2012 Chevrolet colorado tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235/75R16 OEM | R16 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Chevrolet Colorado, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Chevrolet Colorado →
Compatible alternative sizes for 235/75R16
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
215/70R18 |
-0.09% | plus 2 | Safe |
205/80R17 |
0.12% | plus 1 | Safe |
235/70R17 |
0.25% | plus 1 | Safe |
235/80R15 |
-0.25% | alternative | Safe |
235/65R18 |
0.50% | plus 2 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 235/75R16 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 235/75R16 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 205/80R17; one rim size up, 0.12% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 215/70R18; two rim sizes up, -0.09% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2012 chevrolet colorado wt-regular-cab-4wd-z85
The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado WT-Regular-Cab-4wd-Z85 ships from the factory on 235/75R16 tires mounted on R16 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Chevrolet Colorado comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2012 Chevrolet Colorado WT-Regular-Cab-4wd-Z85 owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2012 Chevrolet Colorado WT-Regular-Cab-4wd-Z85, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2012 chevrolet colorado
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (37) · Tread / Belt (11) · Sidewall (7) · TPMS (3) · Spare Tire (1)
Reported across: 2004 – 2022 (11 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 23% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 47 reports covering every model year of the Chevrolet Colorado that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 23% | 20% | 1.2× |
| Tread or belt separation | 9% | 13% | 0.6× |
| Sidewall failure | 6% | 15% | 0.4× |
| Premature or uneven wear | 6% | 1% | 4.9× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 4% | 9% | 0.5× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 2% | 6% | 0.4× |
Mileage at failure
26 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 18,500 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 3,057 and 79,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Chevrolet Colorado. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET COLORADO. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN TIRES, SIZE 265/70R/17 AND THE DOT NUMBER WAS APKP495X3812. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE BELTS WERE DEFECTIVE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE ALSO HAD PIN HOLES. ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION; THE RIGHT PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE TIRE WITH THE SPARE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET COLORADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LOW AIR PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AND WAS ACCURATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, THEY REPLACED ONE WHEEL SENSOR AND RE-PROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET COLORADO EQUIPPED WITH TBC TIRES, TIRE LINE: SIGMA SHADOW, AND TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,166.
The Good Year tires that I purchased are making a high speed vibration. I feel that my safety is at high risk when I am driving on the highway. I did seek help from a independent service center. They rebalanced the tires, and one tire was replaced under warranty. I paid $65.00 out of my pocket. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacture, etc. There were no warning lamps or messages.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
Where can I buy tires for my 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2012 Chevrolet Colorado?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Chevrolet Colorado is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.