2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 53 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is fuel/propulsion system (15% of complaints); the 2010 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle seller advised the contact that the mileage was 196,000 prior to the purchase. Upon purchasing and driving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the odometer was inoperable. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the failure was corrected, and the odometer reading was 216,000. The seller informed the contact that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced for the correct odometer reading to be displayed; however, the contact stated that the actual mileage was 216,000, and the seller had committed odometer fraud.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2026
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 147,209. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was unknown. The contact paid for a full vehicle report, and he discovered that the mileage was 250,000. on September 6, 2025. The VIN was invalid.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2025
“The vehicle's TCM has apparently failed as evidenced by CEL code "U0101", low power ("limp mode"), hard shifting, no gear selection indicator, and extremely slow acceleration. Vehicle is currently available for inspection, but will be receiving a replacement TCM soon. Myself and others' safety was put at risk due to my the vehicle's inability to continue through an intersection at a reasonable rate. The problem has not been reproduced by a dealer/service center, nor has it been inspected by anyone since the incident. The aforementioned warning lamp that indicated the issue appeared upon starting the vehicle, which drove normally for the first 11 miles.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy upon obtaining a Vinlo vehicle report. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 93,000; however, the Vinlo report listed the mileage at 456,903 in 2023. The contact called the Missouri DMV, but no assistance was provided.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2025
“The transmission control module went out on my Chevy duaramax. GM is aware of this problem in the years of 2009-2015 and has yet to fix the problem.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2023
“My TCM went out in my truck while towing which made the vehicle not be able to move putting my family in jeopardy while on the road.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2023
“Transmisión control module stopped working while driving on the highway. It went from going 70 miles per hour on the highway to 15 miles per hour. Very scary and dangerous.”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2023
“The Transmission Control Module failed causing the vehicle to loose power and operate only in "limp mode". General Motors does not have a replacement module available, leaving the vehicle inoperable. GM has no reliable information as to when a module will be available. I had to use a third party service to try and repair the module for a cost of over $1,200. This seems to be a common problem with the 2008-20015 GM Duramax with the Allison transmission.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2023
“Mechanic has informed me of my truck's frame has excessive rust that has spread to other components, and states ongoing issue will cause frame to rust apart.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2022
“The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that he had the vehicle repaired under NHTSA Campaign 21V051000 (Air Bags) however when he retrieved the vehicle the air bag warning light was illuminated and a warning message to the service air bag soon was displayed. The contact stated that before the repair he had no issues with the air bag or warning lights. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the air bag was already replaced. The contact stated that he was informed that he was responsible for any additional repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,184.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2022
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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.
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.
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 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
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact Silverado 2500 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
NHTSA has 53 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The most complained-about area is fuel/propulsion system (15% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 72,000 miles or less.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.