Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2017 3500HD Medium Duty.
The 2017 Chevrolet 3500HD Medium Duty is a commercial van equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, delivering an EPA-estimated 11 city and 16 highway mpg for a 12 mpg combined average. While its heavy-duty classification implies robust utility, this model year sits at a concerning point in the vehicle's reliability history due to six separate recalls and 21 documented owner complaints. These issues overwhelmingly center on the service brakes and forward collision avoidance systems, meaning researchers must weigh the van's work capabilities against notable, documented vulnerabilities in its core braking and active safety performance.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Transmission | Automatic 6-spd |
| Overall length | 254.3 in |
| Overall width | 96.1 in |
| Overall height | 78 in |
| Wheelbase | 167.7 in |
| Curb weight | 6781 lb |
| Track (front / rear) | 68.9 / 67.7 in |
| EPA city / highway / combined | 11 / 16 / 12 mpg |
| Drivetrain | Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Recommended fuel | Regular Gasoline |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
The firing order is 1-2-7-8-4-5-6-3.
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3 |
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3 |
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-2-7-8-4-5-6-3 |
| Spark Plug Manufacturer | AC Delco |
| Spark Plug Gap | 0.037-0.043 in |
| Spark Plug Torque | 11.0 ft-lbs |
| Spark Plug Manufacturer | AC Delco |
| Spark Plug Gap | 0.037-0.043 in |
| 1 | 7.4 | |
| 1 | 15.0 | |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 2017 Chevrolet 3500HD Medium Duty lead in one area — the service brakes,forward collision avoidance, 5 of 21 reports (24%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes,forward collision avoidance pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 21 complaints on record, top 8 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
Showing 5 of 1200 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIT6247B | 2026-05-04 | Unknown Or Other | This Preliminary information communicates direction to find information at… |
| PIT3271Q | 2026-04-01 | Unknown Or Other | This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel… |
| PIP6104 | 2026-03-09 | Unknown Or Other | This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and… |
| PIP4902V | 2026-03-09 | Unknown Or Other | This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into… |
| PIT6400A | 2026-01-16 | Unknown Or Other | This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform… |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.
EPA figures are 11 city / 16 highway / 12 combined mpg.