YearToAvoid

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has a complaint index of 10, the second-lowest among 21 model years, and earns a Best verdict. It has 53 complaints, 3 recalls, no fires, and no deaths reported to NHTSA.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
10/100
#19 of 21 Silverado 2500 years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
53
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
2
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2013
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
—
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2012 Chevy Silverado 2500 problems

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

  1. Electrical System11 (21%)
  2. Fuel System10 (19%)
  3. Airbags9 (17%)
  4. Engine9 (17%)
  5. Other8 (15%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (11%)
  7. Structure & Body5 (9%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain5 (9%)
  9. Steering4 (8%)
  10. Brakes3 (6%)

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

What owners report

  • Steering wheel reportedly seized at low speeds, sometimes while turning, making the truck difficult to control.
  • Power steering assist dropped out during slow-speed turns, with one owner told the pump pressure was far below spec.
  • Fuel system failures involved fuel pumps fracturing and sending metal debris through the lines, injectors, and pump, sometimes causing stalling or no-start conditions.
  • Tire tread and sidewall cracking or separation were reported on multiple tire brands, including a tire blowout at highway speed that caused a crash.
  • Electrical faults included a shorted pressure sensor circuit tied to steering seizure and engine stall, plus warning lights triggered by cold temperatures.
  • Glow plugs reportedly failed one at a time, with owners saying GM only replaced them as each one failed.
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 complaints: complaints filed per month4Jan 2013Oct 2015Sep 2016Sep 2017May 2020Apr 2022Oct 2023Sep 2025
53 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2013 to Jul 2026; peak Oct 2015 (4).

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 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 18V267000Apr 26, 2018Other6,154 vehicles

    Equipment

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

    Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.

2012 compared with other Silverado 2500 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Best0215—
2011Good401044—
2012Best10533—
2013Best5513—
2014Best15402—

All Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 model ranks 19th out of 21 years by number of reported problems, with a complaint index of 10 and a Best verdict relative to other Silverado 2500 years.
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Silverado 2500?
NHTSA data shows the top problem areas are the electrical system (11 complaints), fuel system (10 complaints), airbags (9 complaints), and engine (9 complaints).
Does the 2012 Silverado 2500 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Silverado 2500, covering airbag inflator replacement (two campaigns) and a fire extinguisher replacement program; none are do-not-drive recalls.
At what mileage do problems typically show up on the 2012 Silverado 2500?
Median mileage at failure varies by system: transmission and powertrain issues showed up around 12,000 miles, suspension issues around 38,000 miles, and electrical system issues around 216,000 miles.
How does the 2012 Silverado 2500 compare to other years?
The 2012 model's complaint index of 10 is far below higher-complaint years like 2005 (95) and 2024 (100), placing it among the better years for this model.

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.