Reliable Auto DB

2012 GMC Canyon reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 GMC Canyon holds 23 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Canyon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Front.

2012 GMC Canyon
Photo by 42-BRT, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

23

Per year

1

Recalls

2

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (9 of 23), then Air bags (2) and Electronic stability control (ESC) (2). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Canyon has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

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 GMC Canyon. 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 (23 total)

Electrical system
9
Air bags
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Service brakes
2
Steering
2
Suspension
2
Engine
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Exterior lighting
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Powertrain
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201222014320153201642018220192202022022120232202412025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Seatbelt light for the front driver continues to turn on even when buckled in and will ding to notify that it’s not buckled despite it buckled in. This is a safety issue as the airbag light also remains on because of it."
    Air bags, Seat belts · filed 2025-09-20
  • "The contact owns a 2012 GMC Canyon. The contact noticed that there was wiring appearing from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear sub frame was rusted and cracked. Additionally, the parking…"
    Structure · filed 2024-05-07
  • "On all chevy / canyon models 05 thru 12 there is an issue called "passlock" which prevents the vehicle from starting, it will leave you stranded. The failure is the ignition housing with the passlock sensor, not the…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2024-03-03
  • "Within past year, 2022 to present vehicle will on average 4-5 times a month fail to start. Key in ignition, to accessory mode than fail to turn over. All indicator lamps on dash display. Door chime sounds. Nothing to…"
    Electrical system · filed 2023-01-23
  • "The Passcode Anti-theft system randomly triggers when attempting to start the vehicle. When it triggers, the vehicle cannot be started for at least 10 minutes. I have had this system trigger multiple times at home, at…"
    Electrical system · filed 2022-08-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 GMC Canyon PU/CC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 GMC Canyon PU/CC RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 GMC Canyon PU/EC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 GMC Canyon PU/EC RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 GMC Canyon PU/RC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 GMC Canyon 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
Canyon two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3100
Canyon two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 20 16 MPG $4050
Canyon two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Canyon two-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Canyon four-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Canyon four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $4050
Canyon four-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Four-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250
Canyon four-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 17 23 20 MPG $3250
Canyon Cab Chassis Inc two-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 20 17 MPG $3800
Canyon Cab Chassis Inc four-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Canyon Crew Cab two-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Canyon Crew Cab two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3100
Canyon Crew Cab two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 20 16 MPG $4050
Canyon Crew Cab two-wheel drive 2.9L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Canyon Crew Cab four-wheel drive 3.7L, 5-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Canyon Crew Cab four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $4050

Specs and fitment

1st generation (GMT355), 2012–2012
Body styles Pickup
Oil dexos1 5W-30 (4-cylinder/V6 per manual) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/75R16, 215/70R16, 265/70R17, 235/50R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 7,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 12V594000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. If the primary hood latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly. During vehicle operation, this could obstruct the view of the driver and increase the risk of a crash. 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. When NHTSA lists multiple GM nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

See every GMC Canyon model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 GMC Canyon reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 GMC Canyon holds 23 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Canyon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Front.

What are common problems with a 2012 GMC Canyon?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (9 of 23), then Air bags (2) and Electronic stability control (ESC) (2). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2012 GMC Canyon more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Canyon has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 GMC Canyon been recalled?

The 2012 GMC Canyon 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 GMC Canyon?

Owners have filed 23 complaints about the 2012 GMC Canyon with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 GMC Canyon get?

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

What engine oil does a GMC Canyon use?

US Canyon manuals specify dexos-approved oil for your engine in the maintenance schedule.

What generation is the 2024 GMC Canyon?

3rd generation (2023-on).

What tire sizes does a GMC Canyon use?

Sizes vary widely by generation and trim; third-gen examples include 265/65R18, 275/60R20, and 285/70R17.