2019 Chevrolet Colorado: What to check before buying

Transmission shudder is the dominant pattern. Many say it feels like driving over rumble strips under light acceleration, on grades, or at 60 to 65 mph. Others report hard downshifts as the truck stops, clunks into gear when cold, and slipping from 1st to 2nd. Many notice it in the first few thousand miles, some from the dealer lot. Fluid changes and a service bulletin help some trucks only for a while. Later reports describe failed transmissions and rebuild parts that cannot be found. Seven injuries are reported, mostly from violent shifts, plus one rollaway crash.

Power steering assist cuts out without warning, sometimes at highway speed. The wheel suddenly turns heavy, binds partway through a turn, or locks up. Several drivers say they nearly crashed. Mechanics in these reports often find water inside the power steering unit, a corroded harness, or a rusted steering shaft. Failures show up anywhere from about 8,000 to 44,000 miles. Some trucks need the rack or column replaced more than once, and some repairs are paid out of pocket after the warranty ends. Dealers sometimes cannot find the cause.

Keys sticking in the ignition are the most common complaint here. The engine shuts off, but the key stays in accessory mode, so lights and radio stay on, the battery drains, and the truck cannot be locked. The fault comes and goes, and it returns after repairs. The infotainment screen also drops out, taking the backup camera and sometimes the turn signals with it. Radio volume jumps on its own. Two reports describe fires, one with smoke from the console followed by an engine stall and loss of brakes and steering.

Power loss at highway speed is the most serious thread. In the one fire report, the truck shuddered and lost power at about 55 mph, then smoke appeared near the gear shift and the truck burned. A loose high-pressure fuel pump also drops the truck into limp mode at speed. Thermostat replacement is slow and costly because parts are hard to find. Other reports cover a blown head gasket, a camshaft actuator code on the 3.6L, and an oil filter adapter insert that can come loose during an oil change, leading to lost oil pressure.

Braking assist disappears suddenly when the vacuum pump fails. The pedal goes stiff or drops to the floor, and stopping takes great effort. In one case the failure came during a panic stop on the highway. One truck showed a "Brake Assist - Service Required" message at 87,000 miles. Drivers describe near-misses at intersections and parking lot entrances. Rear pads and rotors also wear out early, with grinding reported around 21K miles. One owner says the rear pads wear about three times faster than the fronts.

The bolts holding the high-pressure fuel pump to the engine can break. The truck then loses power, rattles loudly, and may leak gasoline. One driver could not go faster than 15 mph and paid half of the repair bill after the warranty ran out on time. Fuel tank leaks make up the rest. One diesel leaked at a fuel pump seal on top of the tank. Another truck sat at the dealer because tank parts were on back order.

No deployment happens in any of the three frontal crashes reported here. The crashes include rear-ending a stopped vehicle at about 32 mph and a crash at about 40 mph. One truck was declared a total loss. All three reports involve crashes, with five injuries in total. The reports do not include a diagnosis or a cause for the non-deployment.

The rearview camera stops working. It shows a blue screen, displays a "Service Camera" message, or switches off a few seconds after the truck is put in reverse. Problems often start intermittently and then become permanent. One owner links the onset to cold weather, and another to closing the tailgate with the key. Failures cluster around 38,000 to 42,000 miles. Dealers charge for the repair once the warranty ends. One report involves a crash.