Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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???
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the contact's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into the preceding vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.
My dash on my 2012 Suburban started cracking over the passenger airbag a little over a year ago. Within the past month I have noticed 2 more cracks in my dash, one behind my steering wheel on the left side of the dash and the other is to the right of the steering wheel on the dash. I have called the local dealership and questioned if a recall has been issued for this defect since there are hundreds to thousands of other people with the same issue. I don't feel that we should be responsible for replacing the dash board cover and shelling out over $900. Especially when Chevrolet is aware that multiple models are having the same exact issue. It's clearly a defect..
Went to buy a new Suburban, found a good used one without the cracked dash. Well within 2 months we now have a crack in our dash. Were told this is a common problem and was told $1500 to fix this issue. I find it unacceptable that Chevy would not take care of such a major issue with their vehicles. How are there tons of other brand vehicles without this issue? Always have a sunshade on the vehicle and was it once a week. I now want to trade this for something that doesn't have such a problem. Crack looks like it could interfere with the airbag operation. Or send shards of plastic when airbag is deployed. It happened parked in our garage over night.
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
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while standing outside of the vehicle, the side curtain air bags deployed independently without warning, while the vehicle was idle. The contact manually deflated the airbags and the vehicle was driven to mcelveen Buick GMC (117 farmington rd, summerville, sc 29483) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not subjected to a recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 124,400.
My dash has cracked significantly around the main passenger airbag since about 38K miles. I have tried working with GM about getting this fixed and they will not help. The dash is so cracked that if the airbag deploys I am concerned that it would send pieces of plastic through the air and hurt/kill someone. GM told me that there was a problem with the company that made the dashes using the incorrect plastic material which has made these dashes very brittle.
My 2012 Suburban which I bought new in 2013 with 100 miles, after 3 years starting getting cracks in the dash. A month after the 3 year warranty expired. The passenger side crack runs from the air vent to the airbag door and now my service air bag light stays on. A larger crack (6+inches) has appeared on the drivers side running from the vent to the top of the steering column, if I continues the dash will completely separate in half exposing electronics, etc.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the air bag warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician diagnosed an unknown plug was loose under the passengers seat. The repairs were made but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,637.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Airbag complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the air bags of the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, 25% of the model year's 101 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Suburban airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-051 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021); NHTSA recall 21V-054 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Suburban airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.