2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Best The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ranks 21st out of 21 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 0 and a Best verdict. It has 284 complaints, 4 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls, making it one of the strongest years for this model.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 0/100
- #21 of 21 Silverado 1500 years
- Verdict
- Best
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 284
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 16
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
- 14
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- —
- Injuries / deaths
- 14 / 0
Top 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other79 (28%)
- Airbags74 (26%)
- Structure & Body51 (18%)
- Engine36 (13%)
- Electrical System31 (11%)
- Brakes27 (10%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires24 (8%)
- Transmission & Powertrain21 (7%)
- Fuel System7 (2%)
- Steering6 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report the truck stalling at very low speeds with no warning, in one case leading to a crash.
- Some vehicles rolled away or slipped out of park unexpectedly while parked or idling, causing property damage and in one case an injury to a bystander.
- Engine compartment fires have started while driving on wet or gravel roads, with smoke and flames erupting from the driver's side of the hood.
- Airbags deployed during minor braking incidents and caused head injuries inconsistent with normal deployment while the seatbelt was worn.
- Electrical fires have occurred while the vehicle was parked and not in use.
- An original-equipment tire's sidewall plies broke apart at highway speed, causing the tire to de-bead.
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 compared with other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Silverado 1500 ranks 21st out of 21 model years with a complaint index of 0, giving it a Best verdict relative to other years of this model.
- What is the top problem area for the 2012 Silverado 1500?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 74 complaints, or 26% of all complaints for this year, with 7 linked crashes.
- Does the 2012 Silverado 1500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this year, covering airbags, the electrical system's ignition lock housing, and a fuel transfer pump, with none classified as do-not-drive.
- How does the 2012 Silverado 1500 compare to the worst years?
- The 2014 Silverado 1500 has a complaint index of 100 and 19 recalls, the highest in the lineup, while 2012 has a complaint index of 0 and only 4 recalls.