2012 GMC Sierra 2500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sierra 2500 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 3–4 out of 5 stars (varies by version)
Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500. That ranks 23rd out of 30 Sierra 2500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (8 complaints, 26%), typically at around 71,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 5 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 31owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 26% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 23% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 16% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 13% | 126,697 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 13% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 10% | 78,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 6% | 95,946 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 3% | 125 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment
Problem: 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
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 equipped with Armstrong Tires, Tire Line: Tru Trac HT, Tire Size: 245/75/17, DOT Number: [redacted]. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine tire rotation but was informed there were massive bubbles on the tires…
I'm following up on tracking number 11642264 that was submitted on Feb 12th for my 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 HD ignition lock issue that fits the profile for a current recall . I haven't heard anything and am checking on the current status. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM…
My 2012 GMC Sierra falls under recall number 14V827000 Ignition lock activator by year, make and model, but not by the VIN number. I called the GMC 800 number and they indicated that the NHTSA issues the recalls not the manufacturer. I then called the NHTSA and they indicated that the manufacturer…
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V051000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and an unknown dealer were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a…
Driving on the expressway around 60 mph when the truck went into limp mode slowing me down to 40 and then would not shift gears Tcm went out gm told me that there is a big problem
Other GMC Sierra 2500 years
← 2011 Sierra 2500 · 2013 Sierra 2500 →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 2500 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 Sierra 2500 | 28 | 1 |
| 2024 Sierra 2500 | 106 | 4 |
| 2023 Sierra 2500 | 32 | 1 |
| 2022 Sierra 2500 | 43 | 3 |
| 2021 Sierra 2500 | 52 | 6 |
| 2020 Sierra 2500 | 77 | 9 |
| 2019 Sierra 2500 | 32 | 7 |
| 2018 Sierra 2500 | 35 | 5 |
| 2017 Sierra 2500 | 37 | 6 |
| 2016 Sierra 2500 | 59 | 6 |
| 2015 Sierra 2500 | 89 | 6 |
| 2014 Sierra 2500 | 30 | 2 |
| 2013 Sierra 2500 | 46 | 3 |
| 2012 | 31 | 3 |
| 2011 Sierra 2500 | 63 | 4 |
| 2010 Sierra 2500 | 10 | 5 |
| 2009 Sierra 2500 | 31 | 5 |
| 2008 Sierra 2500 | 63 | 3 |
| 2007 Sierra 2500 | 83 | 3 |
| 2006 Sierra 2500 | 66 | 1 |
| 2005 Sierra 2500 | 115 | 1 |
| 2004 Sierra 2500 | 143 | 1 |
| 2003 Sierra 2500 | 160 | 0 |
| 2002 Sierra 2500 | 134 | 1 |
| 2001 Sierra 2500 | 134 | 2 |
| 2000 Sierra 2500 | 48 | 1 |
| 1999 Sierra 2500 | 36 | 0 |
| 1998 Sierra 2500 | 15 | 1 |
| 1997 Sierra 2500 | 14 | 2 |
See all GMC Sierra 2500 problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500?
Owners most often report air bags, unknown or other, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sierra 2500 model years, the 2012 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 3–4 out of 5 stars (varies by version) overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.