2012 Chevrolet Colorado: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
42 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Chevrolet Colorado's years to avoid are 2015 (AVOID at 29 on 489 complaints, 356 of them Steering) and the redesigned 2023 and 2024 trucks (46 and 40 on 131 and 121). The years to buy are 2019 to 2022, which score 81, 90, 86 and 89 on 149, 82, 73 and 51 complaints. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: a year the record favours — 42 complaints, score 92/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used mid-size pickups: Colorado, Canyon and Ridgeline years to avoid, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 42 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 3.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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 opened to determine the cause of the failure. The contact’s husband discovered that the serpentine belt had slipped off the pulley because the pulley was fractured. The cause of the failure was not yet de…
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 system. Upon reviewing official documentation, I found that Recall 17V-243 appears to address a similar defect affecting 2004–2012 Colorado and Canyon models with corrosion-prone fuel tank assemblies a…
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 fracture was located by the bed of the truck and the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by a welder who advised that the damaged was too severe to repair and that the subframe needed to b…
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 11V552000 | Seat Belts:Front | 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… |
| 12V594000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a pickup of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags9 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Engine8 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System8 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes7 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Steering5 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc)5 complaints · typical job: Yaw sensor or ESC module replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$660–$1,560
Other Chevrolet Colorado years
Chevrolet Colorado years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (9 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 92/100, computed from 42 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado's most common problem?
9 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado cost to run per year?
About $5,427 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,135 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 17/11/2011. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other pickups of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 42 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 42 NHTSA complaints on record (3.0/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (17.9/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality