"How reliable is the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?"

"Based on 64 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has a median complaint mileage of 40213 miles. The most common issue is Service Brakes."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 is Service Brakes, accounting for a significant portion of the 64 total complaints filed."

2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 64 complaints

Total Complaints

40,213mi

Median Mileage

Service Brakes

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

26,600 25th Percentile

40,213 Median Mileage

62,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Service Brakes

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Injectors

Tires

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine

Suspension

Parking Brake

Fuel System, Gasoline

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FACTORY INSTALLED SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WILL ONLY ALLOW DRIVER TO SEE THE FRONT OF THE FENDER. CONSUMER NOT ABLE TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES SAFELY, FENDER IS BLOCKING DRIVERS VIEW. MIRRORS DO NOT EXTEND OUT FAR ENOUGH. *AK THE MIRRORS ON VEHICLE ARE NOT ADEQUATE TO ALLOW SAFE PASSING AND THERE IS AN INA..."

"CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL SHIMMEY,VIBRATES AND SWAYS AT ANY SPEED.CONTACTED DEALER. THE DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE VEHICLE YET THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. NLM"

"CAMPER MIRRORS DON'T STICK OUT FAR ENOUGH TO SEE THE ROAD BEHIND THE CAMPER THE CAMPER IS A 10.5FT. LANCE CAMPER. YOU CAN NOT BACK OR DRIVE SAFELY WITH THESE MIRRORS. DT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Service Brakes 7 complaints

25th: 45,659 mi Median: 63,500 mi 75th: 125,000 mi

Service Brakes, Hydraulic 7 complaints

25th: 41,125 mi Median: 60,750 mi 75th: 93,750 mi

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 6 complaints

25th: 23,947 mi Median: 38,145 mi 75th: 47,250 mi

Injectors 3 complaints

Median: 87,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

PA: 13 MO: 7 NJ: 5 NY: 4 CT: 3 FL: 3 CO: 3 TX: 3 VA: 3 WA: 2

Who Files Complaints?

37.5%

Original Owners

62.5%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	78	50,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	6
1998	100	69,100	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	4
1999	73	30,495	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	1
2000	114	56,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	8
2001	97	73,000	Service Brakes	9
2003	60	83,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	0
2004	46	52,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	6
2005	60	46,500	Service Brakes	0
2006	60	52,621	Service Brakes	7
2007	41	30,000	Air Bags	1
2008	35	66,558	Air Bags	2
2011	42	73,587	Air Bags	1
2012	31	51,350	Tires	1
2013	36	56,000	Steering	1
2015	76	33,922	Electrical System	4
2016	72	27,000	Steering	5
2018	26	25,700	Engine	0
2019	33	500	Power Train	1
2020	48	34,000	Power Train	1
2021	52	24,760	Electrical System	1
2022	29	55,000	Service Brakes	2
2024	61	7,400	Electrical System	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28