Representative model. Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2012 GMC Sierra 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: 3
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 152
Latest campaign: Feb 5, 2021

Recall summary by component3

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Air bags	2	Feb 5, 2021	21V054000 21V051000
Equipment	1	Apr 26, 2018	18V267000

Safety recalls3

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
Apr 26, 201818V267000	Equipment In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury. DetailsHide details for campaign 18V267000 What's wrong 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 Risk In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury. 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. Campaign NHTSA 18V267000 · Apr 26, 2018

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

Apr 26, 201818V267000

Equipment

In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

DetailsHide details for campaign 18V267000

What's wrong: 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
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign: NHTSA 18V267000 · Apr 26, 2018

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the GMC recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component152

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

152Complaints filed

8Involving a crash

2Involving a fire

1Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Air bags	48	32	4	0	1
Unknown or other	45	30	0	0	0
Structure	31	20	2	2	0
Electrical system	16	11	1	1	0
Engine	12	8	0	2	0
Service brakes	11	7	2	0	0
Steering	10	7	2	0	0
Power train	8	5	0	0	0
Suspension	6	4	1	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	5	3	0	0	0
Wheels	5	3	1	1	0
Electronic stability control (ESC)	5	3	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	3	2	0	0	0
Hydraulic	2	1	1	0	0
Equipment	2	1	0	0	0

9 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 Sierra 1500, Sierra 1500 Hybrid.

Latest reports

Electrical system
“June 29, 2025, Driving on the St. Francis loop in Amarillo, TX, brake lights start flashing, the warning sounds happening, no brakes. I had already slowed down to 35-45 mph due to road construction ahead.”
Filed 08/11/2026 · ODI 11756257
Suspension
“They should be responsible for repairs or replacement of the cheap made frames that rust away so fast so u ain’t gotta worry about your truck fallling apart going down the rd and the lower control arms made of cast that…”
Filed 05/22/2026 · ODI 11739589
Power train
“The contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, especially between second and third gears.”
Filed 01/15/2026 · ODI 11711216

Other GMC Sierra 1500 model years

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2012 GMC Sierra 1500 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns for the 2012 GMC Sierra 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 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls for?

The largest group is air bags, with 2 campaigns. Others: equipment (1). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500?

Air bags is the most-reported component, named in 48 complaints out of 152 filed with NHTSA (32%). Across all complaints, owners reported 8 crashs and 2 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2012 GMC Sierra 1500?

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

Check a specific GMC by VIN

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