Last updated: 2026-10-10
Chevrolet Colorado vs Hyundai Santa Cruz: Reliability Compared
Chevrolet Colorado
Hyundai Santa Cruz
On reliability, the Chevrolet Colorado beats the Hyundai Santa-Cruz by a wide margin, with under half the owner complaints per truck sold. Santa-Cruz owners report sudden power loss and early transmission replacements. Colorado's worst faults are transmission and brake failures on new trucks.
How Do the Chevrolet Colorado and Hyundai Santa Cruz Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Chevrolet Colorado is more reliable than the Hyundai Santa Cruz, scoring 79/100 vs 68/100.
The more reliable truck is the Colorado, and the gap is large. Owners filed far fewer complaints per truck sold, and federal recall records show fewer recalls even though the Colorado covers more model years. Santa-Cruz owners report sudden power loss and replacement transmissions, some before 20,000 miles, at a much higher rate. The Colorado has serious faults of its own, mainly transmission and brake failures on new trucks, but they show up less often relative to sales.
Key Differences
- 1Chevrolet Colorado has 11.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold
- 2Chevrolet Colorado scores 11 points higher in reliability
- 3Chevrolet Colorado has 2 fewer total recalls
Category Scoreboard
Chevrolet Colorado vs Hyundai Santa Cruz: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Chevrolet Colorado | Hyundai Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 79/100 | 68/100 |
| Years Tracked | 9 | 5 |
| Total Recalls | 9 | 11 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 8.8 | 20.2 |
| Safety RatingNHTSA overall | 2026 NHTSA | 2026 NHTSA |
| Frontal | ||
| Side | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Year Wins | 5 | 0 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Chevrolet Colorado and Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Power train problems lead for both trucks, but they differ. Colorado owners describe a transmission that fails suddenly and kills acceleration in traffic. Santa-Cruz owners describe power loss while merging, limp mode, and dealers who cannot reproduce it. Colorado also has crash-linked complaints in electrical and service brakes. Its master cylinder failures can leave the pedal sinking to the floor, and heated seats can make headlights pulse. Santa-Cruz has no crash-linked complaints outside the power train. Its other trouble is failing fuel injectors, weak low beams, and a driver-attention camera that shuts off cruise control.
| Component | Chevrolet Colorado | Hyundai Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 2.3Low | 8.1Above Avg |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1.5Low | 1.9Low |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 0.9Very Low | 1.8Low |
| ENGINE | 0.5Very Low | 1.7Low |
| STEERING | 1Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 0.3Very Low | 0.8Very Low |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 0.7Very Low | 0.3Very Low |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 0.2Very Low | 0.8Very Low |
| AIR BAGS | 0.2Very Low | 0.5Very Low |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 0.1Very Low | 0.6Very Low |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | —None | 0.6Very Low |
| TRAILER HITCHES | —None | 0.3Very Low |
| STRUCTURE | 0.1Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 0.1Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| SUSPENSION | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | —None | —None |
| EQUIPMENT | —None | —None |
| SEAT BELTS | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
How Does Chevrolet Colorado vs Hyundai Santa Cruz Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Chevrolet Colorado | Hyundai Santa Cruz | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 88/1000R / 0C | 74/1002R / 0C | Chevrolet Colorado |
| 2025 | 83/1000R / 19C | 72/1002R / 15C | Chevrolet Colorado |
| 2024 | 76/1003R / 82C | 71/1001R / 30C | Chevrolet Colorado |
| 2023 | 73/1003R / 113C | 64/1002R / 73C | Chevrolet Colorado |
| 2022 | 81/1001R / 39C | 57/1004R / 171C | Chevrolet Colorado |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Chevrolet Colorado scored 81/100 and the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz scored 71/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Chevrolet Colorado vs the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Chevrolet Colorado vs Hyundai Santa Cruz: Common Questions
- Is the Chevrolet Colorado more reliable than the Hyundai Santa-Cruz?
- Yes, by a large margin. Colorado owners filed 8.8 complaints per 10,000 trucks sold, while Santa-Cruz owners filed 20.2. Both trucks have serious power train complaints, but they show up far more often on the Santa-Cruz relative to sales.
- Which has more recalls, the Colorado or the Santa-Cruz?
- Santa-Cruz has more. Federal recall records show 11 recalls across its 5 model years, while Colorado has 9 across 9 model years. Santa-Cruz has packed more recalls into a much shorter time on the road.
- Which Santa-Cruz model years should I avoid?
- Avoid 2022 and 2023 if you can, since they are the weakest years in the data. Later years look lighter, but they have had less time to collect complaints. Whatever year you pick, check for transmission and fuel injector repair history.
- What is the biggest problem with the Chevrolet Colorado?
- Sudden transmission failure is the largest complaint area. Owners report the truck losing all acceleration in traffic, including on brand-new trucks. Brake master cylinder failures are also serious, with the pedal sinking to the floor. Both areas have crash-linked complaints.
- Does the Santa-Cruz lose power while driving?
- Some do. Owners describe sudden power loss when merging onto highways, with the transmission not shifting, revs climbing, or limp mode. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. Several trucks got replacement transmissions, some before 20,000 miles. Test drive any used one on a highway on-ramp.
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Decided between Chevrolet Colorado and Hyundai Santa Cruz? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Chevrolet Colorado and Hyundai Santa Cruz
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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