SEAT BELTS; SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
2021 Chevrolet Colorado
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 80 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, most frequently naming the brakes, engine and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 748 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| Dec 2020 | 2 | 3 |
| Apr 2021 | 2 | 5 |
| Jun 2021 | 1 | 6 |
| Aug 2021 | 1 | 7 |
| Sep 2021 | 1 | 8 |
| Nov 2021 | 1 | 9 |
| Dec 2021 | 1 | 10 |
| Aug 2022 | 1 | 11 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 12 |
| Nov 2022 | 1 | 13 |
| Jan 2023 | 3 | 16 |
| Mar 2023 | 1 | 17 |
| Apr 2023 | 2 | 19 |
| Jul 2023 | 2 | 21 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 22 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 23 |
| Nov 2023 | 2 | 25 |
| Feb 2024 | 2 | 27 |
| Mar 2024 | 3 | 30 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 31 |
| Jun 2024 | 1 | 32 |
| Jul 2024 | 3 | 35 |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | 37 |
| Oct 2024 | 1 | 38 |
| Jan 2025 | 1 | 39 |
| Mar 2025 | 2 | 41 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 42 |
| May 2025 | 1 | 43 |
| Jun 2025 | 3 | 46 |
| Aug 2025 | 1 | 47 |
| Sep 2025 | 2 | 49 |
| Oct 2025 | 2 | 51 |
| Nov 2025 | 3 | 54 |
| Dec 2025 | 2 | 56 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 | 58 |
| Feb 2026 | 2 | 60 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 61 |
| Apr 2026 | 2 | 63 |
| May 2026 | 2 | 65 |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 66 |
| Jul 2026 | 3 | 69 |
| Aug 2026 | 4 | 73 |
| Sep 2026 | 3 | 76 |
| Oct 2026 | 4 | 80 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes2121.0%
- Engine2121.0%
- Powertrain (other)1313.0%
- Electrical1313.0%
- Steering1010.0%
- Airbags66.0%
- Visibility33.0%
- Fuel system33.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The brake booster vacuum pump broke and caused my brakes to stop working properly while driving on the highway. There were zero warnings from the vehicle I went to press on my brake and it was stuck i luckily was able to push it down enough to safely stop
- NHTSA ID
- 11773376
- Incident
- Oct 21, 2026
The rear differential is sounding very loud, like grinding roaring sound @ 72,000. This truck doesn't pull any loads or anything heavy.all service are on time. How can this young milage truck major part go bad just so. It's dangerous driving on the street. It can cause death if it blows up or freeze. GM has a global service about their miss labeled rear differential. They now acting like they now hearing about this when many people is complaining about this faulted differential.
- NHTSA ID
- 11771338
- Incident
- Jul 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash after the contact fell asleep while driving 15 MPH. The vehicle came to a complete stop after crashing into a tree. The front of the vehicle was damaged. The contact stated that the air bags had not deployed. The contact sustained a fractured wrist and hand, burns to the neck from the seat belt and burns to the elbow from impact with the steering wheel. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11770235
- Incident
- Sep 19, 2026
- Mileage
- 90,000 mi
In May 2025, I took my truck to the dealership due to a severe whining noise from the rear. They said the rear differential had failed and needed a full replacement, costing me $1,800 since the warranty didn’t cover the entire amount. By late September 2026, while driving on the highway, the whining returned—this time with vibrations under my feet whenever I accelerated. Back at the dealership, I was told the rear differential had failed again. From July 2025 to July 2026, my truck was equipped with a Snapshot device from my insurance, both before and after the first repair, so I can’t understand why the differential failed twice in just a year and a half. The dealership mentioned that many owners of the same vehicle, and others with the same differential, are experiencing the exact same issue. I believe this is a serious safety concern, as repeated failures could lead to a dangerous acc
- NHTSA ID
- 11768860
- Incident
- Sep 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the engine seized. The contact stood on the brake pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured camshaft. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump fractured the camshaft, and the camshaft was fractured in half. The contact was informed that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,500.
- NHTSA ID
- 11768140
- Incident
- Sep 28, 2026
- Mileage
- 65,500 mi
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 ID
- 11763826
- Incident
- Sep 12, 2026
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 ID
- 11761541
- Incident
- Aug 24, 2026
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. This documentation is submitted to prove that the TCC defect remains uncorrected in post-2019 vehicles. My sister’s identical 2021 Colorado is now experiencing the same defect at 59,000 miles, but her symptoms have progressed significantly worse to include a severe high-speed drivetrain shudder alongside the low-speed acceleration bucking.
- NHTSA ID
- 11759346
- Incident
- Oct 28, 2025
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3
• Improvements to OnStar functionality.
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
This PI communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 51.1 |
| 2025 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 52.3 |
| 2024 | 127 | 3 | 1 | 61.5 |
| 2023 | 142 | 3 | 1 | 58.6 |
| 2022 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 47.1 |
| 2021Viewing | 80 | 1 | 0 | 53.5 |
| 2020 | 88 | 0 | 0 | 45.2 |
| 2019 | 151 | 0 | 0 | 43.3 |
| 2018 | 183 | 1 | 0 | 43.4 |
| 2017 | 217 | 1 | 0 | 44.2 |
| 2016 | 716 | 4 | 0 | 53.4 |
| 2015 | 499 | 7 | 1 | 61.3 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 53.5 |
| 2011 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 50.4 |
| 2010 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 45.7 |
| 2009 | 67 | 3 | 0 | 48.6 |
| 2008 | 81 | 2 | 0 | 51.7 |
| 2007 | 140 | 3 | 0 | 50.1 |
| 2006 | 236 | 4 | 1 | 49.9 |
| 2005 | 356 | 3 | 2 | 57.9 |
| 2004 | 361 | 3 | 2 | 55.9 |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.