Home › Cars › Chevrolet › Suburban › 2012
2012 Chevrolet Suburban problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 22% of relevant complaints.
Better than 83% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 25 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 17%).
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have engine or transmission problems?
Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 17 of 76 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (22%). For comparison, the 2011 scores 19% and the 2013 scores 23%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
How the 2012 compares with other Chevrolet Suburban years
Of the 14 Chevrolet Suburban years with enough complaints to score, the 2012 is the 4th-best on engine and transmission share (22%). The worst is the 2019 (78%), the best the 2010 (13%). By volume, the 2012 drew 101 complaints (17 drivetrain), against 235 for the 2011 and 118 for the 2013.
Chevrolet Suburban years to avoid and best years →
2010 Suburban problems · 2011 Suburban problems · 2012 · 2013 Suburban problems · 2014 Suburban problems · 2015 Suburban problems · 2016 Suburban problems · 2017 Suburban problems · 2018 Suburban problems · 2019 Suburban problems · 2020 Suburban problems · 2021 Suburban problems · 2022 Suburban problems · 2023 Suburban problems
The rest of the picture on the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban
- Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
- What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
- Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.
What one owner reported
One of 17 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
2012 Chevrolet Suburban engine and transmission recalls
No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.
4 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.
Checking one particular 2012 Chevrolet Suburban? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.
Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.Questions people ask about the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have engine or transmission problems?
Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 17 of 76 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (22%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban?
Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban is air bags: 25 of 101 complaints (25%) name it, followed by structure (23) and engine (12). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 22% of the relevant total.
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 22% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 83% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 Chevrolet Suburban years we score, it ranks 4th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban?
No. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.
Which Chevrolet Suburban years are better?
Among the Chevrolet Suburban years we track, the 2010 (13%), the 2011 (19%) and the 2014 (20%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2012 (22%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/chevrolet-suburban
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.