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2018 Chevrolet Colorado: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
59%
101 of 171 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

59% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Chevrolet Colorado are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 79% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 11 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 55%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
101
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
182
this model year
Fires reported
5
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
3 crashes · 3 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN78 · 43%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER36 · 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM34 · 19%
ENGINE23 · 13%
STEERING18 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11 · 6%

The years either side

2010
41%
9 of 28
2011
31%
8 of 42
2012
35%
11 of 42
2013
too few complaints
2014
too few complaints
2015
16%
74 of 490
2016
20%
140 of 701
2017
67%
137 of 216
2018
59%
101 of 182
2019
62%
89 of 149
2020
62%
48 of 83
2021
42%
28 of 74
2022
18%
9 of 51
2023
24%
30 of 133

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize pickups with no elevated signal in 2018

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES11/08/20172 INJURED
I HAD TRUCK STATIONARY PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ON A DIRT ROAD FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN I HEARD A ODD SOUND LIKE "ARRRRR CLUNK" AND MY CAR ROLLED DOWN A HILL. I HAD MY CAR ON PARK WHILE ON 4LOW WITH THE ENGINE OFF. I DID NOT HAVE MY PARKING BRAKE ON THOUGH BUT THE INCLINE WAS SO SLIGHT I FEEL I DID NOT NEED IT. MY TR…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE08/02/2026
While driving at normal and safe highway speeds, without warning (no audible or visual warning from the vehicle information display) my vehicle experienced engine lockout, loss of all non-electric power, and no control over vehicle speed. A few seconds after loss, the information display did show a "check engine light"…
POWER TRAIN07/21/2026
I purchased the truck at the end of March 2025. Within a few weeks I was noticing different issues in the transmission. It would occasionally shudder, have jerky or long shifts, would jump gears and lose power. The shudder was random but mostly on the highway, the jerky or long shifts would mostly occur when the egjne…

Three of 101 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (1)

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaC…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.