1979 Chevrolet Silverado Diesel review from Costa Rica

In my (documented) opinion, the 5.7 liter(350 cubic inch in American parlance) Chevy diesel was possibly the most unreliable engine in automotive history. The truck had three new diesel engines throughout its life and engines needed constant repairs anyway. Crankshaft broke, cylinders broke, lots and lots of injectors and glow plugs problems.

Bodywork was not as rustproof as one would expect from such a rugged vehicle.

Besides that, the truck is hard to fault. It does what it was designed to do, and it does it with class and authority.

Remarkable machine, built like a tank and will live forever... as long as you don't get the nightmarish 5.7 (350 diesel). This engine was much touted at its introduction and also saw life in other GM products such as the bustleback Cadillac Seville Diesel. I understand that the 6.2 liter which replaced it (and which eventually became standard equipment on the Hummer H1) is far more reliable.

To be on the safe side, get any petrol engine. There were six cylinders and plenty of V-8s to choose from, and all of them had a reputation of being reliable.