2020 Chevrolet Colorado Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 22, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

2020 Chevrolet Colorado 2.5L, approximately 81,500 miles. I experienced a sudden loss of power brake assist. There was no warning noise associated with the failure; the brake pedal became extremely hard and required substantially greater pedal pressure to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by an independent professional mechanic. Inspection found that the brake booster vacuum pump itself was not the primary source of the failure. The failure was at the engine exhaust camshaft interface that mechanically drives the vacuum pump. The camshaft drive was damaged and no longer properly operated the vacuum pump, resulting in loss of brake vacuum assist. This is not normal brake-pad or rotor wear. The hydraulic brakes remained functional, but without the vacuum assist the pedal effort increased dramatically, creating a significant braking safety concern. The vehicle has been removed from normal use pending repair. I am reporting this because failure of an engine component that drives the brake vacuum pump can cause sudden loss of power brake assist.

Incident: October 8, 2026 · Filed: October 23, 2026

Vacuum pump for brakes failed and damaged the whole engine to be replaced because of faulty vacuum pump design

Incident: September 5, 2026 · Filed: October 21, 2026

The engine malfunctioned, specifically the 4 camshaft actuator solenoid valves, making the car unable to safely drive. The check engine light came on, likely indicating the car was unsafe to drive. GM issued GM Special Coverage N232430470 covering 2020 Colorado's with a 3.6L V6 engine for the Bank 2 exhaust camshaft actuator solenoid up to 15 years/150,000 miles. This was confirmed by a Chevy dealership. The vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. My check engine light first came on 09/05/26, however, the check engine light did disappear later in the week. It came on again 09/27/26, so i decided to have the car inspected, despite the fact that the check engine light later went away.

Incident: October 2, 2026 · Filed: October 8, 2026

Coupling on vacuum pump broke off while in motion. Pieces fell near engine. Camshaft, vacuum pump and brake booster will need to be replace. Vehicle mileage is at 65124 miles. No reason to have such a failure so early

Incident: January 13, 2022 · Filed: September 14, 2026

My 2020 Colorado at 14k miles, the dealer did the transmission oil flush and it helped till the warranty ran out. Now I have the same problem again at 32k miles. I bought the truck because GM said the problem with 8L/45 trans was fixed in 2019. To my knowledge there has been no update to the slipping clutch in GM's torque convertor. If I were to replace the convertor with another one just like it I could have the same problem. My Dealer ([XXX])says my lifetime warranty (that I got with my new Colorado) doesn't cover the transmission? And that if they do another $600 oil flush they don't guarantee it will fix anything. I think when the flush is done, they don't change the trans filter. I'm sure the clutch particles that are left behind after the flush are probably stopping up the filter. I just replaced the DOD/AFM cam and lifters in my GM car's 6.2 liter. It's a shame that manufacture's can get away with these kind of problems. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 4, 2026 · Filed: September 4, 2026

On September 4, 2026, I experienced an extremely serious and frightening braking failure while driving my 2020 Chevrolet Colorado 2.5L. I was driving my granddaughter to school and was pulling into the school's carpool/drop-off area at approximately 20 mph. This was an especially dangerous location because children, parents, vehicles, and school personnel were in the immediate area. As I attempted to slow and stop the vehicle, the brake pedal suddenly became extremely hard and the vehicle would not stop normally. The dashboard displayed “Service Brake Assist,” and the check-engine light illuminated. I pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle continued moving. Realizing that the normal brakes were not stopping the truck, I engaged the emergency/parking brake. The emergency brake slowed the vehicle somewhat, but even then the vehicle did not come to a complete stop. I ultimately had to place the vehicle in PARK to get it stopped. Fortunately, I was traveling at a low speed and was able to prevent the vehicle from striking a child, pedestrian, another vehicle, or other property. My granddaughter was also inside the vehicle at the time. This was an extremely frightening situation that could very easily have resulted in catastrophic injuries or death. The fact that this occurred in a school carpool/drop-off area surrounded by children makes the seriousness of this failure especially concerning. There was no reasonable warning that I was about to lose normal braking assistance. I am reporting this incident because I believe this vehicle may have experienced a serious safety-related defect involving the braking/brake-assist system. I am requesting that this incident be documented and that NHTSA investigate whether other owners of 2020 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles, particularly those equipped with the 2.5L four-cylinder engine, have experienced similar sudden losses of brake assist or braking ability.

Incident: July 15, 2026 · Filed: September 1, 2026

While driving my 2020 Chevrolet Colorado through [XXX], the truck began having difficulty accelerating. As I exited the highway and turned into a gas station, the truck suddenly lost power. The steering became extremely difficult, and I lost normal brake assist. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and I had to apply extreme force to stop the truck and avoid crashing into a wall at the gas station. Fortunately, no collision occurred. The truck was towed to Ed Corley Ford in [XXX] because I was stranded in a remote area with very limited options. They diagnosed a failed/broken vacuum pump and told me replacing it should make the truck operable so I could drive it home to [XXX]. I authorized the repair. After replacing the vacuum pump, they told me they started the truck and heard an abnormal sound. They shut it off, and when they tried to restart it, the truck would not start. They wanted to perform additional diagnosis, but I declined and had the truck transported back to [XXX] for evaluation by a Chevrolet dealership. Huffines Chevrolet Lewisville inspected the truck. Their technician removed the camshaft position sensor and used a borescope to inspect the camshaft. They documented that the camshaft is damaged at the end where it connects to the vacuum pump and stated the actuator pin was most likely bent due to the vacuum-pump failure, damaging the camshaft and causing it to be slightly out of time. I have also been informed of engine damage. The truck remains inoperable and is currently available for inspection. I am concerned this is a safety defect because the vacuum-pump failure resulted in a sudden loss of normal brake assist while I was driving and was followed by camshaft/engine damage. I am asking NHTSA to investigate this failure and similar Chevrolet Colorado complaints. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: November 10, 2024 · Filed: August 13, 2026

a/c control knocks out tempter senor and gauge goes to zero and check engine light comes on, gas mileage goings to hell, turn off engine clutch fan runs for several minutes, can still touch water hoses by hand and not even hot. This is a big safety problem because I'm looking at the gauge and now causing more smog! Chevrolet Merele Stone in Porterville CA had it all day reporting A GM Strat sticking ,it was a brand new gm delco and senor and still doing it . It's a $1000.00 to repair itThey had to jump start my truck went picking it up. tried to charge the battery over night but dead battery, had to replace it $250.00 expense, and $189.00 to denoised. Called GM for a appointment in Visalia to check the problem 42 mile on way from home and showed up to No APPOINTMENT!

Incident: July 4, 2026 · Filed: August 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure recurred while driving 65 MPH. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where DTCs P0024 and P0014 were retrieved, indicating exhaust camshaft position system performance issues for Bank 2 and Bank 1. The contact associated the failure with GM Special Coverage Number: N232430470 (Camshaft Position Actuator Valve Solenoid - Bank 2 (Left Side) Exhaust). The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the diagnostic result was confirmed. The dealer swapped the camshaft position sensor actuators between both banks and cleared the codes. The contact was advised that the cause of the failure would be determined if the diagnostic trouble codes returned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the special coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 36,500.

Incident: May 31, 2026 · Filed: June 1, 2026

Vacuum pump seized, causing loss of power assist on brakes. This happened as I was approaching an intersection to make a right-hand turn. When I press down on the brake pedal it felt hard, like it was locked up. After pressing down on it with both feet, I was able to slow the vehicle down enough to turn out of the intersection. If this event happened when there was another vehicle in the intersection or approaching the intersection on the side street that I was turning onto, it would have led to a collision. Not being able to slow down adequately, I had to swing wide in the turn. This incident happened at a relatively slow speed. If it had happened at highway speeds it could have been catastrophic. There was no warning light prior to the incident the check engine light did not come on until after the incident. The Pump seizure caused the connecting coupling between the exhaust cam and pump to shatter. The damage was extended to the exhaust cam and valve cover and leaving metal fragments in the engine. The local Chevrolet dealer has given me an estimate for the repair of over $2400