Chevy Colorado: How Long Do They Last?

Carrie H
Feb 10, 2021

Gray 2021 Chevrolet Colorado From Front-Driver Side

The Chevy Colorado replaced the S10 as Chevy’s mid-size truck option. Some people love the design of the truck, but it has had reliability issues.

If you are considering purchasing a Chevy Colorado, you’ll want to learn about how long they are projected to last.

How long do Chevy Colorados last? 

Proper maintenance plays a big role in longevity, but the Colorado can be expected to last 200,000 to 300,000 miles. 200,000 seems to be the general life expectancy for the engine, however, some Colorado owners say their truck is still going strong well after 300,000 miles.   

We’ll look at how to get the history of the Colorado. We’ll also see the factors that impact its reliability, and problems that typically appear as the mileage increases. This will give you an idea what to expect as the Colorado ages.

The History of the Colorado

The Chevy Colorado debuted in 2004. It became the replacement for the S10. It offered many options, which likely played a part in its popularity with buyers.

Options included:

  • Rear or all wheel drive
  • Automatic or manual transmission
  • Standard, extended, or four-door cab
  • 2.8L (169 ci) 4-cylinder or 3.5L (211.1 ci) 5-cylinder engine

The model was refreshed in 2007. Along with some aesthetic changes, new engine options were added. These were a 2.9L (178 ci) 4-cylinder and a 3.7L (223 ci) 5-cylinder.

The Colorado wasn’t offered in 2013 or 2014, but came back for the 2015 model year. The options that made the Colorado a favorite were kept, but the engines were changed.

It now offered a 2.5L (150 ci) Ecotech 4-cylinder or a 3.6L (217 ci) V6. The V6 engine was a significant horsepower upgrade, offering 305 horsepower. In 2016, it became the only mid-size truck in America to offer a diesel engine, a 2.8 liter turbo-diesel.

The Colorado has always offered an off-road option as well. The size of the truck makes it perfect for off-roading, and Chevy capitalized on this. The ZR2 off-road model offers a modified body, off-road tires, and an off-road suspension.

How Long Does the Chevy Colorado Last?

Owners of 2004 and 2005 Colorados state their engines are still running at 200,000 miles and well beyond. There are several owners that state their vehicle is at or near 400,000 miles. This includes the 3.5L 5-cylinder engine and the 2.8L 4-cylinder.

Many of the owners state that they use full synthetic oil and change the oil every 4,000 to 5,000 miles.

They believe this has played a part in the longevity of their vehicles. One owner states they have a 2006 with over 200,000 miles. Another states they have a 2007 with 123,000 miles.

The older Colorados clearly provide reliability, but this may not be true with the newer models.

Consumer Reports named the 2020 Colorado one of their Ten Least Reliable Vehicles. Certainly not an award anyone wants to win.

Newer Colorados Likely Less Reliable

The biggest problems are with the 2015-2018 Colorado. The transmission was redesigned for the 2015 model. It has received a worse than average reliability rating from Consumer Reports in 2015-2018, but performed better in the 2019 rating.

The 2015 Colorado received a Beware the Clunker rating from Car Complaints due to transmission problems. These include slow shifting, rough shifting, and not shifting into the proper gear.

The 2018 Colorado also gets many complaints for vibration and shuddering while driving. Owner’s state that the dealership wasn’t able to identify the cause of the problem. Even though the vehicle is still under warranty, it couldn’t be repaired.

Repair Pal gives the Colorado a 4 out of 5 reliability rating. This ranks it 4th out of 7 mid-size trucks.

However, this includes all year models of the Colorado.

It’s impossible to know how long the new Chevy Colorados will last. A good deal of Colorados may continue to perform well and reach 200,000 miles or more like their older counterparts. However, given the concerning reliability ratings, newer Colorados are at best a gamble.

Is the Chevy Colorado the Vehicle for You?

If you are in the market for a mid-size truck, the Chevy Colorado is a popular choice. Before you make a decision, you should check out Vehicle History. You can research the history of your vehicle by performing a VIN search. You can also read owner and expert reviews, and view a full list of specs.

Owner Reviews

accountCircle Jp on February 18, 2023
Underpowered 4 cylinder
Honestly out of all the mid size work trucks I've had it's been the bottom of the list...2019 colorodo 4cyl basic model..105.000 miles ....got the truck brand new ...I'll tell u what the pros are surprisingly does good in the snow....has a tad bit of get up and go...but u have to make her lol...this truck has bin thru hell n back in just three years by two previous foremans that just didn't care....they tried to kill it and it dint work and still runs fine its bin ran without oil for about a month straight....yea he got fire over that one......now stem from that...cons..rear end,c-clip where's out causing annoying thumping sound from the rear end from shuttering bumps in the road. Transmission- Starting to slip from 5 to 6th seems like the pcm/ecm signal is giving out a terrible gear ratio..6 speed tranny in a 4 cyl..really come on man,,, if u have the manual shift option....select the gears yourself it will employees the performance of the vehicle- rear backup camera stored working,horn/alarm started Goin off randomly had to pull the fuse,front rotors warp (looks like just OEM)other than that it's a d**n good truck oh and the water pump is starting to leak from the weephole at th front of the pump(indicating pump failure....that happened about 3 hrs ago 105,326 miles and bad flex connecter causing exaughst leak.........radio wigs out intermittentley
accountCircle Larry on July 4, 2023
2011with 2.9L 4 cylinder
I bought my 2011 February of 2020 with 106k miles. As of today 7/4/23 I'm at 198000. Only thing I have had to issues with was oil leaking into my back two spark plugs ended up changing the valve cover gasket which I added more oil resistant gasket maker because the gasket it's self is a product flaw. I had to change the connection for my Hester core because I was plastic which I had to put new plastic ones in so I may have to replace again. Wiper motor and I replaced my whole A/C which I ordered from rock auto for 200.00 it made more sense to do that because originally I was just needing a compresser and that was just the price for the compresser. And I replaced the radiator. I live in Florida and my biggest complaint for my colorado is the a/c sucks but that heater has had me putting windows down on cold days.
accountCircle Rick Studley on September 19, 2022
2017 Colorado LT 3.8L/8-speed Trans ran well enough up to 95K miles
I can confirm the transmission has always been a concern with hard shifting, etc.. I baby the truck and do all the required maintenance. At around 92K miles I called a local Chevy dealer service department to see if I needed to change the timing belt - he told me it has a timing chain that would last well over 100K miles. Unfortunately, the timing chain failed at about 95K miles and it cost me almost $5K to get it fixed at the dealership. It seems to run well enough now, it's been paid off for a while, so I expect to keep it until it drops dead. Unfortunately, I've lost trust in the truck and will not take it on a long road trip.
accountCircle Not a Happy Camper on July 9, 2022
2011 had to replace transmission
I drive like a grandma, use fill synthetic, babied this thing, never even wrecked, and second gear went completely out (4th was on its way) at just 116,832 miles. $3,800 later this new transmission from Jasper is supposed to have a 100,000 mile warranty, so won't be replacing after this. Mechanic said this was a common issue. Also this and our 2006 have lots of "electrical gremlins", second gear in all our newer Chevy trucks shift hard (Chevy says that's normal- maybe that's why mine went out). I'm not a happy camper but can't buy a decent used vehicle for 4k these days so do what you have to do.
accountCircle Wenda VanderMeer on November 6, 2023
Long than you expect this guy wrote
Chev. Colorado's last way longer than this guy wrote my 2011Idrove every day hardly any repairs till 324,000 I am a firm believer in always doing your oil change. Then I gave it to my son whois driving it to this day he has over 500,000 kms on it and it still going, same engine and trans As I bought it. The Issues I had was problematic is the wheel bearings they would go every 3 years. I did regular oil changes and it was driven 70 percent hwy 30 percent city. I also was so happy with it,I bought a 2016 Which Is still driving today 324,000 so i do believe this guy is incorrect.
accountCircle Jim on February 24, 2023
2.8L Awesome MPG
Purchased new. First thing I added was a camper shell. Mileage jumped by 3 mpg. Switched to Synthetic and gained another 2 mpg. If I slowed down to the 55 mph I once recorded 38 driving an hour to the airport and back. For towing I put in an aftermarket transmission pan to lower tranny temp. That was my biggest complaint. Never had any issues ,going on 6 years now. Now at 50K miles. I tow often with a utility trailer, and also a 20' R-Pod travel trailer.
accountCircle Pleased on May 12, 2022
2006 Colorado
I have an 2006 ext. Cab with a 3.5 5 cylinder motor and the mileage is at 291,000 on my last oil change. Still running great, I bought it at 232,000 miles and changed oil every 3,000 to 3,500 miles
accountCircle Thomas on March 3, 2023
Going for 400,000
I got a 2004 3.5 5 with 367,000 miles on the original motor and transmission, and rear end. Broke the frontend differential 4-wheelin. I bought it in 2008 with about 80,000 miles on it.
accountCircle Doron on June 4, 2023
Love my truck
I have 42.000 miles on my 2018 3.6 4*4 Chevy Colorado. I don’t have any problems or echoes whatsoever. I love my truck.
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