulty fuel injectors and I had them replaced at that time. In December of 2025 my engine started doing the same thing as before with the knocking and burning fuel and reduced speeds when on the highway so again it went into the dealer. It has since been in…
NHTSA complaint #11711815 · source - Filed Nov 12, 2025100,000 miOHTowedEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while slowing down and coming to a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed while in drive; however, the vehicle started to roll backwards. The contact depressed the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards, and the RPM became elevated to 5,000 RPM. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle to prevent the RPM from continuing to increase. The vehicle was shifted to park,…
NHTSA complaint #11698898 · source - Filed Aug 24, 2025VATransmission & Drivetrain
In December of 2024 Safety Recall N2424440-01 was applied. On the morning of Saturday August 23, 2025 while driving on a two (2) lane highway with the cruise control set to 60 MPH the vehicle “shuttered” then the shifted into a lower gear locking the rear wheels bringing the vehicle to an almost complete stop in very short distance. I was able to pull off the road out of traffic. Since it was a light traffic morning, no one else was close limiting the risk to me. Had there…
NHTSA complaint #11682687 · source - Filed Aug 8, 2025ILTransmission & Drivetrain
GM has acknowledged the problem and has issued a recall on transmissions effecting 2020 – 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 Heavy Duty trucks equipped with diesel engines manufactured between January 28, 2019 – January 11, 2022. Our truck, a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, was taken in to D’arcy Chevrolet in Morris, IL to have Recall N242454440 – Momentary rear wheel lock-up – Transmission and Engine Control Module Programming with SP. Under this recall dealers will…
NHTSA complaint #11679390 · source - Filed Jul 23, 2025KYTransmission & Drivetrain
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train); however, the dealer had not called the contact back despite multiple calls to request an appointment. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the recall remedy was a software update to limit the transmission and power output. The manufacturer was not made…
NHTSA complaint #11675604 · source - Filed Jun 16, 2025AKBody & StructureTransmission & Drivetrain
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V060000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES) and 24V797000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts…
NHTSA complaint #11667159 · source
Other 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problem areas
- Electrical System (17)
- Body & Structure (13)
- Brakes (12)
- Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion (8)
- Engine (8)
- Other / Unknown (6)
- Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (4)
- Wheels & Tires (2)
- Lighting (2)
- Steering (2)
- Airbags (2)
- Acceleration & Cruise Control (2)
- Visibility & Wipers (1)
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology