Chevrolet Colorado spongy pedal problems

Filed Sep 26, 2026 · Brakes · FL

I was driving along the highway exit ramp when I went to brake; the brake pedal was stiff, and the vehicle wouldn't stop. I had to put my full body weight into it, and that’s when the car came to an abrupt halt. I nearly crashed into the car in front of me. I took it to the Bomnin Chevrolet dealership, and the service advisor informed me that the vehicle had logged a fault code or something similar. The vehicle is currently at the dealership. Prior to the incident, there were no on-screen indicators, warnings, or warning lights. It was only after the brake failure that a message appeared on the screen—along with the wrench symbol—reading "Brake Assist Service."

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · VA

The brake booster vacuum pump failed catastrophically while driving, resulting in a sudden, dangerous loss of power braking assist and a rock-hard brake pedal. Upon inspection by a mechanic, the pump's internal failure violently sheared and destroyed the engine's exhaust camshaft, requiring a complete camshaft tear-down and replacement. This is a severe mechanical defect causing both immediate highway safety hazards and internal engine destruction.

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 Mar 12, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · 8,285 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard and was spongy. Additionally, the navigation system shut off unexpectedly, and the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated, causing the seat belt to tighten while the vehicle was in park. The contact also received OnStar alerts that the vehicle was being stolen and that the 12-Volt battery voltage had dropped. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to repair the issues, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,285.

Filed Jan 25, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · OK

in december 2025 i was driving my 2022 chevy colorado with 2.5 liter all of a sudden with no prior warning or lights i have an extremely hard brake pedal could barely stop i wasnt far from home when i pulled into drive i left it running to check brake fluid saw some smoke . i pop hood and saw brake fluid full but smoke coming from the back of motor i couldn't tell where so i walked around to look underneath and saw oil all over. i shut engine off and had towed to chevy dealership diagnosis vacuum pump failure with engine damage.

Filed Jan 7, 2026 · Brakes · MI

Driving on expressway step on brakes to slow down, brakes become spongy and will not stop quickly, only slow down, engine decelarates to 60 mph. This has now happened 7 times in one and a half years

Filed Dec 5, 2025 · Brakes · MO

When you have your foot on the break engine running within about 5 mins the breaks release for a second all the light on the dashboard kick on then the breaks feel spongy, you have to then turn the truck off the computer resets check engine light will still remain but the breaks will now be functional again. When taking it to the dealer they stated there was a software recall and they reset the light called it a day.

Filed Feb 25, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · MT

I purchaced a new 2024 Chevy colorado, the truck had 193 miles on the odometer when the brakes failed. When I stepped on the brake to put my truck into gear the pedal became spongy and brakes were severely diminished. I had to force the pedal to the floor to stop the truck at idle. I shut the truck off and restarted, it continued. I called the dealer, they sent a truck with trailer to take it back to the shop. They verified the condition and diagnosed the problem. I was told the EBC and master cylinder failed. The warning on the dash came on at the same time as I realized the brakes were not working.

Filed Oct 4, 2024 · Brakes, Fuel system · 87,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was stiff. The contact pulled to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The message "Brake Assist - Service Required'' was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake assist vacuum pump and the carburetor cap needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.

Filed Aug 24, 2024 · Brakes · CA

Component/system issue: Intermittent loss of power assist to brakes after auto start-stop startup. Safety Risk: Unable to use brakes normally. Requires hard brake pedal pumping to get vehicle to stop. Reproduced by others: No. Doesn't happen every time. It has happened a total of three times (so far). Inspected by manufacturer: Yes. The first time, the dealer found low voltage DTC set. Replaced battery. Second time, dealer found low voltage DTC (P 0562) set. They contacted GM TAC who provided a file to patch the radio software. Third time, other (possibly related) electronics issues were also present which caused the vehicle to enter limp mode every time it's driven. They've replaced the ECU and the accelerator pedal, neither of which fixed that issue. They are now awaiting a wiring harness from GM to see if that is the root cause. Hopefully it also fixes the intermittent loss of power brakes after auto start-stop startup. Warning lamps/messages/other symptoms prior to failure: No symptoms prior to the failure. Upon startup caused by auto start-stop feature, the symptoms are as follows: All warning lamps illuminate and several messages display on the instrument cluster screen about loss of ESC, ABS, traction control, collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, and others. One by one, the warning lights go out within 1 minute, except ABS. Power assist for the brakes is not available while this light is illuminated. Within approx. 2 minutes, the ABS light goes out and brakes function normally again.