Reliable Auto DB

2012 Chevrolet Colorado reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado has 42 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 5 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 11 Colorado years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Front.

2012 Chevrolet Colorado
Photo by RL GNZLZ, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0
Complaints

42

Per year

5

Recalls

2

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (9 of 42), then Electrical system (8) and Engine (8). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2015

The 2015 Colorado has 491 complaints, 28 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2012-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 12V594000
Summary General Motors is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured from November 9, 2009, through August 28, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 113, "Hood Latch System." The hood may be missing the secondary hood latch.
Remedy General Motors will notify owners and instruct them to inspect their vehicle for the presence of a secondary hood latch. Dealers will replace the hood on any affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC at 1-866-996-9463.
Recall seat belts, front 2011-11-17 · NHTSA campaign 11V552000
Summary GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET COLORADO AND GMC CANYON VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 9, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 19, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH DRIVER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TERMINALS THAT DO NOT FIT SNUGLY WITH THE CONNECTOR PINS, CAUSING THE CONNECTION TO BE INTERMITTENT.
Remedy GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TERMINALS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 7, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.

Complaints by component (42 total)

Air bags
9
Electrical system
8
Engine
8
Service brakes
7
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
Steering
5
Engine and engine cooling
4
Structure
3
Exterior lighting
2
Powertrain
2
Suspension
2
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Seat belts
1
Speed control
1
Show 6 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

62012320135201432015520161201732018520193202032021320221202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. While the contact’s husband was driving into the driveway at the residence, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was parked, and the hood was…"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-28
  • "Regarding a fuel leak on my 2012 Chevrolet Colorado WT, caused by severe corrosion of the in-tank fuel pump module. This issue is of great concern, as it poses a potential fire hazard due to fuel spray near the exhaust…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-06-25
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the driver’s side subframe had fractured due to rust and corrosion. The contact indicated that the…"
    Structure · filed 2022-12-09
  • "The hub assembly came apart while driving which disabled the steering of the vehicle. We have replaced the hub assemblies 5 times in the last year, due to faulty design of the parts, and were well aware there could be…"
    Steering, Suspension · filed 2022-02-10
  • "That truck started on fire. Burnt up. Total . It started on the front passenger side near the motor where the ground plug is located. It had drizzled that day and the ground plug is not water proof. Burnt down a huge…"
    Electrical system · filed 2022-01-19

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Chevrolet Colorado PU/CC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Chevrolet Colorado PU/CC RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Chevrolet Colorado PU/EC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Chevrolet Colorado PU/EC RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Chevrolet Colorado PU/RC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Chevrolet Colorado PU/RC RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Colorado two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3100
Colorado two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 20 16 MPG $4050
Colorado two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Colorado two-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Colorado four-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 17 23 20 MPG $3250
Colorado four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $4050
Colorado four-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $3400
Colorado four-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Four-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250
Colorado Cab Chassis inc two-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 20 17 MPG $3800
Colorado Cab Chassis inc four-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Colorado Crew Cab two-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Colorado Crew Cab two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 20 16 MPG $4050
Colorado Crew Cab two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3100
Colorado Crew Cab two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Colorado Crew Cab four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $4050
Colorado Crew Cab four-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600

Specs and fitment

GMT355 (final US years), 2012–2014
Body styles Pickup truck
Oil 5W-30 (2.9L, 3.7L, and 5.3L where equipped) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/75R16 to 265/60R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 11V-552 covers certain 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles that do not comply with FMVSS 208 occupant crash protection requirements related to driver safety belt buckle electrical connector terminals. Recall 12V-594 covers certain 2010-2012 Colorado and Canyon vehicles that may be missing the secondary hood latch required by FMVSS 113.

Compare

Next year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado See every Chevrolet Colorado model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?

The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado has 42 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 5 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 11 Colorado years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Front.

What are common problems with a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (9 of 42), then Electrical system (8) and Engine (8). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Colorado has 491 complaints, 28 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015.

Has the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado been recalled?

The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?

Owners have filed 42 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado is 18.6 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did the Chevrolet Colorado return to the US market?

The mid-size Colorado relaunched in the US for the 2015 model year after a gap in the early 2010s catalog years.

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Colorado use?

5W-30 (2.9L, 3.7L, and 5.3L where equipped)

What does NHTSA recall 11V-552 cover on the Chevrolet Colorado?

Recall 11V-552 covers certain 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles that do not comply with FMVSS 208 occupant crash protection requirements related to driver safety belt buckle electrical connector terminals.