2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 ranks 13th worst out of 21 model years with a complaint index of 40 and a Good verdict. It has 104 complaints, 4 recalls, 2 fires, and 2 crashes, with airbags as the top problem area at 38% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 40/100
- #13 of 21 Silverado 2500 years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 104
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 7
- Top issue
- Airbags
Top 2011 Chevy Silverado 2500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags40 (38%)
- Engine14 (13%)
- Fuel System12 (12%)
- Other12 (12%)
- Electrical System10 (10%)
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (10%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (7%)
- Structure & Body6 (6%)
- Brakes4 (4%)
- Steering4 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Wheels have detached while towing, with multiple wheel studs shearing off and lug nuts lost at highway speed.
- Owners report dash and wiring fires, in one case starting after a battery jump and spreading until the truck was a total loss.
- Takata front passenger airbags reportedly failed to deploy in a highway collision with a flipped tractor-trailer.
- Steering has pulled hard to one side at highway speed with a wobble that worsened going uphill, and dealers could not diagnose it.
- Some trucks experienced sudden acceleration where the pedal reportedly stuck, forcing the driver to shift into neutral to slow down.
- Frame rust and corrosion were found perforating the frame at low mileage on at least one truck.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls
4 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 18V267000Apr 26, 2018Other6,154 vehicles
Equipment
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
2011 compared with other Silverado 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 Silverado 2500 earns a Good verdict, ranking 13th worst of 21 model years with a complaint index of 40.
- What are the most common problems on the 2011 Silverado 2500?
- Airbags lead complaints at 38% (40 complaints), followed by engine issues at 13% and fuel system problems at 12%, according to NHTSA data.
- Does the 2011 Silverado 2500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, covering airbag inflators, a fire extinguisher replacement, and an electrical jumper harness fix. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2011 model compare to other Silverado 2500 years?
- The 2011 has a complaint index of 40, better than years like 2005 (95, Avoid) and 2007 (90, Avoid), but worse than 2012-2014, which carry Best verdicts with indexes of 10, 5, and 15.
- Were there airbag deployment failures reported?
- Yes, NHTSA complaints describe a Takata-related front passenger airbag that failed to deploy in a highway crash involving a flipped tractor-trailer.