Most common 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 2500 complaints by model year
Best Sierra 2500 years: 2012, 2014, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2020, 2021, 2022. Compare all years →
2012 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls (3)
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500:
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 GMC Sierra 2500 owners say
Air bags
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V051000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and an unknown dealer were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. .
A multi-car collision had occurred at a considerable speed. (sadly a driver had lost a life in this accident) this collision entailed a very large commercial truck being hit head on, by a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.( this 2nd vehicle being a van) after this severe impact with the large commercial vehicle, (which created heavy damage to this vehicle, removing the front axle) the van proceeded being ricochet off the large commercial vehicle, around it, back into my oncoming lane. This resulted in a frontal driver impact head on with the out of control van. Upon impact, the driver's side air bag of my vehicle partially inflated, then rapidly deflated. Thus the airbag never fully employed,leaving me no protection whatsoever. …
Fuel & propulsion system
Truck is a diesel. Fuel pump blew up and died in the middle of the street. Now I'm being told the Fuel system needs completely re done and will cost me 10g. I also found a lawsuit for this issue as well.
Driving east bound on i70 coming into denver. Truck shut off with no warning at 80mph on steep downhill grade causing loss of all power facilities in the truck. No brakes, no power steering. I endangered the lives of every single person on the road thanks to this failed fuel pump. Further investigation shows Bosch (the pump manufacturer) had instructed GM to use a lift pump on this item and they have disregarded that recommendation leaving people in danger of serious injury or death. This item needs a recall and GM is refusing to do so because this occurrence renders the truck in need of 13K+ I'm repairs. Shame on GM and shame on NHTSA for not doing their job.
Body & structure
1 day got in truck and noticed the dash was cracked on driver side behind the gauge cluster and as I looked I noticed it was also cracked at the 2 upper corners of the passenger air bag. The truck only has 25000 mile on it. GM will not pay to have it fixed and I'm worried that it can affect the safety of the air bags
Crack in dashboard passenger side near corner of airbag and drivers side. Cracked while driving.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Sierra 2500 rates better than average: 44% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sierra 2500 at the same age. It is one of the best Sierra 2500 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 GMC Sierra 2500?
The air bags — 8 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (5) and body & structure (4).
How many recalls does the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500, 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 GMC Sierra 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2014 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2020, 2021 and 2022. See the full GMC Sierra 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 36% 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.