2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
797 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2011 sits among all Silverado 1500 years
What owners report
“Takata recall , i carried my vehicle to chevrolet dealership several times to have recall repairs made and they say the air bags needed for the repairs are not available.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Silverado 1500
“There's multiple cracks in the dashboard ,1 on the passenger side near the airbag and 2 additional cracks on the driver side .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Silverado 1500
“The dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle, top left corner where the airbag sits is cracked!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Silverado 1500
“Upon driving the check engine light came on along with the service stabilitrak and traction control messages. The truck had minimal power when stepping on gas and truck would jerk. When idling engine is loud and shakes.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Silverado 1500
“The driver's side headlamp wiring is faulty. I have continually replaced headlamps, only to have them need replacing in a month or two.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Silverado 1500
“My traction control light and abs light came on and the messages to service both of these systems are in my information center. My brakes are now dragging the rotors due to this problem. This is a major safety concern and a recall needs to be implemented to correct this issue. This started while…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Silverado 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 414 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on…
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, COLORADO, EXPRESS, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC CANYON, SIERRA, SAVANA, YUKON AND YUKON XL VEHICLES. THE REAR AXLE CROSS PINS WERE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW REAR AXLE CROSS PIN FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT, CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO LD AND GMC SIERRA LD VEHICLES. THE REAR AXLE CROSS PINS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND COULD FRACTURE AND BECOME DISPLACED WITHIN THE REAR AXLE.…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW REAR AXLE CROSS PIN FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
2,102 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 Silverado 1500 TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 drew 797 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are airbags (320 complaints), other (153), and body & structure (87).
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.