2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is a pickup truck; vehicles over 8,500 lb GVWR are not certified for fuel economy by the EPA, so this page is built from NHTSA's recall, complaint and investigation records. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 88 complaints, most often about the power train.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.govNo EPA fuel-economy record: the EPA does not certify vehicles over 8,500 lb GVWR. Recall, complaint and investigation data below come from NHTSA.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Incomplete - Chassis Cab (Double Cab) |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 3: 10,001 - 14,000 lb (4,536 - 6,350 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Displacement | 6.6 L |
| Engine configuration | V-Shaped |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4x2 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control
Optional: Automatic emergency braking, Blind-spot monitoring, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Rear cross-traffic alert
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Custom, LT, LTZ, Work Truck). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 235.4–266.1 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 81.9 in |
| Height | 79.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 141.7–172.0 in |
| Track, front | 67.3 in |
| Track, rear | 68.1 in |
| Curb weight | 5,924–6,731 lb |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 10 configurations: Crew Cab L/Box 2WD, Crew Cab L/Box 4X4, Crew Cab M/Box 2WD, Crew Cab M/Box 4X4, Double Cab L/Box 2WD, Double Cab L/Box 4X4 …. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (6)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseLatches/Locks/Linkages
N232426400Service Brakes, Hydraulic
N212349181Tires
N212329780Seat Belts
N202322230Seat Belts
N202314670These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Air Bags:Srs Malfunction Warning Lamp/Light — Air Bag Malfunction closed
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) B0001-1B or B0012-0D. It cites rust particles in the connection terminal interface of the driver air bag
Opened Apr 9, 2021 · closed Aug 24, 2023 · action PE21010 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific Silverado 2500HD
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Chevrolet publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Silverado 2500HD →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported
9.5 per 10,000 built · Chevrolet reported 92,380 Silverado 2500HD built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2021: 11 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 21 · 2025: 29 · 2026: 15
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The transmission fluid line that goes from the radiator to the cooler came apart at the crimp were the rubber and metal tube connect, this allowed all the transmission fluid to spray all over the motor while driving and leaving us stranded
Having issues with “Service Trailer Brake System “ , this should be a safety concern for GM , and not up to the customer to pay for this repair
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure and informed the contact that the brakes needed to be replaced.
JULY 2022 DPF filter was throwing check engine light. Took to dealer to get diagnosed, part was ordered and the DPF was replaced August 19th 2022. Started to get headaches in vehicle while driving it. OCT 9th ended up in hospital after driving vehicle and was diagnosed with CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.
Starting smelling gas inside of the cab, at first thought it was non-issue, but the smell persisted. Several days passed, and when I went to warm up my truck in the morning smelled a strong gas odor, and when I looked under the engine - there was a pool of gas, and gas was leaking.
Front Park Assist (FPA) system did not provide any level of advanced alert until after impact when all conditions were fully met as stated in the user's manual for the Park Assist system. NOTE: Text after bullets are extracts from user's manual while test in () are owner's feedback during incident when FPA failed to alert.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Chevrolet itself: 21 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 26 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 23 per 100,000 built. Every Silverado 2500HD model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 18 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 15,000 and 94,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.
- 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM service campaign N242454441-02Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
- 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM service campaign N242454441-01Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
- 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM bulletin N242454441Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Engine, Equipment, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Power Train.
- PIT5698F Service bulletin2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- PIP4902W Service bulletin2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- PIP6127A Service bulletin2026-08-27 · Unknown Or Other
- This document assists GM dealer technicians with diagnosing torque converter concerns to ensure torque converter replacement is necessary. The torque converter part number will be placed on order restriction, and the technician will be asked to follow 25-NA-148 before requesting a part through PQC.
- PIC6551C Service bulletin2026-08-20 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
- PIT6031B Service bulletin2026-08-07 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates an issue where an aftermarket autostop device or rear taillights is causing a dead battery.
- PIT5680B Service bulletin2026-07-23 · Unknown Or Other
- This PI provides information to repair the door water deflector which is not sealed properly allows water into the door jam/sill area.
- PIT5099J Service bulletin2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- PIT5509N Service bulletin2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
- This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P12A6 P12A6 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 14 bulletins |
| P0442 P0442 on Chevrolet → | A small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Engine · Gas cap → | 8 bulletins |
| P0455 P0455 on Chevrolet → | A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off. | Engine · Gas cap → | 8 bulletins |
| P0747 P0747 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 6 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P062B P062B on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 6 bulletins |
| P2463 P2463 on Chevrolet → | Soot has built up in the diesel particulate filter beyond the allowed limit. | Engine | 6 bulletins |
| P0446 P0446 on Chevrolet → | A fault in the evaporative vent control circuit. | Engine · EVAP vent valve → | 5 bulletins |
| P0449 P0449 on Chevrolet → | A fault in the evaporative vent valve or solenoid circuit. | Engine · EVAP vent valve → | 5 bulletins |
| B2B0D B2B0D on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 3 bulletins |
| B2B0E B2B0E on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 3 bulletins |
| P026C | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Equipment | 3 bulletins |
| P0300 P0300 on Chevrolet → | Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 3 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD failed the emissions check on 0.37% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.72% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%).
failed emissions
416 initial inspections of 413 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2021 Silverado 2500HD | Every 2021 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 0.37% | 1.9% | 271 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.72% | 1.5% | 416 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.24% | 0.19% | 416 |
| Miles driven a year | 13,600 | 10,343 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 72,324 | 54,681 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Silverado 2500HD by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2021 Silverado 2500HD
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 6 recall campaigns for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, 2 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 24V797000, covering Power Train. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it F (54/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What are the dimensions of the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
Transport Canada measured it at 235.4–266.1 in long, 81.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 79.9 in tall, on a 141.7–172.0 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 5,924–6,731 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, most often about power train, electrical system, service brakes. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
The manufacturer has filed 1073 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, most often covering engine, equipment, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD failed the emissions check on 0.37% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.72% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | none | EPA certification records | The EPA does not certify vehicles rated over 8,500 lb GVWR, so heavy-duty nameplates have no entry at all. |
| Emission certificates | none | EPA emission certificates | The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page. |
| Recalls | 6 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 88 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 1073 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 8 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.