2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500: common problems

Owners of the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 filed 39 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 39
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Air bags 31% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
5 Steering 10% of all complaints
6 Engine 8% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 5% 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: 12 complaints (31% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (13% of all).
Fuel system: 4 complaints (10% of all).
Service brakes: 4 complaints (10% of all).
Steering: 4 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 39 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire4 · 10%
warning lights, check engine4 · 10%
rust, corrosion3 · 8%
brake failure2 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 5%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 5%
steering or power steering problems2 · 5%
windows, sunroof2 · 5%
airbags did not deploy1 · 3%
battery drain1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	12	1
Engine and cooling	5	0
Fuel system	4	0
Service brakes	4	0
Steering	4	0
Engine	3	0
Powertrain	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Backover prevention	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0
Other	1	0

What owners report

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

The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, he crashed into a deer and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained minor bruising. The police were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure.
Air bags · crash · 2012-11-05 · NHTSA complaint #10483434
The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the contact noticed smoking coming from the under the front vehicle. The contact mention he pulled over the right side of the road, turned the vehicle off and then exited the vehicle and opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed flames coming from the back of the…
Engine · 2026-06-03 · NHTSA complaint #11741817
My pitman arm has snapped 3 times since I purchased my truck leaving me with complete steering loss. I have had to replace all steering components several times. My truck is unsafe due to a fabtech lift kit that the dealer installed before I purchased it. Led Schwab was the installer.
Steering · 2024-12-16 · NHTSA complaint #11631074
Rattling noise in intermediate shaft of steering column and key tumbler is sticky
Steering · 2023-08-21 · NHTSA complaint #11539906
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 chevrolet silverado 3500. The contact stated that while refueling, diesel fuel sprayed back out of the filler neck. The contact was concerned that the design of the filler neck to the fuel tank was defective. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired.
Fuel system · 2020-08-14 · NHTSA complaint #11349178
While driving at any speed, steering wheel shakes, slightly, yet noticeably. Any speed. The shake is consistent, feels worse when turning or(drifting) right I on freeway. Have had steering gear box, pitman arm, and road force balancing performed, to no relief.
Steering · 2019-04-07 · NHTSA complaint #11194479
"takata recall" - I received my letter regarding the passenger side airbag recall dated july 2015. I contacted corporate headquarters and they were no help and kept telling me the vehicle was "safe" to drive even though the letter says discharge of the airbag could cause "injury or death to occupants." on 2/15/17 I…
Air bags · 2017-02-16 · NHTSA complaint #10955042
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2007 chevrolet silverado 3500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v324000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Air bags · 2017-01-31 · NHTSA complaint #10948729

When owners complained

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

20071
20083
20105
20114
20122
20142
20154
20169
20172
20181
20192
20201
20231
20241
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,011 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 3500 has 34 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 39, above average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
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.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 39. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), warning lights, check engine (10%), rust, corrosion (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

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 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 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 2007 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 2026-11-06.