2012 Chevrolet Colorado Problems, Recalls & Reliability
60 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 9/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 85,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Colorado years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 43 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 43,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 32,000 and 85,356 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
1,315 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Colorado TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?
The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado drew 60 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 9/100, scored against the model's worst year (2016).
What are the most common 2012 Chevrolet Colorado problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado are engine (12 complaints), electrical (10), and airbags (9).
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Colorado problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Chevrolet Colorado problems around 43,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 32,000 and 85,356 miles.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.