YearToAvoid

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has a complaint index of 40, ranking 13th out of 21 model years, and carries a Good verdict. It has 23 complaints, 4 recalls, one crash, and one death on record with NHTSA.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
40/100
#13 of 21 Silverado 3500 years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
23
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
1
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Fuel System
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best

Top 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 problems

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

  1. Fuel System6 (26%)
  2. Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (26%)
  3. Airbags4 (17%)
  4. Engine4 (17%)
  5. Steering3 (13%)
  6. Brakes2 (9%)
  7. Electrical System2 (9%)
  8. Other1 (4%)
  9. Structure & Body1 (4%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain1 (4%)

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

What owners report

  • Power steering intermittently cuts out during turns, making the wheel briefly hard or impossible to turn before returning to normal.
  • Tires reported as dry-rotted or defective from the factory, with tread or belt separation occurring later at higher mileage.
  • Fuel system issues including stalling on the highway with a full tank, traced to a transfer switch and sensors.
  • Exhaust fumes entering the cabin when the heater runs, linked to a failed exhaust down tube.
  • An electrical control module tied to a dump body hoist can crack and let in moisture, causing no-start conditions and erratic dashboard warnings.
  • A stabilitrak fault light preceded a front brake locking up unexpectedly while driving.
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints: complaints filed per month1Nov 2012Oct 2014Apr 2016Jul 2018Oct 2019Oct 2021Jun 2023Oct 2025
23 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2012 to Dec 2025; peak Nov 2012 (1).

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 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 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.

See all 4 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 →

2012 compared with other Silverado 3500 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
2010No verdict2025—
2011Good45295—
2012Good40234—
2013Good30264—
2014Best5103—

All Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 model year rates Good, with a complaint index of 40 and 23 complaints, ranking 13th out of 21 model years for this truck.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Silverado 3500?
Fuel System and Suspension, Wheels & Tires issues each account for 26% of complaints, followed by Airbags and Engine issues at 17% each.
Does the 2012 Silverado 3500 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 model year, covering airbag inflators, a fire extinguisher replacement, and a fuel system issue involving the rear tank fuel pump or sensor.
At what mileage do 2012 Silverado 3500 problems typically show up?
Median mileage at failure across all complaints is 46,962, though fuel system complaints cluster near 110,000 miles and suspension complaints near 42,575 miles.
Is the 2012 Silverado 3500 better or worse than other years?
With a complaint index of 40, the 2012 model ranks 13th of 21 years and is rated Good, better than years like 2016, 2020, and 2021, which are 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.