L83 · 5.3L V8

Every model year that uses this engine, what it makes in each of them, and the problems documented against it.

Power355 hpTorque383 lb-ftTransmission6-speed or 8-speed automaticVehicle file1

Where it is fitted

Cars with the L83

Photo coming

Chevrolet · 2016

Silverado 1500

3 engines · 6-speed automatic · 6-speed or 8-speed automatic · 8-speed automatic

Complaint volume793

—/10 · 0 ratings△ 6 problems11 recalls17–20 mpg

Known problems

Wear item

Charging system: battery and alternator

The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.

Open the file →Moderate repair

Air conditioning compressor failure

The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.

Open the file →Wear item

Suspension and steering noise

Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.

Open the file →Moderate repair

Carbon buildup on intake valves

In a direct-injection engine the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder rather than at the intake valve. Nothing washes the back of that valve, so deposits from crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation accumulate there over time.

Open the file →