GMC Savana · model year

2012 GMC Savana

4 NHTSA complaints, and 7 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

Complaints
4
Recalls
7

The verdict

The 2012 GMC Savana posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

Top 36%
fewest complaints, own model years
7
recall campaigns

The 2012GMCSavana carries 4 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2012 Savana is air bags with 2 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (1) and visibility:power window devices and controls (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2012 Savana. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2012 GMC Savana

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

Total Complaints

4 filings

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

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS2
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS1

Recalls (7)

18V26700026/04/2018

EQUIPMENT

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 'Pin

12V11200022/03/2012

STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT PITMAN

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND SUBURBAN VEHICLES, AND GMC SAVANA AND YUKON XL HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES. THE STEERING GEAR PITMAN SHAFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY HARDENED AND COULD FRACTURE.

14V11700017/03/2014

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans manufactured January 27, 2009, through March 7, 2014 with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds and less and equipped with front passenger air bags. In the affected vehicles, during a fr

13V22500015/05/2013

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

General Motors LLC (GM) and IMPCO Automotive Division of IMPCO Technologies, Inc. (IMPCO) are recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana Cargo vans that have a compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system installed as original equipment by IMPCO. The fuel systems, manufactu

14V50000013/08/2014

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chevrolet Express compressed natural gas (CNG)vehicles manufactured September 10, 2010, to April 28, 2014, and GMC Savana CNG vehicles manufactured May 23, 2011, to April 21, 2014. The affected vehicles may leak natural gas from the

11V54300008/11/2011

AIR BAGS

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND GMC SAVANA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 2, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 17, 2011. THE SECOND STAGE OF THE DUAL-STAGE AIR BAG WILL NOT INFLATE IN A SEVERE FRONTAL IMPACT. ACCORDINGLY, THE AIR BAGS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDER

23V24700006/04/2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2023 Chevrolet Express Cutaway and GMC Savana Cutaway incomplete vehicles equipped with wiring for an optional rear heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. When the HVAC blower motor circuit is left unused with exposed connectors

Recent Complaints

20150527AIR BAGS

THE VAN IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD BUT HAS WELL OVER 36,000 MILES ON IT, SO IT IS OFF WARRANTY. THE PASSANGER SEAT IS RARELY USED BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE PASSANGER SIDE CAME ON INDICATING AIR BAG MAL-FUNCTION. THE DEALER WANTS $350 PLUS POSSIBLE HIGHER CHARGE IF DIFFICULTY ARISES IN REPLACING THE SENSOR. THIS IS REALLY A NON-WEAR ITEM.

Mileage: 69,837

20140829AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC SAVANA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V117000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 10/23/14*CN

20140528VISIBILITY/WIPER

THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MOTOR NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. *TR

Mileage: 51,500

20140528VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MOTOR NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. *TR

Mileage: 51,500

Compare 2012GMCSavana to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 GMC Savana have?
The 2012 GMC Savana has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 GMC Savana?
Yes, the 2012 GMC Savana has 7 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 GMC Savana?
The most-complained component for the 2012 GMC Savana is AIR BAGS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS.
Is the 2012 GMC Savana 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.

Data vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2012 GMC Savana; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.