Most common 2012 Chevrolet Express problems
Share of the 13 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Express complaints by model year
Best Express years: 2025, 2012, 2015. Years to avoid: 2013, 2020, 2000, 1999, 2002. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Express recalls (6)
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.
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.
Fuel system, other
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chevrolet Express compressed natural gas (CNG)vehicles manufactured September 10, 2010, to April 28, 2014, and GMC Savana CNG vehicles manufactured May 23, 2011, to April 21, 2014. The affected vehicles may leak natural gas from the CNG high pressure regulator.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure regulator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2013.
Air bags › Frontal
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans manufactured January 27, 2009, through March 7, 2014 with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds and less and equipped with front passenger air bags.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will modify the passenger instrument panel free of charge. Notices to the owners of the heavy duty vans were mailed on April 28, 2014. The recall began on May 19, 2014.
Fuel system, other
General Motors LLC (GM) and IMPCO Automotive Division of IMPCO Technologies, Inc. (IMPCO) are recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana Cargo vans that have a compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system installed as original equipment by IMPCO.
Remedy: GM will notify owners and GM dealers/fleets will perform the remedy which will include replacing the solenoid assemblies and fuel pump fuses and adjusting the wiring routing. The recall began on August 5, 2013.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft pitman
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags
GM is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet express and GMC savana vehicles manufactured from June 2, 2011, through October 17, 2011. The second stage of the dual-stage air bag will not inflate in a severe frontal impact. Accordingly, the air bags fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety no.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new front passenger air bag free of charge. The safety recall began on November 29, 2011. Owners May contact GMC at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.
What 2012 Chevrolet Express owners say
Brakes
ABS Valve Body / Pump Harness chafed through brake hydraulic line near transmission crossmember. This resulted in a hydraulic leak and loss of brake pedal feel / partial loss of brakes. Fortunately failure occurred in the driveway--I had 4500 Lbs of sailboat trailer hitched to the van and was about to go on a long trip. Design issue. Wiring harness should not be located so as to chafe on hydraulic lines. This is not the first chafe related failure on this vehicle.
I manage a fleet of 53 school buses, model years ranging from 2008 to 2015. I have noticed a trend with the hydro boosters and master cylinders, they tend to leak internally on these GM vehicles some have begun to leak as early as 30,000 miles. I expect to have to replace all of these components, on every bus in the near future. As the fleet ages the trend is getting increasingly worse. I believe this is a dangerous situation because I am vigilant with keeping up on this issue, however I am not sure that the general public will have the same understanding about the danger of this design flaw. I have had buses come in bleeding brake fluid or hydraulic fluid.
Electrical system
ABS Valve Body / Pump Harness chafed through brake hydraulic line near transmission crossmember. This resulted in a hydraulic leak and loss of brake pedal feel / partial loss of brakes. Fortunately failure occurred in the driveway--I had 4500 Lbs of sailboat trailer hitched to the van and was about to go on a long trip. Design issue. Wiring harness should not be located so as to chafe on hydraulic lines. This is not the first chafe related failure on this vehicle.
Engine was at idle had pulled into gas station . Alarms went off check engine light came on, stable track error, multiple tones. After 20 seconds engine stalled. Would not crank. After talking to people and couple tries fix took to dealership as it was diagnosed to be the engine control module shorted. I had gone thru rain earlier and a couple storms passed thru while at station and eating. Dealer replaced engine control module and programmed it. This could of happened while driving and would of lost engine power and power steering. Since just module replaced and ben told it is know to short out when wet it could happen again.
2012 Chevrolet Express engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 17 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Express a good car?
Based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Express rates better than average: 41% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Express at the same age. It is one of the best Express years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Express?
The brakes — 4 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (3) and steering (2).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Express have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Express, the most recent from April 26, 2018 (equipment). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Express?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025, 2012 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2020, 2000, 1999 and 2002. See the full Chevrolet Express years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Express problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 47,000 miles; 63% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.