YearToAvoid

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

0/100

#16 most-complained of 16 Silverado 1500 years

The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ranks 16th out of 16 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 0 and a "Best" verdict. It has 284 complaints, 4 recalls, and no deaths reported, making it one of the strongest years for this model.

Complaints
284
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
16 / 5
Injuries / deaths
14 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
—

Top 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other79 (28%)
  2. Airbags74 (26%)
  3. Structure & Body51 (18%)
  4. Engine36 (13%)
  5. Electrical System31 (11%)
  6. Brakes27 (10%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires24 (8%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain21 (7%)
  9. Fuel System7 (2%)
  10. Steering6 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the engine stalling suddenly at low speed, in one case leading to a collision.
  • Some trucks caught fire in the engine compartment while driving, with flames and smoke coming from under the hood.
  • Vehicles reportedly rolled away or shifted out of park unexpectedly while parked, in some cases striking objects or people.
  • Airbags deployed in a manner owners describe as inconsistent with normal deployment, causing head injury despite seatbelt use.
  • A parked truck's electrical system was linked to a fire with no clear cause identified.
  • An original-equipment tire's sidewall reportedly broke apart internally on the highway, causing the tire to de-bead.
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 complaints: complaints filed per quarter192012 Q12014 Q22016 Q12017 Q42019 Q32021 Q22023 Q12025 Q1
361 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q3 (19).

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls

4 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.

See all 4 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 →

2012 compared with other Silverado 1500 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Best134233—
2011Good336386—
2012Best02844—
2013Best73655—
2014Avoid1001,56019 !—

All Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Silverado 1500 has a complaint index of 0, the lowest of any year for this model, and carries a "Best" verdict relative to other Silverado 1500 years.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Silverado 1500?
NHTSA data shows Airbags as the top problem area with 74 complaints (26%), followed by Structure & Body with 51 complaints (18%) and Engine issues with 36 complaints (13%).
Does the 2012 Silverado 1500 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 Silverado 1500, covering airbags, electrical system ignition lock housing, and fuel system components, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2012 Silverado 1500 compare to other years?
The 2012 model ranks best among 16 model years tracked, with far fewer complaints (284) and a lower complaint index (0) than years like 2014 (complaint index 100) or 2015 (complaint index 87), both rated "Avoid."

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.