"How reliable is the 2012 Gmc Sierra 1500?"

"Based on 143 NHTSA complaints, the 2012 Gmc Sierra 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 60000 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2012 Gmc Sierra 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2012 Gmc Sierra 1500 is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 143 total complaints filed."

2012 Gmc Sierra 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 143 complaints

143

Total Complaints

60,000mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

46,000 25th Percentile

60,000 Median Mileage

100,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

Unknown Or Other

Body

Electrical System

Engine

Power Train

Service Brakes

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Wheels

Steering

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"INTERIOR UPPER DASH CRACKED AT 11,000. ALWAYS GARAGED. KNOWN ISSUE WITH '07-'13 GM TRUCKS. POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO PASSENGER AIR BAG UPON INFLATION. DUE TO SHARP CORNERS ON CRACK THE AIRBAG COULD BE DAMAGED OR BECOME INOPERATIVE DUE TO A PUNCTURE UPON INFLATION."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THINKING THAT IT NEEDED A TUNE UP. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAMSHAFT AND UPLIFTERS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTUR..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 41 complaints

25th: 50,200 mi Median: 73,000 mi 75th: 113,067 mi

Unknown Or Other 35 complaints

25th: 42,250 mi Median: 51,000 mi 75th: 70,333 mi

Body 17 complaints

25th: 39,550 mi Median: 61,000 mi 75th: 90,500 mi

Electrical System 6 complaints

25th: 57,750 mi Median: 100,500 mi 75th: 143,250 mi

Engine 6 complaints

Median: 126,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 18 FL: 11 NC: 10 MI: 10 WV: 8 MS: 6 GA: 5 AZ: 5 PA: 5 TN: 5

Who Files Complaints?

2.1%

Original Owners

97.9%

Second+ Owners

Gmc Sierra 1500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	100	80,000	Steering	0
1998	68	80,500	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	6
1999	182	108,894	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	10
2000	215	93,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	15
2001	171	98,000	Service Brakes	14
2002	192	76,741	Service Brakes	20
2003	210	72,075	Service Brakes	15
2004	253	57,192	Instrument Cluster/Panel	12
2005	218	73,150	Electrical System	6
2006	182	54,400	Service Brakes	12
2007	310	67,500	Air Bags	11
2008	438	75,000	Air Bags	13
2009	278	65,114	Air Bags	5
2010	215	60,000	Air Bags	1
2011	362	56,000	Air Bags	9
2013	147	72,000	Unknown Or Other	2
2014	1020	58,500	Steering	39
2015	914	46,000	Service Brakes	29
2016	436	47,417	Service Brakes	14
2017	465	38,900	Power Train	22
2018	405	33,000	Power Train	16
2019	783	10,000	Engine	19
2020	604	15,700	Engine	15
2021	617	43,500	Engine	7
2022	617	39,000	Engine	8
2023	470	20,000	Engine	9
2024	365	15,400	Engine	5
2025	109	16,500	Engine	7
2026	50	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Equipment

Campaign 18V267000 | 26/04/2018

In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

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

Inflator Module

Campaign 21V054000 | 05/02/2021

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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 notifica

Inflator Module

Campaign 21V051000 | 05/02/2021

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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 notifica

Airbag Safety

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories

Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28