Chevrolet Silverado check engine light problems: what 818 owners reported

Owners filed 818 NHTSA complaints that mention the check engine light on the Chevrolet Silverado. That is 7.1% of the 11,450 complaints on file for the model. The reports come from every model year from 2012 to 2026, with the most from the 2021 (147 reports), 2020 (116) and 2019 (105) trucks. The light is a warning, not a diagnosis: in these reports it sits next to engine, transmission, electrical and brake problems.

NHTSA's recall data for these model years has no recall matching this problem as of 27 October 2026. Recalls for other parts may still apply to your truck. If this is not your case, read the full Chevrolet Silverado problem report.

TL;DR

• 818 check engine light reports out of 11,450 Silverado complaints (7.1%), from NHTSA owner complaints.
• The most reports are from model years 2021 (147), 2020 (116) and 2019 (105). Together that is 368 of the 818.
• The share of each year's complaints is highest for 2021 (15.0%), 2020 (13.1%) and 2023 (12.9%), and lowest for 2013 (2.0%).
• The most named component is the engine (428 reports), then the power train (293) and the electrical system (120).
• 3 reports mention a crash and 4 mention a fire. The reports list 7 injuries in total.
• No recall matching this problem was found in NHTSA's data for these model years.

Which Chevrolet Silverado years have the most check engine light complaints?

There are two clear groups. Model years 2012 to 2016 have small shares, between 2.0% and 3.5% of each year's complaints, even though 2014 and 2015 have the most complaints overall (1,610 and 1,423). From 2019 onward the light shows up in 8.8% to 15.0% of each year's complaints, with 2021 the highest at about one complaint in seven. The 2025 and 2026 trucks have only 16 reports each, and they have had less time on the road, so their counts are likely to grow. Share is a ratio of complaints, not of trucks sold, so it shows where owners are complaining, not how likely any one truck is to throw the light.

What do Silverado owners describe?

A check engine light can mean many things, and the owners below describe very different problems. I am repeating what they wrote, not saying what caused it.

Light first, then a failure. Several owners say the light was the first sign of something serious. A 2017 owner wrote: "The check engine light came on a few hours before the transmission finally gave out." (NHTSA complaint 11750249). A 2016 owner reported: "The truck engine light came on and was not able to be driven very far without stalling. Took it for repair and 2 valve lifters were bad." (11725275). A 2014 owner described a failure at highway speed: "Simotanious reaction first check engine light,no oil pressure,limp mode". (11758671).

Flashing light, rough running and misfires. A 2019 owner was driving at 65 mph when "3 warning lights came on" and said "The final was a flashing Check Engine light." The truck was misfiring and running very rough, and the shop "said to stop driving immediately and have it towed to them for inspection." (11756456). A 2015 owner wrote that "the flashing engine light came on before I could get home" and that "This is the second time my lifters failed, as diagnosed by the repair shop currently diagnosing the issue." (11737672). A 2025 owner wrote: "The code was misfire cylinder 5" and "they found cylinder badley scorred". (11772980).

Lifters and the AFM system. A 2018 owner wrote: "I began to hear a ticking noise in the engine block, and the check engine light came on", and said a local mechanic found a bent push rod due to "a failed lifter/AFM system". (11724143). The 2016 owner above says the lifter problem came back at 46,000 and 59,000 miles and writes "Now it's costing us 15,300 to repair it". (11725275). These are single accounts from owners, not a measure of what repairs typically cost.

Light plus stability, brake or throttle warnings. A 2012 owner described the stabilitrak and traction control messages, then "The next day I started the vehicle and the light was on again with the check engine light. And stuck in limp mode." (11643267). A 2022 owner who reported a crash wrote: "Check engine light was on before. Blinking, esc fault , forward collision detection was not working, traction control service light." (11771000). A 2021 owner listed sudden power limp mode and wrote that a "Check engine light and code p1098 appeared after defect." (11771734).

No light at all. A 2020 owner wrote that the transmission started slipping and "no code was ever shown on dash no check engine light". (11772560). So the absence of the light does not mean there is nothing wrong, and its presence does not tell you which part has failed.

Components named. Owners and NHTSA coded the engine in 428 of the 818 reports, the power train in 293, the electrical system in 120, service brakes in 99, the fuel/propulsion system in 81 and engine and engine cooling in 51. A report can name more than one component, so these do not add up to 818. Three reports mention a crash and four mention a fire. The reports list 7 injuries in total, counted across all reports.

Is there a recall for the check engine light on the Silverado?

Not that I could match. NHTSA's recall data for model years 2012 to 2026 has no recall matching this problem as of the 27 October 2026 data date. The check engine light is a symptom with many possible causes, so a lack of one recall tells you little about your own truck. Recalls for other parts may still apply, so check your VIN rather than assuming either way, and see the Silverado problem report for the model's other recalls and complaint areas.

One 2022 owner mentions "a TSB for the wire chafing" (11771000). That is an owner's statement in a complaint, not something I verified, so ask your dealer which service bulletins apply to your VIN.

What should you do if your Silverado's check engine light comes on?

This is how I would approach it. I am not a mechanic, so none of this is a diagnosis.

1. Check open recalls by VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. Do this even if your truck's year is not among the busiest above.
2. If the light is flashing, or the truck is misfiring, loses power, stalls or goes into limp mode, stop driving as soon as it is safe and call for help. One owner above had trouble merging off an interstate with the truck running rough, and another stalled on a highway.
3. Write down the date, mileage, warning messages, any codes a shop reads, and the conditions (speed, temperature, cold start, highway). Keep every repair order.
4. Ask a dealer to read the codes, check for open recalls and for manufacturer service bulletins that apply to your VIN, and give you the findings in writing.
5. Report the problem on NHTSA's report a safety problem page. These reports are where the numbers in this guide come from.

How this guide was made

The numbers come from NHTSA's public owner complaint database for the Chevrolet Silverado, model years 2012 to 2026, as of 27 October 2026. A complaint is counted when the owner's text mentions the check engine light, and the quotes above are shortened from the owners' own words with the complaint number beside each. Counts are of reports, not of trucks, and complaints are unverified accounts. For the full method, see the methodology page.