What breaks most · 2004 to 2026 model years
Chevrolet Colorado problems by year
Owners have filed 3,590 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Colorado across model years 2004 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2016 for steering complaints, 2015 for steering complaints and 2004 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2013, 2014 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2016, 2015, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 2013, 2014, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 35902004 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 2016699 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 13064 fires · 110 injuries · 8 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 47kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 50Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 361 | 11 | 3 | Electrical system (88) | |
| 356 | 27 | 3 | Electrical system (69) | |
| 236 | 6 | 4 | Electrical system (69) | |
| 140 | 10 | 3 | Electrical system (45) | |
| 81 | 6 | 2 | Electrical system (32) | |
| 67 | 1 | 3 | Electrical system (36) | |
| 28 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 42 | 4 | 5 | Electrical system (14) | |
| 42 | 3 | 2 | Air bags (9) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Steering (1) | |
| 489 | 17 | 7 | Steering (356) | |
| 699 | 14 | 4 | Steering (450) | |
| 216 | 5 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (107) | |
| 182 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (78) | |
| 149 | 6 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (65) | |
| 82 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (32) | |
| 74 | 6 | 1 | Engine (18) | |
| 51 | 1 | 1 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 131 | 2 | 3 | Forward collision system (45) | |
| 121 | 6 | 3 | Electrical system (35) | |
| 27 | 1 | 1 | Brakes (9) | |
| 14 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (4) |
What fails on the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 64% |
450 | 6 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
114 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
97 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
48 | 1 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 7% |
47 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
38 | 5 | Shop brakes parts for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 5% |
36 | 1 | Shop stability control parts for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
24 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The power steering has failed 4 times. This is the same problem that the 2015 Colorado's had. There was recall on the 2015 models. There has not been a recall on the 2016 models. but the problem still exists.
-
The electric power steering assembly has failed. I will be driving and my power steering will cut out with no warning, the sensor light is on constantly. Turning it off will sometimes fix it but not for long. It will affect my cruise control at times as well
-
I've had to replace 2 heater blower resistors due to a meltdown, this is a potential fire hazard and should be put on a recall notice. I was driving around 40 mph at the time .
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Colorado years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2016, 2015, 2004 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Colorado. The 2016 alone has 699 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Chevrolet Colorado problem?
On the 2016 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 450 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Colorado problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Colorado complaints that include mileage is about 47,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.