2012 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Recalls & Reliability
139 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 11/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Other leads the reports, typically around 94,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Suburban years
What owners report
“Cracked dashboard above the instrument cluster and around the passenger side airbag.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Suburban
“2012 chevy suburban dashboard suddenly cracked at the passenger side airbag. This a serious safety issue and needs to be fixed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Suburban
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 113 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 68,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 43,000 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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 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 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…
Fix: 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…
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND SUBURBAN VEHICLES, AND GMC SAVANA AND YUKON XL HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES. THE STEERING GEAR PITMAN SHAFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY HARDENED AND COULD FRACTURE.
Fix: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING GEAR AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR PITMAN SHAFT. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS…
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
Technical service bulletins
1,700 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Suburban 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 Suburban reliable?
The 2012 Chevrolet Suburban drew 139 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 (1994).
What are the most common 2012 Chevrolet Suburban problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban are other (41 complaints), airbags (26), and body & structure (24).
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Suburban problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Chevrolet Suburban problems around 68,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 43,000 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. 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.