2012 Chevrolet Colorado: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
35%
11 of 31 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
35% of relevant owner complaints on the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 61% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 11 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 26%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,ENGINE10/19/2015CRASH2 INJURED
WAS TRAVELING SOUTH GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ON A GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING NORTH IN A LEFT TURN YIELD ON GREEN, WHEN THE DESIGNATED GREEN ARROW IS NOT ILLUMINATED, TURNED IN FRONT OF ME AND WE COLLIDED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON EITHER SIDE. DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER IN VEHICLE TRA…
ENGINE07/28/2026
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 …
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM06/25/2025
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 simil…
Three of 11 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
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 FA…
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 faili…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
