last October 2025 while going a slow rate of speed my passenger front ball joint severed and this past 17 oct 2026 my driver side ball joint broke also going a slow rate of speed after turning onto a highway.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ball joint problems
100 of the 18,180 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2020 model year.
- owner complaints
- 100
- worst model year
- 2020
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 69,983
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Harsh shifting 7Power steering loss 4Check engine light 4Brake failure 4ABS 4Pulling 3Steering noise 3Loss of power 3
Trouble codes mentioned
C1500 1
What owners say
Ball joint Failure of front passenger wheel assembly Wheel literally folded under truck . Both ball joints broke . 64k miles luckily I was only doing about 20 mph .
The front upper control arm failed and the driver side wheel collapsed. There was no warning. Luckily I wasn’t pulling my RV camper down a mountain, it could have been catastrophic . I towed it to Carson Chevrolet. They gave me an estimate of $6,000 + for repairs. They had no reasonable explanation.
I was driving on the highway at about 70 mph and the passenger side lower control arm where the ball joint sits broke. It messed up the passenger fender and tire along with the steering link. It also bent the upper control arm as well. The ball joints were replaced about 6 months ago.
I have fighting this issue since January and have not gotten any help or relief from Chevrolet. This issue caused a significant safety risk and has cost me $12,000. I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue involving my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado that resulted in a sudden loss of power while merging onto an interstate highway. On XXX, I brought my vehicle in for service to replace the upper and lower ball joints, as well as the control arms. I retrieved the vehicle from the repair shop on XXX, and departed the same day for travel to [XXX]. Later that evening, while traveling southbound on [XXX] near [XXX], I stopped at Exit XXX. Upon re-entering the highway and accelerating to merge into traffic, the vehicle began shifting through gears abnormally. While in approximately 6th gear at around 2,900 RPM, a loud banging noise occurred, followed immediately by a significant loss of engine power. At the same time, the check engine light illuminated. Due to the sudden and unexpected loss of power while actively merging into highway traffic, I was nearly rear-ended by another vehicle. I was forced to take immediate evasive action and pull onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. This incident created a highly dangerous situation not only for myself but for surrounding motorists. This failure occurred without warning and directly impacted my ability to safely operate the vehicle in a high-speed traffic environment. I believe this presents a significant safety concern that warrants investigation. Please let me know if any additional information is required. I appreciate your attention to this matter and request that this incident be formally documented and reviewed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
in beginning of January of 2026 my vehicle had lifter issues. Brought it to Chevrolet Group 1 in Spring Texas. Three weeks without transportation. Beginning of February the vehicle stopped in the middle of the feeder. Vehicle lights up but goes dark for five seconds and will not start. Had it towed back to the same dealership and told it was the battery cable that needs to be replaced. Three weeks passed no transportation. In the middle of April 16 2026 I was driving on the feeder in the far right lane and the front right wheel came off hanging by only the tie rod. the vehicle slid a good 700 to 900 almost crashing into a muffler shop gate. Upon inspection the muffler shop mechanic notice that the front right upper control arm bolt threads are not damaged and the nut is missing.
On January 2, 2026, I brought my vehicle in for service to replace the upper and lower ball joints, as well as the control arms. I retrieved the vehicle from the repair shop on [XXX] and departed the same day for travel to Mississippi. Later that evening, while traveling southbound on [XXX] near Columbia, Tennessee, I stopped at [XXX]. Upon re-entering the highway and accelerating to merge into traffic, the vehicle began shifting through gears abnormally. While in approximately 6th gear at around 2,900 RPM, a loud banging noise occurred, followed immediately by a significant loss of engine power. At the same time, the check engine light illuminated. Due to the sudden and unexpected loss of power while actively merging into highway traffic, I was nearly rear-ended by another vehicle. I was forced to take immediate evasive action and pull onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. This incident created a highly dangerous situation not only for myself but for surrounding motorists. This lifter failure occurred without warning and directly impacted my ability to safely operate the vehicle in a high-speed traffic environment. I believe this presents a significant safety concern that warrants investigation. There have been over 600,000 recalls for this and Chevrolet's solution was an entire engine replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am filing this safety complaint regarding a documented engine wire harness chafing defect in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 2.7L L3B Turbo engine. While driving, my truck experienced erratic acceleration, engine throttling to 3,000 RPM without returning to idle after releasing the accelerator, engine misfires, sudden loss of engine power, stalling, and multiple simultaneous warning lights. These conditions created immediate safety and collision risks on public roads. GM issued TSB 21-NA-149 in June 2021 and a second bulletin September 17, 2021, both before my November 2021 purchase, identifying wire harness chafing in the L3B engine caused by a manufacturing error. A wire harness clip was removed during production creating an uncontrolled harness branch that contacts sharp edges on the ECM/TCM bracket, upper control arm, and shock tower during normal engine vibration. This defect was built into the vehicle at the factory and was never disclosed to me at point of sale. The defect manifested after warranty expiration causing cascading failures; wire harness, catalytic converter, and transmission, all within five weeks. Vehicle has been inoperable since January 8, 2026. Defect confirmed by independent mechanic and by Ancira-Winton Chevrolet (authorized GM dealer) in their own repair documentation referencing GM Bulletin 21-NA-149. Dealer documented catalytic converter failure as consequential damage from wire harness repair. GM created Customer Satisfaction Program N192219370 for this exact defect. My VIN was excluded despite experiencing identical symptoms. No safety recall has been issued. Loss of throttle control and stalling at highway speeds represents an imminent collision risk. I request the federal safety agency investigate a formal safety recall for 2019-2023 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with the L3B engine.
Well taken care of 2020 trailboss upper control arm completely failed driving down the interstate with family in the truck. Suspect defect from ball joints. Only 68k miles. No warnings. Tire fell into suspension causing thousands in damage. Had to be towed. At high speed we could've all been killed. Seen multiple reports online of similar ball joint/ control arm failures. This needs to be addressed ASAP! Very dangerous.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove over a pothole, and an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ball joint on the front upper control arm had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was repaired three times. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the brake pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. The contact believed that the sound was coming from the brake pump having too much air. The contact was informed that the brake oil reservoir was empty. There was no oil stains never found on the ground. The brake pads were replaced. Most recently, the message "Service Air Bag" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic after the most recent failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that in the past the temperature sensor, the thermostat, the radiator, and the water pump were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
- Risk
- Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.
Recall number 16V256000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: axle: spindle
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and gmc canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
- Risk
- The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 11V007000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: axle: spindle
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade ext, chevrolet avalanche, silverado ld and gmc sierra ld vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
- Risk
- The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V643000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ball joint
Which Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2020 (14 complaints), 2021 (13 complaints) and 2019 (9 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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