2016 GMC Canyon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
355 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 GMC Canyon, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 83/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 64,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2016 GMC Canyon sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2007–2009, 2012, 2018, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2016 sits among all Canyon years
What owners report
“Power steering fails intermittently while driving resulting in difficult steering and potential loss of control of vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Canyon
“Sag and hesitation while shifting,seems to get stuck or not sure what gear to be in.while making a turn truck hesitates no acceleration at 20mph.serious safety concern about getting rear ended”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Canyon
“I have a power steering failure.I also have a fuel problem while pumping gas, the truck doesn’t want to start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Canyon
“I put the car into park and turn the key to turn the ignition off. Engine turns off but key does not turn in to off position. I have to start and turn the truck off multiple times to release the key.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Canyon
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 160 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 48,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 18,000 and 70,263 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and 2016 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles manufactured January 19, 2016, to February 2, 2016, Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured January 9, 2016, to January 26, 2016, and 2016 GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Colorado trucks manufactured August 25, 2015 to September 24, 2015, and GMC Canyon trucks manufactured August 28, 2015 to September 24, 2015. The affected vehicles have a console…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the console compartment door latch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on January 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
Technical service bulletins
1,574 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 GMC Canyon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 Canyon 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 GMC Canyon reliable?
The 2016 GMC Canyon drew 355 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 83/100, scored against the model's worst year (2015).
What are the most common 2016 GMC Canyon problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 GMC Canyon are steering (178 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (39), and electrical (38).
At what mileage do 2016 GMC Canyon problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 GMC Canyon problems around 48,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 18,000 and 70,263 miles.
Does the 2016 GMC Canyon have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 GMC Canyon. 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.