Chevrolet Silverado: common faults & what to check

Which Chevrolet Silverado are you looking at?

3 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Petrol

1 variant documented

2018–nowT12018–nowT16.2 V8 petrolPetrolDocumented issues2 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Kevauto via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Diesel

1 variant documented

2018–nowT12018–nowT13.0 dieselDieselDocumented issues1 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Kevauto via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Engine not documented

1 variant documented

1999–2006GMT8001999–2006GMT800Engine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues6 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Chevrolet Silverado

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Chevrolet Silverado before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Check the dipstick: oil that is above the full mark, thin, or smells of diesel means an injector is leaking into the sump.

  See why

  6.6 Duramax LB7 injector failure (fuel in oil, hard hot start, smoke)

  The first Duramax diesel, the LB7 fitted to 2001-2004 2500HD trucks, is notorious for injector failure: injector bodies crack and dump diesel into the sump, or leak back to the tank so the engine is hard to start when hot, and worn injectors cause white or black smoke and a rough idle. Failures were so common that GM extended injector warranty to 7 years / 200,000 miles, which has now expired everywhere. Diesel diluting the engine oil is the dangerous version, because it thins the oil and can wipe out bearings. The injectors sit under the valve covers, so replacement is a big job, usually done as a full set of eight.

  What you would notice

  • Engine oil level rising on the dipstick or oil smelling of diesel
  • Long crank before starting when the engine is hot
  • White or black smoke at idle or under load
  • Rough idle, misfire or knocking
  • Fuel economy getting worse

  Typically $6,000–$11,000 to put right.

• Serious issue

  Warm idle listen for valve train tick.

  See why

  5.3L V8 AFM / DOD Lifter Failure and Camshaft Damage

  GM's Active Fuel Management (AFM, also called Displacement on Demand) cylinder-deactivation system fitted to the 5.3L LS/LC9 V8 uses collapsing lifters that lock out four cylinders under light load. The AFM lifters fail at high rates – oil passages clog, lifters collapse and stick, and the associated cam lobes wear to failure. The result is a collapsed lifter tick progressing to complete camshaft destruction and oil contamination with metal debris. Documented in thousands of NHTSA complaints and multiple class-action suits. A defining used-market risk for any 2007-2013 Silverado with a V8.

  What you would notice

  • Persistent ticking or tapping from engine at idle, often one bank
  • Active cylinder count misfire codes (P0300 series, cylinder-specific)
  • Oil consumption (1L per 1,000 km range) alongside ticking
  • Check engine light with AFM system fault codes
  • Metal debris visible in oil on drain

  Typically $4,500–$10,000 to put right.

• Serious issue

  Be there for a stone-cold start and stand at the front with the bonnet up — this is the check that matters and a warm engine masks it.

  See why

  6.2 V8 lifter failure — ticking, misfire and in the worst cases a new engine

  The 6.2 V8 in this Silverado has a well-documented lifter problem. The cylinder deactivation system shuts down cylinders to save fuel, and the lifters involved collapse or wear, which upsets the valve timing and produces a ticking or knocking from the valve train, misfires and sudden power loss. Symptoms frequently appear early — within the first 30,000 km on affected trucks — rather than at high mileage, so a low-kilometre example is not automatically safe. At the severe end, NHTSA documentation describes engines failing outright from debris in the oil passages and out-of-specification connecting rods and crankshafts, with some requiring a replacement block. The gap between "replace some lifters" and "replace the engine" is enormous, which is why a ticking noise on one of these is worth stopping for rather than negotiating around.

  What you would notice

  • Ticking, tapping or knocking from the top of the engine
  • Misfire, or the engine shuddering and losing power
  • Engine warning light, often with random misfire or oil pressure codes
  • Noise worsening with mileage rather than settling
  • Excessive oil consumption between services

  Typically $3,000–$15,000 to put right.

• Serious issue

  Let it idle warm and listen for ticking or a misfire.

  See why

  6.2 V8 (L87) AFM/DFM lifter and bottom-end failure

  The 6.2 V8 (L87) in the T1 Silverado uses cylinder-deactivation (AFM/DFM), and its lifters are a widely reported weak point - a collapsed lifter causes ticking, a misfire and often a dead cylinder. On top of that, GM recalled a large batch of 2021-2024 trucks/SUVs after machining debris left in the engine during manufacture was found to damage the bottom-end bearings, in some cases causing sudden engine failure at low kilometres. On a used Silverado, service history and whether any recall/engine work has been done are critical.

  What you would notice

  • Ticking or tapping from the engine
  • Misfire, rough idle or check-engine light
  • Loss of power / cylinder dropping out
  • Knocking or a sudden stall in severe cases

  Typically $3,000–$15,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Open each door and look along the rocker sill and the bottom of the door frame with a phone torch for bubbling paint, rust holes or fresh filler.

  See why

  Rust through at the rear cab corners and rocker panels (GMT800)

  GMT800 Silverados and Sierras rust through at the lower rear corners of the cab and along the rocker panels under the doors, often while the rest of the body looks tidy. The rockers have drain paths that block with dirt, and the rear tyre throws water and road grit straight at the area ahead of the rear wheel. US-import trucks from salt states can be well advanced before any bubbling shows, and filler or stick-on rocker covers are a common way of hiding it. Repair means cutting out and welding in repair panels, and rot that reaches the cab mounts or door pillar makes it far more expensive.

  What you would notice

  • Paint bubbles or holes at the bottom rear corners of the cab
  • Crusty or soft metal along the rocker under the doors
  • Rocker covers or fresh underseal on an otherwise old truck
  • Water on the cab floor after rain

  Typically $800–$4,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Test drive with moderate-load acceleration through all gears.

  See why

  4L60E / 4L80E 3rd-4th Clutch Pack Wear

  The 4L60E 4-speed automatic (and its heavier-duty 4L80E variant) commonly fitted to 2007-2013 Silverados develops clutch pack wear in the 3rd and 4th gear clutch sets, particularly when towing or operated with degraded fluid. Symptoms are slipping on upshift to 3rd or 4th, hard engagement, or failure to hold 4th. Fluid burnt dark brown is a reliable indicator. The 4L60E is well understood by NZ/AU transmission specialists and a rebuild is straightforward but not cheap.

  What you would notice

  • Slip or flare on 2-3 or 3-4 upshift
  • Delayed or harsh engagement when selecting Drive from Park
  • Burnt transmission fluid (dark brown, strong smell)
  • Failure to maintain speed in 4th under load

  Typically $2,500–$5,500 to put right.

Chevrolet Silverado service schedule

What falls due, and at what distance, for each generation of the Chevrolet Silverado. These are the model’s intervals — the car’s own service book is the only thing that can tell you what has actually been done to it.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Chevrolet Silverado’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Diesel Injector Replacement Cost

Other Chevrolet models