2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems, complaints & recalls

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls (8)

• Recall 26V083000Feb 12, 20261,055 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY

  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.

  Risk: Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 24V797000Oct 24, 2024463,295 vehicles
  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.

• Recall 24V060000Feb 1, 2024570,434 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH

  General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with power-unlatching tailgates. The tailgate's electronic gate-release switch may short circuit due to water intrusion, which can result in the tailgate inadvertently unlatching while the vehicle is in park.

  Risk: An unlatched tailgate may open while driving and result in a loss of unsecured cargo, creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Owners are advised to check that the tailgate is closed and latched before driving. Dealers will replace the exterior touchpad switch assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232426400.

• Recall 20V792000Dec 17, 2020624,216 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS · SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

  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.

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 20V446000Jul 30, 2020769 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR

  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.

  Risk: If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 20V324000Jun 4, 2020272 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH · STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles previously recalled under 20V-142. Some of the vehicles in 20V-324 were not part of Recall 20V-142 but received defect parts during another service (typically during collision repair). The hood-latch striker wires on replacement hoods installed for Safety Recall 20V-142 may not have been heat-treated properly, possibly causing them to fracture.

  Risk: If a striker wire fractures, the hood may open unexpectedly while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood assembly, free of charge. For hoods sold over the counter, dealers will contact customers with instructions for hood replacement. The recall began July 7, 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 N202306490.

• Recall 20V142000Mar 12, 20201,909 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The hood-latch striker wires may not have been heat-treated properly, possibly causing them to fracture.

  Risk: If a striker wire fractures, the hood may open unexpectedly while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood assembly, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 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 N192284960.

• Recall 19V814000Nov 14, 2019556,399 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

  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.

  Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.

  Remedy: 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• PE21010Opened Apr 9, 2021Closed Aug 24, 2023

  Air Bag Malfunction

  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…

Recent 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Aug 17, 2026AZTransmission & Drivetrain

   VIN: [XXX] Make/Model/Year: 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD, Duramax L5P, Allison 10L1000 Recall: N242454440 / N242454441 (NHTSA 24V797) Description: Vehicle had N242454440 completed May 2026 (TCM software update for harsh shift / wheel lockup). On XXX at 103k miles, vehicle exhibited same defect: harsh downshift 8th-9th gear, CEL on. Diagnosed as TCM failure per N242454441. Vehicle at O'Reilly Chevrolet Tucson since XXX (18 days out of service as of XXX). Dealer states TCM…

   NHTSA complaint #11757341 · source
2. Filed Jul 6, 2026VATransmission & Drivetrain

   Since buying the vehicle I’ve had issues with the truck going into limp mode with codes p0700 as well as p0747. I have taken it to the dealership twice now, when it has arrived the codes were no longer there. Every time the truck went into limp mode the transmission would get stuck into 5th gear stuck at 45 mph. The problem with the truck started at 48,000 miles, the truck currently has 60,000 miles and the problem has been more active. With the dealership not wanting to…

   NHTSA complaint #11748501 · source
3. Filed Jul 1, 2026GAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   The fuel pump driver module. I filled my truck up with diesel and it drove home fine. Later that afternoon left the house and got half mile down the road and the truck just shut off with no warning lamps or message. When this happened, you could not steer the truck and the brakes barley worked, now after the truck cut off a message came to shift in neutral. I was lucky no one was on the road at that time. Now had this happened the day before when I was coming home pulling a…

   NHTSA complaint #11747679 · source
4. Filed Apr 13, 2026WITransmission & Drivetrain

   The transmission, without warning, intermittently locks the rear wheels when towing a 13,500 lb 5th wheel RV. It occurs when going uphill and the transmission downshifts to maintain torque. The "D" on the gear indicator on the dashboard also flashes 3-5 times. This is a known issue with the Allison approved (but GM made) transmission from model year 2020 to 2022 (NHTSA 24V-797) and is to be under extended warranty. We brought it to a Chevy dealer who kept from March 24 to…

   NHTSA complaint #11730919 · source
5. Filed Mar 17, 2026TNTransmission & Drivetrain

   This is a supplemental update to complaint #XXX filed February 7, 2026, regarding my 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Diesel (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of propulsion on January 21, 2026, consistent with the defect mechanism described in Recall 24V797. Recall software was installed May 27, 2025. Failure occurred eight months later with no warning. GM's response has been as follows: A Field Technical Service Engineer made a remote…

   NHTSA complaint #11724870 · source
6. Filed Feb 6, 2026TNTransmission & Drivetrain

   The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of propulsion while driving at highway speed after normal operation. The transmission began slipping and then would no longer engage gears. The vehicle had to be pulled over and towed. This vehicle is subject to GM Recall N242454440 related to a known transmission control valve defect that can cause loss of propulsion. I was not notified of this recall by GM and discovered it independently. Once aware, I completed the recall software…

   NHTSA complaint #11716298 · source
7. Filed Jan 30, 2026IATransmission & Drivetrain

   While driving at highway speed in my 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Duramax, the transmission suddenly failed and locked up without warning. This caused an immediate loss of vehicle function and created a dangerous situation while traveling in traffic. I had my two children in the vehicle at the time. I was able to safely maneuver the truck to the shoulder, but the vehicle was no longer operable and required towing. This failure occurred only a few months after a transmission…

   NHTSA complaint #11714523 · source
8. Filed Sep 30, 2025UTTransmission & Drivetrain

   On [XXX], while driving ~65 mph, my 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Duramax experienced a sudden transmission lock-up, nearly causing a crash. The event caused severe internal transmission damage, leaving the truck unsafe and inoperable. This is the exact defect described in NHTSA Recall #24V-797 (GM Recall N242454440), which states that valve body wear can cause rear-wheel lock-up. My truck stored P0700 and P2820, which directly indicate a valve body failure. GM refuses to…

   NHTSA complaint #11690678 · source

Compare the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with another vehicle →

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. 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