Chevrolet Colorado
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Chevrolet Colorado, model year by model year — ranked from 865 federal NHTSA complaints across 2015–2023.
Steering is the story in the Chevrolet Colorado's roughest years. The 2016 model leads the file with 421 total complaint occurrences, and 316 of them describe a single failure: loss of power steering, with a smaller cluster of electrical faults that knock out steering assist and stability control together. The 2015 truck sits close behind at 368 occurrences and carries two safety-severity problems, headlined by steering assist failure during driving (182 reports), plus complaints of the wheel becoming hard to turn and assist cutting in and out. The 2015 year is also covered by recall campaigns 15V278, 16V054, and 21V213, so confirming completed recall work belongs on any pre-purchase checklist.
From 2017 onward the complaint mix shifts to the transmission. Shuddering and hard shifting top the 2017 file (54 reports), the 2018 file (21), and the 2019 file (27), joined by engine stalling and hesitation, ignition keys sticking, and scattered steering complaints. Campaign 18V358 applies to 2017 and 2018. Totals fall sharply in this stretch — 130, 80, and 82 occurrences respectively — so while the shudder pattern is real, it is reported at a fraction of the volume of the earlier steering problems.
The 2023 Colorado is the cleanest year in the data at 61 occurrences with no safety-severity problems on file. Its complaints skew modern: forward collision avoidance system malfunctions lead (24 reports), followed by turn signal issues, spongy brake feel, and upper radiator hose failures. Recall 24V133 covers this year.
Practically, that means scrutinizing steering behavior on a 2015–2016, feeling for transmission shudder on a 2017–2019 test drive, and checking driver-assist behavior on a 2023. Keep the numbers in context, though: these counts reflect what owners chose to file with NHTSA, not measured failure rates, and newer trucks simply have not had as many years to accumulate reports. A thorough pre-purchase inspection and a documented service history will tell you more about the specific truck in front of you than its model year will.
Chevrolet Colorado problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015worst | 227 | 13 | 2/5 | Steering Assist Failure During Driving Steering · 182 complaints |
| 2016worst | 352 | 12 | 1/6 | Power Steering System Failure Steering · 316 complaints |
| 2017 | 104 | 10 | 0/4 | Transmission shuddering and hard shifting Transmission · 54 complaints |
| 2018 | 68 | 10 | 0/4 | Transmission Shudder and Malfunction Transmission · 21 complaints |
| 2019worst | 57 | 13 | 1/5 | Transmission shuddering during acceleration and deceleration Transmission · 27 complaints |
| 2023 | 57 | 7 | 0/5 | Forward Collision Avoidance System Malfunctions Other · 24 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2015–2023. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.