Most common 2012 Chevrolet Silverado problems
Share of the 68 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado complaints by model year
Best Silverado years: 2016, 2010, 2013. Years to avoid: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 1999. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Silverado recalls (2)
Electrical system › Ignition
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.
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, diesel
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD vehicles, equipped with 6.6L diesel engines and dual fuel tanks. In the affected vehicles, the transfer pump which moves fuel from the rear tank to the front tank could malfunction and cause the fuel gauge to indicate an…
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel transfer pump, as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.
What 2012 Chevrolet Silverado owners say
Air bags
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle the air bag warning indicator light illuminated The contact called OnStar who completed diagnostic testing. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 126,625.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V054000(AIR BAGS); however, the parts for the repair were unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Body & structure
I had driven back home from tahoe around 6:00 pm and the vehicle was parked for 2 hours when we attempted to open the slide on the 5th wheel. I found the slide on the trailer would not open due to a lack of power on the 5th wheel. At this time the pigtail was still connected to the truck. I disconnected the pigtail from the truck and plugged the trailer into a 50 amp plug and the slide opened normally. I thought it was strange that the battery had discharged after such a short time. Around 10:45 pm my girlfriend screamed the trailer was on fire and when I reached the backdoor the entire trailer was engulfed and the rear of the truck was already on fire. Both the vehicles were completely destroyed along with a barn that was approximately10 feet away suffering major damage.
Here is a brief history of the issues involving the 1012 Chevrolet Silverado lt texas edition after the purchase date of September 3, 2012. First, I noticed that it has increasingly become more difficult to open the front passenger window from the driver side master control unit around 2014. Now, I have to press hard several times to open the window. Second, the outside moldings of the door panels are falling off starting in mid-2014. Third, I have started to hear popping noises coming from the ball joints when the steering wheel is turned to the left or right at a very low speed starting the beginning of 2014. These issues were reported to the Chevrolet customer service at the GM headquarters in August 2015. On September 4, 2015, the truck was finally diagnosed by the Chevrolet dealership service department that sold the pickup. …
Transmission & drivetrain
My wife parked the truck in the driveway just outside of our attached garage. She left the vehicle running because she was unloading groceries and had another errand to run. While she was inside the house the vehicle started moving. One of our children that was outside saw this occurring and started to scream that the truck was moving. My wife ran in an attempt to get in the vehicle and stop it before it hit the wall. She was unsuccessful and the truck crashed into the wall that separates the garage and the family room cause damage to the wall and door that leads into the house. My wife states that when she got inside the truck it was still in park. The truck only suffered a small dent. My wife was extremely shaken up. I will be taking the truck in on May 31,2014 to [redacted] in miamisburg, ohio.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the emergency brake engaged, the contact reached in from the passenger's side to shut the engine down and the vehicle rolled away in reverse. The contact was dragged several feet before the vehicle crashed into a bridge. The contact sustained major bruising and scratches to several parts of the body. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The vehicle was not repaired or inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
2012 Chevrolet Silverado engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | RWD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 14 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 12 / 18 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado a good car?
Based on 68 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Silverado rates better than average: 62% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado at the same age. 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?
The air bags — 15 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (14) and transmission & drivetrain (11).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, the most recent from December 30, 2014 (ignition). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2010 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 1999. See the full Chevrolet Silverado years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Silverado problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 77% 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.