Chevrolet Years to Avoid by Model
Chevrolet years to avoid: the 2011 Equinox (780 complaints), 2021 Silverado 1500 (757 complaints) and 2008 Corvette (587 complaints) lead the list. All 13 Chevrolet models we track have at least one avoid-rated year; the cleanest records include the 2014 Tahoe and 2012 Silverado 1500. Based on 29,071 NHTSA owner complaints, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
Chevrolet years to avoid, model by model
| Model | Years to avoid | Best years | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 20082011201520162021202220232024 | 2014 | 4,391 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 20142019202020212022 | 2009201120122013 | 10,402 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 2008201520162017202120222023 | 2014 | 2,608 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500 | 201520172020202120222024 | — | 1,867 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 201020112012201320182020 | 20082009 | 6,904 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 2008200920172019 | 20182022 | 1,843 (2008–2025) |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 201420152016 | 20242025 | 0 (2014–2025) |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 201520162017 | 20242025 | 0 (2015–2026) |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 201520162018 | 20232025 | 0 (2015–2026) |
| Chevrolet Cruze | 201220132014 | 20092010 | 0 (2009–2019) |
| Chevrolet Trax | 201520162017 | 20232025 | 0 (2015–2026) |
| Chevrolet Trailblazer | 201820212022 | 20152025 | 0 (2015–2027) |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500 | 2014201520172024 | — | 1,056 (2008–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history (see the methodology); counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The worst year for each Chevrolet model
2011 Chevrolet Equinox: 780 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018 and 2020 · Full Equinox breakdown →
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 757 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 · Full Silverado 1500 breakdown →
2008 Chevrolet Corvette: 587 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019 · Full Corvette breakdown →
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe: 421 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 · Full Tahoe breakdown →
2017 Chevrolet Silverado 3500: 139 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2024 · Full Silverado 3500 breakdown →
2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: 135 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024 · Full Silverado 2500 breakdown →
2023 Chevrolet Suburban: 125 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023 · Full Suburban breakdown →
2014 Chevrolet Malibu: 0 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2014, 2015 and 2016 · Full Malibu breakdown →
2015 Chevrolet Colorado: 0 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2015, 2016 and 2017 · Full Colorado breakdown →
2015 Chevrolet Traverse: 0 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2015, 2016 and 2018 · Full Traverse breakdown →
2014 Chevrolet Cruze: 0 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2012, 2013 and 2014 · Full Cruze breakdown →
2015 Chevrolet Trax: 0 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2015, 2016 and 2017 · Full Trax breakdown →
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer: 0 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2018, 2021 and 2022 · Full Trailblazer breakdown →
Looking for the years to buy instead?
Frequently asked questions
What Chevrolet years should you avoid?
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. Each verdict matches that model's own years-to-avoid page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
What are the best Chevrolet years to buy?
The cleanest federal records 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.
Which Chevrolet model has the most years to avoid?
The Chevrolet Tahoe, with 8 avoid-rated model years (2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) across 18 years on record (2008–2025).
How are Chevrolet years to avoid rated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road, compared with the rest of that model's own history and adjusted for recalls. 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.
Where does the Chevrolet data come from?
Federal records: 29,071 NHTSA owner complaints across 13 Chevrolet models, plus NHTSA recall campaigns and manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.