Which Silverado Model Years Had a Diesel Engine?

Many truck drivers in Northern Kentucky can benefit from a diesel engine under the hood. These powerplants deliver the torque you need for hauling supplies around town or driving across rough worksite terrain. A diesel powerplant will also last longer, give you better highway fuel efficiency, and hold its value better over time—so when business owners and adventurers are in search of a used Chevy Silverado 1500 for sale, they like to know if they have the option of going diesel.

Although many past Silverado models and trims were available for a diesel engine, some were not. You don’t want to get your heart set on a certain truck only to discover you can’t buy it with the engine your job and lifestyle demand. Thus, the truck experts at Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick of Paris have compiled this guide so you can quickly see which used Silverado trucks have a diesel engine and which ones don’t.

First Generation: 1999-2006

The original Chevy Silverado was available in several models and trims, each with different engine options. Some you can get with a diesel engine, while others you cannot. Let’s take a look at each…

To start, no diesel engines were available for any Silverado trucks in 1999 and 2000. These years, all models of the truck could only be purchased with the Vortec 6000 5.7L small-block engine. So, if you’re looking at the earliest Silverado trucks, you’re unfortunately out of luck.

In 2001, the first diesel engine option emerged. For this year, Chevy introduced the Heavy-Duty (HD) trim, and one of the engine options was the Duramax 6600. This 6.6L V8 diesel engine could produce up to 300 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque. All Silverado 1500 HD, 2500 HD, and 3500 HD trucks were available with a diesel. However, the Silverado 1500 base trim was still Vortex 6000 only, though it did get an increase from 5.7L to 6.0L.

The Duramax 6000 was redesigned twice over the next half-decade. The first update—which came halfway through the 2004 model year—jumped to 310 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque when paired with an automatic transmission. (The numbers with a manual transmission didn’t change.) Then, for 2006, the Duramax 6600 was bumped up to 360 hp and a whopping 650 lb-ft of torque. This engine was still offered on the same Silverado models as before, but it’s worth knowing the amount of power and torque varies based on the year.

Second Generation: 2007-2013

For the next run of Silverado trucks, the availability of the diesel engine remained unchanged among the major models, as the Duramax 6600 was once again offered on the 1500 HD, 2500 HD, and 3500 HD. Although many more Vortec engine options were available on the 1500—with sizes from 4.3L to 6.2L—the diesel option remained absent. In 2009, two more Silverado models were introduced: the Silverado XFE for one year only and the Silverado Hybrid from 2009-2013. These could only be purchased with a 6.0L Vortec gasoline engine and no diesel.

Again, the Duramax engine was upgraded multiple times during the second-gen run. Mid-2007 saw a slight bump to 365 hp and 660 lb-ft of torque. Then, starting with the 2011 model year, the Silverado’s Duramax diesel engines soared to 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque, which will get you up even the steepest Kentucky hills while towing vehicles, campers, and heavy equipment.

Third Generation: 2014-2019

Beginning in 2014, Chevy split the Silverado 1500 HD off from the 1500. The truck wasn’t sold that year, and for the 2015 model year, it became simply the Silverado HD. (By this point, all Silverado 2500 and 3500 models were HD trucks by default, with 2500/2500 HD and 3500/3500 HD being used interchangeably.) Again, the 1500 was non-diesel, with the long-standing Vortec engine replaced by several variations of the GM EcoTec3.

The HD, 2500, and 3500 still were available with a diesel (or Vortec) powerplant. Through 2016, GM used the same Duramax diesel engine that was introduced in 2011. The latest version came along in 2017, upping the ante once again with a maximum of 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque for the most hardcore haulers.

Fourth Generation: 2020-present

Truck enthusiasts who had been long for a diesel engine on the base Silverado 1500 finally got their wish with the Gen-4. Starting in 2020, GM added the Duramax I-6 to its list of available 1500 engines, joining the EcoTec3, Turbo I-4, and High-Output Turbo I-4. (As part of the change, the Silverado 1500’s HD trim was discontinued.) From 2020 to 2022, the Duramax I-6 produced 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque; beginning in 2023, it got a boost to 305 and 495, respectively.

The Silverado 2500 and 3500 from the fourth generation continue to use the Duramax V8 as their diesel heartbeat. The 2017 engine revamp was offered through the 2023 model year; beginning in 2024, the Duramax got another overhaul as part of a larger HD series refresh, and it now sports 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque. Combined with the Duramax I-6 on the Silverado 1500, the heavy-duty models’ Duramax V8 gives more recent used Silverado trucks two distinct choices when going diesel.

Summary of Diesel-Powered Silverado Model Years

We realize that’s a lot of information at once. To make things easier, here’s a list of the used Silverado models with a diesel engine as an option and the years in which the engine was modified:

• Chevy Silverado 1500 HD — 2001-13; upgraded in mid-2004, 2006, mid-2007, and 2011.
• Chevy Silverado HD — 2015-19; upgraded in 2017.
• Chevy Silverado 1500 — 2020-present; upgraded in 2023.
• Chevy Silverado 2500 HD — 2001-present; upgraded in mid-2004, 2006, mid-2007, 2011, 2017, and 2024.
• Chevy Silverado 3500 HD — 2001-present; upgraded in mid-2004, 2006, mid-2007, 2011, 2017, and 2024.

We felt it important to include the upgraded years because the diesel engine has changed so much over time. A 2024 Chevy Silverado Duramax V8 can emit 73.3% more horsepower and 87.5% more torque than the 2001 Duramax! So when you’re shopping for a used Chevy Silverado with a diesel engine, you must pay attention to when the vehicle was released.

How Do I Know If My Silverado Runs on Diesel?

Since Silverado trucks with diesel engine options also had gasoline options, you need to know how to tell them apart when shopping. Here are some ways to identify a diesel pickup truck:

• The registration, title, or other documentation says it’s a diesel vehicle.
• The fuel cap or fuel door is labeled “Diesel Only.”
• The fuel filler opening is larger than a regular vehicle’s.
• The engine doesn’t have any spark plugs or distributor wires.
• The rev counter stops at 6,000 or 7,000 RPMs (whereas most gasoline vehicles go to 8,000).
• The engine sounds rougher and more like a tractor. (Note: This only applies to older Silverado models.)

Finding a Pre-Owned Diesel-Powered Silverado in Paris, Kentucky

Driving a diesel truck in Northern Kentucky can be a big deal. You’ll have much better acceleration and pull for heavy-duty towing, navigating steep terrain, or going off-roading. And at any speed, the fuel economy difference is impressive, as a diesel-powered 2023 Silverado 1500 gets an EPA-estimated 26 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway versus only 16 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway for the gas 6.2L EcoTec3 V8.

With the longevity of diesel engines, there are a lot of great used diesel Silverado trucks for sale. Visit Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick of Paris to find a used Silverado with a diesel engine in the greater Lexington area, as we’ve been helping people find high-quality new and used Chevy trucks since 1956.