YearToAvoid

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche ranks 8th out of 9 model years with a complaint index of 13, earning a Best verdict relative to other Avalanche years. It has 52 complaints, 3 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls, with Airbags as the top problem area at 17% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
13/100
#8 of 9 Avalanche years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
52
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
2
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2013
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Top 2012 Chevy Avalanche problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other32 (62%)
  2. Airbags9 (17%)
  3. Engine4 (8%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (8%)
  5. Structure & Body3 (6%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain3 (6%)
  7. Brakes2 (4%)
  8. Electrical System2 (4%)
  9. Steering2 (4%)
  10. Fuel System1 (2%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Vehicles have rolled away unexpectedly while parked with the engine running, in one case injuring a bystander.
  • Steering wheels have become difficult to control, sometimes paired with the transmission jumping or skipping gears.
  • Engines have hesitated for several seconds before accelerating or surged sporadically at various speeds.
  • Water has leaked into the cabin through the front passenger door, soaking the floor board.
  • Steering wheels have shaken violently at highway speed along with a loud pop from under the hood.
  • Wheels have corroded from the inside out, sometimes triggering low tire pressure warnings, and tires have shown blistering and tread separation.
2012 Chevrolet Avalanche complaints: complaints filed per month3Sep 2012Jun 2014Apr 2016Feb 2017Oct 2017Apr 2019Aug 2020
52 complaints filed with NHTSA from Sep 2012 to May 2024; peak Mar 2017 (3).

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V051000Feb 5, 2021Airbags284,645 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

  2. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

  3. NHTSA 14V827000Dec 30, 2014Electrical System84,192 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

    Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other Avalanche years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100200520062007200820092010201120122013
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Good38117315.5
2011Avoid75155517
2012Best1352317
2013Good25111317

All Chevrolet Avalanche years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?
Among Avalanche model years, 2012 ranks 8th out of 9 with a complaint index of 13, the second-lowest of all years, giving it a Best verdict relative to other Avalanche years.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche?
NHTSA complaints show Airbags as the top problem area, making up 17% of complaints, followed by Engine and Suspension, Wheels & Tires issues, each at 8%.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Avalanche, covering airbag inflators (two separate campaigns) and an ignition lock housing issue, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2012 Avalanche compare to other years like 2007 or 2011?
The 2012 model has a complaint index of 13, far lower than the 2007 Avalanche's index of 100 and the 2011 model's index of 75, both rated Avoid.
What mileage do problems typically show up at on the 2012 Avalanche?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 47,163.5 miles across reported complaints for the 2012 Avalanche.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.