Most common 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 3500 years: 2014, 2017, 2012. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020, 2022. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls (4)
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,…
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.
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…
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.
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, gasoline › Storage › Auxillary tank
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks equipped with dual fuel tanks. The low fuel level sensor for the front tank may stick causing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump or update the fuel-level sensor software, as well as inspect the front tank, replacing it as necessary, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
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, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 owners say
Wheels & tires
TIRE - 265/70 R18 Failure: Tire caused vehicle damage - Tire is at Goodyear Tire - Akron, Ohio Pulled off the road to change tire - was helped by someone that saw incident and lived close by. Yes - Filed a claim with insurance -see attached-and Property Damage Claim Team - Goodyear Tire- PDCT re [email] - Claim # 000645055. Claim was denied. Provided proof that tires were maintained properly by periodic rotation and inspection and requested Goodyear findings twice and still have not received. Claim denied again. Last request to Goodyear was 10/2 requesting their documentation. Waiting for tire to be returned and response to our request. Warning -the vehicle started vibrating
Tire - 265/70 r18 Cooper Could have been a very bad accident. Tire blew out. The tire was inspected by Goodyear PCA-Visual only -recvd below response after several requests. All Internal Goodyear visual Inspection procedures & methodologies are confidential and/or proprietary information of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Goodyear's findings in this claim are final, and we have closed our file with no further action.
Fuel & propulsion system
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. While the contact's sister was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk with the check engine warning light illuminated violently. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway. The contact called California Highway Patrol who assisted with getting the vehicle off the road. The vehicle was eventually towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the vehicle would be low or completely out of fuel quicker than expected. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel, the contact was unable to fill the rear tank due to the tank being full of fuel. The vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transfer pump had failed to transfer fuel from the rear tank to the front tank. The contact was informed that the transfer pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 197,000.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. While the contact's sister was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk with the check engine warning light illuminated violently. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway. The contact called California Highway Patrol who assisted with getting the vehicle off the road. The vehicle was eventually towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Our diesel fuel pump failed unexpectedly and without any notice while pulling a fifth wheel camper on a state highway in Ohio. The engine stopped completely (we were coasting within seconds). We were in a one-lane construction zone, and had it not been for a paved median, I would have been unable to pull off in this construction zone. Fortunately, I had enough momentum to get off the road and was able to exert enough pressure on the brakes manually to stop. In reading about this issue, it is clear that there are known problems with this fuel pump. My cost to repair this defective part will be about $11,500 and will require a 12 hour round trip back to Ohio to pick-up the vehicle after a two-week repair.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Silverado 3500 rates better than average: 56% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age. It is one of the best Silverado 3500 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 Silverado 3500?
The wheels & tires — 6 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (6) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, the most recent from February 5, 2021 (inflator module). 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 Silverado 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2017 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 51,000 miles; 50% 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.