2012 Chevrolet Suburban recalls

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. Between them they involve air bags, electrical system and steering. The most recent was received on February 5, 2021.

February 5, 2021Air bags

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA campaign 21V-054 · 1,778,128 vehicles potentially affected · Air bags

The 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…

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

The 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…
February 5, 2021Air bags

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA campaign 21V-051 · 284,645 vehicles potentially affected · Air bags

The 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…

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

The 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.
December 30, 2014Electrical system

Ignition Lock Actuator may Bind

NHTSA campaign 14V-827 · 84,192 vehicles potentially affected · Electrical system

The 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.

The 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.

The 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.
March 22, 2012Steering

Steering gear pitman shaft

NHTSA campaign 12V-112 · 6,159 vehicles potentially affected · Steering

The defect: General motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 chevrolet express and suburban vehicles, and GMC savana and yukon xl heavy duty vehicles. The steering gear pitman shaft may not have been adequately hardened and could fracture.

The risk: If this condition occurs, a loss of steering could result, increasing the risk of a crash.

The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering gear and, if necessary, replace the steering gear pitman shaft. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on april 4, 2012.

Check by VIN

A campaign rarely covers every Suburban built in 2012. Enter your 17-character VIN to find the recall campaigns filed for your make, model and model year. The VIN is on the driver’s side of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the door-jamb label, and on your registration and insurance documents.

Is a recall still open on your vehicle? Only NHTSA’s official VIN check can say whether a campaign applies to your exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been done.

Your VIN is decoded with NHTSA’s public vPIC service to identify the make, model and year. It is not stored and is not added to any page address.

What 2012 Chevrolet Suburban owners should do

Check your VIN on NHTSA’s lookup to see which of these campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether any are still open.
Call a Chevrolet dealer and book the repair, quoting the campaign numbers (21V-054, 21V-051, 14V-827, 12V-112).
If you have bought the vehicle used, the recall still applies: the repair is free whoever owns the vehicle now.
Make sure your current address is on file with the manufacturer so the owner letters reach you.

Other Chevrolet Suburban model years

Common questions

Does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 4 campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban: 21V-054 (Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode); 21V-051 (Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode); 14V-827 (Ignition Lock Actuator may Bind); 12V-112 (Steering gear pitman shaft).

How do I know if my 2012 Chevrolet Suburban has an open recall?

Enter your VIN in NHTSA’s recall lookup. Most campaigns cover only part of a model year’s production, and the lookup also shows whether the repair has already been done on your vehicle.

Will the dealer charge to fix the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban?

No. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge by Chevrolet dealers. Quote the NHTSA campaign number when you book.