2016 Chevrolet Colorado · symptom sheet

Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard

38owner reports
10,000median miles
0involved a crash

Newest report May 6, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026

97 of the 708 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 38 of those describe transmission shudder.

No recall on this systemas of Oct 2, 2026

No crash reportedin 38 reports

1 firein 38 reports

Tick what matches of 38 reports

shudders or vibrates at low speed

slips or revs without pulling

bangs or clunks into gear

hesitates when I accelerate

a dealer did a software update

fluid was changed or flushed

Transmission shudder on other Colorado years

201638 reports 201753 reports 201834 reports 201937 reports

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015, 2023, 2024, 2026.

What this problem usually is

This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the torque converter (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 2,400 and 34,455 miles, from the 25 reports that gave a mileage.

Is this a known problem?

The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 20 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado that deal with this problem. Newest first.

Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.

Service bulletinPIP5175FFeb 3, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a delayed engagement into drive, shudder at a launch, or the transmission is slipping when shifting into 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th gears.
Service bulletin08-07-30-026ISep 16, 2024
This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
Service bulletin99-04-20-002OJul 9, 2024
This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operation.
Service bulletin19-NA-136May 16, 2024
This service bulletin provides a diagnostic procedure to aid in correcting a customer concern of a Howling, Whining/Whirring Noise, Shudder/Vibration and/or Grinding Noise While in 4HI, 4HI Auto and/or During Parking Lot Maneuvers in Auto Mode.

16 more on the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado page.

What owners wrote

“Reference report #[XXX] The transmission in my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Quad Cab short bed is hard shifting, shuddering and pausing. The transmission has been serviced two times by the dealer and two times by me. Servicing means fluid and filter changes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Jan 25, 2024

“Vehicle shuddering at low speeds. Took to Chevrolet Dealer, and they diagnosed as Torque Converter coming apart. Colorado has 67,953 miles. Per dealer service department, Need to replace Transmission at $6,273.52. If not replaced, Vehicle will freeze up and not be able to shift gears.”
Filed Feb 14, 2023 · 67,953 miles

“Poor shifting, engine bogging down going up hills, shudder. I have had vehicle in to at least 3 different Chevy dealerships complaining of shudder, slipping and they claim they can't reproduce. It's getting much worse now. Started around 60k miles”
Filed Jun 23, 2021 · 60,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 38 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found