2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 filed 363 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 363
involving a crash: 7

What fails most often

1 Air bags 54% of all complaints
2 Structure 10% of all complaints
3 Engine 9% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
6 Electronic stability control 5% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
8 Suspension 2% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 197 complaints (54% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 38 complaints (10% of all).
Engine: 33 complaints (9% of all).
Powertrain: 24 complaints (7% of all).
Electrical system: 21 complaints (6% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 363 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine28 · 8%
rust, corrosion20 · 6%
airbag warning light19 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise11 · 3%
windows, sunroof9 · 2%
A/C or heater8 · 2%
door locks, latches, handles8 · 2%
loss of power / limp mode8 · 2%
airbags did not deploy6 · 2%
seat belts6 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	197	7
Structure	38	0
Engine	33	0
Powertrain	24	0
Electrical system	21	0
Electronic stability control	19	0
Vehicle speed control	11	0
Suspension	9	0
Fuel/propulsion system	8	0
Visibility	8	0
Service brakes	7	1
Tires	6	0
Engine and cooling	5	0
Seats	5	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

No warning lights were illuminated. The driverâs and passengerâs side air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The paramedics were not called. Both the contact's son and the passenger sustained injuries. The contact's son was taken to an emergency care center by the girlfriend.
Air bags · crash · 2025-07-28 · NHTSA complaint #11676781
My truck with involved in an accident and hit a tree head on and the air bags did not deploy. My brother was injured with head trauma and dislocated hip and broken bones my brother hit black ice and it threw him off the road into a tree.
Air bags · crash · 2018-12-06 · NHTSA complaint #11156593
My family was involved with a collision with a guardrail at 45 degrees angle to the driver's side front. Drivers bag did not deploy, passengers airbag smoked but did not deploy. Thank god for seatbelts. The collision was at 65 mpg
Air bags · crash · 2018-08-12 · NHTSA complaint #11119465
As noted in my last report that I sent to you now my truck needs an engine because of a road knock. This is the second engine. It was changed in 2011 and Iâve been complaining about this and I wanted Chevy to do a pico test they refused to do it because theyâre telling me itâs too old but the truck only 111842…
Engine · 2026-09-07 · NHTSA complaint #11762511
It took a long time before I could get it to start and when it did start, the motor knocked clanked real loud. And shook real bad. I stopped at the Chevy dealer [XXX] there [XXX] and they said there was nothing wrong with my truck mileage on my truck is111547 I need to remind you that the engine was changed at 10,000…
Engine · 2026-08-27 · NHTSA complaint #11760010
The motor shook stalled and I could not get it. Restarted once I did get it restarted the engine made a loud banging noise my truck looks practically brand new. It just sits in the driveway and looks pretty.
Engine · 2026-02-18 · NHTSA complaint #11718892
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated.
Powertrain · 2026-02-13 · NHTSA complaint #11717770
The rust damage to the frame is damaged beyond anything form just regular wear and tear and driver fault. To not be remedied is a real issue. The salt used in the roads and the material used by the car companies isnât anything myself as a consumer could prepare for.
Structure · 2026-01-03 · NHTSA complaint #11708599

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

201010
201112
20123
201312
201412
201510
201650
201781
201850
201931
202024
202120
202210
202315
202412
20252
20269

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,100 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 1500 has 534 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 363, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, engine. Total complaints: 363. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (8%), rust, corrosion (6%), airbag warning light (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2010 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.