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Selling a junk Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Any Silverado 1500 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Chevrolet Silverado 1500

NHTSA has 22,548 owner complaints on file for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, model years 1995 to 2022, the 9th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are brakes (4,549, 20%), electrical system (2,555, 11%), air bags (2,405, 11%). 1,055 complaints involved a crash, 339 a fire, and 704 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 68,000 miles. The 2014 model year has the most complaints (2,203). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is brakes, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to deciding whether to repair or junk: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19956Air bags200—
199610Brakes200—
1997693Steering3116290,000
1998452Brakes1712275,000
1999711Brakes5172110,000
2000734Brakes8980102,475
2001627Brakes8410088,456
2002620Brakes6010090,000
2003960Brakes348082,625
2004951Brakes4713070,500
2005643Electrical system2745065,000
2006464Brakes2316063,593
20071,056Air bags3117273,000
20081,094Air bags4618372,000
2009553Air bags1010370,000
2010454Air bags103367,000
2011698Air bags326476,000
2012279Other92274,867
2013392Other130264,360
20142,203Steering10531665,000
20151,440Brakes83201154,781
20161,057Brakes66121248,000
2017959Transmission and drivetrain5018746,200
2018763Transmission and drivetrain167738,620
20191,590Engine46121026,210
20201,097Engine20151232,000
20211,131Engine3517860,000
2022911Engine166639,500

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls

NHTSA lists 52 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (18), brakes (8), seat belts (5). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2016 model year, air bags (campaign 26V611000, Sep 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail …
  • 2018 model year, air bags (campaign 26V325000, May 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rai…
  • 2018 model year, air bags (campaign 26V166000, Mar 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof…
  • 2020 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 26V083000, Feb 2026): General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recal…
  • 2018 model year, air bags (campaign 25V432000, Jun 2025): General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side ro…

What a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Silverado 1500 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Chevrolet Silverado 1500 worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Silverado 1500 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Chevrolet Silverado 1500 numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.