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2011 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2011 Colorado Pickup 4WD.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2011 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup 4WD carries a 5-quart engine-oil capacity and a recommended 5W-30 viscosity, anchoring its maintenance protocol to specific, measurable standards. Reliability records for this model year show zero recalls alongside 77 total owner complaints, with engine issues cited as the top area of concern. That combination—no recalls but a pronounced engine-complaint load—defines where this model year sits in the Colorado’s reliability history, meaning researchers should approach it as a vehicle whose record is driven by owner-reported engine problems rather than factory recall activity.

Model year201820172016201520112010200920082007

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 12690386. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 filter12690386 alt 12731172
Engine air filter15942429 discontinued
Spark plug12680072 alt 12681663
Front wiper blades88958226 alt 88958228
Serpentine belt19210691 alt 12626222
Thermostat89018168 alt 12587397

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 spark plugs every 100,000 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 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 50,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
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 2011 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup 4WD top in one area — the engine, 9 of 77 reports (12%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 10 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine 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.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
914
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
77
Owner complaints
10 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 77 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine9
Electrical System7
Air Bags6
Unknown Or Other5
Service Brakes4
Power Train4
Engine & Engine Cooling4
Electrical System,Engine2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 914 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP4902S2025-06-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
21-NA-0432025-01-31Electrical SystemThis bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full…
22-NA-0742025-01-30EngineThis service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to…
PIT5962B2024-12-06Electrical SystemThis Preliminary information communicates a GM part number for reflective high…
21-NA-0432024-11-04StructureThis bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full…

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 Pickup 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.

Group 86 batteryVehicles taking 5 qtEngine oil filter 12690386Engine air filter 15942429Spark plug 12680072Front wiper blades 88958226

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2011 Colorado Pickup 4WD take?

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

Does the 2011 Colorado Pickup 4WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.