Chevrolet Silverado 1500, representative photo
Representative 2011 model. Photo: Ermell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2012 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns
2
Park-it warnings
0
Complaints
284
Latest campaign
Feb 5, 2021

Recall summary by component2

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h
ComponentCampaignsLatestCampaign IDs
Air bags2Feb 5, 2021

Safety recalls2

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h
0Park-it warnings
0Fixable over the air
Feb 5, 2021Latest campaign
Feb 5, 202121V054000

Air bags: frontal passenger side

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

DetailsHide details for campaign 21V054000
What's wrong
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.
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
Campaign
NHTSA 21V054000 · Feb 5, 2021
Feb 5, 202121V051000

Air bags: frontal passenger side

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

DetailsHide details for campaign 21V051000
What's wrong
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.
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.
Campaign
NHTSA 21V051000 · Feb 5, 2021
To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Chevrolet recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Buying a used 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500? Recalls cover the model; a history report checks one car's title, odometer and accident records. VinAudit history report → Sponsored · disclosure

Owner complaints by component284

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h
284Complaints filed
16Involving a crash
5Involving a fire
14Injuries reported
ComponentShareComplaints%CrashesFiresInjuries
Unknown or other7827000
Air bags7426706
Structure4917212
Engine3111213
Electrical system259221
Power train217402
Service brakes186303
Suspension135101
Electronic stability control (ESC)114010
Exterior lighting83000
Vehicle speed control72000
Tires72010
Fuel/propulsion system72000
Steering62000
Wheels52020

6 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number, merged from NHTSA model names Silverado 1500, Silverado 1500 Hybrid.

Latest reports

  • Air bags

    “My husband picked me up from work in [XXX] we went over a very icy bridge the truck spun around and hit the guard rail on the bridge the airbags popped and broke two of my ribs I went to the hospital it was very painful…”

    Filed 08/28/2026 · ODI 11760233
  • Unknown or other

    “Severe frame rot on driver side beneath the cab. Just noticed it today July 13, 2026.”

    Filed 07/13/2026 · ODI 11750169
  • Unknown or other

    “I noticed the gas tank was listing to one end and not level. I noticed one of the tank straps had rusted away and I took the truck to a mechanic to replace the strap.”

    Filed 07/02/2026 · ODI 11747867

Other Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years

Other Chevrolet models

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The most recent, 21V054000 (reported February 5, 2021), concerns air bags. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls for?

The largest group is air bags, with 2 campaigns. Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Unknown or other is the most-reported component, named in 78 complaints out of 284 filed with NHTSA (27%). Across all complaints, owners reported 16 crashs and 5 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Chevrolet recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Chevrolet dealer.

Check a specific Chevrolet by VIN

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