Total Complaints
143 filings
GMC SIERRA 1500 · model year
143 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012GMCSIERRA 1500 carries 143 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 SIERRA 1500 is air bags with 41 filings, followed by unknown or other (35) and structure:body (17). 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. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2012 SIERRA 1500. 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.
Total Complaints
143 filings
Crashes Reported
7 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 41 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 35 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 17 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6 |
| ENGINE | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 |
| WHEELS | 3 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 |
| STEERING | 3 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
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
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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,
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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, Californi
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, especially between second and third gears. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the engine felt as though the engine mounts were inoperable. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle resumed normal driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Mileage: 20,000
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 111,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 243,000. The Carfax Report indicated that the vehicle was serviced at 149,000 and 179,000 miles, then registered at 149,000 and 179,000 miles on August 8, 2024. The contact had filed a police report with the Dillon Police Department -Special Ops Police Department.
Mileage: 243,000
P0521 has been addressed/replaced almost nine (9) times. âLow Oil Pressure-Stop Engineâ is another one that is not completely functional. The truck is using oil but we cant find evidence of leakage. Services performed at dealership or certified shop. Troubleshooting was performed, Im told. I cant vouch for the quality of the workmanship. This should not be an issue at this mileage 100,100 ohe hundred thousand miles and oil components going bad is not good. GMC has sold me a truck that needs a new engine component. Please help. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
P0521 has been addressed/replaced almost nine (9) times. âLow Oil Pressure-Stop Engineâ is another one that is not completely functional. The truck is using oil but we cant find evidence of leakage. Services performed at dealership or certified shop. Troubleshooting was performed, Im told. I cant vouch for the quality of the workmanship. This should not be an issue at this mileage 100,100 ohe hundred thousand miles and oil components going bad is not good. GMC has sold me a truck that needs a new engine component. Please help. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
P0521 has been addressed/replaced almost nine (9) times. âLow Oil Pressure-Stop Engineâ is another one that is not completely functional. The truck is using oil but we cant find evidence of leakage. Services performed at dealership or certified shop. Troubleshooting was performed, Im told. I cant vouch for the quality of the workmanship. This should not be an issue at this mileage 100,100 ohe hundred thousand miles and oil components going bad is not good. GMC has sold me a truck that needs a new engine component. Please help. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, she lost consciousness. After regaining consciousness, the contact discovered that the vehicle had crashed into two vehicles and that the driver's side air bag had deployed. The police and paramedics arrived at the scene; however, no one involved in the accident needed immediate medical assistance. A police report was filed. About a week after the accident, the contact stated that they began to develop open sores on both arms as black metal fragments began to leak out of these sores. The contact went to the doctor and was treated for the injuries and was referred to a dermatologist for further assistance. Upon investigation, the contact linked her injuries to the Takata air bag recall. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home and an independent mechanic was able to repair certain parts of the vehicle to make it drivable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a claim was filed. The conta
Mileage: 312,000
Faulty Tire Pressure Management system. Looking for recalls or service bulletins.
Faulty Tire Pressure Management system. Looking for recalls or service bulletins.
Faulty Tire Pressure Management system. Looking for recalls or service bulletins.
Manufacturer interior defect - Crack on dash w/potential to crumble all the way in Diminishes vehicle
Frame rot behind gas tank truck doesn't even have 90000 Miles on it unsave to drive poor frame quality
Major major frame and wheel well rust , ever one I see is exactly the same , I live in upstate ny and yes we use salt but I've done a lot of research and the problem is country wide , please do some things this isn't right , I'm not trying to get a new free truck , just not get screwed out of the one I have cause it will fail inspection soon
I went to get the vehicle inspected today and was told it failed due to the chassis frame in the rear being rusted thru. This could cause the suspension to collapse any time. I see on the internet that multiple others have and are experiencing the same with the Sierra and Silverado. My vehicle has unlimited washes and has been washed 40 times a year and looks new from the outside.
I went to get the vehicle inspected today and was told it failed due to the chassis frame in the rear being rusted thru. This could cause the suspension to collapse any time. I see on the internet that multiple others have and are experiencing the same with the Sierra and Silverado. My vehicle has unlimited washes and has been washed 40 times a year and looks new from the outside.
Lifter Failure: I was traveling to a State Park in Northern Michigan when my engine starting running very rough with major power loss. My check engine light activated, and I pulled over as soon as I could. It was dangerous because I was pulling a camper and I had to drive well under the speed limit. The Certified Chevy Dealership discovered a collapsed lifter and Cam damage. They considered this as catastrophic engine failure, and I was completely shocked as the vehicle had roughly 129k miles on it. There was no indication of failure prior to this incident as the vehicle ran perfect. I am very disappointed in GM as I have a co-worker with the same year truck that had the exact same issue shortly after I did. A friend of mine also had this happen with a 2014 vehicle of same make and model. It appears that this is a common issue with GM's newer 5.3 engines which used to be extremely reliable (99-07). GM needs to fix these lifter issues because a newer technology engine should last mu
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that during a vehicle inspection, the contact was informed that the sub frame was severely corroded with holes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
I took My 2012 GMC Sierra with 112,410 miles in for annual safety inspection and was told that my frame has a hole in it and is cracked, hence un-inspectable in the state of Vermont. I then took it to a welding shop to get an estimate on repair and the tech told me he sees this all the time on this era GM/Chevy trucks. This is clearly a widespread incident and GM should be held accountable like Toyota was years ago with its bad frames.O
Vehicle has just over 113,000 miles and the frame is already severely compromised due to rust. Nearly all factory coating is gone. I believe the sub par wax like coating that GM used from the factory was never intended to last anywhere near or over 100,000 miles. I have personally inspected numerous 2007-2013 GMT900 trucks in or around ohio and have found similar severe rust issues. All vehicles inspected were between 60,000 and 120,000 miles. The rust issues are the worst in the areas directly in front of the rear axle where the frame drops. Nearly every vehicle inspected has structure compromising rust in this area. GMT900 platform vehicles with rust issues in this area are unsafe to be on the road, yet they remain popular in multiple service industries and are frequently seen pulling trailers. GM has done a great disservice to their customers by using a sub par coating on the most important structural component in a vehicle. These trucks should easily last well over 250,000 miles bu
Cracked interior plastic dash, multiple places, potential safety hazard if airbag deploys and shatters it even more, also will be exposed wires once the cracks breaks all the way
Cracked interior plastic dash, multiple places, potential safety hazard if airbag deploys and shatters it even more, also will be exposed wires once the cracks breaks all the way
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.