Total Complaints
10 filings
GMC DENALI · model year
2012 GMC DENALI
10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012GMCDENALI carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 DENALI is unknown or other with 3 filings, followed by air bags (2) and structure:body (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2012 DENALI. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20210211AIR BAGS
DASH CRACKS EVERYWHERE, ALL ATTACHMENT POINTS ARE CRACKING. NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN USING A UN U.V PROTECTED PLASTIC.
20210211STRUCTURE:BODY
DASH CRACKS EVERYWHERE, ALL ATTACHMENT POINTS ARE CRACKING. NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN USING A UN U.V PROTECTED PLASTIC.
20210211UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DASH CRACKS EVERYWHERE, ALL ATTACHMENT POINTS ARE CRACKING. NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN USING A UN U.V PROTECTED PLASTIC.
20190219UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE DASH HAS CRACKED ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND BY THE AIR BAG. UNSURE WHEN IT ACCORDED. NOTICED IT WAS MAKING A SOUND AND IN 2 WEEKS HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE
20180906UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CRACK IN PASSENGER SIDE OF DASHBOARD....VEHICLE WAS STATIOARY
Mileage: 60,000
20180404STRUCTURE:BODY
MY DASH IS CRACKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT'S TO A POINT NOW OF NEEDING REPLACED AND HAS RAISED MY SAFETY CONCERN FOR MYSELF AND PASSENGER IF I WAS TO COME INVOLVED IN A CRASH BY BROKEN LARGE PLASTIC FRAGMENTS.
20170911ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT 50 60 OR ANY SPEED - THE TACHOMETER JUMPS AND THE CAR SURGES FEELS LIKE IT GOING TO STOP
Mileage: 100,000
20170911ENGINE
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT 50 60 OR ANY SPEED - THE TACHOMETER JUMPS AND THE CAR SURGES FEELS LIKE IT GOING TO STOP
Mileage: 100,000
20170911FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT 50 60 OR ANY SPEED - THE TACHOMETER JUMPS AND THE CAR SURGES FEELS LIKE IT GOING TO STOP
Mileage: 100,000
20170625AIR BAGS
DASH BOARD HAS CRACKED AROUND AIRBAG. CONCERNED THAT IF THERE WAS A COLLISION THAT TYE AIRBAG WOULD EXPLODE AND ENTIRE DASH WOULD EXPLODE WITH IT
Mileage: 82,000
Compare 2012GMCDENALI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2012 GMC DENALI have?▼
The 2012 GMC DENALI has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 GMC DENALI?▼
The most-complained component for the 2012 GMC DENALI is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and STRUCTURE:BODY.
Is the 2012 GMC DENALI safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.