2021 Chevrolet Colorado brakes problems

Filed Oct 24, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · OK

The brake booster vacuum pump broke and caused my brakes to stop working properly while driving on the highway. There were zero warnings from the vehicle I went to press on my brake and it was stuck i luckily was able to push it down enough to safely stop

Filed Sep 30, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · 65,500 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the engine seized. The contact stood on the brake pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured camshaft. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump fractured the camshaft, and the camshaft was fractured in half. The contact was informed that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,500.

Filed Sep 12, 2026 · Brakes · MI

Both rear calipers have become frozen or stuck, causing the brakes to seize and not work correctly. This happened around 53,000 miles. There was a burning rubber smell as well as the tire/brake temp was 5 times the normal. This created a severe driving hazard.

Filed Sep 2, 2026 · Brakes · TN

Brake boost vacuum pump failure. While approaching a traffic light that was red, I applied the brakes. The pedal was very hard to press and required me using both feet to bring the vehicle to a stop. Stopping distance was much longer than normal. I removed the vacuum pump and found it had seized and broke apart.

Filed Aug 21, 2026 · Brakes · CA

Iba sobre el freeway a 60 millas y de la nada el freno se puso duro no respondían me pasé a los carril de la orilla y fui metiendo freno de mano poco a poco bendito Dios me puse a salvo! La agencia me dijo que fue el booster ahora tienen que verificar que no halla fragmentos de metal en el motor!

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · 106,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the engine revved without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact stated that while turning onto an exit ramp, the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle; however, there was resistance to the brake pedal, and an excessive amount of pressure was needed to depress brake pedal to stop the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was informed of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that failure might cause the complete engine failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Filed Jul 29, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · TX

Brake vacum pump experienced a catastrophic failure. I was unable to step on the break because the break pedal was hard. I ran thru a red light. I was told the brake vacume pump shattered & pieces of metal went into my engine

Filed Jul 9, 2026 · Brakes · PA

While driving downhill nearing a stop sign my wife went to apply the brakes to stop and all she had was an extremely hard brake pedal. She panicked that she “no brakes.” She was only going about 20 MPH, and was able to stop the vehicle but it took an extraordinary amount of effort to do so. Had she had to make a sudden stop for a child, another person, or something else, she would not have been able to stop without negative consequences including possible death. There were no warning signs, vehicle pulled out of driveway and brakes were normal. Less than 10 seconds later no more power brakes. The vehicle had the vacuum pump seize which eliminated the power boost and the pump is operated by the exhaust camshaft which also got damaged and needs replaced. Chevy dealership estimated the repair at $2,600. Upon researching the vacuum pump, this is a common failure on multiple GM vehicles resulting in sudden brake loss. The vacuum pump should have been designed with a shear pin, so that if it fails the camshaft does not get damaged. Had the vacuum pump been properly designed and it was the only failing part, the repair cost would be $500 versus $2,600. Also, there should have been a temporary backup system so you would not lose power boost.

Filed Jul 5, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · AL

While driving on the parkway, the engine revved, and then the brakes became hard as a brick. The truck was unable to be stopped. There were no warning lamps or indications there was a problem, it happened suddenly and immediately. Other drivers' and my own safety was at risk because I could not stop the truck. Here is the diagnosis from the GM service center where it was towed to: "After the removal of the valve cover, the tech found the pump in pieces, and the end of the exhaust camshaft was damaged, as presented in the photos. The quote attached depicts all that is being replaced with this repair." The is a know and acknowledged GM defect that has affected well over 3 million vehicles to date. There was a recall issued for some models, but not the Chevrolet Colorado. There are many reports online of other Colorado owners having the exact brake vacuum pump failure, resulting in damage to the camshaft.There is also a class action lawsuit filed in Michigan in early 2026, involving the same brake vacuum pump failure, for some of the models that were not included in the recall. This is an extremely dangerous mechanical failure that GM is aware of.

Filed May 29, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · CA

I am reporting a serious safety defect involving my 2021 Chevrolet vehicle. While driving, multiple warnings appeared including “Service Power Steering,” “Steering Assist is Reduced,” “Service ESC,” and “Service Battery Charging System.” The vehicle then lost steering assist, braking performance became unreliable, and it created a serious risk of crash. The vehicle later shut down completely and has remained inoperable. The failure appears electrical and affected multiple critical systems at once, suggesting a cascading system malfunction. Since the incident, the vehicle has not restarted or operated normally. I have replaced the battery, alternator, starter, ignition switch, brake vacuum pump, ECM, spark plugs, fuses, and relays, but the issue persists. The vehicle still shows charging system faults and severe battery drain, indicating an unresolved underlying electrical defect. I have found numerous reports from other 2021 Chevrolet owners describing nearly identical failures, including sudden loss of power steering assist, ESC warnings, charging system failures, battery drain, and complete vehicle shutdowns. This suggests a possible widespread defect affecting this model year. Given the loss of steering assist, braking irregularities, and full vehicle shutdown while driving, I request the federal safety agency investigate this issue for a potential safety-related defect and determine whether a recall or manufacturer action is necessary.