One of the best Colorado years by owner complaints
The 2021 drew 25 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 66 for a typical Colorado year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
No Colorado year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2021 and 2022. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado.
What owners report
Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Colorado. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Chevrolet Colorado recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Colorado drew the most (105) and the 2021 drew 25.
Owner complaints
2021: 80 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Colorado
Model year
Complaints
2010
29
2011
42
2012
43
2015
499
2016
716
2017
217
2018
183
2019
151
2020
88
2021
80
2022
57
2023
142
2024
127
2025
28
2026
22
Safety recalls
2021: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Colorado
Model year
Recalls
2010
2
2011
5
2012
2
2015
7
2016
4
2017
1
2018
1
2019
0
2020
0
2021
1
2022
1
2023
3
2024
3
2025
1
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, the problems described most are shaking, shuddering or vibration (8), power steering problems or locked steering (6), and the check engine light coming on (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado.
How do I check if my Colorado has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: COLORADO.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.