2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
On the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, the failure owners report most often is ABS module or sensor failure, and the reports cluster around 65,000 miles. The earliest to appear is parking brake failure, reported by a median of 55,000 miles. Overall it scores 67 out of 100, high risk for a 2001.
High risk for a 2001 — 159th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. 627 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model.
What breaks on the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Owners have reported 52 named failure modes on the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and the three most-reported carry 34% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
ABS module or sensor failure leads with 94 reports, about 3.1 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 35k to 95,000 miles.
Other brake problem follows with 68 reports, usually reported between 84k to 137,500 miles.
Parking brake failure follows with 53 reports, usually reported between 42k to 115,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (318), fuel (91) and body (46).
When these failures get reported
492 of the reports on the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 87,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 20% by 50,000 miles, 58% by 100,000 miles and 84% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 23 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 50,000 and 60,000 miles, which alone holds 9% of the dated reports.
13% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: parking brake failure around 56k, fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure around 60k, ABS module or sensor failure around 65k and fuel gauge or level sensor failure around 70k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 52. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 23 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 77 mention a crash, 10 a fire, 41 an injury and 13 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.69, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: ABS module or sensor failure at $500–$2,400, other brake problem at $300–$1,800, parking brake failure at $250–$1,300 and fuel gauge or level sensor failure at $300–$1,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
10% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 94 | 79 | 35k | 65k | 96k | 3.1 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 68 | 57 | 84k | 105k | 137k | 2.3 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 53 | 49 | 42k | 56k | 116k | 1.8 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 51 | 42 | 48k | 70k | 90k | 1.7 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 51 | 48 | 67k | 101k | 125k | 1.7 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 43 | 40 | 87k | 108k | 127k | 1.4 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 20 | 7 | — | 98k | — | 0.7 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 17 | 17 | 93k | 135k | 168k | 0.6 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 15 | 10 | 137k | 213k | 213k | 0.5 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 14 | 12 | 60k | 60k | 111k | 0.5 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 14 | 8 | 28k | 113k | 151k | 0.5 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 14 | 10 | 76k | 88k | 105k | 0.5 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 11 | 11 | 43k | 80k | 153k | 0.4 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 10 | 5 | — | 66k | — | 0.3 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Piston, ring or cylinder wall damage | engine | 8 | 7 | — | 20k | — | 0.3 | $3,000–$9,500 | Critical |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 8 | 8 | 51k | 83k | 230k | 0.3 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 7 | 3 | — | 122k | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 6 | 5 | — | 120k | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 6 | 6 | — | 51k | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 6 | 2 | — | 84k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 5 | 5 | — | 132k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 5 | 4 | — | 77k | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 5 | 3 | — | 60k | — | 0.2 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 5 | 3 | — | 87k | — | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 5 | 3 | — | 79k | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 4 | 4 | — | 12k | — | 0.1 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 4 | 3 | — | 178k | — | 0.1 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 4 | 4 | — | 101k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 4 | 4 | — | 50k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 4 | 3 | — | 72k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 4 | 2 | — | 41k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 3 | 2 | — | 153k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 70k | — | 0.1 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 3 | 3 | — | 154k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 128k | — | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 76k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 2 | 2 | — | 120k | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 2 | 2 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 2 | 1 | — | 98k | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 2 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 240k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 86k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 59k | — | 0.0 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 66k | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Power steering pump or fluid leak | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 77k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 107k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 14 | 3 | — | 194k | — | 0.5 | — | Moderate |
This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 draws about 21 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 92nd percentile of complaint rates among 2001 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model.
The working figure is 30,014 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2001 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
ABS module or sensor failure
We purchased a 2001 silverado ext in 7-01. Truck had about 16,000 miles on it, when we bought it new/used. Parking brake seemed to be really soft, but lot assured us, nothing was wrong with it and that the new technology we had with vehicle's, made it easier for elderly people and such. Yes the brake works great on level ground, but wait until you really need it like on a sloped driveway............. Or getting the vehicle inspected! This is when they really give you the works!!dealership wanted to charge us almost $200 to fix a 15 minute job, which should have been fixed while it was under warranty. We had an unfortunate incident, which resulted in the death of another person. To make a long story short, I feel it may have been prevented, if these(so called) great anti-lock brakes on gm vehicles did what they are supposed to do. We have encountered several occasions where the brakes go to the floor, get really spongy, even when constant pressure on pedal is maintained, and the result is erratic! What happened to the gmc/chevrolet brand?! ----p.s.- we were told this is a common complaint on the parking brake, but yet there is no…
We purchased a 2001 silverado ext in 7-01. Truck had about 16,000 miles on it, when we bought it new/used. Parking brake seemed to be really soft, but lot assured us, nothing was wrong with it and that the new technology we had with vehicle's, made it easier for elderly people and such. Yes the brake works great on level ground, but wait until you really need it like on a sloped driveway............. Or getting the vehicle inspected! This is when they really give you the works!!dealership wanted to charge us almost $200 to fix a 15 minute job, which should have been fixed while it was under warranty. We had an unfortunate incident, which resulted in the death of another person. To make a long story short, I feel it may have been prevented, if these(so called) great anti-lock brakes on gm vehicles did what they are supposed to do. We have encountered several occasions where the brakes go to the floor, get really spongy, even when constant pressure on pedal is maintained, and the result is erratic! What happened to the gmc/chevrolet brand?! ----p.s.- we were told this is a common complaint on the parking brake, but yet there is no…
Other brake problem
The owner complained about a brake problem. When applying the brakes they hardened, and the vehicle would not stop. Also the owner changed the brake pads, rotors, and bled the brakes. Currently, the vehicle still doesn't have much braking power. *ak the problem was found to be the right front bearing and the hub sensor. *sc *jb
Dt: the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet truck and was having problems with the brakes. The first time there was an incident where he tried to stop the vehicle but could not stop. As a result the consumer's vehicle hit another vehicle. The second time the consumer was trying to stop for a stop sign but could not stop. The service dealer turned the rotors at 4,000 miles. The first time the dealer replaced the both front bearings and ABS sensors. The consumer had to pay for this repair. This time the service dealer replaced right and left hub and the ABS sensor.*ak the ABS activated as the vehicle was slowing down. The rotors had to be turned at 4000 miles. *nm
Parking brake failure
Chevrolet has a defective clip that is on thier emergency brake system and they know this but are not doing a recall to try and solve this problem. There is a technical service bulletin out on this problem but they still are not accepting fault and are making the consumer pay for thier mistake. After repeated phone calls to them I did get them to agree to pay for half of the fix on my 1/2 ton pick-up. My question is why is nothing being done about this problem? It is not so much the money I had to put out of pocket but the fact they know there is a problem on all of thier trucks made after 1999.*ak
Parking brake does not hold. About a year to 18 months after the vehicles (2001 z71 cheverlet and 2002 surbuban) the park brake fails to hold. As time went on, the parking brake pedel needed to be depressed lower and lower until the brake would no longer hold the vehicle.*ak
How it ranks in the 2001 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2001 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2001 — 159th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 30 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2012 comes out best at 65 and 2020 worst at 81, with 2001 itself at 67.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2001, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2000–2006 generation specifically, 2003 is the strongest year at 66 and 2006 the weakest at 68.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2000-2006 generation, 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 scores best at 66 and 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 worst at 68.
What the numbers say to check
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other engine problem from about 28k, ABS module or sensor failure from about 35k, parking brake failure from about 42k and fuel pump failure from about 43k.
On a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other engine problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
What this page cannot tell you
627 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 627 reports, 492 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 78% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The most-reported failures are abs module or sensor failure (94 reports, median 65,000 miles), other brake problem (68 reports, median 105,000 miles) and parking brake failure (53 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems start?
Parking brake failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 55,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 42,500 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 87,000 miles.
Is the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
It scores 67 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 159th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2001 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is best?
Within the 2000–2006 generation, 2003 scores best at 66 out of 100 and 2006 worst at 68. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed