2017 Chevrolet Colorado Problems

What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Chevrolet Colorado, 2015 to 2022 model years
Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0
How the 2017 compares

About average for the Colorado

Owners filed about as many complaints as a typical Colorado year. The main thing to watch is the transmission and drivetrain, which half of owners reported by about 19,000 miles.

Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Colorado years from 2015 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

Owners have filed 216 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The most reported problem area is the transmission and drivetrain (107, 50% of complaints), followed by the electrical system and the engine and cooling. That ranks 3rd of 10 Colorado years from 2015 to 2024 for complaints. It has 1 recall.

Complaints216filed with NHTSA
Recalls1for this model year
Crashes56 injuries reported
Fires0reported in complaints

1 of these complaints came from Utah owners.

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Most reported problems

Problem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado before you buy.

Transmission and drivetrain

107 complaintsHarsh or delayed shifts, slipping, shuddering, CVT whine, and drivetrain clunks.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
  • Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
  • Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
  • If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 39,200 miles
*Transmission wiring harness - Not avail for inspection since it has been repaired *Repaired before complete failure. *Yes, repaired by Chevrolet Dealership *No *Yes, engine light - diagnosed as Code P0700, PO711 - transmission fluid temp performance failure. Monitor fluid temp. Temp readiing is erratic drops from 120 to lower temp.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Electrical system

41 complaintsDead batteries, warning lights, failed screens and cameras, and electrical shorts.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
  • Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
  • Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Stabilitrek error popped up and traction control lights came on and there was a sudden (brief) loss of electrical power when I turned on high beamsOwner complaint, filed 2025
Stabilitrak error and traction control lights came on and electrical power flickered off and on when I rolled up passenger windowOwner complaint, filed 2025

Engine and cooling

28 complaintsStalling, misfires, oil consumption, leaks, overheating and engine failure.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
  • Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
  • Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
  • Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

On or about 02/09/2026, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure directly related to a known defect identified in Technical Service Bulletin 19-NA-066. The engine "sucked" in the oil filter due to a poor design on GM's part. The stand pipe was not present apparently, and must have broken off at some point. This bulletin…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the A/C unit stopped working, with the check engine warning light illuminated. On several occasions, while the vehicle was turned off, the cooling fan ran for approximately 2-3 minutes. The vehicle was taken to an…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Steering

19 complaintsLoss of power steering assist, wandering, play in the wheel and noises when turning.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 27,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
  • On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
  • A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I took my 2017 Chevrolet Colorada in for an oil change and when exiting the building I made a sharp left turn at very slow parking lot speed. The steering wheel locked up and was difficult to break loosed. I had the mechanic come out and he drove the Colorada around the building and it locked up on him also. This could be a very life…Owner complaint, filed 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while reversing out of the driveway, the steering wheel became stiff. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering gearbox needed to be replaced. The power steering gearbox and…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 55,257 miles

Fuel system

16 complaintsHesitation, stalling, fuel smell, fuel pump and injector failures.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
  • On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
  • Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

There is a major fuel line leak just before the high pressure fuel pump. It appears that the fuel line aggressively rubbed against an A/C line component (looks like a muffler/canister). This rubbing created a huge hole in the high pressure fuel line, causing diesel to spray everywhere on the driver side of the engine compartment. This…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Fuel leak. Engine stop the truck, smell of fuel in the cabin, the truck is using diesel. This started in Ictober, technician told me it’s the gas pump. Still the smell in the cabin and now lights on dashboard alerting failure in the system,Owner complaint, filed 2025

Brakes and stability control

15 complaintsBrakes that feel soft or grab, grinding, ABS and stability control faults.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
  • The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
  • Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

On Wednesday, February 18th, I was driving on the freeway, usual heavy traffic right off of it at 5:00pm. When exiting and merging onto the street, I pressed on my break to slow down and meet the speed of traffic, but my breaks felt hard, I struggled pressing it down, and my car wasn’t slowing down. I was able to swerve off into a dirt…Owner complaint, filed 2026
I was driving to lunch and without warning, my brakes failed when I approached a 4-way stop. With ABS, I was able to stop my vehicle safely in a parking lot. However, the when I turned the vehicle off, it would not start again. The vacuum pump seized and since it is driven by the exhaust camshaft, it destroyed the exhaust camshaft. It's…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Air bags

9 complaintsAir bag warning lights, air bags that did not deploy, and inflator recalls.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
  • Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

My passenger air warning message appeared about 2 weeks ago. It doesn't happen everyday but every now and then it will appear.Owner complaint, filed 2023
Insurance claims representative informed me that steering wheel air bag didn't deploy when I wrecked 2017 Chevy Colorado. I suffered multiple injuries. Broken ribs, broken sternum, broken femur in 2 places, concussion,lung collapsed. No warnings no message. I'm gonna email the insurance company and ask them to report it to the Chevy…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Seats and seat belts

7 complaintsBelts that will not latch or retract, seat adjusters and passenger occupancy sensors.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

  • Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
  • Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Over the course of the past year, I've noticed the seat belt tightening against my body as I drive, even without slowing or braking. In the past two weeks, the tightening is so severe that I am unable to pull the seat belt out from locking up. It becomes difficult to unbuckle. This morning the seat belt would not pull out from the pocket…Owner complaint, filed 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light illuminated while the seat was not occupied. While driving at various speeds, the engine overheated. The coolant reservoir was empty, but there was no indication of a leak. The…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 110,000 miles

Cruise control and acceleration

6 complaintsHesitation, loss of power, sudden acceleration and cruise control problems.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
  • Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Received a P2138 Throttle/Pedal position sensor/switch "D"/"E" voltage correlation code while driving that caused "Reduced Power" and "stabilitrak" errors. The reduced power mode it went into made the truck unable to accelerate in a safe manner and made the truck "jump" wildly as it attempted to accelerate.Owner complaint, filed 2025
The computer screen jumps around with the dash data when you are driving. The radio changes functions and channels. This is a huge distraction and dangerous when driving. Additionally, when you turn the radio off the screen keeps jumping around to different functions and channels.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Lights, wipers and visibility

5 complaintsHeadlights that dim or fail, wiper and washer failures, and windshield cracks.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
  • Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The auto headlight function changes the instrument panel lights to dim when driving. Example: at 4 o'clock pm your driving east. The sun is setting towards the west so the light sensor on the dash that controls the auto headlight function doesn't see the sun directly thinks it's dark outside and turns the headlights on. When this happens…Owner complaint, filed 2017
2017 chevrolet colorado. Consumer writes in regards to issue with low beam headlights. *ld the consumer stated the dealer nor the [VIN] offered any assistance. Updated 09/26/2017Owner complaint, filed 2017

Suspension

4 complaintsClunks over bumps, broken springs, worn struts and uneven tire wear.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
  • Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
  • Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Right rear shock lower mount / eyelet split in half causing shock to simply hang from upper mount. Vehicle was parked when failure was noticed.Owner complaint, filed 2021
I have the dssv shocks on my zr2. It has 58,000 miles on it and the dssv shocks are leaking. To my knowledge this shock is supposed to be for the life of the vehicle. I know there was a recall on some 2015-2017 dssv shocks mine is a 2017 but I have no recall and my shocks are leaking like the recalled shocks. Since the shocks are not…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 54,000 miles

Body, doors and structure

3 complaintsRust, doors and liftgates that will not latch, leaks, and frame or structure concerns.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
  • Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
  • Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Upper control arm, right hand side, went bad and needed [VIN] in under 20,000 miles. Detected with a clunking noise, and confirmed when I went in for alignment. It was replaced before it broke, but a broken control arm is a major safety risk.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 20,000 miles
For a while now, my truck has been aggressively shaking when I hit highway speeds so I've spent money getting balances and alignments and tires to try and fix the issue, but nothing works. I've also been having acceleration issues, but when I take it to a shop to be looked at, nobody can find the problem. Then a few days ago, I was on…Owner complaint, filed 2020

Driver assist systems

1 complaintPhantom braking, false collision warnings, and lane keeping or backup sensors that act up.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
  • Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
  • Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

On Sep 14th 2025 with KM 41959km, after turn on my colorado, after I filled the fuel tank, I had driven more of 50 min, a message appears in the screen control: Failed braking system 100km/h Max Velocity and a second message appears: Provide service to ESC. Then turn off the colorado, wait some seconds and turn on again, no messages…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Chevrolet Colorado complaints by year

Compare the 2017 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.

Compare with similar 2017 midsize trucks

Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.

CarVs. its other yearsRecallsMost reported
2017 Chevrolet ColoradoAbout average1Transmission and drivetrain
2017 Toyota TacomaWorse than most years5Transmission and drivetrain
Compare side by side

2017 Chevrolet Colorado recalls

This is every recall issued for the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado, not what is still open on one car. A recall that was fixed does not show up any differently here. Check a VIN at NHTSA to see what is still open on the car you are looking at, and ask the seller for proof any recall work was done.

Fuel system Fuel pump

May 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V358000
Risk
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge.
Full recall summary

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.

2017 Chevrolet Colorado questions

What are the most common problems with the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado?

The most reported problem areas on the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado are the transmission and drivetrain (107 complaints), the electrical system (41 complaints) and the engine and cooling (28 complaints).

Is the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado a good year to buy?

About average for the Colorado. Owners filed about as many complaints as a typical Colorado year. The main thing to watch is the transmission and drivetrain, which half of owners reported by about 19,000 miles. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Colorado years from 2015 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

How many recalls does the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado have?

NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The most recent, from May 2018, covers the fuel pump. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.

At what mileage do 2017 Chevrolet Colorado problems start?

Half of the owners who reported a problem with the transmission and drivetrain gave a mileage of about 19,000 miles or less. Half of the owners who reported a problem with the electrical system gave a mileage of about 35,000 miles or less. Plenty of cars have these problems later or never, so ask for service records.

Which Chevrolet Colorado years should I avoid?

The Colorado years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2015 and 2016. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2020 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.