Showing the 2012 Silverado Fleet. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
About every 2012 Silverado
The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado has 4 recall campaigns that may apply, covering air bags, electrical system, and fuel system. Owner complaints total 284; air bags draw the most, with 74 complaints filed with NHTSA. It gets 14 to 21 mpg combined on gasoline and E85 flex fuel, with a 5-year fuel cost of $15,470 to $23,200 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 4 overall stars.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
14–21 mpgcombined; city 12–20, highway 18–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470–$23,200U.S. average; Ohio $13,820–$20,730 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Silverado. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 284 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Silverado. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Unknown or other
78
0
0
0
Air bags
74
7
0
6
Structure
49
2
1
2
Engine
31
2
1
3
Electrical system
25
2
2
1
Power train
21
4
0
2
Service brakes
16
3
0
3
Suspension
13
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
11
0
1
0
Exterior lighting
8
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
7
0
0
0
Tires
7
0
1
0
9 more parts
Vehicle speed control
7
0
0
0
Steering
6
0
0
0
Wheels
5
0
2
0
Seat belts
3
1
0
2
Seats
3
0
1
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Silverado over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
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.
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.
Risk: 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.
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.
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,347 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Silverado, the latest on Sep 4, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (417), electrical system (248), engine and engine cooling (205), power train (163), engine (105).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Silverado.
See used 2012 Chevrolet Silverados for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
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Specs
EPA class: standard pickup trucks. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Silverado 15 Hybrid Rear-Wheel Drive
6.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 23 / 21
Silverado 15 Hybrid 4-Wheel Drive
6.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 23 / 21
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 21 / 17
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 19 / 16
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
13 / 18 / 14
Silverado C15 XFE Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 22 / 18
Silverado K15 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 21 / 17
Silverado K15 4-Wheel Drive
4.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 18 / 16
Silverado K15 4-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
13 / 18 / 15
Silverado K15 4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
12 / 18 / 14
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data