no report yet
Child seat
Risk. BOTH NHTSA AND GM DISCOURAGE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN A FRONT SEAT.
2005 Chevrolet ColoradoProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 356 owner complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 9, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: DestinationFearFan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado has problems
356 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
69Electrical system8 crash/fire/injury
61Service brakes, hydraulic4 crash/fire/injury
49Exterior lighting2 crash/fire/injury
33Air bags15 crash/fire/injury
27Power train1 crash/fire/injury
23Engine and engine cooling
23Suspension
20Service brakes
19Structure
11519 other systems17 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 69 | 8 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 61 | 4 |
| Exterior lighting | 49 | 2 |
| Air bags | 33 | 15 |
| Power train | 27 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 23 | 1 |
| Suspension | 23 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 20 | 0 |
| Structure | 19 | 1 |
| 19 other systems | 115 | 17 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2005 Chevrolet Colorado recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE SIMULTANEOUS LOSS OF ALL BRAKE LAMPS OR CAUSE ALL OF THE BRAKE LAMPS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY.
no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. A FOLLOWING DRIVER MAY NOT KNOW WHEN THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED, AND A REAR-END CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
73kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 56 electrical system complaints. 79% were reported before 100,000 miles.
12under 30k miles44under 100k miles12100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Service brakes, hydraulic
8 owners mentioned a cost$550median
Middle half: $104 – $678
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2005 vs. every other Colorado year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Colorado median. How we score
'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2005 Chevrolet Colorado safety ratings
2005 Chevrolet Colorado Extended Cab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (17.9% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado, and the recalls they led to.
- BRAKE LAMP SWITCH FAILURELed to recall 06V-139
- BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MALFUNCTIONLed to recall 09V-310
In owners' words
What Colorado owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Vehicle taillights failed to function when lights come on at night. I became aware of this when another motorist stopped beside me to tell me. Fuse and lightbulbs work when tested.
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON MAKING IT UNCLEAR IF OCCUPANTS ARE PROTECTED OR IF AIR BAG WILL JUST GO OFF ON ITS OWN. PROBLEM IS WIRES IN BACK DOOR JAMB BECOME FATIGUED AND BREAK CAUSING FAILURE OF AIR BAGS. VEHICLE IS ALSO CONSIDERED AN INSPECTION FAILURE AS WELL IN MASSACHUSETTS.
I'VE TRIED TO HAVE A GARAGE REPAIR/FIX MY HEATER/FAN MOTOR THREE TIMES TO NO AVAIL. HEATER WORKS ON HIGH ONLY...AND NOT ON ANY OTHER SPEEDS.
Own a 2005 Colorado?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.