435 of the
4,956 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Colorado
are about the engine —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2006.
Crankshaft Position Tone Wheel delaminated, mechanic changed it out and not sure what they did with it. Stalled vehicle on uphill passing lane during rush hour traffic, cars where inches from me as they passed at 65-70 mph, I called 911 and had a state trooper come and direct traffic. Joe's Garage inspected my vehicle and did the repair. It was not inspected by anyone besides Joe's Garage to my knowledge. No warning, dashlights came on after engine stalled.
NHTSA complaint #11764168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My truck is in the shop for Engine Wiring Harness Chafe. they are making me pay 1200 dollars for an issue that is known by chevy. I feel like I should not have to pay
NHTSA complaint #11763683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While sitting in idle the engine will just start to idle rough for no reason this happens all the time and clear out when accelerated. While driving the radio and Infotainment screen will go blank then come back on. I was driving on the freeway going straight and all of a sudden the power steering went out and I got this warning light on for the power steering being disabled along with this vehicle symbol and squiggly lines behind it on. I drove to a safe spot with the truck feeling really heavy. Turned it off and on then it cleared up. This power steering issue just happened.
NHTSA complaint #11763341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my 2020 Chevrolet Colorado through [XXX], the truck began having difficulty accelerating. As I exited the highway and turned into a gas station, the truck suddenly lost power. The steering became extremely difficult, and I lost normal brake assist. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and I had to apply extreme force to stop the truck and avoid crashing into a wall at the gas station. Fortunately, no collision occurred. The truck was towed to Ed Corley Ford in [XXX] because I was stranded in a remote area with very limited options. They diagnosed a failed/broken vacuum pump and told me replacing it should make the truck operable so I could drive it home to [XXX]. I authorized the repair. After replacing the vacuum pump, they told me they started the truck and heard an abnormal sound. They shut it off, and when they tried to restart it, the truck would not start. They wanted to perform additional diagnosis, but I declined and had the truck transported back to [XXX] for evaluation by a Chevrolet dealership. Huffines Chevrolet Lewisville inspected the truck. Their technician removed the camshaft position sensor and used a borescope to inspect the camshaft. They documented that the camshaft is damaged at the end where it connects to the vacuum pump and stated the actuator pin was most likely bent due to the vacuum-pump failure, damaging the camshaft and causing it to be slightly out of time. I have also been informed of engine damage. The truck remains inoperable and is currently available for inspection. I am concerned this is a safety defect because the vacuum-pump failure resulted in a sudden loss of normal brake assist while I was driving and was followed by camshaft/engine damage. I am asking NHTSA to investigate this failure and similar Chevrolet Colorado complaints. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11761467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Engine cooling system has a known leak. It is rather expensive out of pocket and although there is now a tsb the tsb does not cover the danger of overheating an engine and being stranded on the side of the road. Also the coolant leaking causes an unseen hazard by polluting water supplies with one of the more known toxins to the water and environment.
NHTSA complaint #11761036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was told that my vehicle has a bent exhaust valve, which has caused irreparable damage to the engine and requires a complete engine replacement. The dealership could not determine what caused the valve to bend, but they indicated that it could potentially be a manufacturing defect, although they could not confirm that. My vehicle has now been at the Chevy dealership for more than 30 days, and I was informed that there are currently no replacement engines available from the factory due to a shortage. Given that this appears to be a known parts shortage, I assume other owners of the same make and model may be experiencing similar issues, although I cannot confirm that. The vehicle has approximately 10,000 miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11760284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving our 2022 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 (VIN: [XXX]) through an active roadway intersection at approximately midnight, the vehicle experienced a sudden, uncommanded complete loss of motive power and stalled without advance warning. Our teenage daughter was driving, making the abrupt loss of power, steering assist, and vehicle control in live traffic especially dangerous for an inexperienced driver. The stalled truck had to be physically pushed out of active traffic lanes into a nearby gas station for safety and has required flatbed towing for all subsequent transport. In the days prior to failure, an intermittent, unidentifiable mechanical odor was noticed, but zero warning lamps, dashboard messages, or diagnostic trouble codes were displayed, and the vehicle drove normally until the sudden shutdown. At the scene, an OBD-II diagnostic scan pulled DTC P0019-00 (Crankshaft Position - Exhaust Camshaft Position Not Plausible Bank 2). An independent service center subsequently confirmed adequate, safe oil levels (ruling out oil starvation), and independent technicians confirmed catastrophic internal engine failure. The truck is currently at an authorized Chevrolet dealership undergoing formal diagnostics to determine the exact internal failure mechanism (including potential correlation to known bearing/valvetrain defect patterns under GM Bulletin 19-NA-256). The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
a/c control knocks out tempter senor and gauge goes to zero and check engine light comes on, gas mileage goings to hell, turn off engine clutch fan runs for several minutes, can still touch water hoses by hand and not even hot. This is a big safety problem because I'm looking at the gauge and now causing more smog! Chevrolet Merele Stone in Porterville CA had it all day reporting A GM Strat sticking ,it was a brand new gm delco and senor and still doing it . It's a $1000.00 to repair itThey had to jump start my truck went picking it up. tried to charge the battery over night but dead battery, had to replace it $250.00 expense, and $189.00 to denoised. Called GM for a appointment in Visalia to check the problem 42 mile on way from home and showed up to No APPOINTMENT!
NHTSA complaint #11756785 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure recurred while driving 65 MPH. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where DTCs P0024 and P0014 were retrieved, indicating exhaust camshaft position system performance issues for Bank 2 and Bank 1. The contact associated the failure with GM Special Coverage Number: N232430470 (Camshaft Position Actuator Valve Solenoid - Bank 2 (Left Side) Exhaust). The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the diagnostic result was confirmed. The dealer swapped the camshaft position sensor actuators between both banks and cleared the codes. The contact was advised that the cause of the failure would be determined if the diagnostic trouble codes returned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the special coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 36,500.
NHTSA complaint #11755484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure recurred while driving 65 MPH. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where DTCs P0024 and P0014 were retrieved, indicating exhaust camshaft position system performance issues for Bank 2 and Bank 1. The contact associated the failure with GM Special Coverage Number: N232430470 (Camshaft Position Actuator Valve Solenoid - Bank 2 (Left Side) Exhaust). The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the diagnostic result was confirmed. The dealer swapped the camshaft position sensor actuators between both banks and cleared the codes. The contact was advised that the cause of the failure would be determined if the diagnostic trouble codes returned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the special coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 36,500.
NHTSA complaint #11755484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the engine revved without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact stated that while turning onto an exit ramp, the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle; however, there was resistance to the brake pedal, and an excessive amount of pressure was needed to depress brake pedal to stop the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was informed of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that failure might cause the complete engine failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
NHTSA complaint #11754991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at normal and safe highway speeds, without warning (no audible or visual warning from the vehicle information display) my vehicle experienced engine lockout, loss of all non-electric power, and no control over vehicle speed. A few seconds after loss, the information display did show a "check engine light" and that the engine was in "lockout." We (my spouse, young child, and self) were surrounded by multiple commercial semi-trucks and passenger vehicles and had to weave and serve to avoid collisions at highway speeds and get to the shoulder of the highway in a few seconds. The root cause as diagnosed by a Chevrolet Dealership Service Department was failure of the magnetic strip that is press fit to the reluctor (tone) wheel. A 1/2in piece of the magnetic strip was missing and over 10 cracks within the strip itself observed. This magnetic strip is used by the Engine Control Module to measure engine RPMs. The strip's failure caused the EMC to shutdown the engine without warning which is a significant hazard for controlled vehicle movement at highway speeds. My vehicle's engine (LWN) is one of the few GM designs that have the press fit magnetic strip reluctor wheels. The rest use integrated wheels with the crankshaft or traditionally stamped steel with machined teeth. The vehicle and reluctor wheel has not been inspected by GM or any other representatives. I offered to send images to GM for records but they declined.
NHTSA complaint #11754282 — 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 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. While the contact’s husband was driving into the driveway at the residence, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was parked, and the hood was opened to determine the cause of the failure. The contact’s husband discovered that the serpentine belt had slipped off the pulley because the pulley was fractured. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
NHTSA complaint #11753224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the parkway, the engine revved, and then the brakes became hard as a brick. The truck was unable to be stopped. There were no warning lamps or indications there was a problem, it happened suddenly and immediately. Other drivers' and my own safety was at risk because I could not stop the truck. Here is the diagnosis from the GM service center where it was towed to: "After the removal of the valve cover, the tech found the pump in pieces, and the end of the exhaust camshaft was damaged, as presented in the photos. The quote attached depicts all that is being replaced with this repair." The is a know and acknowledged GM defect that has affected well over 3 million vehicles to date. There was a recall issued for some models, but not the Chevrolet Colorado. There are many reports online of other Colorado owners having the exact brake vacuum pump failure, resulting in damage to the camshaft.There is also a class action lawsuit filed in Michigan in early 2026, involving the same brake vacuum pump failure, for some of the models that were not included in the recall. This is an extremely dangerous mechanical failure that GM is aware of.
NHTSA complaint #11748403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Component that failed: brakes. I was pulling into a parking spot at low speed and the brake pedal was suddenly extremely difficult to depress, almost impossible. It felt as if a brick were under the pedal but there was no obstruction. I was able to stop only because I was already going so slow. Safety of myself and others was at risk because I was almost unable to stop the vehicle. If I had been going any faster I don't believe I would have been able to without crashing into an obstacle. Vehicle is currently at a service shop but issue has not been verified or repaired as of today. When restarting the vehicle, the engine stuttered and started making odd sounds, and wouldn't idle properly. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms at all prior to failure. When I entered the parking lot it was working normally and when I turned to enter a parking spot the brakes suddenly just failed.
NHTSA complaint #11748004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the camshaft actuator valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with Special Coverage Program: N232430470 (Camshaft Position Actuator Valve Solenoid - Bank 2 (Left Side) Exhaust ); however, the VIN was not included in the program. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 43,500.
NHTSA complaint #11746459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2023 Chevrolet Colorado (2.7L, approx. 49,000 miles) experiences sudden, intermittent loss of motive power involving the 8-speed automatic transmission. The transmission sets codes and the vehicle drops into limp mode, capped at roughly 45 mph, without warning. The most dangerous symptom is a total loss of acceleration from a stop, especially on inclines — pressing the accelerator produces no response. On one occasion, stopped on a slight incline, the vehicle rolled backward toward the car behind me when it failed to move forward on accelerator input. I narrowly avoided a collision. On a separate occasion, after pressing the accelerator with no response, the vehicle then suddenly lurched forward into cross traffic; repeated presses produced inconsistent, delayed engagement, nearly causing a collision. To climb inclines I now have to hold the brake while applying throttle and slowly release the brake to prevent rollback. These are unpredictable loss-of-control events that create a serious crash risk in traffic. I believe this relates to a known issue affecting the GM 8-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle is currently at a GM dealer and I have an open GM Customer Care case. No crash, fire, or injury has occurred yet, but two near-collisions have.
NHTSA complaint #11744039 — 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.