Head-to-head reliability

Chevrolet Traverse vs Chevrolet Colorado

How the Chevrolet Traverse and Chevrolet Colorado compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Chevrolet Traverse2,023 complaints · 23 recalls
Chevrolet Colorado1,044 complaints · 12 recalls Fewer issues per year

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Chevrolet Colorado averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Chevrolet Traverse has 2,023 complaints and 23 recalls on record; Chevrolet Colorado has 1,044 complaints and 12 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryChevrolet TraverseChevrolet Colorado
Total complaintsAll model years combined2,0231,044 Better
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns2312 Better
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints6431 Better
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years202.3104.4 Better
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints6242 Better
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints1 Better3

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

Chevrolet Traverse

  1. 01POWER TRAIN524
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM387
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER348
  4. 04ENGINE328
  5. 05AIR BAGS292
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

Check engine light came on. Chevy traverse lost power and would not shift past 45 miles an hour. Once parked a bad bucking when put into reverse and loss of power or the vehicle would not move and revved as if out of gear despite being put into gear. Had vehi…

electrical, drivetrain, powertrain. While driving the vehicle a message popped up on the speedometer saying service battery chargeing system and battery saver mode. the is the second time that those messages have come up in the four years of ownership with th…

Chevrolet Colorado

  1. 01POWER TRAIN319
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM223
  3. 03ENGINE154
  4. 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER154
  5. 05SERVICE BRAKES120
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

Unknown on first appear - key gets stuck in the ignition. This happened for the first time shortly after we bought it. It was still under warranty and the Chevrolet dealership in Washington PA fixed it. We paid to have it fixed and now it’s out again and we c…

The contact's partner owned a 2022 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that upon placing the vehicle into park, he went into a store while his partner remained in the vehicle with the engine running. The vehicle began to roll back as an abnormal, whining s…

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

Chevrolet Traverse — 23 recalls

Air Bags — Side/Window — Curtain
#22V210000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.

The risk: Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-…

Power Train — Automatic Transmission
#21V817000

The defect: Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place may chafe against the transmission case, possibly resulting in a transmission flu…

The risk: A transmission fluid leak can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, a leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

The fix: Dealers will replace the screw and clip, and inspect for signs of contact with the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.

Air Bags — Sensor — Frontal Impact
#21V472000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.

The risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM…

Air Bags — Side/Window — Curtain
#22V210000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.

The risk: Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-…

Chevrolet Colorado — 12 recalls

Seats — Critical Fasteners
#22V375000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado vehicles equipped with a manual passenger seat. The front passenger seat may have a hook attachment that was not properly welded, allowing it to separate from the inboard track of the seat frame.

The risk: An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the front passenger seat and replace the cushion frame, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 6, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer…

Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
#26V114000

The defect: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Cou…

The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-970…

Seat Belts
#20V811000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts m…

The risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet cust…

Electrical System — Adas — Driver Monitoring — Camera/Sensor
#24V133000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles. The front camera module (FCM) system may falsely detect an obstacle, causing the automatic emergency braking (AEB) to engage unexpectedly.

The risk: Unexpected automatic emergency braking can cause the vehicle to abruptly stop or slow down, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will update the front camera module (FCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM…

Year by year

Which model years to avoid

Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.

YearChevrolet TraverseChevrolet Colorado
20262026
202517127
2024130114
202385130
20229551
20218772
202021981
2019401147
2018455181
2017360215
Years to scrutinize: the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse drew the most complaints (455); the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado drew the most (215). Inspect these model years especially closely.

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Chevrolet Traverse or Chevrolet Colorado in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Chevrolet Traverse vs Chevrolet Colorado — comparison facts
Comparison
Chevrolet Traverse vs Chevrolet Colorado
Chevrolet Traverse total complaints
2,023
Chevrolet Colorado total complaints
1,044
Chevrolet Traverse total recalls
23
Chevrolet Colorado total recalls
12
Chevrolet Traverse avg complaints/year
202.3
Chevrolet Colorado avg complaints/year
104.4
More reliable overall
Chevrolet Colorado
Chevrolet Traverse top complaint area
POWER TRAIN
Chevrolet Colorado top complaint area
POWER TRAIN