YearToAvoid

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 193 transmission & powertrain complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 24% of all complaints for the year. Median mileage at failure was 60,000 miles, with one crash and no fires reported. No related recalls are listed for this area.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
193
24% of 799
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
60,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Owners report the truck surging or jumping forward unexpectedly after releasing the gas pedal, in one case causing a low-speed collision.
  • Owners describe transmission slipping and vibration at idle that dealers reportedly said was normal operation.
  • Owners report the 8-speed transmission abruptly slowing or sliding forward during braking, and hesitating on acceleration from a cold start.
  • Owners describe a persistent shudder and RPM needle jump while holding a steady speed between 35 and 65 mph, not tied to shifting.
  • Owners report hard, clunking shifts both upshifting and downshifting, described as feeling like a bad universal joint rather than normal shift behavior.
  • Owners describe vibration at highway speeds above 60 mph that persisted after tire replacement and rebalancing.

When 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 transmission complaints were filed

First complaint May 11, 2016, latest Aug 28, 2026.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per quarter162016 Q22018 Q12019 Q32021 Q12022 Q32024 Q12025 Q3
193 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2016 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2023 Q2 (16).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Silverado 1500 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201031 (7%)
  2. 201121 (3%)
  3. 201221 (7%)
  4. 201324 (7%)
  5. 2014191 (12%)
  6. 2015147 (12%)
  7. 2016193 (24%)
  8. 2017224 (27%)
  9. 2018171 (33%)
  10. 2019326 (30%)
  11. 2020225 (31%)
  12. 2021236 (29%)
  13. 2022182 (29%)
  14. 2023106 (28%)
  15. 202494 (30%)
  16. 202520 (20%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are transmission problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA lists 193 transmission & powertrain complaints for the 2016 model year, which is 24% of all complaints filed for that year.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2016 Silverado 1500?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for the transmission & powertrain area on the 2016 Silverado 1500.
At what mileage do transmission problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this area is 60,000 miles.
Are the 2016 Silverado transmission issues dangerous?
NHTSA data show 1 crash and no fires or injuries linked to transmission & powertrain complaints for the 2016 Silverado 1500, though some owners describe unexpected surging or hard shifts.
How does 2016 compare to other Silverado 1500 years for transmission complaints?
The 2016 model's 24% share of complaints in this area is higher than 2010–2015 (7% or 12%) but lower than 2018 (33%) and several later years.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.