2005 Chevrolet Colorado Problems, Recalls & Reliability
459 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 60,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2005 Chevrolet Colorado sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2009–2012, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2005 sits among all Colorado years
What owners report
“My cruise control stopped working and then my break lights. Put in new break bulbs and they still do not work! I was dri ing when cruise control went out and my husband noticed my breaks while i was driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Colorado
“Front end collision on freeway at about 20-30 miles per hour when driver ahead stopped suddenly. Applied brakes and they failed to work... Truck did not stop. Truck is totaled (happened on 9-26-07 - preliminary estimate of insurance adjuster). In addition, the driver air bag did not deploy, even…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Colorado
“Was driving my 2005 chevy colorado and very tired veered off the county road, hit a utility pole on left side front and truck rolled over air bags never deployed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Colorado
“Check engine light came on in 90 day old vehicle - chevrolet was fully aware of the problem when i took it to the dealer and fixed it. I had to pull over on the expressway to read my owners manual to determine if i could proceed - very dangerous. Chevrolet should be made to fix all colorados before…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Colorado
“Truck frame failure at the weld point of the rear leaf spring (front frame mount), due to corrosion.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Colorado
“Rear drive shaft broke off at universal joint while traveling 60 mph. I purchased my vehicle on 5/31/05”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Colorado
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 355 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 53,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 25,000 and 89,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V310000.
Led to recall campaign 06V139000.
Technical service bulletins
654 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2005 Colorado TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?
The 2005 Chevrolet Colorado drew 459 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (2016).
What are the most common 2005 Chevrolet Colorado problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado are electrical (124 complaints), brakes & stability (90), and airbags (33).
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Colorado problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Chevrolet Colorado problems around 53,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 25,000 and 89,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.