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2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 351 owner complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

28
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.6× the Silverado 2500 median · #5 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints35134 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage70kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 9, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has problems

351 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic11712
Service brakes887
Engine and engine cooling431
Steering161
Engine132
Power train121
Tires121
Fuel system, gasoline120
Electrical system102
17 other systems7612

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?

70kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 108 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 77% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles83under 100k miles25100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Service brakes, hydraulic

8 owners mentioned a cost

$825median

Middle half: $218 – $1,488

Service brakes

8 owners mentioned a cost

$1,250median

Middle half: $669 – $1,625

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other Silverado 2500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Silverado 2500 median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRESEA04012 · closed Feb 28, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-005
  2. TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER FAILUREEA07013 · closed Sep 12, 2008
    No recall
  3. HYDRAULIC PUMP SHAFT FAILURESPE04004 · closed Apr 30, 2004
    No recall
  4. TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER FAILUREPE07025 · closed Sep 14, 2007
    No recall
In owners' words

What Silverado 2500 owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

ON MY 2002 SILVERADO, THE ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEEDS CAUSING BRAKES TO PULSE AND INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE. CLEARLY NHTSA REFERENCE #05V379000 STATES THAT THIS ONLY AFFECTS CERTAIN STATES. MY VEHICLE FALLS INTO THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL DATE RANGE AS IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN AUGUST 2001. CHEVROLET…
Complaint 10659383 · Nov 19, 2014 · 85,000 miles
2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS OF FAULTY BRAKE LINES THAT FAILED. *SMD
Complaint 10544752 · Sep 19, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AS THE SPEED DECREASED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO STATED THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT AND THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE…
Complaint 10478250 · Oct 2, 2012 · 132,400 miles

Own a 2002 Silverado 2500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.