2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has a Complaint Index of 40 and ranks 13th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict. Airbags account for 50% of its 638 complaints, with 6 recalls on file, none requiring drivers to stop driving.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 40/100
- #13 of 21 Silverado 1500 years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 638
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 6
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 29
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 39
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- —
- Injuries / deaths
- 39 / 1
Top 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags319 (50%)
- Other127 (20%)
- Structure & Body91 (14%)
- Engine64 (10%)
- Brakes47 (7%)
- Electrical System34 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires30 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain21 (3%)
- Fuel System20 (3%)
- Steering11 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy in frontal and side-impact crashes, sometimes with seat belts also failing to restrain occupants.
- Some describe unintended acceleration or abnormal RPM spikes of 2000 or more while stopped, in drive, or in reverse.
- Drivers report the transmission shifting abruptly just after coming to a stop, causing the truck to lurch forward into traffic.
- One owner reported the steering column breaking during a passenger-side impact, causing full loss of steering control.
- Brake complaints describe pedals not fully engaging even under maximum pressure, leading to low-speed collisions.
- A fire was reported following a frontal-impact collision involving a Silverado.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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 February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
- NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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 February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.
- NHTSA 14V827000Dec 30, 2014Electrical System84,192 vehicles
Electrical system:ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
2011 compared with other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 Silverado 1500 has a Complaint Index of 40 and ranks 13th out of 21 model years, giving it a Good verdict relative to other Silverado years.
- What is the main problem with the 2011 Silverado 1500?
- Airbags are the top problem area, making up 50% of the 638 complaints filed, including reports of non-deployment in crashes at a median mileage of 70,000.
- Does the 2011 Silverado 1500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2011 Silverado 1500, covering airbags, an ignition lock housing, a steering intermediate shaft, and rear axle cross pins; none are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2011 Silverado 1500 compare to other years?
- With a Complaint Index of 40, the 2011 model is safer than the worst years like 2014 (100) and 2021 (95), but not as low-complaint as top years like 2012 and 2013, which both carry a Best verdict.