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2012 GMC Sierra Denali

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

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Owner complaints by model year

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What owners reported most

All reported categories

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 9 of 10 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Steering. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Equipment. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Steering complaints

4 reports
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28,987 miles · Dec 5, 2014
SteeringTiresWheels

I HAVE GOODYEAR WRANGLER SR-A 265 60R20 TIRES ON MY SIERRA DENALI HD 2500. I WAS ON THE WAY BACK FROM NC VIA I-95 AND PULLED OVER SO MY WIFE COULD NURSE OUR 3 WEEK OLD. ME AND THE BOYS WENT IN K-MART FOR A FEW MINUTES. UPON RETURNING AND GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD, I NOTICED MY CAR WAS PULLING BAD RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL W…

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I HAVE GOODYEAR WRANGLER SR-A 265 60R20 TIRES ON MY SIERRA DENALI HD 2500. I WAS ON THE WAY BACK FROM NC VIA I-95 AND PULLED OVER SO MY WIFE COULD NURSE OUR 3 WEEK OLD. ME AND THE BOYS WENT IN K-MART FOR A FEW MINUTES. UPON RETURNING AND GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD, I NOTICED MY CAR WAS PULLING BAD RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING VERY BADLY. I MANAGED TO DRIVE IT THE ADDITIONAL 30 MILES BACK HOME. WHEN I STARTED THE TRUCK THE NEXT MORNING, THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE WAS TOO BAD TO CONTINUE ANYWHERE BUT THE DEALERSHIP. I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THE TIRES WOULD BE COVERED UNDER MY EXISTING "BUMPER TO BUMPER" WARRANTY AS THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A HUGE BULGE IN THE TIRE WHICH WAS CAUSING ALL OF THE COMMOTION. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE ALSO HAD BULGES, THESE IN THE SIDEWALL WHERE THE TIRE MEETS THE RIM. THE DOT BATCH NUMBER IS #PJ6KA5IV 32/11 AND BOTH TIRES WERE FROM THE SAME BATCH. I WAS DRIVING AROUND WITH TWO DEFECTIVE TIRES!!!!!!! WITH MY 8 YEAR SON, 4 YEAR OLD SON, 3 WEEK OLD DAUGHTER AND MY WIFE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! OUR LIVES WERE AT RISK! IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THE DEALERSHIP CALLED THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND SAID THAT GM HAD "CHANGED THEIR POLICIES AND THEY WOULD ONLY BE GIVING ME A 30% DISCOUNT." I UNDERSTAND POLICY BUT THESE TIRES ONLY MEASURED LITTLE WEAR AND SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 55% MORE TREAD LIFE BASED ON THE EXACT TIRE MEASUREMENTS. INSTEAD, GM IS USING A SLIDING SCALE FOR MILEAGE THAT DOES NOT TAKE ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS INTO THEIR ASSESSMENT. SO NOW, I AM OUT $350 FOR 2 NEW TIRES THAT SHOULD HAVE LASTED A WHOLE LOT LONGER AND NO HELP FROM GOODYEAR OR GMC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10662321

36,000 miles · Mar 6, 2014
Service BrakesSteering

AFTER EXITING INTERSTATE LOST STEERING AND BRAKES BRIEFLY IN PARKING LOT. PUMPED BRAKE AND BOTH RETURNED AFTER A HISSING SOUND. RECURRED A FEW TIMES IN NEXT 6 MONTHS OR SO. THEN, IN THE FALL OF 2013, LOST STEERING AND BRAKES ON I-49/US71B HEADING SOUTH FROM JOPLIN, MISSOURI. YOU COULD PUMP THE BRAKES AND BRIEFLY REGAIN, BUT F…

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AFTER EXITING INTERSTATE LOST STEERING AND BRAKES BRIEFLY IN PARKING LOT. PUMPED BRAKE AND BOTH RETURNED AFTER A HISSING SOUND. RECURRED A FEW TIMES IN NEXT 6 MONTHS OR SO. THEN, IN THE FALL OF 2013, LOST STEERING AND BRAKES ON I-49/US71B HEADING SOUTH FROM JOPLIN, MISSOURI. YOU COULD PUMP THE BRAKES AND BRIEFLY REGAIN, BUT FOR THE MOST PART ALL STEERING AND BRAKES WERE OUT. TOOK TRUCK TO GMC DEALER WHERE PURCHASED NEW IN BENTONVILLE. DEALER CONFIRMED NO STEERING AND BRAKES AND DAMAGED BUMPER WHILE VEHICLE IN ITS POSSESSION BY BUMPING INTO PARKING LOT BARRIER. DEALER DIAGNOSED POWER STEERING PUMP PROBLEM AND INDICATED THAT BRAKES AND POWER STEERING ARE TIED TO SAME PUMP/SYSTEM. DEALER REPLACED PUMP BUT SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A TWO OR THREE PART SYSTEM COULD ONLY REPLACE THE PUMP. TRUCK CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER FOLLOWING SIMILAR EPISODE WHERE LOST BOTH STEERING AND BRAKES. DEALER REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING TO REPLACE THE OTHER COMPONENTS BECAUSE COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DEALER CLAIMED NO NOTICE OF ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE FORM GM OR ANY OTHER SOURCE. WE PLEADED WITH THE DEALER ABOUT IT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND ASKED THAT THE DEALER REPLACE THE OTHER COMPONENTS IT IDENTIFIED AS POSSIBLY RELATED. DEALER TOOK NO FURTHER ACTION CLAIMING WITHOUT GM TELLING THEM TO LOOK FURTHER AND PAY FOR IT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ELSE. TRUCK CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS INTERMITTENTLY. IT IS NONSENSICAL FOR A TRUCK TO HAVE TWO SIGNIFICANT SAFETY SYSTEMS TIED TOGETHER WITH NO SECONDARY SUPPORT OR FAIL SAFE SYSTEM TO GUARANTEE THAT OPERATOR STILL HAVE BRAKES AND STEERING AT ALL TIMES. TRUCK ALSO HAS RATTLES CONSISTENT WITH THE SERVICE LETTERS / ISSUES NOTED ON THIS WEBSITE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10567717

Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 2013
EquipmentService Brakes, HydraulicSteering

2012 GMC DENALI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE STEERING PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER NOTICED A VERY BAD PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHENEVER HE SLOWED DOWN TO TURN, HE WOULD LOOSE CONTROL OVER THE ABILITY TO TURN. THE WHEEL LOCKED DOWN WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE AND TRIED TO TURN AT THE SAME TIME. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN …

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2012 GMC DENALI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE STEERING PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER NOTICED A VERY BAD PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHENEVER HE SLOWED DOWN TO TURN, HE WOULD LOOSE CONTROL OVER THE ABILITY TO TURN. THE WHEEL LOCKED DOWN WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE AND TRIED TO TURN AT THE SAME TIME. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN UNTIL HE PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR OR RELEASED THE BRAKE. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY THE POWER BOOSTER TAKING ALL THE POWER TO THE BRAKES AND LEAVING VERY LITTLE TO THE STEERING. ALSO, THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BACK-UP SCREEN. THE PICTURE WAS EXTREMELY DARK, AND IT WAS HARD TO MAKE OUT THE IMAGES ON THE SCREEN. THE DEALER TRIED TO LIGHTEN THE SCREEN, BUT TO NO AVAIL.

NHTSA ODI #10549145

29,000 miles · Nov 19, 2012
Steering

LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL (THREE EPISODES) : 13 NOV 2012, WHILE EXITING NB I-95 ONTO EB ROUTE 214 IN LANDOVER, MD, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. MY SPEED AT THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE RAPIDLY AS THE RAMP BEGAN TO STRAIGHTEN FROM IT'S SWEEPING RIGHT CURVE. THE LOCKED STEERING WAS FORCING ME ONTO THE RI…

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LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL (THREE EPISODES) : 13 NOV 2012, WHILE EXITING NB I-95 ONTO EB ROUTE 214 IN LANDOVER, MD, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. MY SPEED AT THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE RAPIDLY AS THE RAMP BEGAN TO STRAIGHTEN FROM IT'S SWEEPING RIGHT CURVE. THE LOCKED STEERING WAS FORCING ME ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STOP MY TRUCK ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER BEFORE THE LOCKED STEERING FORCED ME OFF THE HARD TOP. DURING THIS EVENT, THE TRUCKS ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING AND THE IGNITION KEY STAYED TURNED ON. ONCE I WAS SAFELY STOPPED ON THE RAMP'S SHOULDER, I MADE ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. WITH BOTH OF MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND WHILE EXERTING A LOT OF UPPER BODY STRENGTH, I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE THE STEERING WHEEL FREE. YES, I DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM THAT POINT, A DISTANCE OF 16 MILES. EVERYTHING WITH THE STEERING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL, AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTENT AND HAS NOW OCCURRED TO DATE, A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES. BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD INCIDENT, THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC - GMC IN SUBURBAN MARYLAND WASHINGTON DC, FOR DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM. WHILE THE TRUCK WAS IN CAPITOLS POSSESSION, IT WAS DRIVEN 83 MILES BUT THE STEERING PROBLEM DID NOT PRESENT ITSELF. TWO DAYS AFTER RETRIEVING MY TRUCK FROM CAPITOL, THE STEERING BEGAN EXHIBITING A STRONG FEELING OF RESISTANCE AS IF IT WAS GOING TO FULLY LOCK, AGAIN. IT DID NOT HOWEVER. THE TRUCK IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC - GMC ON 20 NOV 2012. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10485236

Official recalls

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No recalls in this snapshot.

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

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No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.