2016 Chevrolet Colorado reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 707 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado over 11 years — 34 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Colorado years here — over the median of the other years, which is 22. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Fuel pump, Frontal, and Latches, locks, and linkages.

2012 Chevrolet Colorado — Photo by RL GNZLZ, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Complaints

707

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (457 of 707), then Electrical system (117) and Powertrain (97). Those filings include 14 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Colorado has 491 complaints, 28 per year, and the 2017 has 216 complaints, 23 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall Fuel pump 2018-05-31 · NHTSA campaign 18V358000

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.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.

Recall air bags, frontal 2017-10-05 · NHTSA campaign 17V621000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and 2016 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17387.

Recall air bags, frontal 2016-03-02 · NHTSA campaign 16V125000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles manufactured January 19, 2016, to February 2, 2016, Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured January 9, 2016, to January 26, 2016, and 2016 GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured January 21, 2016, to February 4, 2016. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 28030.

Recall Latches, locks, and linkages 2015-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 15V807000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Colorado trucks manufactured August 25, 2015 to September 24, 2015, and GMC Canyon trucks manufactured August 28, 2015 to September 24, 2015. The affected vehicles have a console compartment lid latch assembly that may fail to keep the compartment door closed in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact."

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the console compartment door latch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on January 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16370.

Complaints by component (707 total)

Steering

457

Electrical system

117

Powertrain

Engine

Service brakes

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Speed control

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Suspension

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Exterior lighting

Fuel system, gasoline

Seat belts

Seats

Traction control

Engine and engine cooling

Lane departure

Tires

Air brakes

Back-over prevention

Diesel fuel system

Forward collision avoidance

Hydraulic brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Visibility

Show 20 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"2016 chevy colorado z71 v6. Sept.17,2026 took to mechanic because of bad gas smell in cab when window down and huge puddle of gas under truck. This could have exploaded very easily. Shop said high pressure line / fuel…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-17
"Hello, This is my third or fourth attempt to contact NHTSA regarding the ongoing Power Steering Failure issue with my 2016 Chevy Colorado, and I am asking for assistance and a response. My truck has now been at the…"
Steering · filed 2026-09-16
"The truck often loses power steering and traction control during trips rendering the vehicle with no power steering. Upon stopping and restarting the truck, the power steering can return to the vehicle or stay turned…"
Steering · filed 2026-09-16
"The power steering will intermittently go out. This occurs at random times and often at speeds of over 65 mph. This is not a maintenance issue as it is electronic power steering."
Steering, Electrical system · filed 2026-09-14
"Hello, I am following up because I still have not received a response regarding my 2016 Chevy Colorado and why it was not included in the same recall that covered 2015 Chevy Colorados for this known power steering…"
Steering · filed 2026-09-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 Chevrolet Colorado PU/CC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Chevrolet Colorado PU/CC RWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Chevrolet Colorado PU/EC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Chevrolet Colorado PU/EC RWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Colorado two-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	20	26	22 MPG	$2950
Colorado two-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	19	26	22 MPG	$2950
Colorado two-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	18	25	21 MPG	$3100
Colorado two-wheel drive	2.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$3750
Colorado four-wheel drive	2.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Four-wheel drive	20	28	23 MPG	$4100
Colorado four-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Four-wheel drive	17	24	20 MPG	$3250
Colorado four-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Four-wheel drive	19	24	21 MPG	$3100
Colorado Cab Chassis two-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	15	17	16 MPG	$4050

Specs and fitment

1st generation (US return), 2015–2022

Body styles Pickup truck

Oil 0W-20 or 5W-30 (gasoline); 5W-30 (2.8L Duramax diesel) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 245/70R16 to 265/55R20 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-358 covers certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles among other GM models: the high-pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange and damage the high-pressure fuel line. Recall 20V-811 covers certain 2021 Colorado vehicles among other GM models: incorrect bolts may have been used to secure the seat belts, which can prevent the belts from holding the occupant in a crash.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Next year 2017 Chevrolet Colorado See every Chevrolet Colorado model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?

What are common problems with a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado?

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado been recalled?

The 2016 Chevrolet Colorado has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado?

Owners have filed 707 complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado is 21.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did the Chevrolet Colorado return to the US market?

The mid-size Colorado relaunched in the US for the 2015 model year after a gap in the early 2010s catalog years.

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Colorado use?

5W-30 (2.9L, 3.7L, and 5.3L where equipped)

What does NHTSA recall 11V-552 cover on the Chevrolet Colorado?

Recall 11V-552 covers certain 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles that do not comply with FMVSS 208 occupant crash protection requirements related to driver safety belt buckle electrical connector terminals.