New Chevy Colorado mega-thread

Video that goes into detail on the DSSV shocks. Amazing how much smaller the Formula One shock is!

 

First let me say this: Please do not think I'm trying to start a war. I have been researching the GM twins and Tacoma with the aim of replacing my current full sized pickup. One concern is owner satisfaction, which for my purposes is the number of complaints submitted. I used CarComplaints.com as my data source.

I know there are a lot more Tacomas sold than Colorados. So I'd expect higher complaints for the Tacoma. I could not find 2016 statistics, but I did find sales for those two trucks for April 2016 HERE:
Colorado - 10,362 units
Tacoma - 18,106
For my purposes here I'll just say Tacoma sales were twice the Colorado sales, which is a little generous, but probably okay for my purposes.

I found complaints for the two trucks below. I only looked at the top two complaints: that was Transmission and Engines for both trucks.
2016 Tacoma - Transmission 26 complaints; Engine 21 complaints
2016 Colorado - Transmission 11 complaints, Engine 5 complaints.

If I extrapolate (double) the number of complaints for the Colorado based on the number of April 2016 sales, I'd get

Tacoma - Transmission 26 complaints; Engine 21 complaints
Colorado - Transmission 22 complaints, Engine 10 complaints

Keep in mind that the percentage of those complaints is very small against the total annual number of trucks sold. But to me, it indicates there is not a lot of difference between the two trucks based solely on the number of complaints from the links above.

Granted, any person having complaints with their vehicle is very significant! Believe me, I know that after going through a "lemon law" and "dealer assist" trade a few months ago with our family car.

You comments, especially on my methodology mistakes, are appreciated. Like I said, I do not want to start a war here, I am just trying to decide if the problems I see on this and the Tacoma forum are significant. I posted this on the Colorado/Canyon forum also.

Thanks.

 

My thought:

It's very difficult, if not impossible, to make any meaningful assessment of data from self-selected participants.

Go test drive them. Repeatedly if you can.

 

I think it's vital that you include the nature/severity in your extrapolated data. When I researched the Colorado/Tacoma the majority of Tacoma complaints weren't failures but more minor items like the annoying transmission shift behavior

 

IMO - test drive then both and then buy the one you like best. With the low miles you're going to put on the truck, I can't imagine you'll have trouble with either. Bought the '17 Tacoma in large part because the '06 was bulletproof. I changed the oil and drove it 120,000 miles. I'll let you know in 10 years how the '17 holds up. You're going to find mostly complaints on-line, very few people log in just to say my truck was fine today.

 

Please dont take what I am about to say the wrong way. But it was a point I factored in looking at both trucks.

Typically "younger" kids/adults tend to buy Tacomas.

"Mature" older tend to buy GM.

Younger people tend to know how to use the interwebs/sites to complain.

IMO, that made up the difference in numbers. So the "complaints" were equal.

 

I agree. I'm going to have to do a pretty exhaustive test drive on any vehicle(s) I am considering.

 

Thanks for that input. I wasn't willing to delve too deeply into the severity of the complaints, but I understand what you mean. Thanks for your analysis in your last sentence above; that helps me.

 

Shoot, I don't even come close to taking what you said the wrong way! Just the opposite. I think you are on to something with the age-thing. And I am a member of the "mature" group. <g> But if more of the mature group voiced a complaint that would indicate there were more relative complaints with the Colorado group, right?

 

So don't take this wrong, but I'm seeing you echo the over-analysis path I'd been down when I was buying.

Get away from the computer and go drive the trucks. Check out all the features and seat fold downs and so forth. Take your time and be thorough in person.

You may find your decision made for you.

 

Problem with any of those is its all based on the person complaining and how severe it is.
Something that might just be a minor thing to some might be a big thing to others, or minor but they just want to complain because they think everything should be perfect.

I've been reading a bunch of tire reviews to figure out what tires to get. Found a few review on the Nitto Ridgegrapplers that they hydroplane a lot. One complaint particularly was on the Nitto site that said along the lines "had them 2 months and had 2 close calls from hydroplaning"
At first I read it and right away thought NO WAY, but then I started to think, this is the only one, and the person never explained their driving etc. How do I know they are terrible or that the guy was just a dumb ass and speeding i the rain?

In case you aren't aware the most common issue with the engine for the 2016 early production models was a faulty crank position sensor which has since been fixed for all current production. The transmission problem that is likely being reported is the constant searching transmission and shift delay etc. From what I know of the known issues for the transmission have all been addressed with a TSB (although not all are satisfied with it). Many have also said that the problem goes away as the vehicle is broken in and the ECU and transmission learn your driving style.

I don't follow the GM twins as I never considered them at all since I think both are ugly, and not a fan of GM in general, so not aware of the issues. I took one test drive in a new Canyon and knew right away it wasn't for me. Consider though that a GM will depreciate much faster than a Toyota. I'm not sure if they have changed but I also know that certain GM models had incredible design flaws like you can't change the headlight bulbs without pulling the front bumper, or can't change a wheel bearing without doing the whole hub assembly. Some of those things made the jobs labour intensive and caused repairs to be expensive. Toyota's are easy to work on, repairs are generally reasonable in my opinion.
Just be aware if you are coming from a fullsize many think the tacoma is under powered. I don't find it under powered just find the powerband is too high in the RPM, but if you put your foot down it does get moving pretty quick.
Also consider your needs, do you need the payload and towing of a fullsize still?

 

One way to really knowing is rent both trucks if you can for a few days and see what best fits your needs and wants.

 

There's plenty of older people who buy tacomas as well.

If anything I'd say look at it more like the younger gens are yes more tech savy to use the web to complain, and they're likely millennials, which many are a bunch of cry baby little cunts that need a safe space and are used to being told they are special and getting a reward for failing. So ya they'll complain more about the little things and make it seem like they're a huge problem

 

I work with both OEM's & get discounts on both. I drive a Tacoma Pro, 1 of 3 vehicles I can't get a discount on.

 

The tacoma wins in the interior and exterior design category IMO. However the colorado has power seats and is much more pleasing to drive (powertrain). OVER the long term the tacoma feels underpowered and shifts terribly for me even after 20k miles and software updates. I really don't care for the tacoma drivetrain. I will seriously be looking to go back to a full size if the Ford Ranger disappoints. I've already been flirting with the silverados quite a bit lately. I love the size of the Tacoma for some things but then there are days where I wish I had just a tad more storage space (bed and interior)

 

If I have a problem I complain to the person that can correct it, typically the service manager. I don't see listing complaints on a website like carcomplaints.com as getting my problems resolved.

 

Got to hand it to you Smitty. FIRST time I have read one of your post and thought "hey, thats an actual review/thoughts of an owner disappointed in the vehicle he/she bought."

Not the all tacomas are going to blow up we have been seeing.

Funny how a few words like "for me" or "in my opinion" and "I" can change things.

 

I agree with you to a point but I think voicing concerns in a public online/social media forum adds up and corporate will listen to this if there is enough input. Of course the most important statistic is sales and revenue. If the product ultimately still sells they probably won't have much motivation to invest more time or money into changing or improving the product. Generally speaking of course

 

Agree, forums do help with illuminating a problem and can also see how widespread it is but websites like consumer reports or carcomplaints.com don't provide any real factual data.