Most common 2012 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Share of the 101 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban complaints by model year
Best Suburban years: 2014, 2009, 2020. Years to avoid: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022, 2024. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Suburban 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.
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban:
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 Suburban owners say
Air bags all 25 →
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V051000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
This is a recall took my 2012 Surburban to dealership in leavenworth, KS they had vehicle for two weeks did not fix the airbag that is under recall they stated could not get parts for it. So what is the problem with our government system in place to fix these problems but the GM dealership is not fixing the air bag nor do they call and state they have the parts in stock now???
Body & structure all 23 →
My dash on my 2012 Suburban cracked within 4 years of its manufactured date and it just keeps getting worse. If there were an accident it is so dry and cracked it will through hard plastic into the driver and passengers. I know of many other same and similar year models that have the same issue. Now that there is a passenger-side airbag recall would be the perfect time for GM to step up and fix this obvious flaw.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the vehicle's front doors were equipped with a plastic part on the inside of the door, which assisted with the doors being able to securely close. The contact stated that the part number for the driver side was 84053434 and 84053436 for the passenger side. The parts detached from the vehicle, causing the doors not to close properly and remain closed. The contact called autonation Chevrolet amarillo (2200 I-40 east, amarillo, tx 79103; [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the door handles needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and stated that due to the vehicle exceeding the warranty mileage, they were unable to provide a free repair. The manufacturer opened case number: 8/339/520-5303. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Engine & cooling
While just starting to accelerate, the radio shut off, the automatic locks started to go up and down, then the engine light came on and the engine stopped running. I put the truck in park, shut of the engine and restarted without issue 5 minutes later. Two days later, the same thing happened, only this time, when we went to restart the truck, it seemed as though the battery was dead as no dome lights would come on and the fob would not work the door locks. 3 hours later when the tow truck operator showed up, the truck started right up. This has happened 5 times since April 6th. The last time, the engine shut off as I was crossing a four lane highway. Luckily, we were not hit. Seeing multiple reports of the same issue make me think it is not unique to my vehicle. "dead battery" that isn't dead... "locks going up and down", "sudden deceleration". …
Having issues with various warning lights will come on in the dash (seat belt, traction control, air bags), the radio will go dead and the headlights will flicker, and it loses power and steering for a few seconds. It seems to happen when I'm applying brakes or turning corners and just at random times. I'm very worried about this happening for extended periods of time, especially on hard curves when you lose power. The dealer is reporting that it is a ground cable issue and want us to cover the entire cost of repairs. Updated 09/15/15
2012 Chevrolet Suburban engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 10 / 16 / 12 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 10 / 16 / 12 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban a good car?
Based on 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Suburban rates better than average: 44% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Suburban 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 Suburban?
The air bags — 25 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about side/window. Next are the body & structure (23) and engine & cooling (12).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, 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 Suburban?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2009 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022 and 2024. See the full Chevrolet Suburban years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Suburban problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 67,000 miles; 30% 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.