2017 Chevrolet Silverado: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado
On the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, the failure owners report most often is other brake problem, and the reports cluster around 45,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other powertrain problem, reported by a median of 35,000 miles. Overall it scores 79 out of 100, severe risk for a 2017.
Severe risk for a 2017 — 54th riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. 156 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model.
What breaks on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado
Owners have reported 41 named failure modes on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, and the three most-reported carry 31% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other brake problem leads with 23 reports, about 7.7 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 23k to 60,000 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 17 reports, usually reported between 12k to 45,000 miles.
Other engine problem follows with 9 reports, median 25,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (31), transmission (31) and engine (15).
The mileage the reports cluster at
130 of the reports on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 26,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 73% by 50,000 miles and 98% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 32% of the dated reports.
60% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
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 41. 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 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, 14 mention a crash, 4 a fire and 4 an injury. 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 4.48, 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: other brake problem at $300–$1,800, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and torque converter failure at $1,100–$3,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
35% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other brake problem | brakes | 23 | 22 | 23k | 43k | 58k | 7.7 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 17 | 14 | 12k | 33k | 44k | 5.7 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 9 | 5 | — | 25k | — | 3.0 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 8 | 7 | — | 34k | — | 2.7 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 7 | 7 | — | 1k | — | 2.3 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 5 | 5 | — | 41k | — | 1.7 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 3 | — | 3k | — | 1.7 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 4 | 4 | — | 8k | — | 1.3 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Harsh or jerky shifting | transmission | 4 | 4 | — | 30k | — | 1.3 | $600–$4,000 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 4 | 3 | — | 70k | — | 1.3 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 4 | 3 | — | 8k | — | 1.3 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 4 | 2 | — | 6k | — | 1.3 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 1.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 3 | 2 | — | 2k | — | 1.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 10k | — | 1.0 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 3 | 2 | — | 68k | — | 1.0 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 2k | — | 1.0 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 29k | — | 1.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 3 | — | 11k | — | 1.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 3 | — | 68k | — | 1.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 45k | — | 0.7 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 55 | — | 0.7 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 31k | — | 0.7 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 2 | 2 | — | 81k | — | 0.7 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 1 | — | 32k | — | 0.7 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 13k | — | 0.7 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 71k | — | 0.3 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 8k | — | 0.3 | $1,800–$7,000 | High |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.3 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 93k | — | 0.3 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Fuel injector failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 49k | — | 0.3 | $450–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.3 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 91k | — | 0.3 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.3 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.3 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 300 | — | 0.3 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 500 | — | 0.3 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 21k | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 10 | 8 | 425 | 5k | 45k | 3.3 | — | 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 2017 Chevrolet Silverado draws about 52 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 96th percentile of complaint rates among 2017 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 3,006 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2017 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.
Other powertrain problem
Vehicle hesitation and surges in acceleration. This condition is a safety issue as it hesitates pulling into traffic, surges in acceleration have caused loss of tire traction on ice covered roadways nearly resulting in a collision. Dealers have acknowledged an issue but advise they are still waiting on a fix from gm.
Other engine problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 chevrolet silverado. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would vibrate. The vehicle was taken to huffines chevrolet (1400 stemmons fwy, lewisville, tx 75067) where it was diagnosed that the tires were out of balance and the front driver's tire needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to classic chevrolet (3991, 1101 tx-114, grapevine, tx 76051) where it was diagnosed that the motor mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
How it ranks in the 2017 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
Where 2017 sits in the model line
Severe risk for a 2017 — 54th riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 21 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1996 comes out best at 66 and 2013 worst at 82, with 2017 itself at 79.
If the model year is negotiable, 1996, 1998, 2008, 1997, 2007, 1999, 2004, 2000, 2002, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2003, 2011, 2010 and 2015 score lower than 2017 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2014–2017 generation specifically, 2015 is the strongest year at 75 and 2014 the weakest at 79.
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 2014-2017 generation, 2015 Chevrolet Silverado scores best at 75 and 2014 Chevrolet Silverado worst at 79.
What to look at before buying one
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 powertrain problem from about 12k and other brake problem from about 23k.
On a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other powertrain 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.
The limits of complaint data
156 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 156 reports, 130 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 83% 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 2017 Chevrolet Silverado?
The most-reported failures are other brake problem (23 reports, median 45,000 miles), other powertrain problem (17 reports, median 35,000 miles) and other engine problem (9 reports, median 25,000 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 2017 Chevrolet Silverado problems start?
Other powertrain problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 35,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 10,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 26,000 miles.
Is the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado reliable?
It scores 79 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 54th riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2017 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 is best?
Within the 2014–2017 generation, 2015 scores best at 75 out of 100 and 2014 worst at 79. 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