2021 Chevrolet Colorado: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado
On the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 9 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 45,000 miles. Overall it scores 77 out of 100, severe risk for a 2021.
Severe risk for a 2021 — 73rd riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. 107 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 35 named failure modes on the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, and the three most-reported carry 25% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other engine problem leads with 9 reports and about 563 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 9 reports, median 100 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 9 reports, median 100,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (15), electrical (11) and transmission (10).
At what mileage it happens
21 of the reports on the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 45,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 52% by 50,000 miles, 90% by 100,000 miles and 95% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 24% of the dated reports.
43% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 35. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 4 mention a crash and 1 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.28, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and infotainment screen failure at $400–$2,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
26% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 9 | 1 | — | 46k | — | 562.5 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 9 | 1 | — | 60 | — | 562.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 9 | 2 | — | 100k | — | 562.5 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 250.0 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Other steering problem | steering | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 250.0 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 187.5 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 187.5 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 55k | — | 187.5 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 3 | 1 | — | 63k | — | 187.5 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 187.5 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 187.5 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 125.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 125.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 2 | 1 | — | 27k | — | 125.0 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 125.0 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 2 | 1 | — | 15k | — | 125.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 125.0 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 125.0 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 53k | — | 125.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| DPF, EGR or DEF system failure | emissions | 2 | 2 | — | 29k | — | 125.0 | $800–$5,000 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 1 | — | 60 | — | 125.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 125.0 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 62.5 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 79k | — | 62.5 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Thermostat failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 62.5 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 62.5 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 19 | 2 | — | 51k | — | 1,187.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado draws about 6,688 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 100th percentile of complaint rates among 2021 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 16 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2021 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2021 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, affecting an estimated 16 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover seat belts. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
SEAT BELTS
470 vehicles 2020-12-23- Defect
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
- Consequence
- If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2021 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2021 — 73rd riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 21 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2010 comes out best at 65 and 2019 worst at 82, with 2021 itself at 77.
If the model year is negotiable, 2010, 2004, 2011, 2006, 2009, 2005, 2012, 2007, 2008 and 2026 score lower than 2021 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2017–2022 generation specifically, 2021 is the strongest year at 77 and 2019 the weakest at 82.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2017-2022 generation, 2021 Chevrolet Colorado scores best at 77 and 2019 Chevrolet Colorado worst at 82.
Where these figures stop being useful
107 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 107 reports, 21 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 20% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (9 reports, median 45,000 miles), other powertrain problem (9 reports, median 100 miles) and other electrical problem (9 reports, median 100,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?
It scores 77 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 73rd riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2021 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Chevrolet Colorado is best?
Within the 2017–2022 generation, 2021 scores best at 77 out of 100 and 2019 worst at 82. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed