YearToAvoid

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 36 engine complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 13% of all complaints filed for the year. Owners reported stalling, sudden loss of power, and rough idling, with median mileage at failure of 62,500 miles. No related recalls are listed for this engine issue.

Engine complaints
36
13% of 284
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
62,500 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle stalls or loses power unexpectedly at low speeds, sometimes leading to a crash.
  • Engine idles roughly or misfires, with dealers identifying a bad piston or fouled spark plug as the cause.
  • Truck hesitates or fails to accelerate despite the pedal being depressed, described as a flat spot in throttle response.
  • Engine consumes several quarts of oil without warning, triggering the check engine light.
  • A fire erupted from the engine compartment while driving at low speed on a wet road.
  • Camshaft failure occurred at high mileage, requiring full engine replacement.

When 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engine complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 7, 2012, latest Apr 22, 2026.

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engine complaints: complaints filed per month3Jun 2012May 2013Aug 2016Jun 2017Jan 2019Feb 2020Dec 2020Aug 2024
36 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2012 to Apr 2026; peak Mar 2013 (3).

Engine recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Silverado 1500 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201059 (14%)
  2. 201164 (10%)
  3. 201236 (13%)
  4. 201350 (14%)
  5. 2014239 (15%)
  6. 2015169 (14%)
  7. 201683 (10%)
  8. 2017151 (18%)
  9. 2018127 (24%)
  10. 2019417 (39%)
  11. 2020281 (38%)
  12. 2021433 (52%)
  13. 2022277 (44%)
  14. 2023185 (48%)
  15. 2024176 (57%)
  16. 202555 (55%)

Frequently asked questions

How many engine complaints does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?
NHTSA lists 36 engine complaints for the 2012 Silverado 1500, which is 13% of all 284 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Silverado 1500 engine?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for this engine problem area.
At what mileage do engine problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this engine issue is 62,500 miles.
Did the engine problems cause any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data tied to these engine complaints includes 2 crashes, 1 fire, and 3 injuries.

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.