Best Chevrolet Years to Buy by Model
The best Chevrolet years to buy: the 2014 Tahoe, 2012 Silverado 1500, 2014 Suburban, 2009 Equinox, 2018 Corvette and 2025 Malibu lead the list — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2011 Equinox and 2021 Silverado 1500. Based on 29,071 NHTSA owner complaints across 13 Chevrolet models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Chevrolet years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 2014 | 20082011201520162021202220232024 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 2009201120122013 | 20142019202020212022 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 2014 | 2008201520162017202120222023 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500 | No standout year yet | 201520172020202120222024 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 20082009 | 201020112012201320182020 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 20182022 | 2008200920172019 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 20242025 | 201420152016 | 12 (2014–2025) |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 20242025 | 201520162017 | 12 (2015–2026) |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 20232025 | 201520162018 | 12 (2015–2026) |
| Chevrolet Cruze | 20092010 | 201220132014 | 11 (2009–2019) |
| Chevrolet Trax | 20232025 | 201520162017 | 12 (2015–2026) |
| Chevrolet Trailblazer | 20152025 | 201820212022 | 12 (2015–2027) |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500 | No standout year yet | 2014201520172024 | 18 (2008–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Chevrolet model
2014 Chevrolet Tahoe: 93 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best Tahoe years →
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 282 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 · Best Silverado 1500 years →
2014 Chevrolet Suburban: 59 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best Suburban years →
2009 Chevrolet Equinox: 94 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2008 and 2009 · Best Equinox years →
2018 Chevrolet Corvette: 51 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2018 and 2022 · Best Corvette years →
2025 Chevrolet Malibu: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2024 and 2025 · Best Malibu years →
2025 Chevrolet Colorado: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2024 and 2025 · Best Colorado years →
2025 Chevrolet Traverse: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2023 and 2025 · Best Traverse years →
2009 Chevrolet Cruze: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2009 and 2010 · Best Cruze years →
2025 Chevrolet Trax: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2023 and 2025 · Best Trax years →
2015 Chevrolet Trailblazer: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2015 and 2025 · Best Trailblazer years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Chevrolet years to buy?
By model: Tahoe 2014; Silverado 1500 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013; Suburban 2014; Equinox 2008 and 2009; Corvette 2018 and 2022; Malibu 2024 and 2025; Colorado 2024 and 2025; Traverse 2023 and 2025; Cruze 2009 and 2010; Trax 2023 and 2025; Trailblazer 2015 and 2025. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Chevrolet years should I skip?
By model: Tahoe 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; Silverado 1500 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; Suburban 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023; Silverado 2500 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024; Equinox 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018 and 2020; Corvette 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019; Malibu 2014, 2015 and 2016; Colorado 2015, 2016 and 2017; Traverse 2015, 2016 and 2018; Cruze 2012, 2013 and 2014; Trax 2015, 2016 and 2017; Trailblazer 2018, 2021 and 2022; Silverado 3500 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2024. The full breakdown is on the Chevrolet years-to-avoid page.
How are the best Chevrolet years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Models not yet scored that way are ranked by combined NHTSA complaint and manufacturer service-bulletin volume. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.