There are 7 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Silveradoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFTED INDEPENDENTLY AND VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,361.
MY WIFE PARKED THE TRUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY JUST OUTSIDE OF OUR ATTACHED GARAGE. SHE LEFT THE VEHICLE RUNNING BECAUSE SHE WAS UNLOADING GROCERIES AND HAD ANOTHER ERRAND TO RUN. WHILE SHE WAS INSIDE THE HOUSE THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING. ONE OF OUR CHILDREN THAT WAS OUTSIDE SAW THIS OCCURRING AND STARTED TO SCREAM THAT THE TRUCK WAS MOVING. MY WIFE RAN IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET IN THE VEHICLE AND STOP IT BEFORE IT HIT THE WALL. SHE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE TRUCK CRASHED INTO THE WALL THAT SEPARATES THE GARAGE AND THE FAMILY ROOM CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE WALL AND DOOR THAT LEADS INTO THE HOUSE. MY WIFE STATES THAT WHEN SHE GOT INSIDE THE TRUCK IT WAS STILL IN PARK. THE TRUCK ONLY SUFFERED A SMALL DENT. MY WIFE WAS EXTREMELY SHAKEN UP. I WILL BE TAKING THE TRUCK IN ON MAY 31,2014 TO [XXX] IN MIAMISBURG, OHIO. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
PARKED FACING UPSLOPE. THE TRUCK SLIPPED OUT OF PARK GEAR AND ROLLED DOWNHILL BACKWARDS, KNOCKING OVER OWNER. FINALLY HIT A TREE AND STOPPED. INSURANCE DECLARED IT TOTALED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ERRONEOUSLY SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR, CRASHING INTO HIS GARAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,003.
THIS FAULT HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNING MY 2012 SILVERADO CREW CAB LT EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.3 LITER AND 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. UPON SLOWING TO A STOP, THE TRUCK SURGES AND LUNGES FORWARD AS THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS BETWEEN GEARS, AND IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN TRAVELING UP OR DOWN HILLS. THE FAILURE MODE CAN BE TECHNICALLY DESCRIBED AS THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: 1. SLOWING TO A STOP (COASTING), ENGINE BEGINS RIDING OUT 4TH GEAR (FOR EXAMPLE). 2. APPLY BRAKES; TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS TO 3RD, AND ENGINE RPMS INCREASE TO COMPENSATE FOR DYNAMICS OF SHIFTING. TORQUE CONVERTER IMMEDIATELY ENGAGES THE ENGINE TO THE WHEELS. AS THE ENGINE IS AT A HIGH RPM LEVEL, AN ACCELERATING LOAD IS APPLIED TO THE WHEELS, WHILE BRAKING. 3. THIS CREATES AN UNINTENDED SURGE OF ACCELERATION, WHICH IS THEN ALSO NOTICEABLE THROUGH THE REMAINING GEARS (TRUCK SLOWS, THEN SURGES, SLOWS, THEN SURGES UNTIL COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP). I HAVE ALSO VERIFIED THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT IN THE ONLINE FORUMS, AND MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS FAULT. IN FACT, ONE OF THE DEALERSHIPS ACTUALLY INFORMED ME THAT MANY OF HIS CUSTOMERS GO TO AN AFTERMARKET SHIFT PROGRAM TO AVOID THE ISSUE. I HAVE TRIED THIS, AND IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. EACH TIME THE TRANSMISSION IS EVALUATED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE DAPS (DIGITAL PARAMETERS) ARE "RESET" (ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE SHOPS), AND THE TRUCK DRIVES FANTASTICALLY. HOWEVER, ROUGHLY 10 MILES LATER, IT IS BACK TO EXHIBITING THE EXACT SAME FAILURE MODE. DEALERSHIP HAS TROUBLESHOOT THIS FAULT EXTENSIVELY, AND HAS STATED THAT THIS MODE OF OPERATION IS "NORMAL" - I ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN HOW FORWARD ACCELERATION DURING BRAKING WAS "NORMAL", AND OF COURSE THEY COULD NOT. *TR
WAS DRIVING UP TO THE STOP SIGN. IT FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING HARD. SORTA LIKE JERKING. *TR
HAPPENED DRIVING HOME AFTER BUYING VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD FROM A COMPLETE STOP AS 1ST GEAR WAS BEING ENGAGED. DROVE IT UNTIL BREAK IN PERIOD WAS OVER AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER WERE THE TRANSMISSION BODY AND VALVES WERE REPLACED. NOW GETTING MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS AT A SPEED OF 35-45 MPH. TRANSMISSION DISENGAGES AND I HAVE NO POWER GOING TO THE WHEELS, LIKE IT SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL FOR A 5-10 SECONDS. THIS WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF TRANSMISSION DOES NOT REENGAGE WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. YOU WILL GET REAR ENDED. *TT
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 25, 2026