2012 GMC Sierra 1500 reliability record
NHTSA consumer complaints and recall campaigns for the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 from the dataset labeled 2026. The source file does not provide an exact snapshot date. Use the reported issues to guide further checks; these counts do not establish failure rates or repair costs.
- NHTSA complaints
- 146
- Dataset year: 2026; snapshot day not provided
- Top problem area
- AIR BAGS
- 41 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 3
- see below
- Reported harm
- 7 reported crashes · 1 injury
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesCounts are not adjusted for vehicles sold, time in service or reporting frequency. A larger count does not establish a higher chance of failure, and these comparisons do not set the maintenance budget in our calculator.
Complaint rank
#3,257
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs GMC median
-102
median 248 across 165 GMC records
Vs 2010-2014
-146
median 292 complaints in 613 records
Top component share
28%
Air Bags: 41 complaints
What owners report fails — 2012 GMC Sierra 1500
- AIR BAGS 41
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 36
- STRUCTURE:BODY 17
- POWER TRAIN 6
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6
3 recalls on record for the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500
- NHTSA 21V054000 · 2021 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious i
- NHTSA 21V051000 · 2021 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious i
- NHTSA 18V267000 · 2018 · EQUIPMENT In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500
Build a separate budget with your purchase price, insurance quote, mileage and maintenance estimate. Complaint counts do not enter that calculation. Unknown local taxes and fees stay listed as costs to confirm.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Dataset year: 2026; exact snapshot day not supplied. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
NHTSA has 146 consumer complaints on record for the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 and 3 recalls. The most-reported problem area is air bags (41 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners most often report problems with: air bags (41), unknown or other (36), structure:body (17), power train (6). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500?
This complaint dataset does not measure repair prices or predict a maintenance budget for the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500. Use your purchase price, insurance quotes, fuel use and a maintenance estimate in the separate five-year cost calculator. It does not convert complaint counts into repair costs, and any unknown taxes remain excluded and clearly listed.