2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Engine Problems

NHTSA component category: ENGINE · data through 07/14/2026

25Engine complaints

11.6%Of all 215 complaints

#4Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How engine ranks on this vehicle

Unspecified / other73 · 34%

AIR BAGS58 · 27%

STRUCTURE:BODY28 · 13%

ENGINE25 · 11.6%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM20 · 9.3%

Share of the 215 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 overview page.

What owners report

“WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AND ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN SCANNED CODE CAME UP FOR LOW OIL PRESSURE. CHECKED OIL LEVELS AND THERE…”NHTSA complaint 11328116 — filed 06/10/2020

“OIL PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR ALARMED, STATING SHUT ENGINE OFF IMMEDIATELY! WENT REPAIR SHOP CLOSE TO HOME, A DIAGNOSING TEST SHOWED NO CODES AT ALL. A…”NHTSA complaint 11311173 — filed 02/24/2020

“I WAS DRIVING ON A CURVY ROAD RUNNING 45 MILES AN HOUR AND SUDDENLY MY MOTOR STARTED KNOCKING HAS 95,000 MILES ON IT.”NHTSA complaint 11287536 — filed 12/06/2019

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Engine complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have engine problems?

Engine is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 25 of 215 complaints on file (11.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have in total?

215 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 6 involved a crash, 1 involved a fire, 6 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's engine category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ENGINE category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.