RoadVitals

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
23
Latest Dec 12, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
4
Latest Feb 5, 2021
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
1 currently open
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
0 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 23 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, most frequently naming the tires & wheels, fuel system and engine categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 741 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels620.0%
  • Fuel system620.0%
  • Engine413.3%
  • Airbags413.3%
  • Steering310.0%
  • Electrical26.7%
  • Driver assistance13.3%
  • Brakes13.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 5, 2021
1,778,128 units potentially affected
The defect: 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." 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.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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. 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, LLCManufacturer number N212328800View on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 5, 2021
284,645 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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. 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.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212328770View on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT

Apr 26, 2018
6,154 units potentially affected
The defect: 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. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
The risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
The 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. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
General Motors LLCManufacturer number 18146View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA21002OpenEngineering Analysis

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened 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. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 12, 2025

Tire - 265/70 r18 Cooper Could have been a very bad accident. Tire blew out. The tire was inspected by Goodyear PCA-Visual only -recvd below response after several requests. All Internal Goodyear visual Inspection procedures & methodologies are confidential and/or proprietary information of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Goodyear's findings in this claim are final, and we have closed our file with no further action.

NHTSA ID
11704782
Incident
Aug 7, 2025
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 7, 2025

TIRE - 265/70 R18 Failure: Tire caused vehicle damage - Tire is at Goodyear Tire - Akron, Ohio Pulled off the road to change tire - was helped by someone that saw incident and lived close by. Yes - Filed a claim with insurance -see attached-and Property Damage Claim Team - Goodyear Tire- PDCT re [email protected] - Claim # 000645055. Claim was denied. Provided proof that tires were maintained properly by periodic rotation and inspection and requested Goodyear findings twice and still have not received. Claim denied again. Last request to Goodyear was 10/2 requesting their documentation. Waiting for tire to be returned and response to our request. Warning -the vehicle started vibrating

NHTSA ID
11691934
Incident
Aug 7, 2025
Fuel system
Filed Sep 4, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the vehicle would be low or completely out of fuel quicker than expected. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel, the contact was unable to fill the rear tank due to the tank being full of fuel. The vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transfer pump had failed to transfer fuel from the rear tank to the front tank. The contact was informed that the transfer pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 197,000.

NHTSA ID
11612575
Incident
Aug 21, 2024
Mileage
197,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Aug 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. While the contact's sister was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk with the check engine warning light illuminated violently. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway. The contact called California Highway Patrol who assisted with getting the vehicle off the road. The vehicle was eventually towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ID
11611607
Incident
Aug 16, 2024
Mileage
68,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 26, 2023

Cooper Discoverer HT3 265/70R18 Tread and sidewall separation. became very dangerous to drive. ALL 4 tires became defective.

NHTSA ID
11528860
Incident
Apr 10, 2023
Interior & seats
Filed May 13, 2023

Our dashboard is beyond cracked, repair cost $2100.00 plus. I was told that the dash needed to have a metal brace installed with repair. We used a sun reflector from day one. We have a little more than 25k miles on it and the vehicle is immaculate except for the 3rd brake light leaking which we have tried to repair over and over again another flaw design. We finally got our airbag replaced and now the dash is worse than ever. How are we expected to ever get anything even close to resale value for this vehicle. We paid 36,000.00 We did nothing wrong except be a loyal chevrolet customer for our entire lives. We loved chevy but unfortunately since chevrolet refuses to admit that there is a flaw in these dashboards we would not in clear conscience buy from the company again, it's too bad we wanted to trade it in for a 2023. David Shoemaker The starburst breakage is from airbag replacement the straight lines is chevy defect. I think you should meet us halfway on this at least.

NHTSA ID
11521797
Incident
Feb 1, 2017
EngineFuel system
Filed Jul 10, 2022

Our diesel fuel pump failed unexpectedly and without any notice while pulling a fifth wheel camper on a state highway in Ohio. The engine stopped completely (we were coasting within seconds). We were in a one-lane construction zone, and had it not been for a paved median, I would have been unable to pull off in this construction zone. Fortunately, I had enough momentum to get off the road and was able to exert enough pressure on the brakes manually to stop. In reading about this issue, it is clear that there are known problems with this fuel pump. My cost to repair this defective part will be about $11,500 and will require a 12 hour round trip back to Ohio to pick-up the vehicle after a two-week repair.

NHTSA ID
11473264
Incident
Jun 29, 2022
Airbags
Filed Oct 28, 2021

It is amazing to me that a recall is issued in March 2021 and nothing has been done yet and they still are building vehicles probably with defective equipment if there isn't a fix for this recall. GM recall # N212328800

NHTSA ID
11438473
Incident
Feb 28, 2021

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIT3271Q

This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

PIP4902V

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIP6104

This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.

PIT4506J

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician that some owners of Heavy Duty Trucks and Utilities may ask if they can lower their tire pressures. Tire pressures being set to the "Tire and Loading Label" will ensure the safe handling and ride characteristics of the truck and should not be lowered.

PIT6400A

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 from current supplier listed in the bulletin.

PIP4902U

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026230
2025121052.0
2024473055.2
2023151039.3
2022273059.6
2021385161.0
2020408160.2
2019217057.7
2018186049.1
2017136041.2
2016506052.8
2015527163.5
2014103156.1
2013264151.9
2012Viewing234157.5
2011295149.4
2010251
2009106158.4
2008314364.5
2007395361.9
2006520046.3
2005461033.7
2004411043.6
2003421034.7
2002502252.9
2001722356.9
2000802254.6
1999471037.4
1998671042.7
1997611147.3
1996100
1995000
1994100

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.