Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
16–21 mpgcombined; city 14–18, highway 19–25; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470–$20,300U.S. average; Ohio $13,820–$18,140 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Colorado. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Colorado. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
9
0
0
0
Electrical system
8
0
1
0
Engine
8
1
1
2
Service brakes
7
1
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
0
0
0
Steering
5
1
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Structure
3
2
0
2
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Power train
2
1
0
2
Suspension
2
1
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
3 more parts
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Colorado over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: 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.
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.
Risk: THE LOOSE CONNECTIONS MAY CAUSE THE DRIVER TO NOT RECEIVE A VISUAL OR AUDIBLE WARNING THAT THE DRIVER SEAT BELT IS NOT FASTENED, THEREBY INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,317 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Colorado, the latest on Sep 4, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (592), electrical system (244), engine and engine cooling (143), power train (106), engine (102).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Colorado.
See used 2012 Chevrolet Colorados for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small pickup trucks. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 21
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 23 / 20
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 23 / 19
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 16
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 21
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 23 / 19
Colorado Crew 4-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 21 / 18
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 16
Colorado Crew 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Colorado inc 4-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 21 / 18
Colorado inc Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data