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The Chevy Silverado is one of the most popular pickup trucks out there, and it’s seen a huge number of sales over the last few years. With its impressive features and towing capabilities, it’s no wonder people want to get a piece of the Silverado pie. However, with the growing number of sales comes complaints from those owners. The 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 is especially notable for negative feedback.

There are a large number of complaints lodged against its transmission, as reported on CarComplaints.com. Because of the feedback on the transmission issues, it was named the worst model year yet for the Silverado. Here are some of the more common complaints Silverado owners have against their expensive pickup trucks.

Updated: 7/24

A 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 on display at an auto show.
A 2017 Chevrolet Silverado on display at the Chicago Auto Show | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Transmission issues that plagued the 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500

The worst problem noted for the 2017 Chevy Silverado lies with the transmission. Many complaints showed up on CarComplaints.com concerning a faulty transmission that wasn’t getting resolved.

Some owners struggled with gear shifting that either surged, jerked, or hesitated while speeding up. Some reported a jerking issue when driving at lower speeds. There didn’t seem to be any specific triggers for it; they would just happen in stop-and-go traffic or driving on the interstate. A few owners reported hearing a loud thud sound coming from the rear, making it seem as if they were getting hit from behind.

These Silverado owners took their pickups to their local dealers only to receive unsatisfying answers. Some dealerships claimed that the jerking and hesitation were just normal behavior.

There were some auto technician representatives that said it was just the truck getting to know their driving habits and a few thousand more miles of letting the computer get used to the driving behavior and it should straighten itself out. No pickup owners reported a positive change after that. All said, the issue continued.

Engine and drivetrain problems

There were only a few reports for the engine and drivetrain compared to the transmission issues. The most common problems with the engine reported on the site were the stalling of the motor, engine hesitation, and excessive oil consumption.

Previous years’ models also reported the same oil consumption issue where the engine lost anywhere from 1 to 3 quarts of oil between changes. Some Silverado drivers experienced a stalling motor, either when slowing down to make a turn or when trying to speed up on the interstate.

Like the transmission problems, the engine and drivetrain issues didn’t get resolved. Dealers didn’t appear to know what the problem was, or they didn’t really know how to fix them. They attempted repairs, and sometimes it briefly helped but would come back later on.

Is it just for the 2017 Silverado model year?

There were not near as many transmission issues in the 2016 model year. A few people reported some, but those resulted in a replacement at their cost. Also, there were very few engine and drivetrain problems. Some drivers experienced vibrations within the truck, and there were a couple of excessive oil consumption complaints too.

It’s interesting to note that the 2014 and 2015 versions saw a lot of problems with poor shifting in the transmission. However, it still doesn’t compare to the vast number of complaints received by the 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500.

With any popular truck in the automotive industry, you can expect there to be some type of issue with them. However, when they’re reported on by hordes of truck owners, you need to take notice and do your homework before making the same purchase. The Chevy Silverado is still a great truck to own; you just may want to avoid the 2017 model year.