The Best Years For The Chevy Colorado Pickup Truck (And Which To Steer Clear Of)

The Colorado is Chevrolet's midsize truck, and it fits in the lineup below their larger full-size pickup, the Silverado 1500. The Colorado was introduced in 2004 to replace Chevy's older entry level truck, the S-10, and it competes with midsize rivals like the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, and Honda Ridgeline. That's a pretty robust competitive set, so the Colorado has its work cut out for it.

Thankfully, the midsize Chevy is available in a number of different trim levels, including the off-road ready ZR2, but there are more work-truck oriented trim levels available too. It's only available in a crew cab configuration currently, but there are five different trim levels to choose from with a long list of available features. So, the newest model is desirable thanks to its available equipment, and the ZR2 is an excellent off-roader, but what if you want to go with something used?

Shoppers looking for used trucks have a history of Colorado's that spans almost two decades to pick from. But which model years are undesirable and which ones are potential hidden gems? Aside from the typical markers of used-vehicle desirability like mileage, maintenance history, and overall condition, there are a few places to source owner complaints and satisfaction scores that will help you pick the right Colorado. So we've combed through the numbers to help point you in the right direction.

Consumer Reports conducts annual owner-satisfaction surveys, asking consumers if they would buy the same car again, then they use those answers to create an owner satisfaction score. In the Colorado's case, the scores are pretty low across the board. Consumer Reports rates owner satisfaction on a scale of one to five, with five being the best and one being the worst. No Colorado model year is scored above a score of two.

By comparison, Toyota Tacoma from 2005 to 2023 is ranked either a three or a five. The Honda Ridgeline scores even better, with 2006, 2011, and model years getting a five out of five. The Honda also has the distinction of 11 model years rating four out of five for owner satisfaction, with no model year falling below a three in the last 18 years.

Of the fourteen years that Consumer Reports has available owner satisfaction numbers for, nine of the Colorado's model years have a score of just one out of five: 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2015 through 2019, and 2022. While we'd avoid these model years in general, some years are even less appealing than others. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received owner complaints about the Colorado that peaked in early production — with over 700 complaints from 2004 to 2005. Complaints rose again in 2015 and 2016, with over 400 complaints each year. Many of those complaints were related to the Colorado's steering system, which received a number of recalls.

While two out of five isn't exactly impressive when it comes to satisfaction scores, it's better than one out of five, right? Well, that's where these model years fall for the Colorado in Consumer Reports owner satisfaction numbers: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2020, and 2021. We've already recommended steering clear of the 2005 model year based on NHTSA complaints, but model years 2007 and 2008 seem to be less fraught with issues. Complaints dropped significantly in those two model years, falling even lower in 2009. If you're looking for an early Colorado, definitely look between 2007 and 2009, where complaints were low and multiple engines were available, including a 5.3-liter V8.

Buyers interested in a newer version of the Colorado should take a look at both the 2020 and 2021 models. Both model years have under 40 complaints according to NHTSA and depending on the trim level you choose, modern features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available. Consumer reports predict that owner satisfaction will be significantly higher with the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado, giving it a predicted score of three out of five, but it may take some time to see if that prediction comes true. Since its redesign in 2023, the newest Colorado is also pretty desirable. It offers all sorts of off-road capability through a variety of trims like the Trail Boss, Z71, ZR2, and Bison, along with a number of driver aids like adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring.