Home · 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 Hd · Complaints

What 59 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 Hd

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (59)Crash / fire / injury (8)Airbags (12)Electrical system (11)Body & structure (10)Engine (8)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Fuel system (5)Brakes (4)Speed control (3)Steering (3)Suspension (3)

8 of 59 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Dec 16, 2015Electrical systemCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WHICH RESULTED IN A FRONT END COLLISION WITH A GUARDRAIL. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE OPERATED AFTER THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 10810661

Oct 2, 2014AirbagsCrash4 injuries1 death

A MULTI-CAR COLLISION HAD OCCURRED AT A CONSIDERABLE SPEED. (SADLY A DRIVER HAD LOST A LIFE IN THIS ACCIDENT) THIS COLLISION ENTAILED A VERY LARGE COMMERCIAL TRUCK BEING HIT HEAD ON, BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.( THIS 2ND VEHICLE BEING A VAN) AFTER THIS SEVERE IMPACT WITH THE LARGE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, (WHICH CREATED HEAVY DAMAGE TO THIS VEHICLE, REMOVING THE FRONT AXLE) THE VAN PROCEEDED BEING RICOCHET OFF THE LARGE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, AROUND IT, BACK INTO MY ONCOMING LANE. THIS RESULTED IN A FRONTAL DRIVER IMPACT HEAD ON WITH THE OUT OF CONTROL VAN. UPON IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG OF MY VEHICLE PARTIALLY INFLATED, THEN RAPIDLY DEFLATED. THUS THE AIRBAG NEVER FULLY EMPLOYED,LEAVING ME NO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER. I AM ENDURING MANY ISSUES DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION, AND WISH THIS MATTER TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER, TO PROTECT ANYONE ELSE FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH ISSUES LIKE MYSELF...UPDATED 10/07/14 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10640981

Jul 23, 2014Electronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash

PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT IN A PARKING GARAGE GOING NO MORE THAN 3 MILES PER HOUR, OR HOWEVER FAST THIS VEHICLE CAN GO WHILE FOOT IS RESTING ON BRAKE, GETTING READY TO FULLY BRAKE. AS I PRESSED DOWN ON BRAKE TO STOP, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED AS IF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM SLIPPED, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO DRIVE FORWARD CRASHING THROUGH THE SHEETROCK WALL AND FINALLY STOPPING AFTER HITTING THE GLASS WINDOWS. TWO WEEKS LATER, AFTER ALL COSMETIC REPAIRS WERE DONE, THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME THING IN ANOTHER PARKING LOT, BUT LUCKILY BROKE BEFORE HITTING THE CURB AND LIGHT POST. I DID FEEL UNDER MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE, AS I PRESSED DOWN TO STOP, A SLIP OF SOME SORT WHICH AT THE SAME TIME CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO PUSH FORWARD RIGHT BEFORE STOPPING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10615633

Mar 30, 2014Body & structureWheelsEngineFire

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, IT JUST WENT DEAD, NO ENGINE, NO ELECTRIC, NO NOTHING. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT IN PLACE AND AT SOME POINT, CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED. A TOTAL LOSS. TO DATE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS NOT PAID ME FOR MY LOSS BUT RATHER HAS GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO INVESTIGATE ME PERSONALLY, LOOKING FOR ANY REASON TO NOT PAY. SO, I'VE BEEN MAKING TWO VEHICLE PAYMENTS FOR THE LAST 8 MONTHS. AS A RESULT, I AM STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10575697

Jan 4, 2014Body & structure1 injury

CHROME INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. CHROME PLATING IS COMING OFF AND IS SHARP. CUT MY FINGER OPENING THE DOOR. RESEMBLES A PAPER CUT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY ARE REPLACING HANDLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10558434

Mar 8, 2013AirbagsCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE DRIVER FRONT AIR BAG ERRONEOUSLY DEPLOYED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A POLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,700. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10502079

Oct 17, 2012Electrical systemLightsBody & structureEngineFire

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GMC DEALER FOR HEADLIGHT DEFECT AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER PARTS. DROVE TRUCK BACK TO SITE AND WHILE TRUCK WAS RUNNING BUT STATIONARY SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WHEN THE HOOD WAS RAISED THE ENTIRE TRUCK BECAME ENGULFED AND COMPLETELY BURNED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10480914

Mar 14, 2012SteeringSuspensionBrakesCrash

JUST PURCHASES NEW 2012 GMC SIERRA 3500 , 400 MILES , HAVE HAD ALIGNMENT / STEERING PROBLEMS WITH A DRIFT TO LEFT AND A WONDERING STEERING WHEEL, ALSO BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ON, WENT TO DEALER THEY LOOKED AT IT FOR 2 HRS, AND SAID IT NEEDED A PART ORDERED AND THERE WAS A TSB ON IT, THE TECH SAID IT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE ABS BRAKES, ALSO HE WOULD CHECK ALIGNMENT AGAIN AT TIME WHEN PART CAME IN 4 DAYS EST, BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT REMAINED ON, VEHICLE DROVE FINE THE NEXT DAY UNTIL A ACCIDENT, WENT AROUND CURVEAT 55 MPH, APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW, BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR UN ABLE TO SLOW AT ALL WENT OFF THE ROAD LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO TREES, BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED , WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM WITH ARM INJURY AND RIB INJURIES, BRAND NEW TRUCK VERY SCARRY I WILL NEVER BUY A GM PODUCT AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10451590

Working with the data? Download all 59 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 Hd verdict →