There’s nothing worse than buying a used vehicle only to realize later that it’s one of the worst automobiles on the market. It can lead to headaches as you try to make repairs and figure out if you can trade it in for something else. Certain model years of the Chevy Silverado may be sone of those vehicles. It is important to note that every Chevy Silverado doesn’t fall into this category, as the 2016 Silverado was the second best selling vehicle in the United States that year.

 Unfortunately, there were some years that didn’t quite meet the same standards. According to Car Complaints, the 2008 model was the worst of the batch, and here’s why. 

2008 Chevy Silverado

According to Car Complaints, “Although the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado has the most overall complaints, we rate the 2008 model year as worse because of other possible factors such as higher repair cost or more problems at lower mileage.” 

When trying to figure out which model year was the worst overall, this actually makes a lot of sense. One of the things that consumers hate the most is how much money they’re shelling out to get their new vehicle repaired.

The fact that many of the problems are happening while the Silverado still had low mileage makes it worse. Everyone expects a vehicle to develop problems as the mileage meter climbs, but new cars are supposed to be more or less stress-free. 

The worst problem for the 2008 Silverado was excessive oil consumption which cost about $2,700 dollars to fix. 

Repair Pal reports that other major problems include fuel level sensor failure, strange noises while steering, a speedometer which works erratically, and several check engine light problems. 

2009 was another bad year for the Silverado

Things didn’t get much better for the Silverado as it moved from the 2008 model to the 2009. Like it’s predecessor, Car Complaints reports that excessive oil consumption was one of the biggest complaints. 

All is not lost for the 2009 Silverado, however. Car Complaints stated, “The 2009 Silverado has no defect trends, which is a very good sign now that it’s more than a few years old.”

Edmunds has a more positive take on the 2009 Silverado than Car Complaints did. It’s expert review starts off by stating, “Powerful, comfortable and offered in a wide array of body styles and configurations, the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a prime choice for a full-size pickup.”

2004 Silverado has its share of issues

Car Complaints reports that the 2004 model year had the worst overall complaints from consumers. So why did consumers have such a disgust for the 2004 Silverado that they turned out in droves to file complaints? Well, it appears that there were multiple issues with the 2004 model.

The top five things that consumers took issue with were related to the interior accessories, steering, electrical, brakes, and ac/heating. Car Complaints also reports that the NHSTA opened an investigation on the 2004 model due to the hydraulic pump failure and a recall was issued. 

DriveTrain Resource reports that as the 2004 Silverado gains more mileage, drivers may begin to notice transmission problems that will need to be addressed. 

What about the 2019 Chevy Silverado?

According to Consumer Reports, the 2019 Silverado isn’t all that we hoped it would be. With all the hype surrounding it, there seems to be some flaws that were overlooked.

While it didn’t receive terrible ratings, it was nothing to be bragged about. The overall biggest complaint Consumer Reports had was that the fuel economy on the 2019 model leaves much to be desired. While this may not be a deal-breaker for some consumers, many drivers are looking for something that gets better gas mileage.