2012 GMC Canyon Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Darrel In A J on March 27, 2023

I bought this truck new, mfg Mar 2012. It was still on the dealer lot Feb 2013, only 50 miles on it. A few minor repairs, had to replace the in dash entertainment unit due to burnt out bulbs, also having burnt out dash bulbs, headlight switch, drivers door switch panel / cluster. A few minor bugs during the first 30,000 but under warranty so not a cost issue. The " soft brake pedal " issue was resolved very early on by having the dealer replace the master cylinder. The only real problem is the " Passlock " security issue, once in a great while the truck will not start, somehow " it thinks " it has been tampered with / broken into, the small red car / lock dash light will be on, the indicator is on the right / bottom of the speed indicator. If you turn the key on, then off and wait 10 minuets then it starts fine, this has happened even while parked in the garage overnight, so I know for sure the vehicle has not been tampered with. This is a known GMC defect if you search on the internet and a forced recall should be done about it. The truck has a very nice and smooth ride, the 5 cylinder has plenty of power, highways and mountain roads are no issues at all, when I did replace the tires I purchased a premium 80,000 mile for a better and smooth ride, I still have the original shocks on it I now have 150000 miles on it, I follow the maintenance suggestions closely, well taken care of, I always get looks and complements where ever I go. The dealer I purchased from sucks ( Earnhart ) so I have to use another GMC dealer, and GM / GMC corporate was no help either, customer support sucks. Overall if you have one of these older Canyons or Colorados and you drive it normally and follow the maintenance you should get a long life from it, I use a premium oil and filter, change the air filter every 10,000 and keep up with the other fluids, I still have the original brakes on it, using a good / high cost premium wax every year and a light touch up every six months has kept it looking like new. The new and overhauled 2015 models seem nice, I may look at those if I ever need to replace this one.

WhiteHobo on November 26, 2022

Well I bought a 1year old 2012 4 door with the inline 5 it had just about 16k on the dash when I took it home and this truck has been worth every penny that I spent in it . I've had No major issues with it other than I had to put a water pump on it and basic maintenance. It's a smaller truck, but I can put my whole family in it with all of my grandsons toys and his car seat and we all are comfy. The truck cleans up really nice and I still get occasional compliments on how nice it Looks So if your looking for a smaller truck with a smaller price tag then give the ol' Canyon a shot.

KiltedTailor on March 13, 2020

Ok Readers looking for a used GMC Canyon truck, read on. I bought this 04 door SLE model used. It has a towing package and a chrome upgrade, and the odd 05 cylinder engine. I have had it 04 years, and just now replaced the traction control components. That is all the 'big work' of repairs its needed. Its a good size, very useful, and rides well. It does seem to 'list to port' a bit on level ground, reasons unknown, but common for the brand. I have ZERO complaints of it. It is far and away better than the Scion Xb I used to drive!

Cj on October 8, 2019

Great size and met our needs for hauling a trailer. Perfect for our family and out door sports events. Good on gas mileage and east to drive

Richard on January 17, 2019

Last two trucks were Chevy put 327,000 on one. 190000 on the other. Hope to have the same luck with the GMC Canyon love the four doors

Dennis T. on December 19, 2018

I have 172,000 miles on it; I have owned it for 6.5 years. I still have the original brakes on it. I get 25-26 mpg highway. I got 137,000 mile on tires that are rated for 60,000 miles. It has 2.9L 4 cylinder engine. It’s a great truck to drive on highway, and It got a lot of highway miles on it. I use for work, and I put about 600 miles on it per week.

Rasmus Kimball on October 13, 2018

I've owned both a Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. Both with the 3.7 Inline 5. They're fun trucks. Very reliable. Can't imagine how fun the V8 model is.

Fixer on May 28, 2018

Car was loaded with options at last 2012 run. Has a lot of accessories. Has H3 5L engine. Back seats are tight. It came with GMC bed liner.

Foxwalker on July 15, 2016

My wife and I were longing to return to owning a truck again, but living in Norther Virginia and having to drive into DC, and park in Garages kinda crushed the idea of a 2500 diesel. I must say, for what it is, what it cost, I love it! I love that the interior is not covered in fake wood, there is no multimedia screen, and that it sounds/rides like a small truck should. Spending weekends hauling 1k lbs of rock, and seeing no issue at all. We just took a short road trip on it and without a bed cover we were able to get 27mpg...WOW...say what you want about the I5 engine, but I really like it. For a "city truck" as my wife calls it, It is awesome. The cruise control is solid. Now, like my wife's prior truck, this thing does not like being started up and driven immediately, in fact I would say a minute of idling is what I do, otherwise you are dealing with a rough sound for a short time as she warms up. I love being able to toss my kayak in the back, or quickly take my mountain bike over to the single track without having to lift either item over my head to the top of the subaru I replaced! Ok, now the gripes, which I understand the 2015/16s have addressed. The crew cab seats, while fine as seats, fold in a completely illogical way. The seat backs fold forward, vs the bench folding up. I can see NO advantage to this, minus cramming various items like rope and tarps behind it. I have the "bench" front seat, and the flip down center armrest is very cheaply made and the cup holders are not very well designed. I know I said I like simple, and It is. My last thing is just trim line specific, I wish it had a sliding back window.

Grouchy on August 14, 2015

Own the 2012 4WD crew cab; auto 4 speed 5 cylinder. I use it 70% as a car, 30% as a light duty truck. It is very comfortable to drive and has all the power needed. I haul plywood, rocks, etc. Never any kind of problem except tires and normal maintenance. MPG is about 21 overall. The interior is functional, not frilly. Big knobs on the controls and laid out sensibly. Turning radius is my only gripe, but it isn't so bad once you are used to it. It should last me a long time and I would definitely recommend it.