There are 5 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2021 Chevrolet Coloradoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
There is a coolant leak from the hoses stemming to the thermostat housing. This has been commonly Reported amongst the same vehicles across the country. No damage to the hoses and no accidents to trigger leak. No light triggered. Just leaks visibly under the car
There was a catastrophic engine failure of a 2021 Colorado 3.6L V6 engine. The engine has been replaced by GM and the failed engine is in the dealers' possession. While driving on a congested street, the engine misfired and immediately stopped. The vehicle rolled to a stop in the middle of 3 lanes. Occupants had to flag down traffic while pushing vehicle to the side. There was no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms, such as knocking, prior to the failure; and the oil service was maintained per manufacturer. Two separate dealers found "piston to valve contact, top of piston severely damaged, and metalic debris in intake plenum." GM Service Bulletin 19-NA-256 has identified "Seized engine" caused by defective "crankshaft main or rod bearing failure" that can put the oil filter "in by-pass and distribute unfiltered oil with bearing debris throughout the engine." In addition to the rod bearings, designated inspection points are the cam caps and camshaft journals on the heads and the timing change idler sprocket for stiffness when turning. Since the vehicle was 15,000 miles over the 60K warranty, they would not perform the designated diagnostic steps in Service Bulletin. Owner waiting on independent oil analysis. Service department provided pictures of metallic debris and valve damage, as well as the damaged spark plug. After opening Case # 9-14977425869 with GM Customer Service and asking why Warranty has not been extended or a Recall issued for the known manufacturer defect in the TSB, the response was "it likely has not occurred enough times to warrant a recall". With a dealer discount, total towing, diagnostic and repair costs exceed $11,000. Results of Blackstone Labs oil analysis will be provided when completed, however, the oil was just changed 462 miles prior to the failure, so a sample of the previous oil that would have contributed the most to the failure was not available (6,948 mi on previous oil).
The engine is needing replaced. I was driving down [XXX] and the engine, electric control system, and stability lights all went off. The engine started shaking. The Chevrolet dealership says it's $6,500 before tax to diagnose or I can replace it for $10k before tax. I believe they know what the issue is, but not telling. The engine should not fail so.soon. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Just prior to 8/1/22, check engine light came on. They found P0014 set, lack of power, rough idle. They found oil pushed through bank 1 cam solenoid actuator and had to replace on 8/1/22. Check engine light came on again in mid August 2023. Found P0024 code and had had to replace the cam actuator again. This time GM has part on backorder, like they are fixing systemic issue with part. They could only replace by getting from another dealer. Still charged me for part even though it was just replaced 12months ago. Would like to know if this is a systemic issue with GM.
Gear shifter won't recognize the truck is in park. When attempting to turn off vehicle accessories stay on and key will not come out. Dealer replaced my shifter today and the third time parking after being fixed, the issue remains.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026