Uh oh, we smell trouble in Chevy Paradise. The Ford F-150 might blow past the 2021 Chevy Silverado now because it ranks as the least reliable truck. This is pretty shocking because the Chevrolet Silverado still outranks the Ram 1500. Why is it so unreliable? 

Consumer Reports recommends avoiding the 2021 Chevy Silverado

According to the Consumer Reports’ list of the 10 least reliable cars, the 2021 Chevy Silverado is the least reliable option. There are actually only two trucks on this list, and the other truck is the Chevy Colorado. 

So, now Chevrolet made the least reliable list twice, for their full-size truck and their midsize truck. That’s really not good, but competitors like the Ford F-150 and Ford Ranger could be celebrating. 

But is this data worth paying attention to? Yes, it is. Consumer Reports surveys actual vehicle owners to determine what they liked about it, how it performed, and about 17 potential trouble areas. This way, they can predict how reliable brand new trucks are. The Chevy Silverado has a 13 for reliability, and the Chevy Colorado has a 26. 

Why does the Chevy Silverado have such a bad reliability rating? 

The 2021 Silverado has an overall score of 45 from Consumer Reports. But it still ranks as #5 out of 18 options for the best full-size pickup truck. So, it can’t be that bad, right? Well, let’s see. 

According to Repair Pal, the Chevy Silverado has an above average reliability rating. The gave it a score of three and a half out of five stars. Their reliability rankings are based on how often trucks break down, the severity of the problem, and the cost.

The Chevy Silverado 1500 has an annual maintenance cost of $714, but the average cost for full size trucks is $936 a year. So are the issues that drivers face that bad?

We hopped over to Car Complaints to see what trouble the Chevy Silverado was giving its owners. The biggest problem for the 2017 Chevy Silverado includes transmission problems. It looks like it’s prone to hard shifts, surging, and jerking. 

One driver needed to replace the transmission when the truck only had about 66,000 miles on it. It wasn’t covered by the warranty and cost about $3,000. They were very disappointed to have a transmission that lasted less than two years. 

The 2019 Chevy Silverado is prone to brake problems. There are even 137 NHTSA complaints about them. Some drivers felt like they couldn’t accelerate because the e brake was on. Also, one driver needed to replace their brakes when only 8,857 miles was on their truck. 

What’s with the low satisfaction rating? 

The 2021 Silverado also has a low satisfaction rating from owners. The Silverado scored lowest in the area of value. This means that owners weren’t happy about what they got for the price they paid. 

Also, the fuel economy is pretty bad. Consumer Reports reported that the Silverado gets 11 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 17 mpg combined. While the Silverado chugs gas, it doesn’t provide a comfortable ride, and the cab is a little noisy. The front seats and interior rank poorly for comfort as well. 

But on a positive note, the 2021 Chevy Silverado has a smooth transmission that’s responsive. It makes the truck satisfying to drive. It has responsive and capable handling and a more comfortable ride. But it still can’t compete with the comfort of the Ram 1500.