2012 GMC Sierra 2500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
47/100
#9 most-complained of 16 Sierra 2500 years
The 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 has 31 NHTSA complaints, 3 recalls, and a Complaint Index of 47, ranking 9th worst of 16 model years and earning a 'Good' verdict relative to other Sierra 2500 years. Airbags are the top problem area with 8 complaints.
- Complaints
- 31
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes / fires
- 1 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 1
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- —
Top 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags8 (26%)
- Other7 (23%)
- Fuel System5 (16%)
- Electrical System4 (13%)
- Engine4 (13%)
- Structure & Body4 (13%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain4 (13%)
What owners report
- Front passenger airbag warning light illuminates and the module needs replacement around 57,000 miles.
- Dashboard cracks near the passenger airbag area and gauge cluster, raising concerns about airbag deployment.
- Rear tire sidewall punctures and blowouts occur on factory-equipped tires, sometimes at highway speed.
- Vehicle stalls when turning the key in the ignition switch.
- Headlights dim and heat output drops when using a snow plow, tied to a voltage drop the dealer could not diagnose.
- Diesel engine loses power due to NOx sensor and DEF system quality faults, slowing the truck down while driving.
2012 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls
3 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 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 Sierra 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 reliable?
- NHTSA lists 31 complaints and 3 recalls for the 2012 Sierra 2500, with a Complaint Index of 47. That ranks it 9th worst out of 16 model years, giving it a 'Good' verdict relative to other Sierra 2500 years.
- What is the biggest problem area for the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 8 of 31 complaints (26%), with a median failure mileage of 71,000 miles. One crash and one death are linked to this problem area.
- Does the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Sierra 2500, two involving front passenger airbag inflator replacement and one involving a fire extinguisher replacement. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2012 Sierra 2500 compare to other years?
- With a Complaint Index of 47, the 2012 model sits well below the worst years like 2024 (100) and 2022 (87), but above the best years like 2010 (0) and 2014 (7).