The new 2019 Chevy Silverado pickup made substantial improvements over its predecessor. That’s good because the previous generation Silverado had some glaring problems. There was one year that had more issues than others. We dug down to explore the reasons and fixes.

By far the worst year for problems according to carcomplains.com was 2014. The old adage that you should stay away from first-year vehicles is true in Silverado’s case. There were a lot of new things to go wrong as this was a whole new truck. But, you might be surprised at what the single most troublesome part of the new 2014 Silverado is.

Besides this being a new design almost all of the engines were also new

Besides being an entirely new truck almost all of the engines available in 2014 were of a new design. All three EcoTec3 engines were first offered in 2014 including the big 6.2-liter V8 and 4.3-liter V6. Cylinder deactivation continued to be a key economy feature of these engines.

Safety technology ramped up in 2014. Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and Safety Alert Seat all became available initially in 2014. Front parking sensors were added to the already available rear parking sensors. 

This was the single most problem associated with 2014 Silverado

While all of these new features and technologies would suggest problem areas for the 2014 Silverado, the biggest issues are related to the heating and air conditioning system. By far the most problems centered around the HVAC system.

AC condensers seem to be the biggest issue, with leaks requiring a replacement. The line going to the condenser vibrates and eventually cracks or a solder joint breaks. Some repairs have also included a bracket to support the condenser lines from vibration. 

But AC compressors were replaced almost as much as condensers. Compressor failures were fairly common for some reason. And, sometimes the controls inside of the Silverado needed replacement. So, in general, there were real issues related to the heating and AC system in these 2014 trucks.

Electrical issues were another problem that plagued the Silverado

The other major issue with the 2014 Silverado is with the electrical system in general. From infotainment screens going blank to engines cutting out or stalling, the issues were many. Part of the problem related to stalling was that there were no codes indicating what was causing the issues. Without flashing a code to identify the problem there was not a lot a dealer repairman could do.

The Stabilitrak system gave a lot of owners problems. In many cases, the steering would lock up or try to center itself while turning. Other times the Stabilitrak issue would shut the engine off, creating panic situations. 

Tied in with the Stabilitrak issues was that the entire bank of gauges would go blank. This seemed to happen while making turns for some reason. Once a turn was complete the dash would come back on. 

Bad starters and burned battery cables added to owner’s woes

In many cases, starter failure or burned cables from the battery to the starter were an issue. Putting a load on the battery cable from multiple attempts to start the truck would cause the cables to burn up. This meant both the starter and cables would need replacement. These occurrences happened within the first ear of ownership and were not related to age or mileage. 

On a final note, while 2014 was the bad year 2015 saw a decrease in problems but still had more than later years. So for those interested in a used Silverado we recommend staying away from both 2014 and 2015 Chevy Silverados.