ChevroletColorado 4WD2012Overview/chevrolet/colorado-4wd/2012/base/

2012 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2012 Colorado 4WD.

Body TRUCK

The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD is a pickup truck built on a four-wheel-drive platform aimed at buyers who needed light off-road and worksite capability without stepping up to a larger vehicle. Routine maintenance is conventional and accessible, with the engine taking 5 quarts of 5W-30 oil at service intervals—a spec that reflects the truck's straightforward engineering rather than any specialized fluid requirement. From a reliability standpoint, the 2012 model year has drawn 41 owner complaints, with air bags standing out as the dominant problem area, and two recalls have been issued against the vehicle. That profile—moderate overall complaint volume, a clear concentration in the airbag system, and a limited recall footprint—positions the 2012 Colorado 4WD as a workmanlike truck whose occupant-safety electronics, rather than its core mechanicals, are the focal point a researcher should examine.

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 86 · 590 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731172. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 86 · 590 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235-75R16OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731172 alt 12731179
Engine air filter15942429 discontinued
Spark plug12681663 alt 12680072
Front wiper blades88958226 alt 88958228
Serpentine belt19210691 alt 12611636
Thermostat89018168 alt 12561155

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length207.1 in
Overall width68.5 in
Overall height63.8 in
Wheelbase126 in
Curb weight3752 lb
Track (front / rear)59.8 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, SYNTHETIC · 75W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSYNTHETIC · 75W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.5 qt
Engine Oil5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt
Engine Oil5W-30

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.3 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts8.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)56.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket92.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle63.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket63.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub191 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-5-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-3-5-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.45 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity4.00 oz
RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.45 lbs
Oil GroupPAG

Service checks

Pressure Test20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief20 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature194-225 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket47 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle133 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Drum Runout Limit0.006 in
Drum Maximum Machining11.673 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.002 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.141 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1110 ft. lbs., step 2: 150 ft. lbs., step 3: 180110 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1110 ft. lbs., step 2: 150 ft. lbs., step 3: 180110 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miEmission Control System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD lead in one area — the air bags, 8 of 41 reports (20%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 2 recall campaigns target the air bags, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 3 of the reports describe a crash and 2 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1317
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
41
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 41 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags8
Electrical System4
Service Brakes4
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)3
Steering,Suspension2
Electrical System,Engine2
Engine2
Engine & Engine Cooling,Engine2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

11V552000Seat Belts:FrontReported 17/11/2011

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… 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…

12V594000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:LatchReported 19/12/2012

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… 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1317 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Colorado 4WD. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2012 Colorado 4WD take?

5 qt of 5W-30 MEETING GM DEXOS 1 SPECIFICATION, per the factory manual.

Does the 2012 Colorado 4WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.