Chevrolet Colorado reliability by year
22 recalls and 3,139 owner complaints across 19 model years. Best year to buy: 2010. Year to avoid: 2015.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 3 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2008, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 19 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Colorado aggregated across 19 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Chevrolet Colorado?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2010 Chevrolet Colorado scores 8.4/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 28 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Chevrolet Colorado year should I avoid?
The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado scores 5.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 480 owner complaints with NHTSA, 6 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2015 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Chevrolet Colorado should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2019 (avoid — the powertrain — 1 fatality report and 1 crash-related complaint on the powertrain); 2015 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 40 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 6,356–38,000 mi); 2005 (avoid — the brakes — 6 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system). The cleaner years on the data are 2025, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2012. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Chevrolet Colorado are tracked?
19 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 22 recalls and 3,139 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Chevrolet Colorado?
steering is the most-reported category — 915 complaints across 15 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.