554 of the
4,906 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Colorado
are about the transmission —
11% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
554
Complaints
11%
Share of all complaints
13
Crashes
5
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
Transmission is shuddering, I had a transmission flush done, and a tune up, and neither helped. I am concerned the transmission is going to go out while driving, especially in a busy intersection and cause an accident. I have had problems with the vehicle no accelerating when need going uphill to get out of the way of traffic when turning. Problem is duplicated every day until I can get it fixed. It has been looked at by a dealership and other personal mechanic shops. No lights on the dash have appeared.
NHTSA complaint #11758641 — 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.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was made aware of a technical service bulletin which included replacing the transmission fluid. The transmission fluid was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently the transmission started slipping and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the transmission torque converter and the transmission valve body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 39,200.
NHTSA complaint #11751766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased the truck at the end of March 2025. Within a few weeks I was noticing different issues in the transmission. It would occasionally shudder, have jerky or long shifts, would jump gears and lose power. The shudder was random but mostly on the highway, the jerky or long shifts would mostly occur when the egjne was cold and more often in cold weather. The lose of power and jumping gears would occur when towing and when I was in the mountains, once losing power as I was turning onto a major highway. I took the truck in three times to get diagnosed but they couldnt replicate the issue or find a code. I finally decided to pay for a flush with the fluid that was recommended by a TSB. After the flush the issues were then replicated by the service techs. I have an extended warranty. The representative then inspected the truck and found the same issues and approved a transmission replacement. I took the truck in on June 22nd 2026. As of July 21 the dealership is still waiting for the replacement transmission to be shipped from GM.
NHTSA complaint #11751922 — 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.
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.
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.
Engine fails it violenty thumps and studders and drops from highway speed with no warning. This is a mfg. defect and also an EXTREME SAFETY CONCERN. The engine studders and thumps and we were almost rear ended by a truck when our truck could not go into gear properly. It is very scary! Dealership confirmed that they have many vehicles with same issue and recommended a Super Flush of transmission but not sure this will correct problem or cause more problems. There is no warning when these incidents occur and the driver has no control to avoid it. It is commonly referred to as the Chevy thump and studder and a known mfg defect in which GM refuses to pay for repairs causing consumers an extreme hardship! This is an ongoing issue affecting thousands of vehicles and someone is going to die! There is no negligence of operator of vehicle, it is a manufacturing defect that affects thousands of GM vehicles and they are doing NOTHING about it except expecting customers to keep incurring cost to try to remedy a repair at our own expense which is unfair! The government needs to force a recall at GM's expense!
NHTSA complaint #11741750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle intermittently lunges forward during the 2nd-to-1st downshift, even while the brakes are being applied. When this occurs, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerates or surges forward slightly, travels farther than anticipated, and feels similar to being bumped from behind. Because the condition occurs at low speeds, often in tight areas such as parking spaces, stop-and-go traffic, or before a crosswalk, it creates a risk of collision with pedestrians, vehicles, or objects. The issue has been reported to Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton, Florida multiple times, but continues to happen.
NHTSA complaint #11741859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brake vacuum pump appeared to fail creating brake system malfunction. Appears determined by mechanics to have seized and caused damage to cam shaft. Driver’s safety issue caused when trying to brake vehicle not functioning. Vehicle was towed to mechanic shop. There were no warning signs of impending failure of system. Note that earlier years for this model may have had recalls for safety issue and malfunction.
NHTSA complaint #11738935 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Check engine light with codes p0700 and p2796 has been happening for months with multiple failed repair attempts. Vehicle was returned to me by the dealer supposedly fixed. I drove it 15 minutes to the high school for an art fair my daughter was in. They (my family) rode with me home. Check engine light was on again. On the way home, the transmission was acting strange, not shifting properly. About half way home, it got stuck in a gear at 3500 or so rpms and would not shift. I tried the manual shifter, and it didn’t work. Stuck in gear. Concern was that we were approaching a hill when it did this, and I could not get the vehicle to shift to deliver the appropriate level of power I needed to ascend the hill. It thankfully did eventually shift, but it was scary for a few seconds, especially since I had my wife and all three of my kids in the vehicle. I dropped the vehicle off the next morning. It got stuck in gear at 3500 RPMS again on the way to the dealership. Two dealerships have made multiple failed attempts to fix the transmission issues. Several attempts to contact GM have gone without a response. No one in my family feels safe in the vehicle after what happened.
NHTSA complaint #11732174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Torque converter shutter makes vehicle lunge forward while driving. Feels like something pushes you from behind. On a wet road and especially in a curve this could cause rear wheels to slide.
NHTSA complaint #11727884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2024 Chevrolet Colorado with intermittent safety defect at highway speeds. Vehicle displays P215B along with Service ESC, Service Traction Control, and Reduced Acceleration. Speedometer becomes erratic and the vehicle loses reliable speed signal at highway speed. Dealer kept vehicle for 15 days, stated repairs were made, but the same issue returned within about 2 miles of pickup on the highway. Vehicle was returned to dealer immediately. As of April 2, total days out of service will be 21. I do not believe the vehicle is safe to drive or safe to transport my family in. GM case has been opened. This is an ongoing safety issue involving loss of speed signal and reduced acceleration during highway operation.
NHTSA complaint #11727922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2024 Chevy Colorado Trail Boss that needs an Upper Radiator Coolant Hose. But apparently this is on nationwide backorder because although there is not a recall GM put a bulletin out they are aware of the issue that appears to be a degraded seal inside hose fitting so the whole hose needs replacing. I live in [XXX] and it is not available here and I have called OH, [XXX] , [XXX] and other state dealerships and Noone will sell that part because of the backorder. My truck has 40k miles. And every dealer I called this is a huge issue with these trucks. So it is not a wear issue when it is on nationwide backorder and it'll take 1-2 weeks +/- to get. My warranty won't cover as they say it is a wear part and no recall. So how can there be no recall on a nationwide issue with these trucks. My truck cant be driven right now due to check engine light, low coolant, leaking hose, fan blowing high, no heat and this is all related to this backordered part. Someone told me to report this issue so that is what I am doing now. Again this should be an active recall. Thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11727584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my family home on a hot 90+ degree day. My 2016 Chevy Colorado suddenly has a power loss engine died and i went from 75 to parked in less than 30 seconds. Luckily I was able to pull off the freeway to the median. We were almost hit by two vehicles pulling a trailer and the other pulling a RV. I had to have someone pick my kids up due to the hazards of being stranded on the side of the freeway. We had to have the truck towed. The code we got was for a fuel pump control module. We replaced and had it programed. This did not fix the issue. After further diagnostics from a auto mechanic shop, which we had to pay out of pocket. We learned it was a lifter failure. I have see numerous forums and people sighting "Lifter Failure" in Chevy Vehicles. Where most of us owners have to cover all cost out of pocket. Yet still "NO RECALL" for this issue that seems to be worth a recall. Next Issue the speed sensor which we have replaced it 3 times now in less than 2 years.
NHTSA complaint #11727045 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When coming to a stop the vehicle slams into 1st gear raising the RPMs and pushing the vehicle forward even when the brakes are being applied. No warning lights no other malfunction or symptoms. Has occurred this I first purchased the vehicle new in January of 2025. Has almost caused collisions. Never took it to the dealership due to the information I've gathered if was a common issue but I believe it is a major safety concern due to the vehicle lunging forward when the brakes are applied.
NHTSA complaint #11726232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Unknown on first appear - key gets stuck in the ignition. This happened for the first time shortly after we bought it. It was still under warranty and the Chevrolet dealership in Washington PA fixed it. We paid to have it fixed and now it’s out again and we can’t get our key out of the ignition and we sit there forever trying to get it to work. Restarting vehicle etc. We had an appointment the other day and sat there well over a half hour trying to remove the key from the ignition because you obviously can’t leave it in the vehicle. We even drive the vehicle to a different spot in a lot to see if it will release what seems to be pressure to get it out? There’s no warranty to fix it and we shouldn’t have to replace the same issue over and over again. I feel this should be a recall or a lemon issue. Also- we took our vehicle to a local inspection auto shop because we have an issue with the transmission shuttering like you are driving over a rumble strip. We were informed there has been recalls on the Colorado trucks through the years however we have no recall on our vin. I believe and feel this should be covered under the recall since it’s obviously is an ongoing issue through the years. There weren’t any warning lights and currently still no warning lights when these issues happen. This is a big inconvenience owning a truck that we bought brand new and having repeated issues that are known for this particular vehicle. Yes it will be available to be inspected upon request. Please assist. Attached is a receipt where we tried to see if the truck was possibly shuttering from being out of aligned. That wasn’t the case and they referred us to Middle Creek Garage where we paid to have it looked at and they told us about the transmission recalls and what they are known for. I can’t find my receipts. Washington Chevrolet in Pennsylvania is who has worked on our ignition key issues twice. Your date below is messing up. Transmission started in 09/2025.
NHTSA complaint #11724169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.