2018 Chevy Silverado problems range from the fat engine, faulty transmission, broken fuel system, and unreliable steering system.
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General Motors were very proud when releasing the 2018 Chevy Silverado, and they mentioned that this vehicle is the one you should choose “when nothing less than the most dependable will do!”
General Motors argues that the 2018 Chevy Silverado would be the most reliable and dependable pickup truck in the market. However, current and previous owners had different opinions.
In addition to their most reported minor issues about this vehicle, a good number of complaints indicated significant mechanical problems with the 2018 Chevy Silverado vehicle.
Some of the top complaints were related to the powertrain problems, issues with the bouncy suspension system, and problems with unreliable steering.
If you're planning to purchase a used 2018 Chevy Silverado, you need to familiarize yourself with all reported mechanical problems to be prepared and decide whether it's the right decision to purchase such a vehicle or not.
If you are a current owner of a 2018 Chevy Silverado, you need to be prepared for when to expect major mechanical problems and when it's the right time to sell this car versus spending time and effort getting problems resolved.
2018 Chevy Silverado Overview
The 2018 Chevy Silverado is a great full-size pickup truck. When purchasing this vehicle, you can achieve a comfortable ride for daily work visits for fun rides. The vehicle is equipped with a user-friendly infotainment system, provides a quiet and comfortable cabin, and has a very strong towing rating.
The vehicle seats between 3 to 6 passengers and achieves up to 18 miles per gallon on city roads and 24 miles per gallon on the highway. You can choose between the rear-wheel drive or the four-wheel-drive drivetrain options. With this car, you could achieve between 285 to 420 horsepower.
The unique thing about the 2018 Chevy Silverado is that it comes with a long list of engines to choose from. You can either choose the 6.0-liter V8 natural gas or propane engine, 6.6 liter V8 diesel, 4.3 liter V6, 6.0 liter V8, 5.3 liter V8, and 6.2-liter V8 engines.
These engines are associated with six or 8-speed automatic transmissions.
The 2018 Chevy Silverado was ranked as #4 in the best 2018 full-sized pickup trucks with a score of 8.2 out of 10 according to cars.usnews.com.
2018 Chevy Silverado problems
Despite the long list of amazing features, many complaints were reported about this vehicle, indicating major problems that might affect the driver’s safety.
This section will cover and summarize the most reported complaints from real customers about their experience with the 2018 Chevy Silverado. We collected and reviewed all reported complaints to larger platforms like carcomplaints.com, edmunds.com, commarepairpal.com, and more.
According to automotive experts, “Some of the major complaints stem from the rough powertrain, active suspension, and unreliable steering. The Silverado may be many things, but dependable isn’t the first word to come to many peoples’ minds.”
In addition to the mentioned problems, the 2018 Chevy Silverado had major engines, transmission, fuel, steering, and others.
Unfortunately, the top reported problems about this vehicle were major components, including the engine and the transmission.
Let's take a closer look at some of these reported complaints along with real customers reviews:
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2018 Chevy Silverado Transmission problems: no shifting properly!
When you purchase a modern vehicle like 2018, you won't expect to deal with major complicated problems at the earliest stages of the vehicle's lifetime, especially those related to the transmission. Unfortunately, modern technology seemed to be plagued with significant problems, including the ones associated with the 2018 Chevy Silverado.
A good number of reported complaints indicated that the 2018 Chevy Silverado transmission problems are a major issue in this vehicle.
The transmission might not shift properly, pausing some safety issues and most problems occurred as relatively newer vehicles with only 10,000 miles.
Unfortunately, the only solution for those customers was to rebuild the transmission or install a new one.
While GM did not release any recalls regarding transmission issues in this vehicle, many service bulletins focus on powertrain and some related to the transition. For example, General Motors indicated that customers might be dealing with some clicking noises, especially when shifting between 3:00 and 4:00. Chevy indicated that the issue is not very serious and should be considered normal. The only suggestion from the automaker was to educate drivers that any clicking noises don't mean any major problem.
While this might calm some of the customers down, it might also cause other complications. Imagine whenever you hear some clicking noises and assume it's normal, you won't be able to detect major problems associated with other faulty components.
Customer complaints #1
“Before it had 500 miles on it, I could tell something wasn’t right. The 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd shift had a hesitation and was sloppy. At speeds 25 to 45 mph it felt like it would miss or shudder, not terrible but I could feel it. In the mornings it would idle at 1100 rpm, and run terrible for the first several miles. I took it to the local Chevy dealer and we drove it, they told me the transmission had to ‘learn’ my driving style and it might take 2000 miles before it would improve. After some investigation on the internet, I found there was a lot of people with 2016 and 2017 with the same problems; GM actually has a name for it ‘chuggle and fish bite.’ I called GM and opened a complaint but basically got the runaround. At 2000 miles, I took it back to the dealership armed with service bulletin numbers for the 2017 that were giving trouble. They drove it and said there was a problem with the way it shifted but because the TCM service bulletins were for 2017 and my truck is a 2018 they couldn’t perform those updates. But there was another ECM update and they did that and it shifted better. Bottom line is my truck doesn’t run right. I have tried to call the GM customer service rep I have talked to last, he gave me his extension number. But I have left two messages and he hasn’t called me back.”
Customer complaints #2
“the transmission slips or shudder, also has free wheeled when going down hill at slow speeds, also occurs in reverse, usually about 1 to 2 car lengths. Have returned to the dealer several times and been told that gm does not have a remedy. Had the service recommendation of a transmission fluid flush done twice with different fluid installed with no change. Has been in the dealers shop for 3 weeks with gm looking at the problem, no solution in sight. No confidence that gm can fix the problem. This could develop into a serious safety issue.”
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2018 Chevy Silverado Suspension system problems: vehicle bounces and jerks!
While many customers had issues with the vibration in their transmission, the problem did not end there because additional complaints indicated that the suspension system itself might vibrate doing the right and customers did not have any smooth right with this 2018 Chevy Silverado vehicle.
Again, GM did not release any recalls regarding problems with the suspension system, but there are a good number of service bulletins focusing on these issues. The automaker indicated that customers might be dealing with rattle or clunk noises from the front suspension system. Unfortunately, the automaker did not provide any recommendations to get the problem resolved.
Customer complaints #1
“$50,000 truck that vibrates, shifts bad, drives terrible, jumps and jerks. And the dealer says it’s the way the truck should drive. I have owned 3 trucks and a Suburban with the same motor and transmission and none of them drove like this piece of junk. Dealer says you cannot compare them??? All kind of complaints on same issue but GM has done nothing.”
Customer complaints #2
“started to hear clunking noise around 15,000 miles. The noise started to get worse as time went by. First it was just when driving up my driveway then it was while driving or even stationary pushing down on the rear bumper. Found that the leaf springs were cracked but it wasn’t visible while they were on the vehicle.”
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2018 Chevy Silverado Steering system problems: loud steering system noises!
The third most reported problem about the 2018 Chevy Silverado had to deal with significant issues in this steering system. When you purchase such a vehicle, you don't want to be nervous all the time, feeling that you won't control a vehicle in emergencies.
Unfortunately, many people had some parents with weird loud noises coming from the steering system of this vehicle.
GM also released a service bulletin focusing on this week's ING and weird noises coming from the steering wheel. They indicated that the problem might be related to insufficient lubrication in the shaft. The best repair is to have a technician apply some lithium or grease-based onto the shaft to get it more lubricated.
Customer complaints #1
“Bought this truck 9 months ago has been in the shop 32 days for work since I bought it. It’s a daily driver for the road to work and home so not abused at all. First, it took them forever to figure out where the cab noise is coming from then when they did, it was the boot for the steering column, I have had the truck back a month and less than 500 miles and it’s back again. Come to find out that is a common problem with this boot and its defective. My truck is a 2018 same look, model, style and the 2016, 2017, 2018 and they still refuse to design a new boot to fix the issue and keep replacing it with the same defective existing piece. My truck goes back on Monday for the exact same issue again.”
Customer complaints #2
“tl* the contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the electric power steering (eps) failed and caused the steering wheel to be extremely tight. The steering wheel had to be manually maneuvered from right to left with difficulty. The eps indicator flashed a warning each time after the failure occurred. The contact had to apply force to maneuver the steering wheel to ensure that the vehicle was safely driven. The dealer (linden Chevrolet, 2805 Fremont dr, cañon city, co 81212, 1-719-315-1390) was notified and the vehicle was left at the dealer for over a month for test driving and diagnostic testing. The dealer provided a loaner vehicle while servicing the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted more than twice. The failure mileage was not available.”
Are there any recalls on the 2018 Chevy Silverado?
Yes, there was only one recall for the 2018 Chevy Silverado vehicles. Despite many reported complaints about significant issues with the 2018 Chevy Silverado major components, the vehicle did not receive any recalls focusing on these major issues.
The only recall was issued on December 11th, 2019, focusing on the electronic stability control component. About 652,967 vehicles from the Silverado model year and other models were recalled due to a problem with the wheel speed sensor.
GM indicated that this sensor might fail, which might affect the installation of the driveline protection system. With this system disabled, any application on the braking system might not work properly and cause some posit failures to the sensor.
All affected vehicles were asked to visit the nearest Chevy dealership to get the problem resolved by reprogramming the electronic brake control module free of charge.
Does Chevy Silverado have transmission problems?
It seems like Chevy Silverado was plagued with transmission problems ever since. Although transmission problems were associated with most model years, 2017 was considered the worst model year, according to carcomplaints.com.
Unfortunately, transmission problems were also carried over to this 2018 model year with many reported complaints but not as many as those reported for the 2017 model year.
Keep in mind that the 2018 Chevy Silverado has not been on the road for a long time. Therefore, once there is more data, automotive experts will have different recommendations about whether this vehicle has as many transmission issues as the 2017 model year.
How to avoid purchasing a 2018 Chevy Silverado with mechanical problems?
Would you plan to purchase a modern vehicle? You might be financing this car or using all your savings to get your dream vehicle.
Thus, the worst thing you want to deal with is purchasing a modern vehicle with major mechanical problems!
Therefore, as you are investing in purchasing a good vehicle, it is also worth investing in bringing a professional mechanic who has good experience in detecting whether a vehicle has mechanical problems or not.
While test driving is considered a good way to look at the vehicle and tried for a couple of minutes, it's not as good as bringing a mechanic.
It's worth sharing the top reported complaints about the vehicle with your mechanic because this way, you are helping him target certain complaints or certain symptoms to look for when test driving the vehicle.
If you decided to drive the vehicle by yourself, you need to keep an eye and ear for any symptoms of harmful components. For example, keep your ears and eyes for symptoms of a bad transmission, symptoms of a bad engine, symptoms of a bad steering system, etc.
For instance, automotive experts indicate: “Drivers will notice the signs of a power steering leak by taking note of the common symptoms of a faulty steering system, like an uncentered steering wheel, difficulty turning, tight steering, and a failing gearbox.”
Also, ensure that you test all minor components like the ones you're going to be using on your daily basis. For example, try turning on and off the air conditioning or the radio if you like to listen to music when going to your work.
While these components are not very major, they can cost you a good amount of money down the road.
Is the 2018 Chevy Silverado reliable?
According to the JD Power dependability study, the 2018 Chevy Silverado received a 3.5 out of five reliability score. Thus, the vehicle is considered above average when it comes to reliability rating.
Despite all reported mechanical complaints about the 2018 Chevy Silverado, the company did not release any recall indicating significant issues with this vehicle's safety.
While the reliability rating is a good thing to look into, if you are planning to purchase a used 2018 Chevy Silverado vehicle, you need to consider customer reviews because it takes the company a good time before releasing any significant recalls.
When reading through customers' experiences and feedback, you can relate to your driving style and driving environment to expect whether you might be dealing with these problems or not.
Some mechanical problems might occur mostly in colder environments, while others are associated with hot environments.
The bottom line
There is nothing more excited than purchasing a brand-new modern vehicle like the 2018 Chevy Silverado.
Despite the great popularity of this vehicle, drivers discovered immediately that the vehicle has significant mechanical problems. While the automaker worked so hard to reduce the number of reported complaints about the 2017 model year, some major problems were brought to the 2018 model year.
If you were shopping for a used 2018 Chevy Silverado, you need to invest in bringing a professional mechanic to inspect the vehicle to avoid purchasing the 2018 Chevy Silverado vehicle with major mechanical problems.
On the other hand, if you are a current owner of a 2018 Chevy Silverado and you're dealing with significant issues with major problems like those associated with the engine or the transmission, you might think about whether it's worth fixing this car or sell it to Cash Cars Buyer.
Cash Cars Buyer guarantees to buy your car and pay you the top dollars for your vehicle along with free towing no matter where you're living around the United States.
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