CHEVROLET equipment recall — 21V496000
General Motors, LLC reported recall 21V496000 to NHTSA on July 1, 2021.
21V496000
Official NHTSA text (English)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500 and 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and an optional engine-block heater cord. An electrical short-circuit may occur in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.
An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will replace engine block heaters and heater cords. Vehicles that have this feature disabled as a remedy to the safety condition will be contacted and offered replacement block heaters and heater cords under a separate customer satisfaction program, free of charge. GM will provide free replacement block heaters and cords under a separate customer satisfaction campaign. For vehicles previously included in recall 19V-328, the heater cord will be replaced and rerouted, free of charge. Interim owner notifications were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 4, 2022. Customers may call GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 212329840.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign number: 21V496000 · Report received: July 1, 2021
https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=21V496000
What does this record mean?
General Motors, LLC reported recall 21V496000 to NHTSA on July 1, 2021. The record falls under equipment and covers 12 make-model-year combinations across CHEVROLET, GMC, model years 2017–2019.
A recall is the manufacturer identifying a safety-related defect or a non-compliance with a standard in a group of vehicles, and reporting it officially. It does not mean the whole vehicle is faulty: it covers a specific condition found in a specific part, within a specific build range.
This record concerns vehicle equipment or interior systems. NHTSA uses this grouping when the defect does not fall squarely into one of the defined systems above; the actual subject is stated in the official text.
What should I do?
Read the scope and the remedy from the official text on this page. If you are not sure whether your vehicle is covered, verify it on the manufacturer's own VIN lookup page; that link is provided here.
Work carried out under a recall is done at no cost to the owner. This does not depend on the vehicle still being in warranty: a recall is not a warranty claim, it is a separate obligation. The dealer should not charge you for labour or parts.
Whether a record covers your vehicle is determined by make, model and model year — but not every vehicle of that model year is necessarily included. The manufacturer usually covers a specific build date range. Only a VIN-based lookup gives a definite answer.
Where is the VIN?
The VIN has 17 characters and appears in four places: on a plate at the lower left corner of the windscreen, on the label inside the driver's door jamb, on the registration document, and on most vehicles on a label in the engine bay. VINs never use the letters I, O or Q; the similar-looking characters are the digits 1, 0 and 9.
Before you go to the dealer
The work is done at the manufacturer's authorised dealer. Quoting the campaign number when you book shortens the process, because the dealer can order the part in advance. If you are not sure whether your vehicle is covered, verify it on the manufacturer's own VIN lookup page; that link is provided on this page.
Before you go to the dealer, have three things ready: the VIN, the registration document and the campaign number. If you have seen a symptom related to the defect, note when and under what conditions; that speeds up diagnosis. Keep the paperwork showing the work that was done: it is useful when you sell the vehicle or if a second record appears.
Source and currency
The official text on this page is reproduced exactly as NHTSA published it. It has not been summarised, rewritten or interpreted. The rest of the page is written in this language.
NHTSA records cover vehicles sold in the US market. A model with the same name sold in Europe or elsewhere may have been built with different equipment and different suppliers, so whether a record covers your vehicle is settled only by the manufacturer's own lookup.
When a record stops appearing in the source, this page is taken down the same day and the address returns a 410 response; no text is left behind. If you have an objection about a record, you can send it from the correction page.
Vehicles covered
Frequently asked
What does recall 21V496000 cover?
The record falls under equipment and covers vehicles from CHEVROLET, GMC in model years 2017–2019. The detail is in the official text on this page.
How do I know if my vehicle is included?
If make, model and model year match, your vehicle may be included; but the manufacturer usually covers a specific build date range. Only a VIN lookup gives a definite answer.
Is there a charge?
No. Recall work is free of charge and independent of warranty.
How soon should I have it done?
There is no reason to wait. If a part has to be ordered the dealer will give you a date; in the meantime follow the advisories shown on this page.
Why is the official text in English?
Because that is the record NHTSA published. It is not summarised, rewritten or interpreted; the rest of the page is in this language.