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Car · Chevrolet problems

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems

216 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The most reported area is air bags (27% of them). NHTSA also lists 441 service bulletins and 2 recall campaigns.

216owner complaints
7say a crash was involved
1say a fire was involved
6injuries and deaths reported

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 6. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 216 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

11 smaller areas not shown (36 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 441 repair bulletins from Chevrolet for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

  1. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

    Information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

  2. PIT6400AReceived January 19, 2026

    This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax Coating on Frame Peeling, Metal Shows Corrosion/Rusting due to issue with getting product...

  3. 25-NA-156Received December 4, 2025

    Wheels

    Information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.

  4. 00-06-01-026RReceived December 3, 2025

    Engine and engine cooling

    Information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.

  5. 07-08-42-006UReceived December 3, 2025

    Exterior lighting

    Technicians with information on available BCM calibrations to restore bulb outage detection on vehicles produced by a second stage manufacturer (Upfitter), and/or...

  6. PIT5214GReceived November 28, 2025

    This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer's vehicles that exhibit...

  7. 23-NA-153Received October 25, 2025

    Engine and engine cooling

    The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is...

  8. PIT6247AReceived August 22, 2025

    Direction to find information at www.gmupfitter.com for Police and Special Service Vehicles.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer. The 1 to look at first:

  1. 21V054000February 5, 2021

    Air bags

    These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.

See all 2 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Silverado 1500 will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

Air bags 59 complaints · 27%

Body and structure 35 complaints · 16%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Engine and engine cooling 25 complaints · 12%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Electrical system 21 complaints · 10%

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

0 of 17 characters

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Of the 216 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 59 (27%) name air bags, and 35 (16%) name body and structure. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 7 of the 216 complaints as involving a crash and 1 as involving a fire. They also reported 6 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 441 repair bulletins for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

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Sources

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.