Head-to-head reliability

Toyota Camry Solara vs Chevrolet Silverado

How the Toyota Camry Solara and Chevrolet Silverado compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Toyota Camry Solara0 complaints · 13 recalls Fewer issues per year
Chevrolet Silverado8,227 complaints · 101 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Toyota Camry Solara vs Chevrolet Silverado: The Solara has 0 complaints and 13 recalls over 10 years, while the Silverado has 8,227 complaints, 101 recalls, and 233 crash-related reports. The Silverado also shows 160 injuries and 3 deaths. The Solara has far fewer reported issues per year. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The picture

Is the Toyota Camry Solara or Chevrolet Silverado more reliable?

A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.

Toyota Camry Solara

The Toyota Camry Solara is a two-door coupe or convertible that, based on NHTSA data, has no owner complaints filed over a 10-year period. It has 13 recalls, but none are tied to crashes, injuries, or deaths. For a used-car buyer, this suggests a very low reported failure rate, though the absence of complaint text means you won't see detailed owner stories. The recalls focus on seat heaters, side air bags, and engine cooling, so those are the areas to verify were fixed.

Chevrolet Silverado

The Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size pickup with 8,227 complaints over 10 years, averaging about 823 per year. Those complaints include 233 crash-related reports, 160 injuries, and 3 deaths. The most common problem areas are the engine, power train, electrical system, and service brakes. Owners describe serious issues like engines shutting off while driving, sudden brake loss, and transmission problems at very low mileage.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryToyota Camry SolaraChevrolet Silverado
Total complaintsAll model years combined0 Better8,227
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns13 Better101
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints0 Better233
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years0.0 Better822.7
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints0 Better160
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better3

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

Toyota Camry Solara

No component data available.

What these mean
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

Recalls were issued for the front seat heater/cooler assembly. A buyer should confirm the recall repair was done, because a faulty seat heater could overheat or fail.

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

There is a recall for side/window air bags. This matters because air bags that don't deploy correctly can increase injury risk in a side crash, so check that the recall was completed.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

A recall covers engine and engine cooling. While no owner complaints describe the exact symptom, cooling problems can lead to overheating and engine damage if not addressed.

Chevrolet Silverado

  1. 01ENGINE2,521
  2. 02POWER TRAIN2,347
  3. 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1,513
  4. 04SERVICE BRAKES1,222
  5. 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER858
What these mean
ENGINE

Owners report engines shutting off while driving, with messages like 'Return to Neutral' and 'Press Start.' Others describe diesel particulate filter soot accumulation events requiring dealer service. These can leave you stranded or cause a loss of power.

POWER TRAIN

Complaints include a vehicle suddenly going into neutral while driving slowly uphill, and transmission issues on a new truck with under 300 miles. This means the truck may not move when you press the gas, which is dangerous in traffic.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Owners report a sudden, severe loss of normal braking with a firm brake pedal but poor stopping power. Another complaint says the engine shuts off and screens go blank. Electrical faults like these can disable critical safety systems.

SERVICE BRAKES

Complaints describe the truck completely shutting off in a parking lot, with no acceleration and blank screens, and brake loss at a stop sign. Brake problems directly affect your ability to stop, making this a top safety concern.

In owners' words — ENGINE

“I purchased the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado with a 6.2L motor "new" from the dealer with 5700 miles on XXX. Roughly a month and 2500 miles later, my family and I were in the vehicle, 750 miles from home, returning from a vacation to [XXX] from the [XXX]/[XXX] ar…”

“My 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with the 6.6L Duramax diesel has experienced three separate P2463 Diesel Particulate Filter excessive soot accumulation events at approximately 4,300, 5,500, and 10,280 miles. Each event required a Chevrolet dealer to perform…”

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

Toyota Camry Solara — 13 recalls

Exterior Lighting
#06E026000

The defect: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE D…

The risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

The fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Exterior Lighting
#06E060000

The defect: CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIA…

The risk: LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH

The fix: AAI MOTORSPORTS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AAI MOTORSPORTS AT 909-923-9188.

Engine And Engine Cooling
#11V539000Sep 2011

The defect: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-F…

The risk: IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

The fix: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN…

Exterior Lighting
#06E026000

The defect: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE D…

The risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

The fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Chevrolet Silverado — 101 recalls

Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
#25V815000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles may not have received an owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, “Child Re…

The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will provide the owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252532020. Vehicle Identifi…

Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump — Control/Drive Module
#26V129000May 2026

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and GMC Sierra 3500 vehicles with gasoline engines and dual fuel tanks (RPOs L8T and N2N). The rear fuel pump may not transfer adequate fuel to the front tank, causing an engine stall.

The risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: The vehicle's engine control module (ECM) will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782…

Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
#26V114000

The defect: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Cou…

The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-970…

Tires — Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
#26V530000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and GMC Sierra 2500 vehicles equipped with the enhanced towing option and 20-inch accessory tire/wheel package. The tire information label may state the incorrect rear tire pressure, resulting in underinflated tires an…

The risk: Driving with underinflated tires can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect, update the engine control module (ECM) software, apply a tire label overlay, inflate tires to the correct pressure, and perform a tire pressure monitor system (TPMS) re-learn process as necessary, free of charge. Owne…

Buyer analysis

Toyota Camry Solara or Chevrolet Silverado: which should you buy?

The Toyota Camry Solara has far fewer issues per year, with 0 complaints compared to the Silverado's 822.7 per year. In practice, that means a Solara buyer is much less likely to face frequent repair visits or serious safety-related failures. The Silverado's higher complaint volume and crash/injury reports suggest a higher ownership risk.

Recommendation. If low reported failure rates and simple ownership matter most, choose the Toyota Camry Solara, but verify all 13 recalls were fixed. If you need a full-size truck for hauling or towing, choose the Chevrolet Silverado, but budget for potential engine, transmission, electrical, and brake repairs. In either case, a pre-purchase inspection is essential.

Key differences

  • The Camry Solara has 0 complaints over 10 years, while the Silverado has 8,227, including 233 crash-related and 160 injuries.
  • Silverado owners report engines shutting off while driving and sudden brake loss, issues not present in the Solara complaint data.
  • The Solara's recalls are limited to seat heaters, side air bags, and engine cooling, while the Silverado has 101 recalls covering fuel pumps, tires, and forward collision warnings.
  • The Silverado's top complaint areas are engine (2,521), power train (2,347), and electrical system (1,513), showing widespread problems across major systems.
Watch on Toyota Camry Solara
  • Check that the seat heater/cooler recall was performed, as a faulty heater could overheat or fail.
  • Confirm the side air bag recall was completed, since a non-deploying air bag increases injury risk in a side crash.
Watch on Chevrolet Silverado
  • Test drive at low speeds and uphill to see if the transmission suddenly goes into neutral, a reported power train failure.
  • Ask for service records on the diesel particulate filter if equipped, because owners report repeated soot accumulation events requiring dealer repair.

Before you buy

  • Run the VIN on NHTSA.gov to see all open recalls for the specific vehicle and confirm they were fixed.
  • For the Silverado, test the brakes at low speed and check for any warning messages about braking or engine shutdown.
  • For the Camry Solara, verify the seat heater and side air bag recalls were completed by a dealer.
  • Ask for a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic familiar with the model, focusing on engine, transmission, and electrical systems.
  • Request full maintenance records and check for repeated repairs in the same area, which can signal a chronic problem.

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Toyota Camry Solara or Chevrolet Silverado in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Toyota Camry Solara vs Chevrolet Silverado — comparison facts
Comparison
Toyota Camry Solara vs Chevrolet Silverado
Toyota Camry Solara total complaints
0
Chevrolet Silverado total complaints
8,227
Toyota Camry Solara total recalls
13
Chevrolet Silverado total recalls
101
Toyota Camry Solara avg complaints/year
0.0
Chevrolet Silverado avg complaints/year
822.7
More reliable overall
Toyota Camry Solara
Chevrolet Silverado top complaint area
ENGINE