2012 Chevrolet Silverado problems & reliability
68 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Chevrolet Silverado vehicles were involved in 261 fatal crashes with 111 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 15 | 22% |
| Structure → | 14 | 21% |
| Power Train → | 11 | 16% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 13% |
| Engine | 6 | 9% |
| Tires | 5 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 6% |
| Suspension | 4 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 27,000 miles (middle 50% between 11,002 and 49,000 miles), based on 55 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated he purchased the vehicle at a used dealer on March 13, 2023, and the anti-lock braking systems (ABS), the traction control sensor, and the brake warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle back to the used dealer on 3 different occasions and…”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 9, 2023
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 3, 2021
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 24, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
279 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado. The 10 most recent:
This informational bulletin provides information on the temporary tire flat spotting condition.
03-03-10-007J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 19, 2017
This informational bulletin provides warranty policy information on revised wiring repair labor operations and required additional information.
10-00-89-005F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2017
This informational bulletin provides warranty policy information on revised wiring repair labor operations and required additional information.
10-00-89-005F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2017
This informational bulletin provides warranty policy information on revised wiring repair labor operations and required additional information.
10-00-89-005F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2017
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to lube the rear leaf springs on vehicles with the condition of a squeak noise originating from the rear of the vehicle.
06-03-09-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a bump feel or clunk noise at a stop or on launch. Dealer should communicate to the customer this condition…
PIT5161E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on the steps to diagnose and repair vehicles that may have a Service Engine Soon Malfunction Indicator Lamp on at low mileage. Technician…
PIP3119N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2017
This preliminary information communication advises the technician that the part restriction for the accessory dc power control module and the seal kit has ended.
PIT-5338-A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2016
This Preliminary Information communication provides the technician with a list of modules to check for communication with the scan tool, if the navigation radio does not display the current Hybrid mode. Dealer will use…
PIT4989B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Chevrolet Silverado?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 27,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.