Your vehicle report
2004 Chevrolet Colorado
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 361
- Received Feb 2004 to May 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through53 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up27 complaints · 7.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates22 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #10V575000Gm is recalling certain model year 2004-2011, chevrolet colorado, gmc canyon, model year 2006, isuzu I-280/I-350, and model year 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, regular cab vehicles and extended cab vehicles without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40 split bench seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the top tether anchor for the front center seat is not accessible and the owner manual does not include instructions regarding how to use the top tether.
- Recall #09V310000Gm is recalling 185,903 model year 2004-2009 colorado, gmc model year 2009-2004 canyon, model year 2006 I-280, I-350, model year 2007-2008 I-290, and I-370, passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alabama, arizona, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, puerto rico, south carolina, texas, U.S. Virgin islands and utah. Some of these vehicles have a brake lamp switch that may not work as designed due to contamination in the switch.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 13 fires, 14 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 43 |
| 2005 | 40 |
| 2006 | 34 |
| 2007 | 20 |
| 2008 | 20 |
| 2009 | 19 |
| 2010 | 27 |
| 2011 | 17 |
| 2012 | 17 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 27 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 361 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 53 | 15% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 27 | 7.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 22 | 6.1% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 20 | 5.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 18 | 5.0% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 15 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #06V139000, #09V310000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 13 | 3.6% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 12 | 3.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 2.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 9 | 2.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 2.2% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 7 | 1.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 7 | 1.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 0.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #10V575000November 18, 2010192,676 vehicles affected
child seat
Gm is recalling certain model year 2004-2011, Chevrolet Colorado, Gmc canyon, model year 2006, Isuzu I-280/I-350, and model year 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, regular cab vehicles and extended cab vehicles without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40 split bench seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the top tether anchor for the front center seat is not accessible and the owner manual does not include instructions regarding how to use the top tether.
Both NHTSA and gm discourage placement of a child in a front seat. Nevertheless, there are individual circumstances that may require placement of a child in a restraint in the front center seating position of this vehicle that does not offer a rear seat. Lack of access to the top tether anchor and a lack of instructions as to how to use it, may result in improper installation of a child restraint. Improper installation of a child restraint Can result in a reduction in the restraint's performance in the event of a crash and an increased risk of injury or death to the child seated in the restraint.
Remedy
Dealers will cut a hole into the back panel trim cover to allow access to the top tether anchor for the front center seat position and will provide supplemental information as to use in the owner's manual. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Gmc at 1-866-996-9463, Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727 or visit gm's website at www.gmownercenter.com.
NHTSA recall #09V310000July 29, 2009185,903 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Gm is recalling 185,903 model year 2004-2009 Colorado, Gmc model year 2009-2004 canyon, model year 2006 I-280, I-350, model year 2007-2008 I-290, and I-370, passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alabama, arizona, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, puerto rico, south carolina, texas, U.S. Virgin islands and utah. Some of these vehicles have a brake lamp switch that may not work as designed due to contamination in the switch.
This condition could cause the simultaneous loss of all brake lamps or cause all of the brake lamps to stay on continuously. Both of these conditions could fail to warn others of the driver's intentions and could lead to a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components as specified in the recall bulletin free of charge. Gm anticipates that parts will be available by june 2010. A special coverage for vehicles registered in all other states will be implemented in the same time frame. In the interim, owners who experience the failure Can obtain a free repair, however they will be required to return when the new design part becomes available. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Gmc at 1-866-996-9463, Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
NHTSA recall #06V139000April 27, 2006404,733 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Certain pickup trucks may experience the permanent loss of brake lamp function or brake lamps that are illuminated at all times. The center high-mounted stop lamp (chmsl) is affected in both instances. Also, if equipped, the cruise control will become inoperative. Any trailer brake lamps which are connected to the vehicle's brake lamp wiring will mimic the vehicle's brake lamps when either condition occurs.
A following driver may not know when the brakes have been applied, and a rear-end crash could occur without prior warning.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch assembly. The recall began on december 5, 2006. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; Gmc at 1-866-996-9463 or Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN