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#BS-2012-CHESIL-7DF3

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Based on reports from 274 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
274
Crashes
8
Fires
2
Recalls
2
TSBs
1,061
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 274 complaints, 8 crashes, 2 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

excessive oil consumption

9 complaints • Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission clunking

6 complaints • Severity 6.7/10

$X,XXX
3

paint is coming off

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

58 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 74K miles.

!Inspect the Structure:bodyMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

10
0–30K
53
30–60K
41
60–90K
26
90–120K
18
120–150K
15
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (53 reports) • Median: 74K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (58 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Other71 (26%)
Airbags58 (21%)
Structure:body28 (10%)
Engine24 (9%)
Electrical20 (7%)
Drivetrain10 (4%)
Stability Control10 (4%)
Suspension9 (3%)

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 21% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with 58 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 74,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 74K-mile mark.

Structure:body Issues

Structure:body complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with 28 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

44
16
30
17
40
18
26
19
29
20
40
21
14
22
19
23
19
24
11
25
2
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

21V051000May 2021

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, 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.

21V054000May 2021

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, 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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is the 2017 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 274 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994
View all Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years →

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is related to the airbags, with 58 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has 274 complaints, 8 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have any recalls?
Yes, the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems start?
Based on 163 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 74,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 274 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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