This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2015 Chevrolet Silverado brakes problems
severe 334 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
334
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
21crashes
2injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 334 brakes complaints filed for the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Of the 20 model years of Chevrolet Silverado we track for brakes problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 334.
Owners have filed 334 brakes complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering brakes on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
GENERAL MOTORS: PARTS FOR MOST VEHICLES, CLUTCH, MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY ARE, REQUIRED AND REQUESTED, TO BE RETURNED AND NEED TO REORDER REPLACEMENT PARTS USING SAME PART NUMBERS.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that are equipped with 6L80 Regular Production Option Code (MYC), 6L90 Regular Production Option Code (MYD) or 8L90 Regular Production Option Code (M5U) Automatic Transmission. Starting with the 2013 model year, Full Size Trucks and Utilities now have Powertrain Grade Braking. Powertrain grade braking assists when driving on a downhill grade to help maintain desired vehicle speed by using the engine and transmission to slow the vehicle.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician with the steps on diagnosing and repairing vehicles that may have unwanted grade braking, reduced engine power with no Driver Information Center messages ? Brake Pedal Override Feature ?, transmission busy or frequent shifting up or down, and Diagnostic Trouble Codes P057B, P057C, and/or P057D may or may not be set. Technician will use this preliminary information to find the brake pedal position data parameters in the scan tool, and also to provide some additional diagnostic help. These issues may be caused by an incorrect brake pedal position sensor input to the engine control module. Technician will verify w
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician with the steps on diagnosing and repairing vehicles that may have unwanted grade braking, reduced engine power with no Driver Information Center messages "Brake Pedal Override Feature", transmission busy or frequent shifting up or down. Technician will use this preliminary information to find the brake pedal position data parameters in the scan tool, and also to provide some additional diagnostic help. These issues may be caused by an incorrect brake pedal position sensor input to the engine control module. Technician will verify with the scan tool if the engine control module has the correct parameters for the
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Between 50,000 and 160,000 miles, 2015 Silverado 1500 owners report the brake vacuum pump fails suddenly, especially at low speeds. The brake pedal becomes rock hard and nearly impossible to depress, forcing drivers to stand on the pedal with both feet just to creep to a stop. These failures happen most often while parking, backing up, or sitting in stop-and-go traffic—situations where the engine idles low. Brakes work fine at highway speeds, then fail without warning the next time the owner slows down.
Owners describe multiple near-crashes and two reported accidents where the truck would not stop. The failure is often intermittent; a driver might experience it once, then weeks later suddenly again, each time more frequent. No warning lights come on. When dealers finally diagnose the truck, they find the vacuum pump, booster, master cylinder, or ABS pump has failed—often with oil contamination inside the brake booster.
GM issued Technical Service Bulletins PIT5361A and PIT5361B in 2016 and extended warranty coverage to 10 years/150,000 miles under special coverage adjustment N182202780 for owners who met mileage and purchase date criteria. A 2019 NHTSA recall (19V645000) addressed the issue with electronic brake control module reprogramming, but owners report the software update did not stop the vacuum pump from failing. Many owners who brought trucks in for the recall repair continued to experience the same braking failures afterward. Repair costs run $500–$1,662, and dealers have refused coverage when owners exceeded mileage limits or when their specific VINs were not listed in the recall, even though the failure mode was identical.
Same Chevrolet Silverado brakes reports on nearby years: 2014 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018
Failure modes owners describe
Brake vacuum pump failure with loss of power assist
The brake vacuum pump fails, causing sudden and severe loss of power brake assist. The brake pedal becomes extremely hard and requires excessive force to depress. At low speeds, the vehicle becomes difficult or impossible to stop within normal stopping distance. The failure is often intermittent, occurring during slow-speed maneuvers like parking, backing up, or stop-and-go traffic. Some owners report the pedal goes to the floor with little to no braking effect.
When: Typically between 33,500 and 158,000 miles, with most failures occurring in the 50,000–107,000 mile range. Failure occurs at low engine RPM during slow-speed driving.
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal becomes extremely hard and difficult to depress; Severe reduction or complete loss of braking power assist; Vehicle does not stop within normal stopping distance; Pedal may go to floor with minimal braking response; Brake pedal may feel stiff or have a vibrating feel; Loss of vacuum assist at idle or low RPM; Brakes work normally at highway speeds; issue occurs primarily at low speeds; Intermittent failures over weeks or months before becoming more frequent; No warning lights or error messages before failure occurs
Codes mentioned: TSB PIT5361A, TSB PIT5361B, NHTSA Campaign 19V645000, NHTSA Campaign 16V069000, NHTSA Campaign 18V578000
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report replacement of the vacuum pump, brake booster, master cylinder, and connecting pipes. Costs range from $561 to $1,662 for dealer repairs. Some owners report independent shops charged $500–$1,139 less. One owner reported $1,506.56 for vacuum pump, master cylinder, brake booster, and connecting pipe replacement at dealer. Post-repair brake fluid flushes mentioned. One owner reported oil contamination in the brake booster when it fails.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM issued TSB PIT5361A and PIT5361B in 2016 to address the vacuum pump issue. Special Coverage Adjustment N192210240 (or N182202780) extended warranty coverage to 10 years or 150,000 miles for owners who met eligibility (less than 72,000 miles or purchased new within 6 years, whichever comes first). NHTSA recall 19V645000 was issued in 2019. The recall involved electronic brake control module reprogramming, but owners report this did not resolve the underlying vacuum pump failures. Some dealers refused coverage citing mileage overages or warranty expiration, even when owners had reported the problem within warranty period but repairs were not performed correctly. Dealers also denied coverage based on VINs not being included in the recall list despite identical failure modes. GM Corporate declined some goodwill assistance requests.
Brake booster failure
The brake booster fails, resulting in hardened brake pedal and insufficient braking force. Often occurs simultaneously with vacuum pump failure. One owner reported internal contamination of the brake system vacuum pump and booster.
When: 50,000–106,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal becomes extremely hard to push; Vehicle cannot be stopped within normally expected stopping distance; Loss of power braking assist
Codes mentioned: NHTSA Campaign 19V645000
Repairs/costs cited: Brake booster replacement required, often with vacuum pump, master cylinder, and connecting pipes. Repair costs $900–$1,662 at dealerships.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA recall 19V645000 addressed brake booster issues with electronic control module reprogramming. However, owners report the reprogramming did not resolve ongoing failures.
Brake pedal pivot nut loosening
The brake pedal pivot nut loosens and falls off, causing the brake pedal to become loose and unstable.
When: Not specified in narratives
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal becomes very loose; Nut falls against driver's foot while driving
Codes mentioned: Brake pedal pivot nut recall (VIN-specific)
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement of brake pedal pivot nut
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: A recall exists for the brake pedal pivot nut on some 2015 Silverados, but affected owner's VIN was not included in the recall list despite experiencing identical failure.
ABS pump failure
The ABS (anti-lock brake system) pump fails or requires replacement. One dealer parts manager reported selling 10 ABS pumps in one week for recent-model Silverados with brake issues.
When: 50,000–106,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Hard brake pedal; Difficult braking response; ABS/ESC warning light illumination
Codes mentioned: NHTSA Campaign 19V645000
Repairs/costs cited: ABS pump replacement cost approximately $900–$1,662 depending on dealer.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers aware of issue; one parts manager indicated GM knows of the problem but has not issued a recall specific to ABS pump failure. Some owners report the ABS/ESC warning light remained illuminated even after recall repair.
Synthesized from 334 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
9/21 in stop and go traffic . Vehicle was stopped on one side of intersection waiting for traffic to clear and moved to other side 5 miles /hour silverado would not stop and drove into stopped Jeep with wheel on back. No damage to Jeep. Jeep hit Audi with minor bumper damage. Driving on south blvd crossing cleavland in tampa, fl. Vehicle traveled only across the intersection from a dead stop.…
When driving home from work one day driving at low speed (Below 15mph) the brake pedal would not go down it seemed like no matter how hard I pushed the brake pedal would not move much. This caused me to run a stop sign once the truck slowed down enough and brakes were literally being pressed as hard as possible you could hear the front brakes grinding really bad and the truck still did not want…
If I am at a stop and creep up and push the brake pedal, it gets solid and fails to stop the vehicle!
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet silverado 1500. When the contact attempted to change the tires, the park assist brakes did not work to keep the vehicle in place. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The failure was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Received an alert around 63,500 miles "alert: service break assist." dealership service advisor notified me that problem was "brake master cylinder leaking into vacuum boster. Both need to be replaced." cost $1172.61. Break basically wouldn't work properly when pressed. This should not happen so early. I've only had truck for two years. Chevrolet needs to fix this. This could have caused an…
I was backing out of an inclined driveway and when I applied the brakes, I had a hard brake pedal situation and I was not able to stop the truck until it rolled into the street. Thank goodness no car was behind me or coming down the street. I parked the vehicle and will not drive until I get to the dealer to look at. I checked the brake fluid reservoir and it was fill to appropriate level. Prior…
Had brakes trouble with your 2015 Chevrolet Silverado?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado?
It's a meaningful issue. 334 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Across the 240 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most brakes failures cluster between 43,000 and 76,000 miles, with the median around 59,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 43,000; a quarter make it past 76,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2015/Chevrolet/Silverado.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.