RecallRepo

2012 GMC Sierra 3500 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2012 GMC Sierra 3500 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,104,219 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 21V051000 2021-02-05 284,645 affected
Defect

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,…

Consequence

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

Remedy

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…

AIR BAGS 21V054000 2021-02-05 1,778,128 affected
Defect

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…

Consequence

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

Remedy

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…

EQUIPMENT 18V267000 2018-04-26 6,154 affected
Defect

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…

Consequence

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

Remedy

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…

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 17V664000 2017-10-19 35,292 affected
Defect

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks equipped with dual fuel tanks. The low fuel level sensor for the front tank may stick causing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.

Consequence

If the front tank overfills, the excess pressure may cause the front tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, possibly resulting in a hole in the tank. The hole will leak fuel, which in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump or update the fuel-level sensor software, as well as inspect the front tank, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service for Chevrolet 1-800-222-1020 or for GMC customer…

Complaints by component

ENGINE
3
POWER TRAIN
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
AIR BAGS
1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
Total complaints15

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Our dash board cracked very badly from the top next to the speaker to the passenger side air bag. We purposely use a dash board cover and never place heavy things on it. This is a safety issue as if getting in an accident wouldn’t be bad enough flying shrapnel would be worse. We just had it…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2025-12-10

“Our dash board cracked very badly from the top next to the speaker to the passenger side air bag. We purposely use a dash board cover and never place heavy things on it. This is a safety issue as if getting in an accident wouldn’t be bad enough flying shrapnel would be worse. We just had it…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2025-12-10

“The service brakes lights has come on a d disabled my brake controller. This is a safety issue while towing and completely unacceptable.”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2022-01-24

“The service brakes lights has come on a d disabled my brake controller. This is a safety issue while towing and completely unacceptable.”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2022-01-24

“The gmc sierra 3500hd while in regeneration mode funnels exhaust directly into the cab through the vents. While gm recognized this as a flaw and came up with a fix for it, they will only repair it in a 5 year or 100,000 mile window. How is this not a safety issue without an expiration?”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2017-10-05

“The vehicle will not shift properly when towing a trailer. While going up a hill, the transmission will not downshift properly. While going downhill, the vehicle downshifts to 2nd gear while going 60 mph. I have contacted gm several times (they have it on file) that there is a problem with the…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2017-02-07

“Driving from gm dealer for two miles change fuel filter message appeared and engine died. Towed to a dealer diagnosed as a high pressure injector pump failure with metal contamination to fuel system. I have found a bulletin dated 2009 from equipment manufacturers. This joint statement has…”

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL · reported 2014-06-27

“While driving on highway, transmission shifts hard to higher gear. This started all of a sudden will take to dealership. *js”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2014-02-20

Defect investigations

Investigation EA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…

Investigation EA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 GMC Sierra 3500 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.