IllustrationI WAS PULLED OVER TWICE WITH IN 30 MINS FOR HAVING A MY RIGHT PASSENGER HEADLIGHT OUT. I'VE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT, CHECKED FUSES, RELAY AND TESTED THE SOCKET POWER AND ALL WERE FINE
2012 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 76.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
310–25K
1625–50K
750–75K
475–100K
2100–150K
1150K+
61 reports with mileage · 7 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports4 fire reports8 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
3 reportsWORKING IN THE YARD, I NOTICED OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE MOISTURE IN MY PASSENGER SIDE TAILLIGHT. AN INSPECTION OF THE TAILLIGHT SHOWED MULTIPLE FRACTURES IN THE HOUSING ACROSS THE REAR PORTION. THESE FRACTURES ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE UNIT. A FRACTURE ROUGHLY A QUARTER INCH UP LIMITS THE WATER ACCU…
Read full complaint
WORKING IN THE YARD, I NOTICED OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE MOISTURE IN MY PASSENGER SIDE TAILLIGHT. AN INSPECTION OF THE TAILLIGHT SHOWED MULTIPLE FRACTURES IN THE HOUSING ACROSS THE REAR PORTION. THESE FRACTURES ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE UNIT. A FRACTURE ROUGHLY A QUARTER INCH UP LIMITS THE WATER ACCUMULATION. I THEN CHECKED THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNIT & NOTICED THE SAME FAILURE IS STARTING. AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY I HAD JUST OVER 1000 ENGINE HOURS ON THE VEHICLE AND JUST OVER 126K MILES. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW & I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE ROUGHLY 38.5 MONTHS. BULBS HAVE A GREATER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY DESIGNED TO PROTECT THEM AND PROMOTE SAFETY. THE DEALER SAYS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ASSEMBLIES ARE MY ISSUE. THESE ITEMS ARE REQUIRED BY STATE AND FEDERAL LAW TO MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS. DEPENDING ON FRACTURE PLACEMENT THE BULBS MAY SHORT OUT OR FAIL DUE TO CORROSION. FAILURE OF THE ASSEMBLY CAN LEAD TO SOMEONE MISSING A TURN SIGNAL, A STOP OR NOTICE THAT YOU ARE BACKING UP. I BELIEVE THESE FAILURES INCREASE THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT. BASED PRIOR EXPERIENCES WITH OTHER VEHICLES I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I'M THEORIZING THAT BECAUSE THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE CATCHES THE EVENING SUN IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THESE WERE DESIGNED USING CHEAPER MATERIALS THAT POTENTIALLY DID NOT PROVIDE FOR THE ABILITY TO HOLDUP TO THE UV RAYS OF NATURAL SUNLIGHT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THIRD LIGHT ON THE CAB RECEIVED MORE SHADE DUE TO A NEIGHBOR'S TREE THAT WAS REMOVED LAST YEAR SO THE SUN IMPACT WOULD BE LESS. I NOTICE THERE IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT FOR THIS MODEL YEAR ABOUT A CAB PLACED REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY ECHOING THE SAME ISSUE.
WITHOUT ANY IMPACT OR DAMAGE THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT HAS CRACKED AND THE DEALER WON'T WARRANTY. *TR
Official recalls
214V827000 · Electrical System:ignition
Dec 30, 2014
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. 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
13V615000 · Fuel System, Diesel
Dec 11, 2013
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD vehicles, equipped with 6.6L diesel engines and dual fuel tanks. In the affected vehicles, the transfer pump which moves fuel from the rear tank to the front tank could malfunction and cause the fuel gauge to indicate an inaccurate reading.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the fuel gauge indicates an inaccurate reading it may result in the vehicle unexpectedly stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel transfer pump, as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 13420.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.