BuickVerano2012Overview/buick/verano/2012/base/

2012 Buick Verano

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

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2012 Buick Verano is a passenger car equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, EPA ratings of 21/31/24 mpg, and a 5-quart 5W-30 engine oil capacity. It records the highest complaint volume in the 2012–2017 model span at 106 owner-reported issues, three recalls, and engine concerns as the leading category, making it the most documented year of that range. That concentration of feedback positions the 2012 model as a clear outlier against the line’s later trajectory, which settled to just nine complaints by 2017.

Model year201720162015201420132012

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
EPA fuel economy21/31/24 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 615 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12580255. 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 48 · 615 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235-45R18OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12580255 alt 12605566
Engine air filter13272719
Spark plug12681658
Battery88864541 alt 88866271
Front wiper blades13348838 alt 13348836
Serpentine belt12634319
Thermostat12622410 alt 03522676
Cabin air filter13503675 alt 13356914

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length183.9 in
Overall width71.3 in
Overall height58.3 in
Wheelbase105.9 in
Curb weight3300 lb
Track (front / rear)60.6 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 31 / 24 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume91 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Verano of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.2–8.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.20 sec — 2012 Leather Group Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2012Leather Group Sedan 2.4L I-48.20 sec16.30 sec180 hpFWD
2012Leather Group Sedan 2.4L I-48.30 sec16.20 sec180 hpFWD
2012Leather Group Sedan 2.4L I-48.70 sec16.70 sec180 hpFWD
2013Turbo Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-46.40 sec15.20 sec250 hpFWD
2013Turbo Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-46.40 sec15.00 sec250 hpFWD

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, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity4.2-6.3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 89021184 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.3 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts10 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.43 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance615 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-100
RPM43-58 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance1.9-2.3 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Engine Oil Pressure30-70 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM1000 rpm
Intake Valve LashHydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket21 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle111 (WITH VENTED DISC) ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.078; Rear: 0.078 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0002 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.023 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.023 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Torque to Knuckle — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 FT. LBS., STEP 2: 6074 FT. LBS
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1111 ft. lbs., step 2: 100111 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) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miEmission Control System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · 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.

The 2012 Buick Verano anchors the high end of its generation's complaint arc, tied with 2013 at 106 NHTSA complaints—the most in the six-year federal record—and is the only model year to carry an open investigation. Owner-reported volume remains elevated through 2014 (101) before dropping to 58-59 in 2015-2016 and collapsing to just 9 in 2017, indicating the earliest model years absorbed the bulk of this generation's issues, with engine (34) and air bag (21) complaints leading the 2012 tally. Recall activity for 2012 is moderate at 3, well below the 6 logged in 2014, while TSB volume (1,487) sits near the middle of the range, suggesting Buick was actively servicing known conditions. The 8 crash-related and 1 fire-related complaint in 2012 warrant attention, though the underlying causes are not specified in the data. For a used Verano, 2012 is workable provided the three recalls are verified and engine and air bag items are inspected pre-purchase, but a 2015 or 2016 example would likely deliver a noticeably quieter ownership record.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1487
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
106
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 1 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 106 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine34
Air Bags21
Steering5
Electrical System4
Electrical System,Engine4
Visibility/Wiper3
Power Train,Engine3
Structure2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V300000Air BagsReported 06/06/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at…

12V522000Air BagsReported 31/10/2012

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals. Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1487 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP61132026-05-18Unknown Or OtherThis document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set…
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…

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 Verano. 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 Verano take?

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

Does the 2012 Verano have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Verano get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 31 highway / 24 combined mpg.