The 2 Least Reliable Full-Size Trucks According to Consumer Reports
Alex Healey
· 3 min read
It has been a mixed year for General Motors. Despite the ongoing microchip shortage, sales have been good, but the company has recently been
forced to halt production
of the 2021 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. And to make matters worse for these two popular pickups
, a Consumer Reports (CR) study has branded them the least reliable full-size trucks on the market.
What makes the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra so unreliable?
So why did
Consumer Reports
put the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra tied for last in its reliability rankings for full-size trucks?Well, first of all, they are near identical vehicles with very similar package options. While GMC is positioned as a premium offering to the Chevrolet brand, if one of them scores poorly, the other must too.
CR explains that they anticipate the 2021 models of both vehicles to be much less reliable than the average new car. This prediction is based on the historical performance of older Silverados and Sierras, which for three of the last six years, have received the worst possible scores for reliability.
While it might seem unfair to judge a new car for the sins of its predecessors, the 2021 Silverado has already been recalled four times by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Sierra has been recalled three times. Considering they only rolled off the factory floor a year ago, this is pretty damning information.
Consequently, both trucks receive just 13/100 for reliability, the worst of any full-size truck in the CR study. This contributes towards a disappointing overall score of 45/100 for both vehicles, placing the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado second-bottom in CR’s full-size truck rankings, and the 2021 GMC Sierra dead last. We can only assume the Sierra is rated slightly worse due to its higher price.
The full-size trucks do have some redeeming qualities
While the Silverado and Sierra may be the least reliable full-size trucks out there, they do have some redeeming qualities.
Both vehicles scored high marks on the road test component of CR’s study. They each received 78/100, which places them just behind the
2021 Ram 1500
, widely considered to be the best full-size truck of the year.The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra received four out of five for acceleration, transmission, and braking, and three out of five for emergency handling. These numbers are very impressive for such large vehicles, which typically suffer from unwieldy handling and sluggish acceleration.
CR also praises GM for equipping them with a new powertrain. The 2021 Silverado and Sierra can boast a 5.3-liter V8 engine plus eight-speed automatic transmission, and are 300 lb lighter than previous generations. This increased power and lighter frame makes for a more nimble, agile truck, while also improving fuel economy to a respectable 17 mpg.
All in all, while the 2021 Silverado and 2021 Sierra may be the least reliable full-size trucks, most Chevy and GMC customers are satisfied with their purchases. While multiple recalls is not good, it does show the manufacturers prioritizing safety, and as an individual driver, the chance of your truck breaking down is still small.
