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Chevrolet: reliability & common problems

#15 of 24
Longevity rank#1 Tesla holds up to ~185k
~111k
Trouble-free mileageacross all body styles
274
Chevrolets inspectedreal pre-purchase inspections
57/100
Average conditionall cars we check: 61/100



Based on 274 used Chevrolets we inspected, they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average — average condition 57/100 vs 61 for all cars we check. Every number on this page comes from real pre-purchase inspections — cars people were about to buy and paid an independent inspector to go through point by point, engine to underbody, paint depth to error codes. Not owner surveys, not warranty statistics, not forum lore: what we actually found.

What we found

Most common faults

Oil leaks · Engine
51%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
40%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
30%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
26%

Share of inspected Chevrolets where each item was flagged.

How they score

Excellent 23% Good 27% Mediocre 22% Poor 28%
Hidden history

What the seller might not mention — how often we find it on Chevrolets.

68%had a repainted or replaced panelall cars: 75%
4%showed structural repairall cars: 4%
25%had fault codes recently clearedall cars: 23%

Compare with another brand:

Cross-shopping? Chevrolet vs Toyota · Chevrolet vs Honda · Chevrolet vs Ford

How long does a Chevrolet last?

Across every Chevrolet body style we've inspected — sedans, SUVs and anything else pooled together — the average one's condition dips below decent (a 55/100 score) around ~111k miles. It ranks Chevrolet #15 of 24 brands we have enough data to rate; the longest-lasting, Tesla, holds up to ~185k. Shopping a Chevrolet near that mileage? Expect more wear ahead — see which makes give the best odds at your budget.



Good cars by mileage
0 25 50 75 100 0–20k mi: 86% in good shape (22 cars) 20–40k mi: 86% in good shape (29 cars) 40–60k mi: 64% in good shape (39 cars) 60–80k mi: 68% in good shape (37 cars) 80–100k mi: 50% in good shape (34 cars) 100–120k mi: 42% in good shape (31 cars) 120–140k mi: 35% in good shape (20 cars) 140–160k mi: 14% in good shape (7 cars) 160–180k mi: 6% in good shape (16 cars) 180–200k mi: 11% in good shape (9 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
0 25 50 75 100 1 years old: 100% in good shape (6 cars) 2 years old: 89% in good shape (18 cars) 3 years old: 100% in good shape (7 cars) 4 years old: 74% in good shape (19 cars) 5 years old: 73% in good shape (22 cars) 6 years old: 58% in good shape (24 cars) 7 years old: 58% in good shape (12 cars) 8 years old: 71% in good shape (17 cars) 9 years old: 44% in good shape (18 cars) 10 years old: 43% in good shape (14 cars) 11 years old: 60% in good shape (10 cars) 12 years old: 38% in good shape (8 cars) 13 years old: 17% in good shape (12 cars) 14 years old: 20% in good shape (5 cars) 15 years old: 22% in good shape (9 cars) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share of Chevrolets in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). The dashed grey curve is all cars we check.

Is Chevrolet getting better?
▼ Newer Chevrolets aren't holding up as well 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 20 cars, raw 60%) 61 2015–17: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 46 cars, raw 59%) 61 2018+: 48% in good shape (age-adjusted; 35 cars, raw 57%) 48 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018+

Share of Chevrolets in good shape (60+/100) when inspected at the same age — 5–10 years old, age-adjusted — by model-year generation; the dashed line is the all-brand average. Compare every brand's trajectory →



Chevrolet models we've inspected
Silverado 43 cars · 59% good Corvette 51 cars · 54% good Tahoe 19 cars · profile soon Camaro 19 cars · profile soon Express 18 cars · profile soon Equinox 16 cars · profile soon Malibu 12 cars · profile soon Suburban 11 cars · profile soon Cruze 11 cars · profile soon Impala 10 cars · profile soon

Recently inspected:

2013 Chevrolet Cruze · 158k mi — flagged: oil leaks, fault codes recently cleared, fuel trim out of range. Inspected Aug 10.
2014 Chevrolet Equinox · 129k mi — flagged: oil leaks, tires condition & wear, leaking or worn shock absorbers. Inspected Aug 7.
The bottom line

Chevrolets lean hard into engine trouble, so start every walkaround under the hood for oil seepage, coolant loss, and a full scan for fuel-trim problems plus active codes before you talk price. Prefer the 2012–17 cars; they hold up better at the same age than the 2018-and-newer ones. Expect condition to slide once mileage pushes past roughly 111,000, and treat fresh leaks or unresolved codes as firm leverage to negotiate hard or walk—those issues appear often enough that walking is smarter than hoping they stay minor.

FAQ
?
Is Chevrolet reliable?
50% of the 274 Chevrolets we inspected scored 60/100 or higher, averaging 57/100 — they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average.
?
What are the most common problems with a used Chevrolet?
Across the Chevrolets we inspected, the items we flag most often are oil leaks (51%), fuel trim out of range (40%), tires condition & wear (36%).
?
Are newer Chevrolets more reliable than older ones?
No — comparing generations at the same age (5–10 years old), newer Chevrolets actually score lower than the early-2010s ones.
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Based on 274 inspections · updated Aug 12, 2026