2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
70 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 11/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Silverado 2500 years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 46 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Technical service bulletins
1,724 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Silverado 2500 TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 drew 70 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 11/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 are electrical (11 complaints), fuel system (10), and airbags (9).
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.