2023 Chevrolet Colorado electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 cannot receive over‑the‑air (OTA) software updates because the gateway module is still running outdated firmware (XXX.mnf). General Motors issued Service Update XXX to correct this defect by performing a vehicle‑wide programming update. However, GM’s system incorrectly shows the bulletin as “closed” for my VIN even though the gateway module was never updated. The truck was sold to me by Tyrell Chevrolet in [XXX] with this safety‑related service update not completed properly. The dealership has confirmed they cannot perform the required update because GM’s system will not authorize it until the bulletin is reopened. GM corporate has been contacted multiple times, but after several days they have not reopened the bulletin or provided a resolution. Because the gateway module remains on outdated firmware, the vehicle cannot receive critical OTA updates related to safety, diagnostics, and module stability. This condition has been reported by other 2023 Colorado owners and has previously been associated with battery‑drain issues caused by software modules failing to sleep properly. GM has acknowledged the defect by issuing Service Update XXX, but they are refusing to reopen the update for my VIN despite the incomplete firmware and the vehicle’s inability to receive OTA updates. I am filing this complaint so the defect and GM’s refusal to correct it are formally documented. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On May 15, 2026, my 2023 Chevrolet Colorado (2.7L L3B turbocharged engine, approximately 49,000 miles) lost its entire engine oil charge while in normal operation, and at NO point did the low-oil-pressure warning light illuminate to alert me. While driving, a loud buzzing/vibrating noise developed near the upper engine and the center dash area. The vehicle continued to run with no oil-pressure warning of any kind — no low-oil-pressure light and no audible oil-pressure chime. Concerned by the noise, I immediately pulled into a parking lot and checked under the hood. The engine oil dipstick was completely dry, showing no oil whatsoever. I added 3 quarts of oil and the dipstick still showed no reading, indicating the engine had been operating with a critically low or empty oil level. Throughout this entire event, no oil-pressure warning activated. There was no external oil leak, no puddle where the vehicle is normally parked, and no oil in the coolant reservoir, which suggests the oil was being consumed or lost internally rather than dripping out — a condition the driver cannot see or anticipate without a functioning warning system. Drivers depend entirely on the oil-pressure warning system to alert them before oil starvation causes catastrophic engine damage or sudden engine seizure. An engine that seizes without warning while the vehicle is in motion creates an immediate and severe crash risk — sudden loss of motive power in traffic, on a highway, or in an intersection. The complete failure of this warning system to illuminate during a total loss of oil is, by itself, a safety defect independent of whatever is causing the oil loss, because it removes the driver's only opportunity to stop the vehicle safely before failure. These symptoms also align with existing GM service documentation: TSB 25-NA-309 addresses high idle, oil consumption, oil leaks, and MIL illumination caused by internal failure of the PCV oil separator, and service campaign N232415060 addresses a

NHTSA complaint #11744040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Blind spot monitoring system consistently malfunctions, illuminating the driver mirror warning light when no other vehicles are present. It occurs more frequently after dark, which flickers the bright light continuously, or leaves it on constantly, creating a significant distraction and mistrust of the systems reliability. Dealer had no recommendation for fix.

NHTSA complaint #11732461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

COMPONENT FAILURE: Body Control Module causing systematic electrical failures: door locks, power windows, window regulators, four-wheel drive transfer case display. Components intact, available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: Door locks malfunction preventing emergency exit. Power windows fail affecting communication/egress. 4WD display fault (yellow AUTO vs white) indicates transfer case control issues affecting traction in mountain winter driving at 10,000ft elevation. Unpredictable electrical failures create safety risk during remote travel. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Approximately 20 dealer visits. Each time: scan codes, test drive, "no fault found." Problem temporarily clears via battery disconnect/reconnect, proving electrical fault not mechanical. Dealer cannot diagnose root cause, hasn't performed systematic electrical testing. MANUFACTURER INSPECTION: None despite repeated failures. WARNING SYMPTOMS: Intermittent: door ajar warnings, power window/lock failures, 4WD indicator yellow, various warning lights. All symptoms simultaneously resolve after battery disconnect/reconnect, indicating BCM or power distribution fault. Pattern repeats with increasing frequency. CRITICAL: Research shows multiple 2023 Colorado owners report identical patterns - intermittent multi-system failures resolving via battery reset. Indicates systematic 2023 model year defect, likely BCM firmware/hardware issue. Problem occurs unpredictably, clears during dealer transport. Request GM engineering data logging during normal operation.

NHTSA complaint #11699370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have experienced brake failure twice while driving my 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. When the failure occurs, the dashboard displays multiple warnings, including “Service Traction Control,” “Service Power Steering Drive With Care,” and “No Assist Soon.” When these messages appear, the steering becomes extremely stiff, the brakes lose stopping power, and the vehicle becomes very difficult to control. The first incident happened around April 2024, and the dealer performed a software update. The issue happened again around October 2024 at approximately 24,000 miles. The vehicle is primarily used on highways and has no modifications. This is a serious safety concern. The combination of brake loss and power steering failure could result in loss of control, crash, injury, or death. There was no warning before the failures occurred. The dealer cannot confirm a permanent fix. This problem needs to be investigated for a potential recall. This vehicle is now unsafe and unreliable. I refuse to transport my family in it. I am seeking a full refund/buyback, as multiple safety system failures are unacceptable and dangerous.

NHTSA complaint #11696608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that several sensors were activated with contact being alerted to an issue with the Lane Keep Assist, and the vehicle veering out of the intended lane. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking activated unintendedly. The contact stated that the failure was self-corrected. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The contact inquired of the the dealer if the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V133000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance). The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA complaint #11675537 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer for a routine oil change and after the vehicle was serviced, the contact was provided a multi-point vehicle inspection sheet which showed that the brake pads had received a green check mark and that the brake pads were 7-millimeters or greater on both the driver’s and passenger’s side. The next day upon start of the vehicle, the contact stated that a message "New Brake Pads Detected" question was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact selected the "No" option followed by another question to service the brake pads. The contact then stated that a "Service Brake Pad Monitoring System" message appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the dealer was informed of the messages. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that both the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the brake pads were 2 millimeters or less, despite the contact receiving information the day prior which stated otherwise. The contact questioned the dealer about the discrepancy and was informed that the computer provided the results for the multi-point vehicle inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

NHTSA complaint #11668889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The phone charger will not charge phones. Connects then disconnects within 5-10 seconds.

NHTSA complaint #11668440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have been having intermittent issues with a warning on dash says service safety retrain system vehicle will shut off on its own doesn't want to restart Vehicle was taken to dealership for a tsb as well as the shutoff issue they had the truck 28 days said they diagnosed the truck could not duplicate my concerns I also explained the issue with display going out flickering brake lights etc, intermittent issue with btakes being hard then extremely soft, i even showed video that they can clearly hear me talking on they did not care. when I picked the truck up from dealership the mileage in was same as mileage out as noted on the paperwork and matches pictures I took They never drove the truck. On Wednesday June 4, 2025 while driving home I ended up running a stop sign and barely missing a car because truck shut off causing my brakes to not respond I was able to get it to stop just in time it was witnessed by a local law enforcement agency I showed the officer my truck would not start and pedal was unresponsive was told it had to be towed had a friend tow to my house. on Saturday June 14, 2025 while on my way to Northern Duchess Hospital the warning came on the display and vehicle shut off I was able to get it off the road could not start it had to call for someone to drive me to the hospital upon release at 5am I had to call my brother to pick me up we got truck to start after 20 mins while driving it he informed me I had no brake lights turn signals or headlight the display was black no speedometer nothing had to call friend to tow again once at my house he started checking fuses found 4 melted fuses one was ECM the others were body control module and something else this truck has 7300 miles on it the problems are getting worse last time at dealership service manager stated he wasn't wasting more than 20 minutes on diagnosing anything. Other issues are windows going down on there own climate controls coming on by itself and air coming in by top of windshield

NHTSA complaint #11666978 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Blind spot warning stopped working Mirror controls (unable to safely change lanes) Window controls stopped working Chevrolet has a TSB for similar but not exactly this situation, dealer won't look at it outside of warranty without charge.

NHTSA complaint #11663332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When making right turn with blinker on, after completing turn, blinker automatically turns on left blinker. Difficult to turn off. Sometime blinker stalk sticks, and I can't turn either blinker back on.

NHTSA complaint #11661410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving approximately 5-30 MPH on several occasions, and occasionally while reversing out of a parking spot, the Forward Collision Avoidance Emergency Automatic Braking system unintendedly activated and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated that several undisclosed warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the check engine warning light had illuminated 30-35 days after purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front collision wiring system, the electronic control unit, and the evaporative emissions control system needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was possibly already repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V133000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance); however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Grieco Chevrolet of Delray Beach (2605 S Federal Hwy, Delray Beach, FL 33483) where it was diagnosed and determined that the front collision wiring system, the electronic control unit, and the evaporative emissions control system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,300.

NHTSA complaint #11640441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Turn signal indicator blinks in opposite direction. When turning right and completing the turn the indicator blinks left causing confusion to other drivers who assume I’m turning left. On several occasions cars have pulled out in front of me nearly colliding. After many attempts to fix the problem the GM dealer replaced turn signal switches but the problem still persists.

NHTSA complaint #11637481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

After completing a right turn with a right turn signal, the vehicle will sometimes signal a left turn for 3 blinks. I believe this is because the turn signal stalk 'bounces' down to the left turn signal area when returning back to normal position from a right turn.​ ​ This is a safety issue because the vehicle is signaling a left turn when no turn is intended. This could cause confusion to other drivers on the road.​

NHTSA complaint #11629464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On [XXX], I discovered that the backup camera on my 2023 Chevy Colorado was malfunctioning. Regardless of whether I was operating the vehicle in reverse or manually activating the backup camera, it remained inoperable. On the same day, I made a reservation with my local Chevrolet dealership in Elko, Nevada, to have the backup camera inspected. I took the truck to the dealership on July 19 for a repair under warranty. However, the technician informed me that the issue could not be resolved and believed it was a harness that had become pinched and required replacement. The dealership ordered the necessary part but was unable to provide an estimated time of arrival (ETA). As of December 1, despite my efforts to resolve the issue with both the dealership and GM’s corporate entity, I have yet to receive an ETA or any parts for repair. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), backup cameras are mandatory safety equipment for vehicles manufactured in 2018 and newer. I have brought this matter to the attention of GM and the dealership, but it appears to be unaddressed. The design of the truck makes it challenging to see behind, and the inability to perceive potential hazards in the rear poses a safety risk. GM has failed to address this issue, despite the fact that it is a critical safety feature. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11628151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Side object sensors go off frequently when no vehicles are there on both sides of vehicle. Additionally when passing vehicles the side object sensors only detect vehicles about 40% of the time. The side object sensors will double flash when no vehicles are there and fight me when changing lanes when lane assist is on. I have video of the false alerts and non detection incidents.

NHTSA complaint #11627164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Speedometer and infotainment digital display. Speedometer changes from MPH to KPH, Infotainment display/Speedometer shuts down while driving. Not able to tell correct speed or see speed and critical information. Dealer said that there was no problem even after updating computer system. No other inspection has been done. No previous indications of problems, this first started 5-6 months after receiving the vehicle. This is a company vehicle that is tracked, daily I get alerts that the driver is doing speeds that are impossible due to traffic and I have had the problem replicated for me.

NHTSA complaint #11618927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The digital instrument panel and infotainment systems turn off and restarts. This causes you to not see speed or any other critical info for 30seconds to 1 min.

NHTSA complaint #11615203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Blind spot intermittently turns on despite no vehicle in blind spot or any where near. This still occurs even though the dealership updated the firmware and said it was fixed.

NHTSA complaint #11610574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck turn signal indicator appear to have design flaw. The turn signal indicator will frequently return past the turn signal stop position after making a standard 90 degree right hand turn. This movement past the stop point initiates the left turn signal indicator to cycle for 3 cycles as if the driver is immediately attempting to go to the left. This poses the risk of other drivers taking sudden or evasive actions to avoid the sudden and unexpected immediate lane change indication made by the vehicle. Ultimately leading to the potential of the reacting driver being rear-ended or other adverse affects of them taking sudden action. The dealer has attempted to address the issue by replacing the turn signal indicator. The issue seems to get better, but is now appearing again with the replacement unit. Indication of this issues prevalence in found in several online forums. Most of which people are putting off reporting the issue believing it is a minor annoyance to themselves, and not understanding the potential larger impact to other drivers around them.

NHTSA complaint #11597005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Sunday (05/26/2024) I was driving around 15km aprox. from my home and message of Forward Collision Warning appears in the screen says that it is not working, in a period of 30 min, the message appeared as 6 times, after that message disappeared. Today, Wednesday 05/29/2024 7:10 am, my car died, not turn on, nothing works, it is as if battery was removed. My Colorado has 13000 kilometers. Monday, I drive it normally (no issues no messages), since Monday 6 pm and all Tuesday my Colorado was parked in my house. This is the second time that it happens, the first time occurred on 04/22/2024 my car died (11800 kilometers), I used normally on 04/20/2024, previous days I receipt the same warning message. Dealer could not find the issue. They updated software related with the recall related with the module of ADAS. Dealer will review again.

NHTSA complaint #11591388 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking activated unintendedly. The contact stated that the vehicle made a hard stop, with the Forward Collision Warning light displayed simultaneously. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure was not duplicated. The dealer decided to reflash the electrical system however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer where the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V133000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance). The recall repair was performed; however, the failure recurred. The second dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,800.

NHTSA complaint #11587325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V133000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance). The contact stated that the dealer did not provide a diagnostic test, but the dealer updated the software system. The contact stated that the electrical failure persisted after the software updated was performed. The contact linked the failure to the front camera module system that might falsely detect an obstacle causing the automatic emergency braking to engage unintendedly. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11584578 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The pre collision safety feature is very glitchy. The warning comes on all the time, and no I’m not falling to close. But what scared me was I was driving home from work sunny conditions mild traffic. Typical city road 35mph. First the warning went off then right after it slammed on the brakes. The closest car in front of me was about 6 car length when it hit the breakers. I know the Pearson behind me was not happy with me. Luckily there was no accident. I seen on Facebook that this is not an insulated problem. I hope more people make a report because this is definitely a safety issue.

NHTSA complaint #11568209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving the blindside indicators will come on when nothing is there. The window switches and door lock button on the driver side door will not work when the blindside indicators are on. Also the light on the door lock button turns on and off randomly when the indicators are on with nothing there. The doorlock button on the front driver side door didn't work when the truck was in park. Haven't noticed if the windows and doorlock button don't work when the indicators are not on. Andriod Auto wouldn't connect wireless and has been till now.

NHTSA complaint #11559287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Anti-theft alarm keeps going off at random points of the day. Nobody is near vehicle when this goes off and all doors are constantly reclosed to ensure everything is shut properly. Alarm continues to go off.

NHTSA complaint #11555598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.