Diagsheet

Midsize pickups · 7 model years, 2015 to 2024

Toyota Tacoma vs Chevrolet Colorado: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Colorado looks better on 5 and the Tacoma on 1, with 1 too close to call.

Toyota Tacoma

Toyota Tacoma

1,289 complaints · 22 recalls

Chevrolet Colorado

Chevrolet Colorado

2,003 complaints · 15 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2015 to 2024TacomaColorado
Complaints that report a crash4.6%2.6%
Complaints that report a fire1.2%0.7%
Complaints that report an injury2.7%1.7%
Median miles when problems are reported15,00040,000
Recall campaigns per model year3.12.1
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations12

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Tacoma owners complain about most is transmission and drivetrain; for the Colorado it is steering. Complaints citing fuel and propulsion make up 11% of all Tacoma complaints, against 3.3% on the Colorado. The Colorado leans the other way on steering: 44% of its complaints, against 3.0% for the Tacoma.

Toyota TacomaChevrolet Colorado

Transmission and drivetrain27%21%
Steering3.0%44%
Electrical9.9%17%
Engine12%9.7%
Brakes14%6.3%
Fuel and propulsion11%3.3%
Structure7.5%1.6%
Speed control5.0%2.6%
Collision avoidance2.2%3.9%
Airbags3.6%2.1%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Tacoma is brake wear (16% of its complaints). On the Colorado it is power steering loss (39% of its complaints), against 0.0% on the Tacoma.

ProblemTacomaColorado
Power steering cuts out or goes heavy039% 775most in 2016 · 61k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early16% 204most in 2019 · 10k mi6.7% 134most in 2016 · 26k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving9.0% 116most in 2019 · 12k mi7.2% 145most in 2016 · 32k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard6.2% 80most in 2016 · 8k mi9.1% 182most in 2017 · 18k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails2.8% 3623k mi6.3% 126most in 2016 · 30k mi
Check engine light or misfire3.6% 4635k mi3.0% 6129k mi
Fuel pump failure4.6% 59most in 2018 · 19k mi1.1% 2260k mi
Driveshaft, axle or transfer case problems5.0% 64most in 2016 · 14k mi0.3% 6

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Tacoma owners report problems earlier. Half the Tacoma complaints that give a mileage come before 15,000 miles; for the Colorado the halfway point is 40,000. 80% of Tacoma reports and 61% of Colorado reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Toyota TacomaChevrolet Colorado

Under 25k62%34%
25k to 50k18%27%
50k to 75k10%18%
75k to 100k4.8%9.4%
100k to 150k3.3%8.8%
Over 150k1.4%3.2%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 641 for the Tacoma and 1,010 for the Colorado.

Worst and best years

The 2024 Tacoma draws 3.7 times the complaints of a typical Tacoma year for its age. The 2016 Colorado draws 3.1 times the complaints of a typical Colorado year for its age.

Toyota Tacoma

  • Years to avoid: 2016, 2019 and 2024
  • Best years: none since 2016 is clearly better

Every Tacoma model year

Chevrolet Colorado

  • Years to avoid: 2015, 2016 and 2024
  • Best years: 2020, 2021 and 2022

Every Colorado model year

Toyota TacomaChevrolet Colorado

Each model year against its own model's median. Tacoma: 2015 0.6, 2016 2.2, 2017 1.8, 2018 1.7, 2019 2.0, 2020 0.9, 2021 1.0, 2022 0.9, 2023 1.0, 2024 3.7. Colorado: 2015 1.9, 2016 3.1, 2017 1.0, 2018 1.0, 2019 0.9, 2020 0.6, 2021 0.6, 2022 0.5, 2023 1.6, 2024 1.9.2015 Tacoma: 0.6 times its median2015 Colorado: 1.9 times its median'152016 Tacoma: 2.2 times its median2016 Colorado: 3.1 times its median'162017 Tacoma: 1.8 times its median2017 Colorado: 1.0 times its median'172018 Tacoma: 1.7 times its median2018 Colorado: 1.0 times its median'182019 Tacoma: 2.0 times its median2019 Colorado: 0.9 times its median'192020 Tacoma: 0.9 times its median2020 Colorado: 0.6 times its median'202021 Tacoma: 1.0 times its median2021 Colorado: 0.6 times its median'212022 Tacoma: 0.9 times its median2022 Colorado: 0.5 times its median'222023 Tacoma: 1.0 times its median2023 Colorado: 1.6 times its median'232024 Tacoma: 3.7 times its median2024 Colorado: 1.9 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The Tacoma draws more recalls: 3.1 campaigns per model year against 2.1 for the Colorado. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Toyota Tacoma

22 recall campaigns and 1 NHTSA investigation across these model years. Most recalled: equipment (6), service brakes, hydraulic (3) and transmission and drivetrain (2).

  • 20V-682 (fuel system) covers 3 model years
  • 17V-425 (structure) covers 2 model years

Investigations

  • EA19001: Electrical overstress (closed, led to a recall)

Chevrolet Colorado

15 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (4), steering (2) and fuel system (2).

  • 18V-358 (fuel system) covers 3 model years
  • 17V-621 (airbags) covers 2 model years

Investigations

  • EA26006: Electronic brake module component failure (open)
  • RQ19001: Loss of power steering assist (closed, led to a recall)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Tacoma complaints report a crash: 4.6%, against 2.6% for the Colorado. Fire reports: 15 for the Tacoma and 15 for the Colorado. Complaints on file report 0 deaths in the Tacoma and 1 in the Colorado for these model years.

Toyota TacomaChevrolet Colorado

Report a crash4.6%2.6%
Report a fire1.2%0.7%
Report someone hurt2.7%1.7%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Toyota Tacoma or the Chevrolet Colorado more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Colorado looks better on 5 and the Tacoma on 1, with 1 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Tacoma has 1,289 complaints and the Colorado 2,003 for the 7 model years from 2015 to 2024 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Tacoma or the Colorado?

The Tacoma has 22 recall campaigns and the Colorado 15 across the 7 model years from 2015 to 2024 that both have on file. The Tacoma draws more recalls: 3.1 campaigns per model year against 2.1 for the Colorado.

What are the most common problems on the Tacoma and the Colorado?

The most reported problem on the Tacoma is brake wear (16% of its complaints). On the Colorado it is power steering loss (39% of its complaints), against 0.0% on the Tacoma.

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