2012 GMC Sierra 2500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 has 31 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 40, and ranks 13th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict. Airbags are the top problem area with 8 complaints and a median failure mileage of 71,000.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 40/100
- #13 of 21 Sierra 2500 years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 31
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 1
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 5
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- —
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 1
Top 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbag warning lights illuminate and passenger airbag modules have needed replacement around 57,000 miles.
- Dashboards crack near the passenger airbag corners and gauge cluster, raising concern about airbag deployment.
- Rear tires have blown out at highway speed, damaging wheel panels, and one truck suffered repeated sidewall punctures within days of purchase.
- The ignition switch has caused stalling when turning the key, reported around 67,000 miles.
- Using an attached snow plow has caused headlights to dim and heat to drop, suggesting a voltage problem the dealer could not diagnose.
- Diesel models have thrown poor DEF quality warnings and lost power on the highway, dropping to very low speeds.
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?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Sierra 2500 earns a Good verdict, ranking 13th worst out of 21 model years with a complaint index of 40.
- What are the most common problems on the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500?
- Airbags lead with 8 complaints (26% share), followed by Fuel System with 5 complaints, and Electrical System, Engine, Structure & Body, Suspension, Wheels & Tires, and Transmission & Powertrain each with 4 complaints.
- 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.
- At what mileage do 2012 Sierra 2500 problems tend to show up?
- Median failure mileage varies by area: 71,000 for airbags, 68,500 for fuel system, 67,000 for electrical, 78,500 for engine, 34,000 for structure and body, about 65,196 for suspension/wheels/tires, and 126,697 for transmission and powertrain.
- How does the 2012 model compare to other Sierra 2500 years?
- With a complaint index of 40, the 2012 is safer than years like 2024 (index 100) and 2020 (index 90), but not as clean as 2010, 2013, 2014, or 2018, which all earned Best verdicts.