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ProblemsByVin Index / 2020-CHEVROLET-3500 / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2020 Chevrolet 3500 owner complaints

28 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 1 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

powertrain 6 complaints shown

9 total in this category · severe · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain cluster analysis →
12/29/2024 ODI #11632943.0

Dealership told me the throttle body failed in my transmission. I wanted it completely torn down to find the actual point of failure since it did represent the current recall on the truck that hadn't been done because the part isn't yet available. The transmission has been replaced for almost $10,000.00

12/11/2024 ODI #11630257.0

2nd time I’ve had to replace def heater and tank. Truck goes into limp mode and limits the speed leaving a person stranded.

11/13/2024 ODI #11624953.0

Transmission lock up traveling 45 miles an hour while acceleration up modest uphill grade pulling a 3000 pound trailer. The lockup was severe enough to cause passengers to lunge forward with seatbelt engagement. There was no loss of control of the vehicle; however, we did stop the vehicle to inspect it with no damage observed. We expected to see some. This event would have caused a likely loss of control of the vehicle if the lockup was for longer duration. Vehicle also had prior hard shifts that are still occurring. These hard shifts usually occur in the lower gears with acceleration and deceleration. Vehicle was taken to the dealership with an explanation of the event. There were no codes. The dealer recommended a transmission fluid change to smooth the shifting. This seemed to decrease

07/10/2025 28,000 mi ODI #11672413.0

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle later failed to start and became undrivable. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing and for the manufacturer internal recall repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train); however, the local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the dealer was not aware of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue via email, but no assistance was provided.

07/08/2025 ODI #11671963.0

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the rear wheels locked-up. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact resumed driving, but the vehicle was driving roughly, and the failure recurred while driving 30 MPH. The check engine warning light, the electronic stability control warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated intermittently. The contact pulled into a gas station, where a mechanic inspected the vehicle, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the fail

04/30/2025 ODI #11657965.0

I recieved a recall notice from Chevrolet stating they needed to install a software update to the truck which will warn if a potential rear wheel lock up is about to occur due to faulty transmission valve body- which was stated that they do not have a fix for. After software update was installed- I was driving about 35 mile per hour on the trip home, and the truck abruptly downshifted very hard, momentarily locking up rear wheels, and the check engine light came on, and the vehicle message came up stating the vehicle was placed in a reduced propulsion mode(limp mode). The next day it did it again on my short drive to work of 2 miles. I took into dealership and they informed me that the valve body had failed- as mentioned in the recall notice. It is now 1 month later and I still do not

brakes 5 complaints shown

6 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $450 · see brakes cluster analysis →
12/10/2024 ODI #11629809.0

I haul vehicles for a living. My rear wheels locked up and my truck came to a complete stop while I was on the highway. Luckily I was able to pull over and no one was behind me. It has happened a total of 3 times. There is no fix for my recall yet. I’m terrified to drive, but this is how I make my living. What happens when it rains and my wheels lock up again. My life is on the line. I went to Chevrolet service they said they have no idea what could have caused this. Then a couple weeks later I get an open recall with no remedy. What am I suppose to do?

10/31/2023 ODI #11552780.0

This problem concerns faulty emergency brakes. The issue was discovered in the driveway, when I engaged the parking brake with the vehicle in park and my foot on the brake. The Service Emergency Brake light came on and stayed on. When the problem was investigated at the dealership, it was found that the brake pad abradable material had delaminated from the brake shoe and was floating loose inside the drum. This same condition was found on 3 of the 4 brake shoes. Based on the appearance of the parts it did no appear they fell off when the parking brake was engaged, but had been loose for some time. With loose parts floating inside the brake drum sooner or later they will move and could lock up the rear wheel. The Chevrolet service department did not seem to be concerned with conditio

08/19/2024 ODI #11609553.0

We tow a 2024 Grand Design Solitude 310GK with our 2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 diesel truck. We are getting frequent but intermittent loss of our trailer brakes during towing. As you can imagine this is a serious safety issue. We will be towing and receive a message on the display "Trailer Brakes Disconnected" then typically followed by "Service Trailer Brakes". This has been happening more frequently over the past 3 months. Imagine driving down a hill with a 15K pound rv pushing you and there are NO brakes on the 5th wheel. It is extremely scary and dangerous. I've researched on the internet and Facebook and there seems to be a "Technical Bulletin" from GM Bulletin No.: 23-NA-149 Date: September, 2023 recommending the replacement of the Trailer Brake Control Module. I've called to h

04/10/2024 4,500 mi ODI #11582209.0

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact made a left turn to avoid a ditch. The contact stated that the vehicle then rolled to a stop. The contact shifted to low gear, turned the hazard lights on, and was able to drive to the residence. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the brake fluid was leaking. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where the passenger's side rear brake pads, brake disk, and brake calipers were replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the driver's side rear brake pads, brake disk, and brake calip

03/19/2021 23,000 mi ODI #11403934.0

Tl* the contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet silverado 3500. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and made an abnormal grinding sound. The contact stated that extra effort while depressing the brake pedal was needed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated the brake wear sensor indicated that the front brake pads were at 73 percent while the rear brakes were at 52 percent. The contact stated that the rear brake pads had failed. The contact took the vehicle to lone star Chevrolet (18900 northwest fwy, houston, tx 77065; (281) 653-6119) and was informed them that they should not rely on the brake sensor to accurately display the brake wear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate

electrical 5 complaints shown

5 total in this category · severe · avg repair $850 · see electrical cluster analysis →
10/08/2024 26,000 mi ODI #11618669.0

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the tailgate brake light failed to illuminate. In addition, the contact stated that while a trailer was hitched to the vehicle, the message "Check Trailer Connection" was displayed, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the failure was not identified. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Davis-Moore Chevrolet (8200 W Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67209) for a second opinion. The vehicle was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not identified. Upon further inspection, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20-NA-198; however, the second local dealer advised the

07/06/2023 Fire ODI #11530678.0

The blower motor for the HVAC system caught fire.

06/20/2025 52,000 mi ODI #11668128.0

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that while hauling a 2020 Heartland Cyclone, the trailer brakes unexpectedly deactivated. The contact stated that the trailer brake was disconnected, and the warning light to check the trailer winch was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer and the contact was informed that the trailer brake module had failed and needed to be replaced. The trailer brake module was replaced. The failure and repair were linked to an unstated Technical Service Bulletin; however, the VIN was not included. The TSB stated that the RV battery was interfering with the vehicle battery and ca

05/11/2023 ODI #11521535.0

I purchased a certified pre-owned 2020 Chevy Silverado 3500HD (6.6 Gas) November 2021. Within the next few weeks, I noticed brake squeaking that kept getting worse and the truck braking system would not stop like the 2500 I had traded in when I purchased the 3500HD. I had to adjust the trailer brake gain control up to as high as 9 or 9.5, should not have to adjust that high. I had trouble stopping at intersections and quick /emergency braking situations while pulling our trailer. This tells me the truck braking system is not working properly. Prior to leaving on a trip, I was having squeaking noise from the brakes that got louder and louder and more frequent. The dealer (Champion Chevrolet) checked the truck and brakes and told me it had the wrong brake pads and had replaced them. The fi

05/09/2022 ODI #11463966.0

GM recall N2123544170 DPF regeneration temperature /DEF heater for cold weather operation to keep def from freezing and also for thawing frozen def...dealer to replace def tank and internal heating element...dealer was unable to give a time line for replacement parts needed to fix truck.(parts are back ordered)So truck ECM=electonic control module.throws trouble code to reduce engine power that starts taking away engine power at 65 mph...then 55 mph... then 45... all the way down to 5 mph. This can happen at any time or anywhere that can result in possible accidents... ! GM needs to make this a priority as thousand of vehicles are affected!

engine 3 complaints shown

3 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $3,100 · see engine cluster analysis →
09/19/2020 ODI #11359976.0

New vehicle on dealer lot. Engine (diesel) would not start remotely and engine light came on when the engine was started manually.

09/09/2023 ODI #11543598.0

Fan pulley broke in half, snapped fan belt, damaged fan and caused truck to overheat. Truck would not turn off when overheated, even when fan was not working, so truck kept getting hotter. Dealer said this is the 3rd one they've seen this week

08/23/2023 40,000 mi ODI #11540298.0

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that after driving at an undisclosed speed and towing a fifth wheel, after visual inspection, the contact observed that due to the routing of exhaust system, heat from the exhaust had started to melt the front wall of the trailer. The contact was concerned that the trailer battery and propane tank were resting on the other side wall, which could potentially cause a fire. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but advised the contact that the exhaust could not be rerouted. The failure mileage was 40,000.

tires 1 complaint shown

08/17/2022 ODI #11479769.0

The driver-side rear tire (P275/65R20) tread became separated while driving on I95 North with a fifthwheel. The tread became separated from the tire and caused sever damage to the trucks driver side rear wheel well and potential of losing control of the vehicle while towing a fifth wheel with my family of 5. The tire had to be replaced in another state so we could travel home and was not kept. There are pictures of the tire. There was no warning of this tire defect before it occurred.

Showing 300 of 28 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2020/Chevrolet/3500#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-07-21. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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