Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–20 mpgcombined; city 14–18, highway 18–24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,240–$21,660U.S. average; Ohio $14,510–$19,350 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2008 Colorado. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Colorado. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
32
0
4
0
Air bags
14
3
1
0
Engine
8
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
8
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
7
0
0
0
Power train
7
0
2
0
Service brakes
7
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
6
0
1
0
Seat belts
6
0
1
0
Suspension
4
0
0
0
Unknown or other
4
2
2
0
Vehicle speed control
4
1
0
1
11 more parts
Fuel system, gasoline
3
0
0
0
Steering
3
1
1
3
Structure
3
0
0
0
Tires
3
0
0
0
Visibility
3
0
1
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
1
0
Service brakes, electric
1
0
1
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
1
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2008 Colorado over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2011, CHEVROLET COLORADO, GMC CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006, ISUZU I-280/I-350, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, REGULAR CAB VEHICLES AND EXTENDED CAB VEHICLES WITHOUT A REAR SEAT AND EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT 60/40 SPLIT BENCH SEAT. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR FOR THE FRONT CENTER SEAT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE AND THE OWNER MANUAL DOES NOT INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING HOW TO USE THE TOP TETHER.
Risk: BOTH NHTSA AND GM DISCOURAGE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN A FRONT SEAT. NEVERTHELESS, THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY REQUIRE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN A RESTRAINT IN THE FRONT CENTER SEATING POSITION OF THIS VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT OFFER A REAR SEAT. LACK OF ACCESS TO THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR AND A LACK OF INSTRUCTIONS AS TO HOW TO USE IT, MAY RESULT IN IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF A CHILD RESTRAINT. IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF A CHILD RESTRAINT CAN RESULT IN A REDUCTION IN THE RESTRAINT'S PERFORMANCE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH AND AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD SEATED IN THE RESTRAINT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL CUT A HOLE INTO THE BACK PANEL TRIM COVER TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR FOR THE FRONT CENTER SEAT POSITION AND WILL PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AS TO USE IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727 OR VISIT GM'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
GM IS RECALLING 185,903 MODEL YEAR 2004-2009 COLORADO, GMC MODEL YEAR 2009-2004 CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006 I-280, I-350, MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 I-290, AND I-370, PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARIZONA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, PUERTO RICO, SOUTH CAROLINA, TEXAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND UTAH. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A BRAKE LAMP SWITCH THAT MAY NOT WORK AS DESIGNED DUE TO CONTAMINATION IN THE SWITCH.
Risk: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE SIMULTANEOUS LOSS OF ALL BRAKE LAMPS OR CAUSE ALL OF THE BRAKE LAMPS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS COULD FAIL TO WARN OTHERS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS AS SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL BULLETIN FREE OF CHARGE. GM ANTICIPATES THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE BY JUNE 2010. A SPECIAL COVERAGE FOR VEHICLES REGISTERED IN ALL OTHER STATES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. IN THE INTERIM, OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE CAN OBTAIN A FREE REPAIR, HOWEVER THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO RETURN WHEN THE NEW DESIGN PART BECOMES AVAILABLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 951 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 Colorado, the latest on Sep 9, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (437), electrical system (182), engine and engine cooling (100), equipment adaptive/mobility (70), power train (68).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2008 Colorado.
See used 2008 Chevrolet Colorados for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small pickup trucks. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Colorado 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Colorado 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Colorado 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
2.9 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Colorado Crew Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Colorado Crew 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Colorado inc 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Colorado inc Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 5 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 18 / 15
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data