2018 Chevrolet Colorado Problems

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

I purchased the truck at the end of March 2025. Within a few weeks I was noticing different issues in the transmission. It would occasionally shudder, have jerky or long shifts, would jump gears and lose power. The shudder was random but mostly on the highway, the jerky or long shifts would mostly occur when the egjne was cold and more…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Luggage and shudders at cruise speed, seems like auto transmission is coming apart. Paid $500 for the trans flush the service bulletin suggests but didn’t help, shop quoted a $8000 replacement on a vehicle with 60k miles. This should be a recallOwner complaint, filed 2026

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

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the key was difficult to remove from the ignition. The dealer was contacted and informed that the shift interlock switch failed to recognize that the transmission was shifted to park(P). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 60,000 miles

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while attempting to service the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 47,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 162,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 31,000 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

Crankshaft Position Tone Wheel delaminated, mechanic changed it out and not sure what they did with it. Stalled vehicle on uphill passing lane during rush hour traffic, cars where inches from me as they passed at 65-70 mph, I called 911 and had a state trooper come and direct traffic. Joe's Garage inspected my vehicle and did the repair.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The issue is with the transmission not shifting as should. The issue is called Shuddering and seems to be a know isuue. If you google search issues with 2018 Chevy Colorado this is the first issue that comes up. This could cause an accident. If gears aren’t shifting properly and I cannot excel as needed I could be rear ended or cause me…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 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

Power steering failure, without incident. It started one morning, after turning off truck the previous day. Warning lights displayed as soon as truck was started. Very difficult to turn steering wheel. Too dangerous to drive. Dealer indicated the steering rack should be replaced.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The power steering quits working intermittently. It has always been extremely cold when it happens. So far, it has only happened when the vehicle has been started, then driven. Turning the ignition off, then on, does not fix the problem. So far, it eventually starts working again at a later start up. When it happened before, the problem…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 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

7.5 amp to fuel injectors has blown 2 times unknow reason causing loss of power 1st time on country road then 2nd time on a highway it's a common problem from the Chevy Colorado forums regarding the 2.8l lwn engineOwner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that upon arriving to his destination, he observed gasoline leaking underneath the vehicle near the fuel filler neck. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump seal. The vehicle was not repaired. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 162,000 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

I was ran off the road and hit a tree line in which a downed tree went through my windshield. The airbags failed to deploy. If I had not been wearing my seatbelt, I could've been decapitatedOwner complaint, filed 2025

Chevrolet montebello delearship in california refused to do any work on our 2018 chevrolet colorado. We received a letter about a recall on the airbags of the truck and we took the truck in due to some issues on the truck and the recall. Because they felt the vehicle was tampered with they denied to do any work on the truck even the…Owner complaint, filed 2019

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

There are these "New" headlights that are LED and White and they are far to bright for oncoming traffic to the point that I see black spots that block the view of the road. To be clear they are not on my vehicle specifically, but a ton of the newer vehicles.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Rear back up camera at night is extremely bright and blinding to driver. Makes it useless at night and dangerous. There's no way to lower brightness setting for night time back up moves. I've seen many complaints on this. We owners shouldn't have to pay to have this fix.Owner complaint, filed 2024

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

The driver side seat belt does not immediately latch when placed in the seat belt housing. To secure the seat belt the driver must keep placing the seat belt latch into the housing multiple times in order for the latch to secure. When brought to the attention of a local Chevrolet Service Center, their response was to pay >$400 to replace…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Seat belt buckle receiver occasionally does not “click” all the way and takes at times multiple attempts to connect. No light shows that it is disconnected. I’ve noticed it with both front seat belts receiver. Unknown with rear seats I’ve never sat in my vehicles backseats to confirm it there. Unknown if I can get them inspected upon…Owner complaint, filed 2023

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

The braking system did not engaged as expected when suddenly braking in freeway commute. This resulted in a vehicle collision. I believe this issue put myself and others in danger. There were no warning lamps.Owner complaint, filed 2023

The Stibilitrack in the truck went out just after 20 minutes of driving in 34 degree rainy weather at 65 mph. Found out that it was the passenger front bearing reluctor had chipped away, which is what the wheel speed sensor reads. Once one those go out, you lose Stibilitrack and ABS. I believe that this is a significant safety issue, and…Owner complaint, filed 2024

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

My 2018 Chevrolet Colorado diesel has had repeated diesel emissions/DPF-related failures that cause the vehicle to enter reduced-power or limp mode. This is a safety issue because the truck suddenly loses power and cannot accelerate normally. The most serious incident occurred while driving over Santiam Pass in Oregon. The vehicle went…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The Stibilitrack in the truck went out just after 20 minutes of driving in 34 degree rainy weather at 65 mph. Found out that it was the passenger front bearing reluctor had chipped away, which is what the wheel speed sensor reads. Once one those go out, you lose Stibilitrack and ABS. I believe that this is a significant safety issue, and…Owner complaint, filed 2024

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

The Multimatic DSSV damper in the left rear lost its fluid through a leak. Various forums indicate there is a design flaw with the DSSV for the ZR2. A blown shock renders the vehicle unbalanced, and marginally safe in unexpected rough terrain or when pulling a trailer. These dampers or shocks have shafts that are too thin and poorly…Owner complaint, filed 2021

El vehículo en muchas ocasiones no quiere encender el tablero, se vuelve loco como si quisiera apagar ah blim, queda mucho ah, las luces del tablero y la radio se encienden y apaganOwner complaint, filed 2021

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

The contact owns a 2018 chevrolet colorado. The contact stated that the hood bounced up and down while driving at various speeds without warning. The contact initially took the vehicle to jeff gordon chevrolet (228 s college rd, wilmington, nc 28403) where they adjusted the hood latch but the failure persisted. The contact then took the…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 3,901 miles

The contact owns a 2018 chevrolet colorado. The contact stated that the driver and passenger sides of the fender wheel/cargo bed were buckling and rippling. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to all american chevrolet of san angelo (203 north bryant blvd, san angelo, tx 76903, 844-342-6320), but was not…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 69,000 miles

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

I have a 2018 Colorado 4x4 with 51K miles. Purchased with 28k. When driving at normal highway speed, get drive train shudder when increase torque is needed (hill, ramp, etc.). Only happens in overdrive. When tow/haul is activated shudder does not occur. It feels like transmission and/or drive shaft is about to fall off. I have not…Owner complaint, filed 2023

El vehículo en muchas ocasiones no quiere encender el tablero, se vuelve loco como si quisiera apagar ah blim, queda mucho ah, las luces del tablero y la radio se encienden y apaganOwner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

At approximately 6:15am while driving at approx 45MPH on a surface street on the right lane, I noticed an alert on the dashboard regarding the PSI of the rear driver side tire had 0 PSI of pressure and simultaneously heard the thudding sounds of a flat tire. I neither heard, nor felt any impact and there were no potholes in that section…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2018 chevrolet colorado. The contact stated that the driver and passenger sides of the fender wheel/cargo bed were buckling and rippling. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to all american chevrolet of san angelo (203 north bryant blvd, san angelo, tx 76903, 844-342-6320), but was not…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 69,000 miles