The Chevy Silverado is obviously GM’s most popular nameplate in North America, and as such, keeping up with demand means producing the truck and all of its configurations across five assembly plants. One of those plants is located in Oshawa, Ontario, and GM Authority is now breaking down which Silverado 1500 combinations are currently being built there.
First and foremost, we already knew that the GM Oshawa plant only builds Chevy Silverado units and not GMC Sierra units, unlike the GM Fort Wayne plant in Indiana, the GM Flint plant in Michigan and the GM Silao plant in Mexico. The GM Factory Zero plant in Michigan manufactures the fully electric Chevy Silverado EV alongside the GMC Sierra EV, the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Escalade IQ. Moreover, the Ontario facility also builds both the Silverado 1500 and the Silverado HD on the same line, which no other plant does, and only Crew Cab trucks roll off the assembly line in Ontario. In addition, back in 2023, we reported that no Silverado ZR2 trucks were built in Oshawa.
We also figured out that only Silverado 1500 units equipped with the 5.3L V8 L84 engine are produced in Oshawa, so if we’re looking to purchase a truck with the TurboMax turbocharged 2.7L I4 L3B engine, the 6.2L V8 L87 engine or the 3.0L I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax engine, it’ll be assembled in the U.S. or in Mexico. Meanwhile, the Silverado HD is built with either the 6.6L V8 L8T gasoline engine or the 6.6L V8 L5P turbodiesel Duramax engine.
Digging a little deeper, we figured out that in the case of the Silverado 1500, the Work Truck (WT), LT, RST, LTZ and High Country trim levels are built at the Oshawa plant, all of them in Crew Cab Short Bed configuration. The color palette is also limited, as the Ontario facility builds trucks painted in Black (color code GBA), Red Hot (G7C), Slate Gray Metallic (GNO), Sterling Gray Metallic (GXD) and Summit White (GAZ). The remaining colors available on the Silverado 1500, namely Cypress Gray (GDB), Iridescent Pearl Tricoat (G1W), Radiant Red Tintcoat (GNT) and Riptide Blue Metallic (GJV), are sprayed at the Fort Wayne and Silao plants. The Ontario facility also uses a different paint application process compared to the other Silverado and Sierra plants.
In a nutshell, the Oshawa plant produces the most popular Silverado 1500 cab and bed configuration, in the most popular trim levels and in the most popular colors, with the most popular engine choice.
| Buildable | |
|---|---|
| TRIM LEVELS | |
| Work Truck | Y |
| Custom | N |
| Custom Trail Boss | N |
| LT | Y |
| RST | Y |
| LT Trail Boss | N |
| ZR2 | N |
| LTZ | Y |
| High Country | Y |
| BODY STYLES | |
| Regular Cab Standard Bed | N |
| Regular Cab Long Bed | N |
| Double Cab Standard Bed | N |
| Crew Cab Short Bed | Y |
| Crew Cab Standard Bed | N |
| ENGINES | |
| Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | N |
| 5.3L V8 L84 | Y |
| 6.2L V8 L87 | N |
| Turbodiesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | N |
| PAINT COLORS | |
| Black (GBA) | Y |
| Cypress Gray (GBD) | N |
| Iridescent Pearl Tricoat (G1W) | N |
| Radiant Red Tintcoat (GNT) | N |
| Red Hot (G7C) | Y |
| Riptide Blue Metallic (GJV) | N |
| Slate Gray Metallic (GNO) | Y |
| Sterling Gray Metallic (GXD) | Y |
| Summit White (GAZ) | Y |
In other news, Slate Gray Metallic and Iridescent Pearl Tricoat are no longer available to order, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Oshawa plant will receive a new paint color option for 2026 Silverado 1500 production. We’re expecting Iridescent Pearl to be replaced by another multi-layer hue called Polar White, which will be added to the 2026 Chevy Equinox color palette.
In response to potential tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, GM said it may move some pickup truck production from Silao to Fort Wayne. As it stands, no matter which Silverado 1500 configuration buyers order, there is no way of knowing from which plant it will be built in, though we’re assuming GM is working to minimize shipping costs by keeping trucks in the respective countries in which they were built.
The 2026 Chevy Silverado 1500 should be the final model year before an all-new generation appears. The 2027 Chevy Silverado is expected offer a newly developed V8 engine and possibly a plug-in hybrid powertrain as well.
Comments
Would like details on the new paint system that this plant uses?
Heard stay away from vehicles built at this plant, mostly new hire rookie assemblers.
Burglar,
This plant has some of the best build quality in all of GM. All new rookie assemblers, you’re nuts.
John Z,
Budlar is correct. GM turfed their Vet crew in 2019. Then they reopened with an all new crew, and 50% broads.
You’d have to be real brave to drive one of those trucks.
Even if that was true, as you state. That was 6 years ago. How long do you think it takes to learn a job. Not long. I worked at GM for 40 years.
Pretty hard to build quality when everybody in there is looking to go on light duty.
But I compliment you on your bravery.
Those broads, as you call them built everything from tanks to battleships during the second World War. Ever heard of the term Rosie the Riveter. Those jobs were much harder and involved then working in a GM Assembly Plant in 2025.
Those broads must be doing okay because the build quality coming out of Oshawa is excellent.
Oshawa also builds the 1500 WT.
You’re right. Not sure how I missed that one. Thanks.