2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls and problems

The 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has 6 safety recalls and 123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Chevrolet dealer.

Recalls
6
Complaints
123
Crashes / fires
5 / 2
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls

Recall 26V-611: Air Bags

Reported Sep 24, 2026 · 1,559 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 21, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262569920. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 24, 2026.

Recall 21V-504: Air Bags

Reported Jul 1, 2021 · 410,019 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Risk: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Phase I owner notification letters were mailed on May 5, 2022. Phase II owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 20V-736. GM's number for this recall is N202324251.

Recall 18V-578: Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Reported Aug 30, 2018 · 42,280 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.

Risk: If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut with increased tightness, free of charge. The recall began October 3, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18278. Note: The vehicles in this recall need this additional remedy despite being covered by recall 16V069 for brake pedal loosening.

Recall 17V-437: Seat Belts, Air Bags

Reported Jul 10, 2017 · 40,683 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Recall 16V-651: Seat Belts, Air Bags

Reported Sep 8, 2016 · 3,640,162 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Recall 16V-069: Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Reported Feb 5, 2016 · 430,771 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 29, 2013, to February 1, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.

Risk: If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the brake pedal pivot nut and reinstall with an increased torque, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 20760.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Steering49
Power Train18
Electrical System18
Service Brakes13
Fuel/Propulsion System8
Engine8
Unknown or Other7
Structure5
Exterior Lighting4
Seat Belts4
Air Bags4
Fuel System, Diesel4

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 4
  • Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel — 2
  • Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior — 1
  • Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers — 1
  • Steering › Gear Box (Other Than Rack and Pinion) — 1
  • Steering › Linkages › Arm › Idler and Attachment — 1
  • Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly — 1
  • Seat Belts › Front › Retractor — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 35,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Air Bags · at 100,000 miles · reported Aug 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Power Train · reported Mar 10, 2026
the vehicle developed a extremely hard down shift and then a check engine light came on. the vehicle went into limp mode, took the vehicle to local diesel mechanic and i was informed that the transmission was bad and had to be replaced, while replacing the transmission i was also told the transfer case was making noise and needed to be replaced. this happened in November of 2025 and the parts are not available. This happened while i was towing our trailer across a bridge when the traffic came to a sudden stop, once traffic started moving we could not get up to speed thus causing a traffic…
Electrical System · reported Dec 24, 2025
Had new Western Wideout snowplow (recommended by western) installed by Western dealership on a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500hd with snow plow prep package. Vehicle's Instrument cluster, HVAS, Radio and other electrical systems cut out while operating snowplow. GM is well aware of this issue which has been discussed and documented per GM Service Bulletin No.: PIT5387C (Feb 2016)- PIT5387P (10/17/2024), as well as GM Upfitter Integration UI Bulletin #124k (11/7/2019). Western states the fix for this issue is for GM to supply and install a wiring harness (per the above GM bulletins) GM…
Engine · reported Dec 24, 2025
Had new Western Wideout snowplow (recommended by Western) installed by Western dealership on a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500hd with the factory snow plow prep package (RPO VYU). Vehicles instrument cluster, HVAC, Radio and other electrical systems cut out while operating snowplow. GM is well aware of this issue per GM Service Bulleting NO.: PIT5387C (Feb 2016) through PIT5387P (10/17/2024), as well as GM Upfitter Integration UI Bulletin #124K (11/7/2019). All list this specific vehicle. This issue effects snowplows by all manufactures and is not confined to Western. Per the above bulletins…
Power Train · at 190,000 miles · reported Sep 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 45-55 MPH and hauling a trailer, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was shuddering abnormally, and the wheels locked up for approximately 4-seconds. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard. The thermostat light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was no under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Other Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years

Compare all Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years · All Chevrolet models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: 26V-611 (air bags), 21V-504 (air bags), 18V-578 (service brakes, hydraulic), 17V-437 (seat belts, air bags), 16V-651 (seat belts, air bags) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

Owners report steering problems most often (49 reports), followed by power train (18). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 35,000 miles.

Are Chevrolet recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Chevrolet dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.