2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 filed 351 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 351
involving a crash: 21

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 59% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
4 Steering 5% of all complaints
5 Engine 4% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
7 Tires 3% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 3% of all complaints

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

Service brakes: 206 complaints (59% of all), 17 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 43 complaints (12% of all).
Fuel system: 24 complaints (7% of all).
Steering: 16 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 13 complaints (4% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 351 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion136 · 39%
brake failure58 · 17%
stalls while driving28 · 8%
steering or power steering problems17 · 5%
smoke, burning smell, fire16 · 5%
warning lights, check engine12 · 3%
tires: bulges, blowouts11 · 3%
vibration11 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise10 · 3%
rollaway, parking brake9 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	206	17
Engine and cooling	43	0
Fuel system	24	0
Steering	16	1
Engine	13	0
Powertrain	12	1
Tires	12	1
Electrical system	10	0
Structure	10	0
Parking brake	7	0
Visibility	7	1
Fuel/propulsion system	6	0
Air bags	5	3
Suspension	5	1

What owners report

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

While driving on city streets , I went to stop behind a car at a stop light and the brakes went to the floor with no warning. I hit the car from behind and luckily no one war injured but minor damage to the rear of the car was observed.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-05-27 · NHTSA complaint #10594432
With absolutely no warning sign or indication, my brake line busted and I had no brakes whatsoever. The pedal went all the way to the floor. Even at this slow of speed in reverse I could not stop and ran directly into the trailer.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-05-19 · NHTSA complaint #10592337
Brake failure resulting in accident due to rusted steel line and loose (stretched) parking brake cable. Residential driving under 25 miles an hour I approached a stop light with my family in the car. Applied pressure to brake with about 100 feet from light. Brake pedal dropped to the floor.
Service brakes · crash · 2013-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #10554419
2002 chevy truck 2500. Attorney writes on behalf of client in regards to air bag failure during a crash the consumer hit the steering wheel, which caused severe bruising to his chest and other parts of his body.
Air bags · crash · 2012-03-14 · NHTSA complaint #10452017
While driving front left wheel assy. Separated from truck causing me to crash. Truck was a total loss.
Suspension · crash · 2009-05-07 · NHTSA complaint #10267913
Tl contact owns a 2002 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. While backing up the vehicle at 1 mph, the rearview mirror became unstable. The contact crashed into a telephone pole and the brake lights cracked.
Visibility · crash · 2008-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #10251579
Blowout of bridgestone dueller at 693, lt285/75r/16, dot no.ejlfccb2501 causing loss of vehicle control and $4,000.00 damage to truck. Near total loss of vehicle control causing vehicle to leave roadway.
Tires · crash · 2004-01-28 · NHTSA complaint #10055092
Vibration in vehicle prior to tire blow out on freeway traveling approximately 70 mph.. Appears to be a tread separation type failure. Tires are bf goodrich all terrain ta ko baz with approximately 27000 miles on them. Size is lt265/75r16.
Wheels · 2020-09-15 · NHTSA complaint #11355048

When owners complained

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

20011
200210
200310
20048
200515
200613
200715
200828
200919
201043
201156
201230
201337
201424
201521
20167
20172
20184
20203
20214
20251

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,148 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 2500 has 121 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 351, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 351. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (39%), brake failure (17%), stalls while driving (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

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 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 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 2002 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.