2012 Chevrolet Colorado Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

2016 2015 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
14 -16 City / 19 -21 HWY
Source FuelEconomy.gov
Horsepower
242 -300
Seats
2 -6
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Dave C
It has stick shift, roll down windows, and manual door locks.
Cheap good gas mileage haul stuff has enough power for what I need, no problems with it. Does good in the rain and snow.
accountCircle Ryan H
Great truck that can go anywhere.
Easy to drive. Very reliable and is 4x4 and can go anywhere. Confusing seats. I wish I could tow more with it but other than that I would highly recommend it. I have a camper and grill guard on it. I also added a touch screen DVD player and weathertech floor mats...
accountCircle Jonathan P
2012 Chevrolet Colorado truck.
My vehicle is reliable and comfortable with a good towing capacity. It is great for long road trips and gets very good gas mileage. The truck bed is long enough to handle most loads anyone would need to transport, while still allowing good towing capacity.
accountCircle wayne a
Very roomy,great ride,very dependable not a single problem
Never a single problem,drives great,great miles per gallon good for a four wheel drive truck.Has been trouble free
accountCircle Kc F
Reliable 4wd midsize pickup truck.
Four wheel drive works great in all weather and conditions, especially snow, pickup bed is small but adequate to transport most furniture and recreational toys, interior large enough to comfortably seat four, gas mileage adequate for a truck, no problems other than routine maintenance required in the fifty thousand miles I have put on the vehicle, just under one hundred thousand miles on it currently.
accountCircle Gemma D
How to handle.this kind of car / truck...this is a big truck.
The only problem that i encounter here is always poop up engine heat or engine cold', I think just need to change the thermostat, other that everything is good, not putting you down in the road..the tires , the motor , machine and everything is.okay.. Good service for everyday..especially when your working place is in the mountains or high places.
accountCircle Lori H
2012 Chevy Colorado is a great little truck
Good little truck but whoever thought to make the coating of the wiring out of soybean oil should be fired. Chipmunks love it.
accountCircle Courtney S
7 years later, and it still feels like the day I brought it home!
I bought my vehicle used, and it has been reliable ever since. I have only had to change the brakes once and oil change and brake fluid change is regular maintenance. I have over 100,000 miles on it after 7 years, I have taken multiple trips across the country with it, and the gas mileage is not as bad as people would think when it comes to trucks. Since it is not a full-size truck, it is a little bit more lightweight, but still has plenty of room in the bed, easy to parallel park or park in general, and it has four doors and 4 wheel Dr. Which makes it perfect for carrying more passengers, loading up more items, and driving through different weather conditions. I did change the radio out, but it came with a standard CD player, ability to change the radio and your normal hot and cold settings. One thing I do like extra about the temperature settings is a button you can press with a snowflake on it to make it much colder when you want air-conditioning. The cruise control is easy to use and also a big plus!

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle John H
That it does not do well in wet and cold weather conditions.
I like the fuel efficiency that it offers. I dislike the size of the vehicle. I am not too fond of the style of the vehicle.
accountCircle Paul B
Lack of basic comforts and necessities.
The vehicle is fairly low maintenance, but the windows are manual and rolling them up or down is both monotonous and tiring. The vehicle also lacks a CD player or mp3 input. It is also quite cramped as the middle seat is incredibly narrow and does not allow for much elbow room.
accountCircle David N
Its serviceable, but costly do the reairps it will need every now and then
Normal sized vehicle. But not very durable. The headlights seem go out often. There problems with AC and tires.
accountCircle Pheobe R
My vehicles a beautiful green color.
So far I haven't had any problems and I have had it for a few years commuting back and forth from my work which is a 30 minute commute. It runs great and it is so much fun to drive. Overall a very reliable vehicle. I have always loved Chevys they're such reliable vehicles.
accountCircle Kerrin T
It's good to use for work but also can be used for fun too.
I like trucks. I like to go mudding. It's easy to customize.
accountCircle B M
It's a think to get me from here to there
I like it being a truck. And that it has room in the cab. I like the manual locks and windows. Wish it was manual transmission. Don't need the onstar service, wish I could've had it not installed
accountCircle Jennifer L
During the winter time, it drives horrible in the snow.
Performance is really good and haven't had problems with the Colorado. During the winter, it's horrible in snow and I don't feel safe when driving.
accountCircle Wyatt N
Great value smaller truck.
It is great for an older truck. It is a bit small. I wish I had gotten a Silverado but this was more in my price range. Even though it is a smaller truck it is comfortable on the inside. I feel it is a good value for the money. Still runs great even with higher mileage. Body looks good no rust or wear.

Chevrolet Colorado Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
Work Truck
242 HP 18 MPG 2-3 Seats
car
LT w/3LT
300 HP 16 MPG 5 Seats
car
LT w/1LT
242 HP 16-18 MPG 6 Seats
car
LT w/2LT
242-300 HP 16-18 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2012 Chevrolet Colorado Owner Reviews

4.19
74 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 43%
4 stars 36%
3 stars 16%
2 stars 4%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Jerry G. on August 9, 2021
2-time owner, 2006 and this 2012 2wd Reg. Cab
This is my second Colorado I've owned now, I traded in my 2006 this year back in Jan for my 2012 Colly. (2wd Reg Cab, 2.9L 4-cyl. W/ 5-speed manual) While my 2006 certainly had a few minor electrical issues to deal with, (PCM dying, ground packs not making connection, MAP wiring) my 2012 has been pretty rock solid so far with 64k on the clock to date.(only had to replace the A/C air re-circulation flap motor) I know this little truck backwards and forwards mechanically, it's pretty easy to work on IMHO and parts are cheap. With even more HP than my 2006, old school Silvy looks, great fuel economy for a truck, hauls everything I need it to and fun to drive manual trans, I love this little truck! ^_^ b Looking forward to another 10-12 years with my 2012 Colly!
accountCircle Michael W on May 3, 2021
Great work and home pleasant truck, smart and gentle truck to handle.
My vehicle just have some of the basic maintenance problems, I love how my chevrolet truck performs. With over 135,000 miles it still performs really good. It have a great hauling bed, and the engine has service me well. Good horsepower for a truck in this class,i know if I buy another truck it will be an chevrolet.
View All Reviews (74) chevronRightAlternative

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Michael W.

The Colorado is a great midsize work truck, if it comes to it the truck can take on some big jobs. The Colorado dose use a lot of gas. The truck back seat is ok, if you are going to use the back seat for passengers a lot. You may one to get a full sized truck.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Michael W.

The truck is not great on gas, back seating is not go for a lot of passengers use. Some repairs can be very high. Could have a better front console. The truck sometimes have high exterior noise especially going over bumps.

Ranks #5 Compact Pickup Trucks by Owners

The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado has an average owner rating of 4.19 out of 5 which ranks it #5 of 5 other Compact Pickup Trucks.

1
car
2012 Honda Ridgeline
4.67
2
car
2012 Toyota Tacoma
4.66
5
car
2012 Chevrolet Colorado
4.19

Ranks #2 Compact Pickup Trucks by Fuel Economy

The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado has a combined MPG of 21 which ranks it #2 of 5 other Compact Pickup Trucks.

1
Tie
car
2012 Toyota Tacoma
21 MPG
1
Tie
car
2012 Honda Ridgeline
21 MPG
2
car
2012 Chevrolet Colorado
21 MPG

Is The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado A Good Car?

Yes the best I've had! She's lasted on me when she probably shouldn't have. She is stock the only thing I might change is she would have crank windows.
Anne G.
Yes, it is really great to me. I have no issues since I have started using it. Also, great for the price.
Adam A.
It's okay. Had too many problems for the amount of miles on it. A car should be able to last longer without big problems
Rachel L.

How Reliable Is The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?

She has been more than reliable. The only issues I seem to have is with the fuel injection system. The crankshaft camshaft correlation bank is messed up and no one seems to know how to fix it
A'ja B.
It is definitely reliable. I just have to get it tune once otherwise it’s great. I love it and I also tell my family and friends about it.
Dawn W.
Yes. There is something wrong in the engine that my mechanic has not been able to figure out. Will probably end up being something with the wiring
Michele B.

Is The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado A Good Value?

She cost 16 Grand and buy the time I got done paying she cost me nearly thirty. Really I got hailed at the car dealership. But I've worked for one since and I know their tricky ways.
Michelle J.
Since I bought it second hand, it didn't cost me a lot. But it’s a good value for the money that I have paid.
George A.
It was less than 20,000. It was okay value. The gas mileage has gotten a lot worse over time and we have had problems with the air conditioning since early on
Angela K.

Related Articles for 2012 Chevrolet Colorado

From the Vehicle History blog

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Chevrolet Colorado Specs Worth Knowing About
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Chevy Colorado Reliability: Mid-Sized AND Durable?

Frequently Asked Questions

How to change the headlight bulb on a 2012 Chevy Colorado?

Answer: I'm assuming You've already bought the proper headlights for Your 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, so let's switch them in. This isn't going to be too hard. First, pull Your hood release and pop Your engine hood and...

2012 Chevrolet Colorado: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: When equipped with the 2.9-liter engine, the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado takeS4.7 liters (4.97 quarts) of SAE 5W-30 motor oil. The 3.7 - and 5.3-liter engines use 5.7 liters (6.02 quarts) of fluid with the same...

How much oil does the 2012 Chevy Colorado take?

Answer: The 2012 Chevy Colorado uses SAE 5w-30 full synthetic oil. The 2.9l engine has a capacity of 5 quarts while the 3.7l and 5.3l can hold 6 quarts. Oil keeps the internal parts of Your car's engine cool and...
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Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Not Rated

Rollover

Side

Not Rated
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety