The 2015 Colorado is GM's re-entry into the midsize truck market after a hiatus, built on a global platform. While generally solid, the 2.5L I4 has catastrophic piston/bearing failures, and the early 6-speed automatic transmission shows cooler and mount issues that need attention.
2.5L I4 Catastrophic Piston and Bearing Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Sudden knocking or ticking from engine bay, worsening rapidly, Metallic debris in oil during changes, Loss of power, rough idle before complete failure, Check engine light with low oil pressure codes
Fix: Complete engine rebuild or replacement required. Pistons crack at the skirt, bearings spin due to oil starvation issues. Short block replacement is most common fix: 18-24 labor hours for R&R plus machine work if salvaging heads. Many shops just do reman long-block swaps.
Estimated cost: $5,500-8,500
Automatic Transmission Oil Cooler Line Leaks
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission fluid pooling under vehicle, typically passenger side, Low fluid level causing delayed or harsh shifts, Pink or red fluid visible near radiator area, Burnt transmission smell if driven low on fluid
Fix: Cooler lines corrode where they attach to radiator or route along frame. Lines are serviceable separately, but many techs replace radiator assembly if internal cooler is compromised (common). Line replacement alone: 2-3 hours. Full radiator with integrated cooler: 4-5 hours.
Estimated cost: $400-1,200
Transmission Mount Failure
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, Vibration through cab at idle in gear, Visible tears or separation in rubber mount when inspected, Excessive driveline movement during acceleration
Fix: The main transmission mount (crossmember mount) fatigues early, especially on trucks used for towing. Requires supporting transmission and removing crossmember. 1.5-2 hours labor. OEM part recommended over aftermarket for longevity.
Estimated cost: $250-450
Electric Power Steering Assist Loss
Occasional · high severity
Symptoms: Sudden loss of power steering assist while driving, Service power steering message on DIC, Steering becomes extremely heavy without warning, Issue may be intermittent initially, then permanent
Fix: NHTSA recalls cover some VINs, but non-recalled units fail too. Problem is typically the steering gear assembly itself (internal motor/sensor failure) or wiring harness corrosion at connector. Gear replacement: 3-4 hours. Check for TSBs and recalls first—some extended warranty coverage exists.
Estimated cost: $800-1,800
3.6L V6 Timing Chain Stretch (Less Common but Serious)
Rare · high severity
Typical onset: 100,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Rattling on cold start that persists for 10-20 seconds, Check engine light with cam/crank correlation codes (P0008, P0016), Rough idle and reduced fuel economy, Engine may not start if jumped timing
Fix: The 3.6L uses four chains (two primary, two secondary). Stretch is less common than older 3.6L variants, but still happens with poor oil change intervals. Requires front engine teardown: 12-16 hours. Replace all chains, guides, tensioners, and phasers as assembly.
Estimated cost: $3,000-4,800
Fuel System Contamination from Filter Housing
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: Hard starting, especially after sitting overnight, Hesitation or stumble during acceleration, Check engine light with fuel trim or misfire codes, Black debris visible in fuel filter when serviced
Fix: Plastic fuel filter housing deteriorates internally, shedding particles into system. Requires filter housing replacement plus fuel system cleaning. If injectors are contaminated: 6-8 hours for housing, rail cleaning, and injector service. Some techs flush entire system as preventive.
Estimated cost: $600-1,400
Owner tips
If buying a 2.5L I4, have a pre-purchase compression test and oil analysis done—piston failures can be sudden and total-loss events
Change transmission fluid every 50,000 miles regardless of 'lifetime fill' claims, especially if towing—cooler line failures destroy transmissions fast
Inspect transmission mount annually if truck is used for towing or heavy payloads
Check for open recalls on power steering before purchase—some VINs have extended warranty coverage
3.6L V6 is more robust but demands religious 5,000-mile oil changes with dexos-spec oil to prevent timing chain issues
Buy the 3.6L V6 with service records and avoid 2.5L I4 unless you can verify pristine maintenance history—engine failures are too expensive to gamble on.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles. The power steering assist may be lost due to a poor electrical connection within the steering gear assembly.
Consequence: A loss of power steering, particularly at lower speeds increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace steering gear torque sensor cover assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 6, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202325410.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 17V621000
2017-10-05
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and 2016 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17387.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM · 16V054000
2016-02-01
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles manufactured January 6, 2015, to March 17, 2015, and 2015 GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured January 6, 2015, to March 19, 2015. A poor electrical connection within the steering gear connector may cause a loss of power steering assist.
Consequence: A loss or reduction in power steering assist may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear torque sensor cover assembly, free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15595.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER · 15V278000
2015-05-12
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, and GMC Canyon trucks manufactured January 6, 2014, to December 24, 2014. The affected vehicles may experience the front brake calipers leaking brake fluid. This is due to air pockets, an imperfection in the metal caliper body.
Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a brake fluid leak it can increase the stopping distance, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the front-brake calipers if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 9, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14888.
SEATS · 15V267000
2015-05-08
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks manufactured January 6, 2014, to April 1, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the hooks that secure the driver's and/or front passenger's seat frame may not have been properly attached to the vehicle body during assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Consequence: If the seat-frame attachment hooks are not secured properly, the seat may not be adequately anchored to the vehicle, and in the event of a crash, the seat occupant could be at an increased risk of an injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seats, correcting their installation as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 2, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15150.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 15V157000
2015-03-18
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles manufactured September 15, 2014, to January 21, 2015, and 2015 GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured October 3, 2014, to December 9, 2014. The affected vehicles have a front driver air bag inflator that may be misaligned to the air bag module backplate. This can cause the inflator to separate from the backplate during a deployment.
Consequence: If the inflator separates from the back plate in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, this may cause the air bag or steering wheel components to separate and be propelled into the interior compartment, potentially seriously injuring the driver or other occupants. Additionally, the air bag may fail to properly inflate, increasing the risk of injury to the driver.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the driver air bag module inflator for proper alignment, replacing the air bag, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15037.
AIR BAGS · 14V645000
2014-10-09
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured January 6, 2014, to October 1, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver air bag connections may have been wired incorrectly. This could reverse the deployment sequence and disrupt the deployment timing of the driver air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: If the driver air bag does not deploy as designed, there is an increased risk of driver injury in the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the inflatable restraint sensing and diagnostic module (SDM), free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet) or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14690.
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