2012 Chevrolet Suburban Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Best The 2012 Chevrolet Suburban ranks 17th out of 21 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 20 and a Best verdict. NHTSA lists 101 complaints, 4 recalls, and no deaths for this year, well below higher-complaint years like 2015 and 2007.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 20/100
- #17 of 21 Suburban years
- Verdict
- Best
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 101
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 3
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 14.5
- 12.5 city / 18.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2012 Chevy Suburban problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other38 (38%)
- Airbags25 (25%)
- Structure & Body24 (24%)
- Engine13 (13%)
- Electrical System10 (10%)
- Brakes6 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain5 (5%)
- Steering3 (3%)
- Fuel System2 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Front passenger airbags failed to deploy during low-speed rear-end and other collisions.
- The steering wheel seized while parking at low speed, leading to a collision with a parked vehicle at 100,000 miles.
- Fires broke out at the front grill area of the vehicle after it had been parked and unused for hours.
- The transmission jerked, clunked, or briefly locked during cold starts and after highway deceleration.
- Sudden loss of acceleration accompanied by door locks cycling and the radio shutting off while driving around 50 mph.
- Rear or sunroof glass reportedly shattered without any impact while the vehicle was parked or in the driveway.
2012 Chevrolet Suburban 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 Chevrolet Suburban fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 12.5 MPG
- Highway
- 18.5 MPG
- Combined
- 14.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,600
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Gasoline or E85
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
- Among 21 model years of the Suburban, 2012 ranks 17th worst, meaning it has fewer reported problems than most other years. It carries a complaint index of 20 and a Best verdict relative to other Suburban years.
- What are the main problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban?
- NHTSA data shows Airbags as the top problem area with 25 complaints (25% of the total), followed by Structure & Body with 24 complaints and Engine with 13 complaints.
- Does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Suburban covering airbags, electrical system (ignition lock housing), and steering (pitman shaft). None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2012 Suburban compare to other years?
- The 2012 model has a much lower complaint index (20) than years like 2015 (100) or 2007 (95), which are rated Avoid, and is close in performance to 2013 and 2014, which also earned Best verdicts.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban?
- EPA rates the 2012 Suburban at 14.5 mpg combined (12.5 city / 18.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,600.