2016 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability
382 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 41/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 79,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2016 sits among all Traverse years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Traverse
“The transmission lost power and almost caused an accident with the vehicle behind me”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Traverse
“Check engine light turned on, along with warnings: service stabilitrak and engine power reduced while the car was in motion. Physical speed of car was reduced to 25 mph and could not accelerate over that speed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Traverse
“Transmission went out on my way to work the vehicle shut off after I was stopped at a red light when it came time to move forward it bucked and shut off I finally made it to work then had it towed for repair”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Traverse
“While driving down hwy 175, vehicles check engine light came on with message 'service stabilitrak' followed by an abrupt loss of power. Happens regularly and without warning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Traverse
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 142 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 46,900 miles. Half of those reports fall between 27,000 and 61,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick…
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022.…
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row left lower seat frame that may have welds…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used.
Fix: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been…
Technical service bulletins
1,139 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 Traverse TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
The 2016 Chevrolet Traverse drew 382 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 41/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2016 Chevrolet Traverse problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse are airbags (163 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (36), and other (35).
At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Traverse problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Chevrolet Traverse problems around 46,900 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 27,000 and 61,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.