Your vehicle report
2002 Chevrolet Silverado
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 710
- Received Jul 2001 to Feb 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines114 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up94 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes29 complaints · 4.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V379000Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
- Recall #05V161000On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions and built with either pbr parking brake systems or trw parking brake systems, the parking brake friction linings may wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 75 crashes, 5 fires, 47 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 75 |
| 2003 | 100 |
| 2004 | 119 |
| 2005 | 195 |
| 2006 | 50 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2008 | 12 |
| 2009 | 7 |
| 2010 | 16 |
| 2011 | 18 |
| 2012 | 25 |
| 2013 | 24 |
| 2014 | 32 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 710 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 114 | 16% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 94 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #05V379000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 29 | 4.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 29 | 4.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 23 | 3.2% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 23 | 3.2% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 21 | 3.0% | – | NHTSA recall #04V129000 |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 21 | 3.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 20 | 2.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 18 | 2.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 12 | 1.7% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 12 | 1.7% | – | NHTSA recall #05V161000 |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 11 | 1.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 10 | 1.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 10 | 1.4% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 1.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V379000August 29, 20051,353,718 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
This Can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
NHTSA recall #05V161000April 22, 200590,242 vehicles affected
parking brake
On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions and built with either pbr parking brake systems or trw parking brake systems, the parking brake friction linings may wear to an extent where the parking brake Can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.
If the parking brake does not hold, unintended vehicle movement could occur, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with a pbr parking brake system. On vehicles equipped with the trw parking brake system, dealers will install a redesigned parking brake cable assembly. The recall began on july 29, 2005. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
NHTSA recall #04V129000March 17, 20043,662,211 vehicles affected
structure: body: tailgate: hinge and attachments
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the galvanized steel tailgate support cables that retain the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position may corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture. If both cables fractured, the tailgate would suddenly drop and strike the top surface of the rear bumper.
Anyone sitting or standing on the horizontal surface of the tailgate when both cables fractured could be injured by falling from the tailgate. On vehicles that have had the bumper removed, the tailgate may drop even lower. Additionally, if there is cargo on the tailgate the cargo may fall off if the support cables fracture.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the cables. Interim owner notification began on april 7, 20004. The recall began on september 24, 2004, when replacement parts were available, and will continue through october 29, 2004. Owners should contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or visit www.mygmlink.com, and enter your vehicle identification number.
NHTSA recall #03V435000November 3, 2003395 vehicles affected
fuel system, other: delivery
Some 2WD and 4WD pickup trucks, converted to either dedicated or bi-fuel compressed natural gas (cng) fuel usage, were assembled with a throttle cable that Can contact and rub through the flexible pressurized fuel line creating a pinhole leak of natural gas to the atmosphere.
A strong odor of natural gas may be detected from inside the vehicle, possibly accompanied by a hissing noise. If the natural gas were accidentally ignited, serious injury could result.
Remedy
Dealers will secure the throttle cable to eliminate the possibility of contact with the cng fuel line. The cng fuel line, throttle cable, and cruise control cable are also to be inspected and replaced if necessary. Owner notification began on december 11, 2003. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN