There are 4 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Silveradoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
EFM ISSUE: LIFE-TIME CHEVY SILVERADO OWNER, CURRENTLY OWN 2003 & 2012 1500 SILVERADO 1/2 TONS. EVER SINCE GM STARTED USING EFM CHIPS, FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THE ENGINE WILL LOSE SEVERAL QUARTS OF OIL FOR NO REASON. WITHOUT WARNING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. PULL-OVER & CHECK THE OIL LEVEL. ON EVERY OCCASION, (SEVERAL INCIDENTS NOW), MUCH TO MY SURPRISE THE OIL LEVEL BARELY REGISTERS ON THE DIP STICK. WHERE DID 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL GO? YESTERDAY THE OIL LEVEL WAS FULL, TODAY THE OIL LEVEL IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT - WITHOUT A DROP OF OIL LEAKING ANYWHERE? I NOW HAVE TO CARRY 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO JUST IN CASE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. GM SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL. WARNING: IF YOU DRIVE A CHEVY YOU BETTER KEEP 4 QUARTS OF OIL WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES IN THE EVENT THIS HAPPENS TO YOU. NOT IMMEDIATELY PULLING-OVER & FILLING THE OIL LEVEL BACK TO PROPER LEVEL MAY DESTROY YOUR ENGINE. FIX THIS EFM ISSUE > LOSS OF OIL, AS IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND STILL PERSISTS AFTER 2 COMPLETE MODEL CHANGEOVERS. THIS MAJOR MALFUNCTION IS THE RESULT OF THE EFM SYSTEM DUMPING THE OIL INTO THE EXHAUST & THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BURNING IT AWAY. THAT IS THE ONLY PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR LOSING SO MUCH OIL WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT A DROP OF OIL BEING FOUND ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE ENGINE OR UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR CHASSIS. *TR
DRIVING SLOW ON WET GRAVEL ROAD AND A LARGE CLOUD ORF WHITE SMOKE AND FLAMES ERUPTED FROM DRIVERS SIDE OF HOOD. STOPPED AND GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM BEHIND DRIVERS SEAT AND ATTEMPTED TO OPEN HOOD WITH HOOD RELEASE BUT HOOD WOULD NOT OPEN. ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT FIRE THRU DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL WELL BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. CALLED 911. ENTIRE CAB AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS CONSUMED BY THE TIME 911 ARRIVED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE IDLED IRREGULARLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT PISTON NUMBER 7 WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,496 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 03/28/13*LJ ON 01/11/13, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CLOSER A DEALERSHIP AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND FOUND CODE P0300 MISFIRE #7 CYLINDER (0322-6579). THEY INSTALLED A NEW PLUG IN # 7 CYLINDER AND INSTALLED A NEW VALVE COVER AND PERFORMED AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. THE TRUCK STARED RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN, SO THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER ON 01/23/13. THEY REMOVED AND REPLACED A PISTON, AND REPLACED THE VALVE STEM SEALS. THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON 01/30/13
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 05/21/2013 *JS
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026