2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
408 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 77/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 85,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1997–1999, 2009, 2012–2014, 2017–2018, 2021.
Avoid
Where 2002 sits among all Silverado 2500 years
What owners report
“Corrosion in the brake lines caused a blowout of the brake lines and failure of the brakes.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Silverado 2500
“While driving the vehicle at 50mph engine will start loosing or gaining power. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Silverado 2500
“All my brake lines are corroded/rusting out. One line already had to be replaced. Very dangerous. All my fuel ines are starting to corrode and appear to require replacement soon.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Silverado 2500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 354 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 85,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,000 and 126,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
CERTAIN FABTECH AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PITMAN ARMS, P/NOS. FTS71000 AND FTS71001, INSTALLED FOR USE ON CERTAIN 2001-2006 GM C/K 2500 PICK UP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE PIN LOCATED INSIDE THE PITMAN ARM CAN SHEAR OFF DUE TO A REVERSE BENDING…
Fix: FABTECH WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PITMAN AND IDLER ARMS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FABTECH AT 909-597-7800.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 6.6L DIESEL ENGINES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRIC BRAKE SYSTEMS." THESE VEHICLES HAVE A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT MAY NOT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL CHANGE THE LOCATION OF A WIRE CONNECTION IN THE UNDERHOOD BUSSED ELECTRICAL CENTER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 9, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V005000.
Technical service bulletins
340 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Silverado 2500 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 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
The 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 drew 408 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 77/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 are brakes & stability (215 complaints), engine (56), and fuel system (27).
At what mileage do 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems around 85,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,000 and 126,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. 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.