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2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 transmission problems

30 complaints (34% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000.

owner complaints
30
of this car's complaints
34%
typical mileage
100,000
crashes
0
recalls
1

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Chevrolet Silverado 2500 transmission problems in other years

1994200020052010201520202026

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: valves/valve bodyReported October 24, 2024 · 463,295 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Risk
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.

Recall number 24V797000 · Recall details

What 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · Driver assistance, Transmission · NC

Vehicle braking does not work- since new- dealer said it was funcitioning- sometimes you will get the warning and other times it does not and it never brakes. Transmission- i received a letter to bring truck in to have a software update for modulator valve wear....which was performed...since that time the stator and the torque converter were replaced in September/October of 2025. it was in dealership approx. 6 weeks for the repairs. Since that time i have had the vehicle roll forward when in reverse and pedal depressed, I have had hard shifts when shifting into gear at a stop, severe enough to lurch the truck forward and break traction....i have started having three to four downshifts very abrupt and very hard when decreasing speed. Dealership does not act like they want to do anything about it.

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Transmission · PA

Pulling out from a stop sign, a loud bang came from the transmission, and rear wheels momentarily locked up then truck acted like it was in neutral. Truck was able to drift to side of road. We called our GM dealer, and they told us that our warranty had expired. We had the truck towed to our certified repair shop. After review of truck, the mechanic called and said the output shaft of the transmission broke. The mechanic called GM and asked if there was any financial assistance for this problem and they said no. He ordered a transmission through GM, and we had to pay for transmission upfront. The amount was 6627.05. Since then as we researched, we found out that GM has a Goodwill assistance program that would have helped us had we known to take it to a GM dealer. With two phone calls, no one guided us on doing that. Our truck has only 38,000 miles on it and when I called GM, they said they would have been able to assist us if we had sent it to a GM dealer. We tried to explain that no one gave us that direction and now it is currently being repaired at our local garage. Can we get any assistance at all with this claim? We would appreciate any assistance you could provide for us. Thank you [XXX] and [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 22, 2026 · Transmission · LA

My 10L1000 transmission had a catastrophic failure internally which caused it to rough shift, sudden down shifting, not want to shift into gear at all, and high engine rpm prior to roughly shifting. I took it to the Chevy dealers mechanic the very next business day, only to find out that from the mechanic that this is a common occurrence with Chevy transmissions in my truck and google also verified this to be a common problem. The mechanic from the Chevy dealership also stated that there was larger metal chunks than normal. My truck is available for inspection asap. The manufacturer and vin lookup contradicts the mechanic and google stating no issues or recalls for my transmission. After speaking with the manufacturer, I became highly concerned due to their unwillingness to address the obvious issues known by so many. If I wasn’t such a safe driver and immediately brought it to the mechanic, this could have caused a terrible accident leading to extreme bodily harm or death even. According to a quick google search of the 2021 Chevy 2500 transmission problems and my mechanic this is a well known problem even though Chevy manufacturers refuse to acknowledge the issue or implement a recall. There was zero warning lights or lamps to indicate this problem. I am extremely concerned with the manufacturer’s response to my concerns and their unwillingness to correct this issue before it cost someone their life. This catastrophic failure with the transmission having metal shavings throughout it and extreme damage to the transmission valve body and being well known and reported by many other customers has to be addressed. Chevy’s unwillingness to acknowledge people’s claims in this has left me with around $10,000 in monetary damages and could have lead to bodily harm or death if I would have been traveling on a main highway or interstate when it occurred. At the very least Chevy needs to be held responsible for this known and reported issue before it causes death or injury.

Filed Mar 19, 2026 · Transmission · MI

Operator of this vehicle was commuting and truck started to slow down and chug. Vehicle hesitated when operator applied gas pedal. -Transmission cooler inlet/outlet pipe as per Chevrolet known issues. -Safety of driver at risk as failure happened in heavy traffic, unable to pull to safety -Yes confirmed by authorized repair facility -Part inspected by authorized mechanic. -No warnings, symptoms, prior to failure.

Filed Feb 27, 2026 · Transmission · IN

While traveling at highway speed on the interstate in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD (approx. 120,000 miles), the vehicle experienced a sudden hard jolt followed by a momentary rear wheel lockup. This occurred without warning. Immediately after, the transmission defaulted into a fail-safe condition and became locked in 4th gear. The vehicle would move but could not shift properly, resulting in abnormally high RPM and engine load at highway speeds. I was forced to continue driving several miles in this condition to reach a safe exit. The unexpected drivetrain behavior and temporary wheel lockup created a serious safety risk, including potential loss of control and risk of collision. The dealership identified transmission diagnostic trouble codes P2715 and P2733 (pressure control solenoid performance). Transmission fluid was found to be burnt and contaminated with metal debris. The vehicle is subject to GM Special Coverage N242454441 for a known control valve body defect that can cause harsh shifting and reduced engine power. Although code P0747 (referenced in the bulletin) was not present, the failure involved transmission hydraulic pressure control. The dealership is replacing the valve body under the special coverage but is not addressing the internal transmission damage, stating they cannot determine whether the damage resulted from the covered defect. The sudden rear wheel lockup and transmission fail-safe condition at highway speed present a significant safety concern involving unintended drivetrain behavior.

Filed Feb 11, 2026 · Transmission · WV

The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete transmission failure at approximately 77,800 miles. There was no prior abuse or modification. The failure resulted in loss of normal drivability and required full transmission replacement. The transmission was replaced with a remanufactured unit due to catastrophic internal failure. Repair costs were approximately $7,000. I am aware of similar GM transmission issues and recalls affecting comparable model years and components. Although my VIN is not currently listed under a recall, the failure appears consistent with known GM transmission defect patterns. The failure occurred while the vehicle was in the middle of an intersection in heavy traffic, resulting in sudden loss of vehicle functionality. A child passenger was onboard at the time. The incident created a significant safety hazard due to loss of drivability in an active traffic environment.

Filed Jan 19, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · MI

first issue was around April-May 2025 when my engine started knocking and burning fuel. Warning light came on and it went right in to the dealer where I have all my maintenance done. They determined that it due to (2) faulty fuel injectors and I had them replaced at that time. In December of 2025 my engine started doing the same thing as before with the knocking and burning fuel and reduced speeds when on the highway so again it went into the dealer. It has since been in there and first was told it was the fuel injector again. They priced out the one was bad and I asked them to replace the remaining 6 fuel injectors so I didn't have this issue again in the near future. They did and the vehicle had the same issues going on. During the next inspection it was determined that the engine needed new rocker arms. These were replaced but this also did not solve the problem and the vehicle would not pass the regeneration on the engine. During the next inspection it was determined that we needed to replace a cylinder and one of the valves. After this was complete they were still having issues and then I was told that the Piston was bad and there are (2) bad valves so I need an entire engine replacement. My truck only has 130,000 miles and has been in the shop for almost 2 months last year from engine issues and it has had all maintenance completed at he same dealership with Records.

Filed Nov 12, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · 100,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while slowing down and coming to a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed while in drive; however, the vehicle started to roll backwards. The contact depressed the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards, and the RPM became elevated to 5,000 RPM. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle to prevent the RPM from continuing to increase. The vehicle was shifted to park, restarted, and then shifted to drive(D) and the brakes released. While releasing the brake pedal, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was immediately turned off and towed to the residence. The dealer was informed of the failure of the clutch pack, which was welded together from friction. The dealer scheduled an appointment; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Aug 24, 2025 · Transmission · VA

In December of 2024 Safety Recall N2424440-01 was applied. On the morning of Saturday August 23, 2025 while driving on a two (2) lane highway with the cruise control set to 60 MPH the vehicle “shuttered” then the shifted into a lower gear locking the rear wheels bringing the vehicle to an almost complete stop in very short distance. I was able to pull off the road out of traffic. Since it was a light traffic morning, no one else was close limiting the risk to me. Had there been anyone behind me they would have been caught off guard by the sudden stop with no signal of brake lights showing. The vehicle is in “limp mode” and will not exceed 35 or 40 MPH. The vehicle will shift in to park and neutral. It will not move in reverse forward. The vehicle has been transported to the nearest Chevrolet dealership for diagnostics and service.

Filed Aug 8, 2025 · Transmission · IL

GM has acknowledged the problem and has issued a recall on transmissions effecting 2020 – 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 Heavy Duty trucks equipped with diesel engines manufactured between January 28, 2019 – January 11, 2022. Our truck, a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, was taken in to D’arcy Chevrolet in Morris, IL to have Recall N242454440 – Momentary rear wheel lock-up – Transmission and Engine Control Module Programming with SP. Under this recall dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. After the recall service was performed we were told by the dealership that the transmission needed to be replaced. It clearly states under the recall performed that GM is to provide special coverage to cover repairs that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Also, by law, dealers are never to charge for recall repairs. But GM and the D’Arcy Chevrolet are refusing to cover the repair costs for the transmission under special coverage program.

Questions about the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 transmission

Does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have transmission problems?

Owners have filed 30 complaints about the transmission of the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 34% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 transmission problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 transmission?

Yes, 1 recall: 24V797000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have bad transmission?

The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model years with the most transmission complaints are 2024 (36 complaints), 2020 (33 complaints) and 2006 (32 complaints).

Other 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems

Electrical 17Brakes 12Fuel system 9Engine 8Locks 8Body 4Driver assistance 4Acceleration 2Airbags 2Lights 2Steering 2Tires 2Visibility 1

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