The bottom line: If your 2014 to 2019 Silverado’s transmission shudders, jerks or slips, first find out which transmission it has. On a 2015 to 2018 eight-speed, a shudder at a steady speed is often the torque converter clutch, which GM tells dealers to treat with a fluid exchange.
Fixing a failed transmission usually pays on a truck you’ll keep or sell privately. Owners reported dealer bills of $4,500 to $8,900 on 2014 to 2018 trucks and up to $12,583 on a 2019, while a 2017 LT Crew Cab sells privately for $18,500 by Kelley Blue Book.
Fixing doesn’t pay on a truck you’d sell to an instant buyer: for the running Silverados we quoted, the best offers came to $3,747 to $9,185, and a repair adds less to an offer than it costs. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, which puts a price on the truck as it stands.
What would buyers pay for your Silverado with a bad transmission?Fill in one form, answering whether your Silverado still drives, and hold real offers up against the shop's transmission quote.
Key Takeaways
- Of the 1,255 power train complaints owners filed with NHTSA for these years, about a fifth describe shudder or vibration, and another fifth jerking or clunking into gear.
- Owners told NHTSA they paid transmission shops $3,700 to $6,000 for a rebuild, and two paid about $3,000 and $4,500 for a torque converter alone.
- NHTSA lists no transmission recall for any 2014 to 2019 Silverado 1500, and GM’s powertrain warranty, five years from each truck’s first sale, has run out on nearly all of them.
- For each of the eight running Silverados we quoted, the gap between a running offer and a broken one is smaller than the cheapest shop rebuild owners reported, so a fixed truck sold to an instant buyer doesn’t earn back its repair.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Which Transmission Does Your Silverado Have?
Chevrolet fitted three automatics to the Silverado 1500 in these years, and owners describe different trouble with each. The EPA’s listings show which engine came with which:
- The six-speed: every 2014, every 2015 with the V6 or the 5.3-liter V8, and the V6 and most 5.3-liter trucks through 2019
- The eight-speed: the 6.2-liter V8 from 2015, the 5.3-liter in some higher trims from 2016, and the 2019’s 2.7-liter turbo
- The ten-speed: only the 2019’s 6.2-liter, in the new body
So a 2014 or 2015 with the 5.3-liter has the six-speed, whatever its trim. From 2016 the trim decides: for a 2017, Kelley Blue Book says the 5.3-liter LTZ and the 6.2-liter got the eight-speed, and the rest the six-speed.
Your own truck’s answer is on the parts label in the glove box, a list of three-character option codes. GM’s shudder bulletin covers 2015 to 2018 trucks whose label carries M5U or M5X, its codes for the eight-speed. A Chevrolet dealer can also read it from the VIN.
The 2019 was sold in two bodies. The Silverado LD is the older body built for one more year, with the six-speed. In the new body, a 5.3-liter came with either the six-speed or the eight-speed, so check the label or ask a dealer.
On the six-speed, owners most often describe hard clunks between the low gears, and a torque converter that failed and sent metal through the transmission. The eight-speed’s best-known fault is a shudder. Only a handful of complaints name the ten-speed.
Can New Fluid Stop the Eight-Speed’s Shudder?
Often it’s worth trying first. In bulletin 18-NA-355, GM describes a shake or shudder between 25 and 80 mph under light throttle, while the transmission isn’t changing gear. Owners compare it to driving over rumble strips.
GM traces it to the torque converter clutch, which locks the engine to the transmission at cruising speed. The fix it prescribes is a fluid exchange to a newer fluid, Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP, with no parts replaced.
What the bulletin sets out for 2015 to 2018 Silverados with the eight-speed:
- A dealer can do the exchange on your description alone, with no further diagnosis
- The job is booked at 1.1 hours and takes about 20 quarts of the new fluid, sold only through GM’s oil distributors
- Mixing in other fluids or additives leaves too little of the new one to work
- The shudder can take up to 200 miles and two drives from cold to clear
NHTSA’s complaints show mixed results. Several owners say the shudder went away for a few months and came back, and the next step their dealer took was a new torque converter. Owners whose fix worked rarely file a complaint, so these reports lean toward the trucks it didn’t cure.
The bulletin covers only 2015 to 2018 trucks with the eight-speed. A 2019 eight-speed or any six-speed truck that shudders needs a normal diagnosis rather than the exchange.
Will GM or a Lawsuit Pay for the Repair?
Probably not. GM’s powertrain warranty covered the transmission for 5 years or 100,000 miles on a 2014 or 2015, and 5 years or 60,000 miles from 2016, counted from the truck’s first sale, and that has passed for nearly every one.
Owners of GM vehicles with the eight-speed, 2015 to 2019 Silverados among them, sued GM over the shudder and harsh shifts in Speerly v. General Motors. The full Sixth Circuit appeals court ruled that they couldn’t go forward as statewide classes, and sent the case back to the trial court.
There is no settlement and nothing to claim. If you paid for a repair you think GM should cover, keep the invoice: one 2019 owner told NHTSA that GM agreed to pay half of a new transmission.
What Else Can Feel Like a Failing Transmission?
For the 2014 to 2019 Silverado 1500, owners have filed 1,255 complaints with NHTSA under power train. That heading takes in driveshafts and axles as well as the transmission, which matters on a 2019.
For some 2019s, recall 20V-650 replaces a driveshaft whose joint may not have been welded properly. If it separates, the truck loses drive while moving, much as it would with a dead transmission. The recall is free, so check your VIN on NHTSA’s recall lookup first.
| What owners described | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Jerks, lurches or clunks into gear | 20% |
| Shudders or vibrates | 20% |
| Names the torque converter | 13% |
| Revs or slips without moving | 10% |
| Hesitates or delays | 8% |
| Won’t shift or stuck in a gear | 5% |
| Lost power while driving | 5% |
| Metal found in the fluid or pan | 3% |
Shudder at a steady speed points to the torque converter clutch. Hard clunks between low gears, slipping, and metal in the pan point inside the transmission: most owners whose shop found metal went on to a rebuild or a replacement.
Go in this order:
- On a 2019, have a Chevrolet dealer check the driveshaft recall. It costs nothing.
- On a 2015 to 2018 eight-speed that shudders, ask for the bulletin’s fluid exchange.
- Otherwise pay for a diagnosis, and ask whether the pan held metal. Kelley Blue Book prices a dealer’s diagnostic check, which it lists under engine diagnostics, on a 2019 Silverado LD at $229 to $307 across Atlanta, Kansas City and Seattle.
- If selling is already your plan, you can skip the diagnosis: instant-offer buyers make offers on trucks that don’t run.
What Do Silverado Owners Pay for Each Fix?
Kelley Blue Book shows no transmission price for nearly every truck in this range, so owners’ own bills are the better guide. These are the amounts owners reported to NHTSA in their complaints.
| Repair, as owners reported it | What they paid or were quoted |
|---|---|
| GM’s fluid exchange, eight-speed | $300, from one owner |
| Torque converter on its own | $2,956 and $4,486, from two owners |
| Rebuild at a transmission shop | $3,700 to $6,000 |
| Replacement at a dealer, 2014 to 2018 trucks | $4,500 to $8,900 |
| Replacement at a dealer, 2019 trucks | $7,000 to $12,583 |
The one truck Kelley Blue Book does price is the 2019 Silverado LD Double Cab, the older body’s last year, with the six-speed most 2014 to 2018 trucks have. Its dealer estimate, parts and labor, runs $7,511 to $8,574 across three cities.
| City | Dealer estimate, 2019 LD | Of which labor |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA 30303 | $8,044 to $8,574 | $1,596 to $1,728 |
| Kansas City, MO 64106 | $7,512 to $8,008 | $1,490 to $1,614 |
| Seattle, WA 98101 | $7,511 to $8,007 | $1,490 to $1,614 |
Almost all of that is the part. Labor is about $1,500 to $1,700 in each city, so a shop that fits a rebuilt unit for less is where the savings come from. One owner told NHTSA an independent shop quoted $4,670 for a remanufactured transmission, fitted.
A quote above the owners’ dealer bills for your year deserves a second one. Several owners are on their second or third transmission, so ask what warranty comes with the work, and whether it covers the torque converter too.
The bill where you live. Kelley Blue Book has no transmission estimate for most of these trucks, so get quotes from a dealer and a transmission shop. If you plan to buy a rebuilt unit yourself, check first that the shop will install it, as some refuse.
Is a 2017 Silverado Worth a New Transmission?
Kept or sold privately, usually yes, because a Silverado holds its value. Kelley Blue Book puts a 2017 LT Crew Cab with the short bed, in good condition at typical mileage, at $18,500 in a private sale and $14,250 as a trade-in.
| Route, 2017 LT Crew Cab | What it costs you | After an $18,500 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Torque converter, at the two bills owners reported | $2,956 to $4,486 | $14,014 to $15,544 left |
| Rebuild at a transmission shop, owners’ bills | $3,700 to $6,000 | $12,500 to $14,800 left |
| Dealer replacement, owners’ bills | $4,500 to $8,900 | $9,600 to $14,000 left |
| Dealer replacement, Kelley Blue Book’s 2019 LD estimate | $7,511 to $8,574 | $9,926 to $10,989 left |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer |
Every route leaves over $9,000 after a private sale of that truck, so selling it broken wins only if an offer beats that. A 2017 LT usually has the six-speed, so the fluid exchange isn’t one of its routes.
Which value to set against the bill depends on how the truck will leave you. If you’ll keep it or sell it yourself, use Kelley Blue Book’s private-sale value with your own mileage entered.
If you’d sell it to an instant buyer, use a running offer instead, and expect far less: for the trucks we quoted, the best was about half the private-sale value or under.
The calculator’s example starts from the best offer for a running 2017 with 90,000 miles. It then takes off what our offer data takes off a truck that starts but can’t be driven.
Test Your Silverado Quote
The example is a 2017 LT Crew Cab: the top of the shop rebuild bills, its private-sale value, and that offer cut for a truck that won’t drive. Replace them with your own figures.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
The year moves the answer more than the bill does. By Kelley Blue Book’s figures, the same LT Crew Cab sells privately for $13,150 as a 2014, $14,250 as a 2015, $17,200 as a 2016 and $20,700 as a 2018, at typical mileage.
On a 2014 or 2015 LT kept or sold privately, the dearest dealer bill leaves only about $4,250 to $5,350, so a shop rebuild is the route that pays there. Higher trims leave more: a 2015 LTZ Crew Cab sells privately for $17,150, or $8,250 after that bill.
Sold to an instant buyer, even a shop rebuild costs more than it adds to the offer, at every mileage we quoted.
A 2019 in the new body costs more to fix, with dealer quotes up to $12,583, but an LT Crew Cab sells privately for $23,800. A 2019 LD Double Cab LT sells privately for $19,750.
Open Kelley Blue Book’s values for your year, then pick your cab, trim and mileage: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
Which Silverados Are Better Sold as They Are?
Selling as it is can still leave you more when:
- You would sell it to an instant buyer, at any mileage: a repair adds less to their offer than it costs
- This is its second or third transmission, or the engine or rear axle needs work too
- Your quote is near what the truck fetches running at its mileage, and a second shop can’t beat it
- You can’t pay for the repair up front
In each case, get offers before you pay for anything. A repair is worth paying for only if it leaves you more than the best of them.
What Is a Running 2015 to 2018 Silverado Offered?
My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form, collected offers on eight 2015 to 2018 Silverados, every one able to drive. Their offers are what a fixed truck can expect if you’d rather not sell it yourself.
| Running Silverado | Miles | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Chevrolet Silverado LT | 70,000 | $9,185 | $6,030 |
| 2018 Chevrolet Silverado | 80,000 | $5,065 | $3,398 |
| 2017 Chevrolet Silverado | 90,000 | $6,897 | $3,399 |
| 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LT | 117,000 | $4,025 | $3,806 |
| 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LT | 122,000 | $5,287 | $3,395 |
| 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LT | 168,000 | $3,747 | $2,455 |
| 2016 Chevrolet Silverado LT | 250,000 | $3,886 | $2,535 |
| 2017 Chevrolet Silverado | 270,000 | $3,860 | $2,304 |
Mileage moves the offers. Buyers offered the most for two of the three trucks under 100,000 miles, and on all three the best offer was one and a half to two times the second.
For the five with 117,000 miles or more, buyers offered less, even running. On all eight, a shop rebuild costs more than the gap between a running offer and a broken one, so a repair rarely comes back from an instant buyer.
The other buyers pay less for a broken truck too. Our offer data covers cars of every make and age, and in it buyers offer 29% less for a car that starts but can’t move than for a comparable one that drives. For one that won’t start at all, they offer 46% less.
How Should You Describe and Sell a Silverado With Transmission Trouble?
Offers don’t wait on a diagnosis. The instant-offer buyers we quoted price the fault from your answers, so the answer that counts is whether it drives.
A truck that still moves under its own power, however roughly, drives. One stuck in a gear, in limp mode or unable to move doesn’t, and saying so decides whether a tow truck comes.
Describe it as driving when it can’t, and the driver who collects it can lower the offer on the spot.
If you sell to a private buyer instead, say in the listing what the transmission does and what you were quoted, and expect less than the trade-in value of a running truck.
The instant-offer buyers we quoted hand over payment as the truck is loaded, so keep the title, in your name, where you can reach it. Your state decides whether the plates stay with the truck or come off, so look that up before pickup.
Learn what buyers offer for your Silverado. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool shows you offers from several buyers on one form, ready to hold up against the shop’s quote.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
EPA fueleconomy.gov: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engines and transmissions, 2014 to 2019
The engine and transmission pairs listed for the C15, K15, C10, K10 and LD versions of each model year. Accessed October 13, 2026.
GM Service Bulletin 18-NA-355: shake and/or shudder during light throttle acceleration, 25 to 80 mph
The August 2019 version: 2015 to 2018 Silverado with the 8L45 or 8L90 (codes M5U, M5X); torque converter clutch shudder; the fluid exchange to Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP, 1.1 hours; up to 200 miles for the full effect. Filed with NHTSA. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Reuters: GM to cut Chevy, GMC powertrain warranty to 60,000 miles
The five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain coverage reduced to five years and 60,000 miles from the 2016 model year. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Speerly v. General Motors, No. 23-1940 (6th Cir., en banc): the ruling that vacated certification of 26 statewide classes of owners of GM vehicles with the eight-speed, over shudder and harsh shifts, and sent the motion back to the district court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Pickup Truck Talk: GM wins appeal on 8-speed transmission class-action lawsuit
The vehicles in Speerly v. General Motors: about 800,000 GM trucks and SUVs with the 8L45 or 8L90, the 2015 to 2019 Silverado among them. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints and recalls, 2014 to 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The 1,255 complaints filed under power train for the six model years, read from NHTSA's complaints API, with the problems they describe and the repair bills owners reported; the recall list by year. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 20V-650: driveshaft, 2019 and 2020 Silverado 1500
A driveshaft joint may not have been properly welded, and the driveshaft may separate, with a loss of propulsion; dealers replace the driveshaft free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LD Double Cab transmission replacement
Dealer estimates for ZIP 30303, 64106 and 98101: $7,511 to $8,574, of which labor $1,490 to $1,728. Kelley Blue Book showed no transmission price for the 2014 to 2019 Crew Cab or the 2017 Double and Regular Cab. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LD Double Cab engine diagnostics
Dealer estimate for ZIP 30303, 64106 and 98101: $229 to $307. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 to 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 values
Trade-in and private party values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage; the 2017 page's note on which trims got the eight-speed; the other years and the 2019 LD Double Cab from their own pages. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 19, 2026
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