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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2021 Chevrolet Colorado

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 75 safety complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 4 people were injured and 2 deaths are recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 18 complaints, 24% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 36,250 miles, the median across the 16 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers October 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

75 complaints on file

75

Complaints

6

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

4

People injured

2

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 43% year on year: 20 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 14 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 18 · 24%
SERVICE BRAKES 17 · 23%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16 · 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 · 15%
POWER TRAIN 11 · 15%
STEERING 10 · 13%
AIR BAGS 5 · 7%
SEAT BELTS 3 · 4%
SUSPENSION 3 · 4%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 4%
EQUIPMENT 2 · 3%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 2 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 75.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 19.

20 15 10 5
20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Chevrolet COLORADO, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test PU/CC 2WD PU/CC 4WD PU/EC 2WD PU/EC 4WD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 21.9% 21.2% 22.0% 21.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

SEAT BELTS

20V811000 · December 23, 2020

The 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.
The risk
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.
The 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.

General Motors, LLC · up to 470 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 death · fire · crash · towed · 5,000 miles

The contact's son owned a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while her son was driving on a county road at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently crashed into a tree 4-6 feet away from the road, and caught fire. No further information was available on the occurrence of the crash. The contact stated that the air bags may have failed to deploy. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department. The contact's son may have been pronounced dead at the scene. The contact's son was transported out of the vehicle with the assistance of emergency units and was airdropped to the hospital, where it was diagnosed that he sustained brain hemorrhage and

NHTSA complaint 11445486, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 death · crash · towed · 950 miles

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HIS CLIENT'S FATHER WHO OWNED A 2021 CHEVROLET COLORADO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE CLIENT'S FATHER WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN AROUND ON A NARROW ROAD, THE VEHICLE FELL OFF A CLIFF AND CRASHED INTO A CREEK BED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER PASSED AWAY DUE TO A BROKEN NECK AND FRACTURED SPINE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 950.

NHTSA complaint 11414238. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · towed

I was involved in accident where a driver ran a red light traveling approximately 60-70MPH and collided with the front of my 2021 Chevy Colorado ZR2 (22700 Miles). The hood was torn off, the entire front end of the truck was crushed with significant damage to the engine. The OnStar / SOS system also failed to work after the crash. The truck was deemed a total loss. I have spinal injuries, head and neck injuries, as well as leg injuries due to my knees taking the brunt of the impact into the dash. The airbags did not deploy.

NHTSA complaint 11616836. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

The truck has only 40K miles on it. I was checking under the hood when without notice the heed dropped hitting me in the head and pinning my hand under the hood thus trapping me there. A rescuer released the hood release lever so I could escape. I had a lump on my head and my hand was /wrist was bruised. I am on blood thinners so I consider myself lucky. The stanchions that hold the hood open suddenly failed and will not hold the hood open.

NHTSA complaint 11554567. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Both rear calipers have become frozen or stuck, causing the brakes to seize and not work correctly. This happened around 53,000 miles. There was a burning rubber smell as well as the tire/brake temp was 5 times the normal. This created a severe driving hazard.

NHTSA complaint 11763826. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Brake boost vacuum pump failure. While approaching a traffic light that was red, I applied the brakes. The pedal was very hard to press and required me using both feet to bring the vehicle to a stop. Stopping distance was much longer than normal. I removed the vacuum pump and found it had seized and broke apart.

NHTSA complaint 11761541. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
My 2021 Chevy Colorado experienced a distinct bucking and shuddering sensation under slow acceleration at lower RPMs, specifically when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. There were no dashboard warning lights or malfunction codes prior to the issue. The defect was officially reproduced, inspected, and confirmed by a GM technician at a certified Chevrolet dealership on October 28, 2025, at 46,437 miles. Diagnostic scanning using GM’s GDS software explicitly confirmed that the Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) slip speed was exceeding 100 RPM when the low-speed shudder occurred. The dealership determined the component was failing and replaced the entire torque converter assembly under warranty.

NHTSA complaint 11759346, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Iba sobre el freeway a 60 millas y de la nada el freno se puso duro no respondían me pasé a los carril de la orilla y fui metiendo freno de mano poco a poco bendito Dios me puse a salvo! La agencia me dijo que fue el booster ahora tienen que verificar que no halla fragmentos de metal en el motor!

NHTSA complaint 11758604. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
We bought this truck from a dealer (used) and before delivery the driver seat belt recall was repaired as it was still open. Now, months later, the airbag light is on with a warning and it appears that the airbags are disabled. This started as an intermittent issue and now remains constant. Not only does the warning chime when the truck is started, it will chime at random while driving which is a distraction and a significant safety concern for our young adult driver. Our local Chevy dealer will not assess the issue for less than $300. Our mechanic told us that replacing the airbag is a minimum of $800 depending on the extent of the work. Given the prior airbag recalls impacting Chevy/GMC,

NHTSA complaint 11754933, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

106,000 miles

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

NHTSA complaint 11754991, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Colorado

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 14 1 —
2025 27 1 —
2024 123 3 —
2023 135 3 —
2022 56 1 —
2020 84 0 —
2019 150 0 1
2018 183 1 —
2017 216 1 —
2016 708 4 —
2015 491 7 —
2012 42 2 —
2011 42 5 —
2010 29 2 —

Other 2021 Chevrolet models

Silverado 1500 829 Tahoe 453 Suburban 198 Trailblazer 193 Blazer 134 Equinox 96 Malibu 89 Traverse 89

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst