Model Years

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 284 owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.

Recalled components: air bags and electrical system. Most-described problem: rust or corrosion (36 complaints, 13%). Most-reported area: air bags (74 complaints, 26%; median mileage when it happened: 53,000).

Fewer complaints than a typical Silverado 1500 year

The 2012 drew 34 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 176 for a typical Silverado 1500 year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.

No Silverado 1500 year stands out enough to avoid; best year: 2018. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Silverado 1500 year ranked

3Safety recalls
284Owner complaints
16Complaints citing a crash
5Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

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Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Includes the Silverado Hybrid. Excludes the Silverado EV and heavy-duty 2500 and 3500. NHTSA files two recalls for this model year under the model name Silverado alone, which it also uses for the heavy-duty Silverado 2500 and 3500. 13V-615 is not listed here because NHTSA's summary points only to the heavy-duty trucks; the other is.

3 safety recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Air bags

Feb 5, 2021

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, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix and full notice

Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

NHTSA listing: SILVERADO 1500. Chevrolet campaign N212328770.

Air bags

Feb 5, 2021

frontal · passenger side · inflator module

Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix and full notice

Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

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 A."

NHTSA listing: SILVERADO 1500. Chevrolet campaign N212328800.

Electrical system

Dec 30, 2014

ignition

In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

The fix and full notice

Fix: 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. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

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.

NHTSA listing: SILVERADO. Chevrolet campaign 14696 and 14912.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500; it is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

Desiccated air bag inflator rupture

Engineering analysis EA21002Open since Sep 17, 2021

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.

NHTSA listing: SILVERADO 1500. Component: Air bags (frontal, driver side, inflator module, passenger side). This investigation names 352 models.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 284 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Silverado 1500. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2012 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Silverado 1500 drew the most (338) and the 2012 drew 34.

Owner complaints

2012: 284 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Model yearComplaints
2010425
2011638
2012284
2013365
20141,560
20151,183
2016799
2017837
2018520
20191,085
2020732
2021829
2022633
2023384
2024311
2025102
2026103

Safety recalls

2012: 3 recalls

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Model yearRecalls
20103
20116
20123
20133
201417
201517
201614
20177
20187
201910
202012
20218
20226
20233
20242
20250
20263

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Tested versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid PU/CC 4WD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid PU/CC RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PU/CC 4WD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PU/CC RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PU/EC 4WD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PU/EC RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PU/RC 4WD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PU/RC RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%

2012 Silverado 1500 MPG

EPA rates the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 up to 18 mpg combined with a gas engine, and 21 mpg as a hybrid.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

What are the most common 2012 Silverado 1500 problems?

In the 284 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, the problems described most are rust or corrosion (36), the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (12), and stalling or shutting off (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Yes. NHTSA has 1 open investigation that names the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: desiccated air bag inflator rupture (EA21002, opened Sep 17, 2021). An investigation is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

How do I check if my Silverado 1500 has an open recall?

Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

Sources and method

  • NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
  • NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
  • NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
  • NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
  • NHTSA model names covered: SILVERADO, SILVERADO 1500.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.