Model year record

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls & problems

The 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche has 3 safety recalls and 36 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is unknown or other (17 complaints).

Recalls3safety recalls

Complaints36filed by owners

Crashes · fires2 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths2 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Air bagsFeb 5, 2021

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 21V051000284,645 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

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

Air bagsFeb 5, 2021

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 21V0540001,778,128 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

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

Electrical systemDec 30, 2014

Ignition

Recall 14V82700084,192 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche SUV 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	21.2%

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche SUV RWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	22.8%

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Unknown or other	17	0	0	48,163 mi
Air bags	6	1	1	38,900 mi
Power train	3	2	2	34,000 mi
Engine	3	0	0	—
Vehicle speed control	2	0	0	—
StructureBody	2	0	0	—
Steering	2	1	1	—
Wheels	2	0	0	—
TiresTread/belt	1	0	0	—
Service brakes	1	0	0	—
Exterior lighting	1	0	0	—
Electrical system	1	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Suspension
Rear control arms were rusted out and fell off the frame. Additionally with that happening the rear drive shaft was pulled out from transmission and could cause a vehicle to flip. Upon further investigation body frame was extremely rusted for a truck this age. 85450 mes on it.
May 4, 2024
Vehicle speed control
The vehicle is displaying error messages Reduced Engine Power, Service Stabilitrak, Service Traction Control. It also has the related service indicator lights for the Stabilitrak, the Traction Control, and the Check Engine Light is on. There is a service bulletin for this issue that only addresses the 2008-2011 model years, my vehicle is a 2012 and thus not included in the current bulletin and should be added to the covered vehicle list. #11-06-04-007B : Diagnosis and Repair - Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated, Reduced Power Message Displayed, DTC P2135 Set - (April 16, 2012)
Sep 10, 2022
Unknown or other
There is a problem with GM vehicles developing cracked dashboards including my own. The cracks are happening around/above the instrument cluster and more importantly, around the airbag. I am concerned that the defected dashboard would cause some sort of airbag puncture if it were deployed causing serious injury. Should someone get killed or seriously injured before this matter is taken into consideration. I own a 2012 Chevy Avalanche. I have developed the same cracks just as so many other GM vehicle owners.
Jan 5, 2020
Air bags
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was updated and now displayed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The failure recurred. The vehicle then was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that a senior adviser would reach out him for further assistance however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 171,000
Aug 2, 2021 · 171,000 miles
Electrical system
TRAILER BRAKE WARNING IS SHOWING ON DASH. NOTED THERE IS A RECALL BULLETIN #14515B ISSUED RELATING TO THIS ISSUE AND NOT SURE WHY MY SERIAL NUMBER IS NOT FOUND IN THIS RECALL?
Aug 21, 2020
Unknown or other
SEVERELY CRACKED DASHBOARD. THIS HAPPENED BOTH WHEN STATIONARY AND MOVING. PURCHASED THIS TRUCK JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. HAD CRACKED DASHBOARD. PREVIOUS OWNER SAID IT HAD BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS. FIGURED IT WOULD NOT COST MUCH TO FIX/REPLACE. TOOK IT TO BODY SHOP THIS MORNING. NO WAY THEIR PRICE IS WITHIN MY BUDGET. CRACK CAUSES CONSTANT RATTLING AND IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING. FRIENDS HAVE LOOKED AT THE TRUCK SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND ARE REALLY IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE ADVANTAGES IT HAS TO OFFER. HOWEVER THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES WHEN THEY SEE THE DASHBOARD MAKES ME WISH I HAD NEVER PURCHASED THIS TRUCK. I WOULD LOVE TO SAY I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TRUCK TO OTHERS WHO ARE PURCHASING A USED VEHICLE BUT THAT…
Jan 1, 2008 · 50,000 miles
Exterior lighting
I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ONE OF MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS BURNED OUT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO INSPECT THE LIGHTS BECAUSE THEY ONLY COME ON IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN PARK. I CALLED DEALER TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO HAVE THEM COME ON WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION IN GEAR. THE DEALER SAID TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE, PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN GEAR, AND GET OUT TO LOOK AT THE LIGHTS (OR HAVE A SECOND PERSON LOOK AT THEM, WHICH IS NOT PRACTICAL FOR ME). THIS SOUNDS LIKE A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. THERE SHOULD BE A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS. MY OLD 2007 AVALANCHE WOULD HAVE THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS ON WHEN IN PARK.
Mar 11, 2020 · 80,000 miles
Engine
MY 2012 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 5.3L ENGINE HAS STARTED A OIL CONSUMPTION LOSS. THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED OCT. 30TH 2013 TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM! WHAT I'VE READ IS THAT WHERE THE CYLINDERS DEACTIVATE TO HELP FUEL ECONOMY AFTER TIME THOSE PISTONS GET DAMAGED FROM NOT HAVING FUEL OR FIRE ON THEM AND ITDAMAGES PISTONS AND CAUSES OIL CONSUMPTION. IN THE PAST FEW DAYS I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE 5 PEOPLE I KNOW WITH THE SAME ISSUE. LOOKING ON LINE THERE APPEARS TO BE CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THIS ISSUE. GM/CHEVROLET KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BUT REFUSE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS AND I'M SURE NEVER WILL BE…
Nov 1, 2019

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
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…
EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021