Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–25 mpgcombined; city 15–22, highway 15–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,760–$23,170U.S. average; Ohio $13,190–$23,470 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 2018 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 183 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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
Power train
78
1
0
2
Unknown or other
36
0
3
3
Electrical system
34
0
1
0
Engine
24
0
1
0
Steering
18
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
11
0
1
0
Air bags
7
1
0
0
Seat belts
5
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
5
0
0
0
Service brakes
4
1
0
2
Structure
4
0
0
0
Suspension
4
0
0
0
12 more parts
Exterior lighting
3
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
3
0
0
0
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Interior lighting
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
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 1 recall campaign for the 2018 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,262 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Colorado, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (403), electrical system (238), engine and engine cooling (227), power train (154), engine (123).
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 2018 Colorado.
See used 2018 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. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.8 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Diesel
22 / 30 / 25
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
2.8 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Diesel
20 / 28 / 23
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 22
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 22
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 24 / 21
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 20
Colorado 4-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 24 / 19
Colorado Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 15 / 15
Colorado ZR2 4-Wheel Drive
2.8 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Diesel
19 / 22 / 20
Colorado ZR2 4-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 18 / 17
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