762 of the
4,906 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Colorado
are about the electrical system —
16% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
For about two months my 2016 Chevy Colorado has been having a random power steering and stabilitrak issue message popping up. There’s no clear reason why this happens as I can drive my truck for days/weeks and it was suddenly lose power steering. When this happens it is a serious safety issue as I can be on the highway driving fine and my power steering will just suddenly stop working. Normally, I pull over and turn my truck off for 30 seconds to 1 minute and turn it back on and the issue will go away. I had two separate scans performed on the truck and both scans showed no “current” errors but pulled up past error codes of problems with ABS system and “low voltage.” I do not drive my truck roughly and most miles are simple roads or straight highways. No rough roads or heavy water/snow/mud. I have looked online and multiple threads from other drivers of GMC Canyons around 2015/2016 and trucks like mine who have had similar issues and the Canyon has recalls concerning this but I currently have none for the Chevy Colorado so I wanted to report this issue, especially for the safety reason. I believe if my wife was driving my truck on the highway and this happened she may not be strong enough to pull off and/or turn the truck if she had needed to since it is very difficult to turn the wheel when this error occurs.
NHTSA complaint #11758817 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11755892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Loss of power steering, Truck repaired by GM dealer, he stated it was the same failure mode described in Recall notice N2023254 10. The repair even though the same as the previous failures was not covered by GM because my VIN was not in GMs recall notice. Looking at this website there a number of reports of power steering failures for later model Colorado and Canyons that were not covered by the recall. Either GMs fix was not effective, or they did not select the right VIN population. So the Power steering failure repair on my truck even though it is the same failure mode as the previous recall was not covered by GM.
NHTSA complaint #11753756 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brake vacum pump experienced a catastrophic failure. I was unable to step on the break because the break pedal was hard. I ran thru a red light. I was told the brake vacume pump shattered & pieces of metal went into my engine
NHTSA complaint #11753572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the key was difficult to remove from the ignition. The dealer was contacted and informed that the shift interlock switch failed to recognize that the transmission was shifted to park(P). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but offered no assistance because the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11750525 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
My 2018 Chevrolet Colorado diesel has had repeated diesel emissions/DPF-related failures that cause the vehicle to enter reduced-power or limp mode. This is a safety issue because the truck suddenly loses power and cannot accelerate normally. The most serious incident occurred while driving over Santiam Pass in Oregon. The vehicle went into reduced-power/limp mode on a mountain highway, leaving me unable to maintain normal speed or accelerate safely. I lost power needed to pass traffic and had limited ability to respond to road conditions. The problem has happened several times. It has also occurred while I was towing my boat, which left me unable to continue the trip safely and created a hazardous situation because the truck could not maintain normal towing power. The issue appears related to the diesel particulate filter/emissions system and repeated DPF/regen or exhaust aftertreatment problems. I am concerned that a design, calibration, or emissions-system defect is causing sudden power reduction during normal driving and towing. This creates an unreasonable safety risk, especially on mountain passes, two-lane highways, and while towing. I am requesting that NHTSA review this as a potential safety defect involving the 2018 Chevrolet Colorado diesel DPF/emissions system and reduced-engine-power strategy. I am also requesting that this complaint be considered with any similar complaints, recalls, technical service bulletins, or emissions campaigns related to DPF regeneration, particulate matter sensor diagnostics, reduced engine power, or limp mode on the 2.8L Duramax Chevrolet Colorado.
NHTSA complaint #11748528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The turn signal has an intermittent condition. When I put the right turn signal indicator on to signal a right turn, after the turn is completed and the turn signal stick returns to the off position my left turn signal with signal a left turn flashing approximately 2-3 times before turning off. I took it to the local Chevrolet dealer maintenance shop and they told me the replaced the turn signal stick, however a few days later the same problem occurred again. I have also learned online that other owners have had the same issue with their Colorado pickup trucks also.
NHTSA complaint #11746174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, it was difficult to remove the key from ignition switch. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were on a national back order. The manufacturer was not made aware of failure. The failure mileage was 23,750.
NHTSA complaint #11745892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's husband owns a 2025 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that after exiting a car wash tunnel and parking the vehicle on the side of the car wash building, the vehicle continued to roll forward at a high speed without warning. The contact used both feet and excessive force on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle; however, the vehicle continued to roll forward. The vehicle ran over the parking pillar and crashed into a brick column attached to the building. The vehicle continued to roll forward after the crash and eventually stopped once it rolled over the car wash road indentation. The contact reversed out of the car wash indentation and called her husband for assistance. After her husband arrived at the scene; the vehicle was driven to the residence without any further issues. The vehicle remained at the residence and was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 111,817.
NHTSA complaint #11745625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
key will not release from ignition. I will put the truck in park but the computer will not read that it is in park, so the key can only be rotated to the accessory position. This has been confirmed by the dealership. No codes are coming up nor any lights on the dash.
NHTSA complaint #11745203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
**Vehicle Safety Complaint** I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet vehicle involving the power steering system. On a somewhat regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after these warnings appear, the power steering fails while I am driving. When this occurs, I must use significant force to turn the steering wheel in order to maintain control of the vehicle and make turns. When I pull over, turn off engine and wait a few minutes, the restart the engine, it appears to be resolved and works fine. This creates an extremely dangerous driving condition. I am concerned that I may not be able to turn quickly or forcefully enough to avoid an accident, potentially resulting in a collision, injury, or death. I am aware that certain 2015 model year vehicles were recalled for similar power steering issues. However, despite experiencing what appears to be the same defect in my 2016 vehicle, no recall has been issued. The issue remains uncorrected and continues to pose a significant safety risk. GM Customer Care (1-800-462-8782) states I am not eligible for any cost assistance because it is a 2016 model and not 2015. Given the serious safety implications of sudden power steering loss while driving, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and determine whether a recall is warranted for affected 2016 vehicles. The sudden loss of power steering while the vehicle is in motion presents a substantial safety hazard and should be addressed before it leads to serious accidents or injuries.
NHTSA complaint #11744770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
Issue 1: Cooling Fan Remained On After Engine Shutdown Component or system involved: Engine cooling system and fan control system, including the radiator cooling fan, fan relay, coolant temperature sensor, wiring, or engine control module (ECM). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. What happened: After turning off the engine, the radiator cooling fan remained running continuously for approximately five minutes and would not shut off as expected. No warning light, message, or other dashboard indication appeared before or during the event. This was unusual behavior compared with normal operation. Safety risk: The unexpected fan operation created concern that the cooling system was malfunctioning and that the vehicle could overheat, experience an electrical problem, or become unreliable while driving. A cooling system or electrical failure while in traffic could put me and other drivers at risk. Reproduction or confirmation: The issue occurred several time and was confirmed by a Chevrolet dealer, and was told that my warranty did not cover the issue. I took it to outside mechanic to fix the issue as Chevrolet wanted to charge over $1500 for the issue. No warning lamps, messages, overheating indicators, or other symptoms appeared before the fan remained on. The problem occurred suddenly back in 2025. Issue 2: Ignition Key Gets Stuck and Cannot Be Removed Ignition lock cylinder, ignition switch, transmission shift-interlock system, park-position switch, or steering column lock mechanism. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The ignition key intermittently becomes stuck and cannot be removed from the ignition. The problem occurs after parking and turning the vehicle off, and I sometimes need to move the shifter or steering wheel repeatedly before the key can be removed. A stuck ignition key can prevent me from properly shutting down and securing the vehicle. It may also indicate a failure in the ignition or shift-interlock system.
NHTSA complaint #11743496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Component: Drivetrain, brake, and engine management systems repeatedly fail in a coordinated pattern, with multiple warning indicators activating simultaneously and sudden unintended deceleration occurring without warning. Vehicle available for inspection. Safety risk: Most recent failure occurred at highway speed with family including passengers in the vehicle. Without warning, the vehicle decelerated abruptly while multiple dashboard warnings activated at once. Sudden deceleration at highway speed creates immediate risk of rear-end collision from following traffic and loss of vehicle control. Prior dealer confirmation: Yes. Curry Chevrolet (Scarsdale, NY) has had the vehicle in service for the same defect category on multiple prior occasions, including stays of over a week on at least two visits. The dealer has not permanently resolved the issue — symptoms have now recurred at sixth time. An additional early service visit at the same dealer was not documented with a repair order; I retain contemporaneous text messages establishing that visit occurred. Other inspections: Inspected only by Curry Chevrolet to date. GM Customer Assistance engaged (Case #XXX). No police, insurance, or independent inspections. New case has been filed with GM, linked to the previous (Case #XXX).Next service visit will be at a different authorized Chevrolet dealer for an independent diagnostic. Warning indicators: Yes. In the most recent incident, multiple warning lamps and system alerts activated simultaneously at the moment of deceleration, with no advance warning. Prior incidents showed the same multi-system warning pattern, consistently without predictive indicators. Vehicle is a 2026 Chevrolet Colorado, VIN [XXX], delivered January 2026 with 2,209 miles on the odometer at delivery. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11742259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The turn signal system intermittently malfunctions. When using the turn signal, the auto-cancel function sometimes activates the opposite signal, and at times the stalk does not stay engaged when attempting to signal. This creates a safety risk because surrounding drivers may receive the wrong turning/lane-change indication or no indication at all. The issue has occurred intermittently while driving and has been presented to Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton, Florida multiple times. Cox Chevrolet has verified turn-signal over-cancel and performed prior repairs/programming. However, the issue has not been entirely resolved and continues to occur intermittently. No crash or injury has occurred, but the condition creates a risk of collision during turns, merges, and lane changes
NHTSA complaint #11741857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving my 2021 Chevrolet vehicle. While driving, multiple warnings appeared including “Service Power Steering,” “Steering Assist is Reduced,” “Service ESC,” and “Service Battery Charging System.” The vehicle then lost steering assist, braking performance became unreliable, and it created a serious risk of crash. The vehicle later shut down completely and has remained inoperable. The failure appears electrical and affected multiple critical systems at once, suggesting a cascading system malfunction. Since the incident, the vehicle has not restarted or operated normally. I have replaced the battery, alternator, starter, ignition switch, brake vacuum pump, ECM, spark plugs, fuses, and relays, but the issue persists. The vehicle still shows charging system faults and severe battery drain, indicating an unresolved underlying electrical defect. I have found numerous reports from other 2021 Chevrolet owners describing nearly identical failures, including sudden loss of power steering assist, ESC warnings, charging system failures, battery drain, and complete vehicle shutdowns. This suggests a possible widespread defect affecting this model year. Given the loss of steering assist, braking irregularities, and full vehicle shutdown while driving, I request NHTSA investigate this issue for a potential safety-related defect and determine whether a recall or manufacturer action is necessary.
NHTSA complaint #11740930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My key was getting stuck in the ignition back in 2024 and the dealership replaced my shifter assembly. I am now having the same issue later after 2 years and I am out of warranty and now having to pay out of pocket. My sister has the same truck, year and color and had hers replaced. Also the service advisor said they’ve had two others come in with the same truck and had the same issue. I am unable to remove my key for quite some time once it gets stuck and I called Chevrolet themselves and they are telling me there is nothing they can do.
NHTSA complaint #11740942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that they discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 193,073. The contact began having unknown issues with the vehicle and obtained a Carfax report. The report indicated the vehicle was due for an oil change. The report indicated the mileage was 292,500. The Birmingham police department was contacted and referred him to the NHTSA hotline.
NHTSA complaint #11740005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, and the brake pedal was depressed the pedal remained floored. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually slowed down on its own and came to a complete stop. The was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred a little over a month later. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery was dead and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred approximately 17 days later. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the drivers door wire harness needed to be replaced due to an electrical issue that killed the battery. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred approximately four months later. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer where the vehicle has yet to be diagnosed as of yet. The manufacturer notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,400.
NHTSA complaint #11740148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.