VehicleVerdict

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche carries two red flags at once: 43 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Avalanche years to avoid.

Other leads the complaint categories with 17 reports (40% of the total).

43

NHTSA complaints

3

Recalls

1

Investigations · 1 open

4

Crash-involved

0

Fires reported

4

Injuries

0

Deaths

—

NCAP overall

How does 2012 compare to other Avalanche years?

Avalanche NHTSA complaints by model year, 2012 highlighted562 complaints1999: 0 complaints2000: 2 complaints2001: 2 complaints2002: 562 complaints2003: 238 complaints2004: 202 complaints2005: 85 complaints2006: 14 complaints2007: 493 complaints2008: 323 complaints2009: 96 complaints2010: 147 complaints2011: 161 complaints2012: 43 complaints2013: 105 complaints
Avalanche NHTSA complaints by model year, 2012 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Avalanche years to avoid →

What are the most common 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Other1740%
Airbags614%
Tires & Wheels37%
Engine37%
Transmission37%
Speed Control25%
Steering25%
Body & Structure25%
Lighting12%
Fuel System12%
Suspension12%
Brakes12%
Electrical System12%

Does the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche have recalls?

3 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

21V051000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 284,645 units

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, 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.

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 mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

21V054000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 units

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 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.

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 mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

14V827000Electrical SystemDecember 30, 2014 · 84,192 units

Defect

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

Consequence

If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

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 to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“MY DASHBOARD HAS BEEN GETTING CRACKS IN IT FOR YEARS AND I AM AFRAID THAT IT WILL EFFECT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IF I EVER HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS. ALSO I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES BREAKING AND COMING OFF. AS OF THIS MOMENT I WILL NEVER BUY…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · November 20, 2018

“THE STEERING WHEEL IS DIFFICULT TO TURN OR CONTROL, WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP ALLEGEDLY FIX THE PROBLEM, WE HAD CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING (CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEEL) AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO JUMP OR SKIP GEARS, CAUSING THE…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · June 16, 2014 · crash

“I'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH WHEEL CORROSION. I REPORTED THIS TO GM IN NOVEMBER 2013. THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ON APRIL 24, WHILE TRAVELING OUT OF STATE, MY WHEEL SENSOR WENT OFF INDICATING LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I PULLED INTO A GARAGE. THEY INFORMED ME THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE WHEEL WAS…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Tires & Wheels · April 24, 2014

“THE STEERING WHEEL IS DIFFICULT TO TURN OR CONTROL, WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP ALLEGEDLY FIX THE PROBLEM, WE HAD CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING (CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEEL) AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO JUMP OR SKIP GEARS, CAUSING THE…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · June 16, 2014 · crash

“THE ENGINE FAILS TO START SOME TIMES, THIS HAPPEN 2 TO 3 TIME A MONTH THE ENGINE CRANK OK VOLT ON BATTERY DROPS TO 10.5 VOLTS, INSTALLED NEW BATTERY, NO HELP. AFTER SETTING FOR 15 TO 20 MIN. IT WILL START, NO CHECK ENG. LITE NO CODE SET IN COMPUTER. CHEV DEALER SAID CANNOT HELP UNLESS IT HAPPEN AT…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · January 18, 2012

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche — common questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 43 complaints put the 2012 model at #11 of 15 Avalanche years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Avalanche years to avoid.

What are the most common 2012 Avalanche problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are other (17 complaints), airbags (6 complaints), tires & wheels (3 complaints).

Does the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns affecting the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Chevrolet Avalanche years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Avalanche years to avoid are 2002, 2007, 2008, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2010, 2013, 2009, 2012. The cleanest record among Avalanche years belongs to 1999.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.