First generation (Lambda)
2016 Chevrolet Traverse
The most reported problem on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse is airbag, with 163 complaints, usually around 89,000 miles.
- 292owner complaints
- 5recalls
- 8involved a crash
- 49,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 21, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Traverse doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2016 model year.
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
The 2016 Chevrolet Traverse has 292 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, close to the median of 248 for 2016 SUVs on this site. Of the 13 Traverse model years since 2014, it has the 6th most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2017
- At 27 complaints for each year on the road, the 2016 runs below the 2017 (36). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- One problem takes up much of the file: airbag, named in 163 of the 292 complaints (56%). A quarter of the 9 owners who gave a mileage for airbag saw it by about 12,000 miles, and half by about 89,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 10 of the 292 complaints (3%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, a little under the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 8 reports mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire and 15 people were hurt. The reports record 1 death. The most crash reports, 3 of 8, fall under airbag.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- Airbag, the one problem here with enough reports to check, has a recall on the same system (21V-246, 21V-782 and 23V-334). A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 93 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 13. So far in 2026, 7 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: airbag warning light or recall, 163 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
292 complaints is 1.2 times the median 2016 model on this site and 1.2 times the median 2016 SUV. Among the 10 Traverse model years here it ranks 6th for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
Chevrolet filed 1,142 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. 51 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Airbag warning light or recall 2 bulletins · 163 complaints
THIS INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION ON LOCATING AND RECONNECTING AIRBAG CONNECTORS THAT ARE NOT FULLY SEATED TO CORRECT A CUSTOMER CONCERN OF AN AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED, OR ONE, OR MORE, AIRBAG DTC(S) SET.
This informational bulletin provides information on Passenger Presence System (PPS) May Command Seat Belt Reminder Chime and Passenger Airbag Indicator On or Set DTC B101D When Electronic Devices or Conductive Objects are Placed on Front Passenger Seat
Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 5 bulletins · 18 complaints
This service bulletin provides a procedure to flush and bleed power steering system to correct a power steering noise or fluid leak concern that is caused during extremely low temperatures.
This Preliminary information communicates a possible power steering fluid leak above the engine harness to to the rear( Bank 1) heated Oxygen sensor and direction to replace all involved parts due to this contamination and leak.
3 more on this problem
This preliminary information bulletin provides information for diagnosing a power steering fluid leak at the fluid reservoir.
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to flush and bleed the power steering system to correct a condition of power steering noise or fluid leak from power steering pump, gear or high pressure hose during extreme low temperature conditions.
Power Steering Noise or Fluid Leak from Power Steering Pump, Gear or High Pressure Hose During Extreme Low Temperature Conditions
Engine stalls or loses power while driving 3 bulletins · 18 complaints
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.
This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of potential reduced engine power message displayed and/or engine stall with DTCs P1682 and/or P0689 Set.
1 more on this problem
This Preliminary information communicatesIn ambient temperatures 100F (37.7 C)degrees or higher, DTCs P2635 and/or P018B may set.The vehicle may also exhibit a hesitation or stalling condition.Excessively Hot and sustained ambient temperatures over 100F (37.7 ...
Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 1 bulletin · 16 complaints
This informational bulletin provides information on Some vehicles may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
Check engine light or misfire 22 bulletins · 15 complaints
This service bulletin provides inspection/diagnosis/correction information on a cold start misfire and/or rough idle and DTC P0300 that may also be set.
This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce ...
20 more on this problem
This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to ...
This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308 and/or P050D
This service bulletin provides diagnostic tips/steps on testing for possible EVAP leaks in the system to correct a customer concern of an MIL Illuminated with DTCs P0442 and/or P0455 Set.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about engine block of possible cylinder bore damage, scoring or out of round as the possible cause of engine oil consumption, misfire, cylinder leakage or blow by.
This Bulletin provides inspection/diagnosis/correction information on a cold start misfire and/or rough idle and DTC P0300 that may also be set.
This Preliminary information communicates the repair recommendations for misfire and DTC's immediately following HFV6 re-manufactured engines replacement.
This informational bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to ...
This Preliminary information communicates the repair recommendations for misfire in HFV6 re-manufactured engines.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician that Diagnostic Trouble Codes P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0008 or P0009 may be set. Technician will need to inspect for loose timing chains or tensioners.
This engineering informational bulletin is requesting information from the field on vehicles that have the condition of Engineering Information ? Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) On DTCs P0171 Fuel Trim System Lean Bank 1 and/or P0174 Fuel Trim System Lean ...
Plus 10 older ones not listed here.
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 10 bulletins · 10 complaints
This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operation.
8 more on this problem
This service bulletin provides a procedure to replace the upper and lower valve body housings to correct customer concerns of launch shudder, 2-3 Upshift or 3-2 Downshift concerns.
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the upper and lower valve body housings to correct launch shudder, 2-3 Upshift or 3-2 Downshift concerns.
This informational bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operations.
This informational bulletin provides information on Some vehicles may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the upper and lower valve body housings to correct the customer concern of launch shudder.
SHAKE AND/OR SHUDDER DURING LIGHT THROTTLE ACCELERATION BETWEEN 40 AND 128 KM/H (25 AND 80 MPH) AT A STEADY STATE.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have harsh 1-2 shift, mostly on light throttle with no Diagnostic Trouble Codes present.
THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES THE PROCEDURES TO COMPLETE A TRANSSMISSION ADAPTIVE LEARN ON ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEHICLES AND TRANSMISSIONS BASED ON RPO OPTIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF HARSH SHIFTS ON HARD ACCELLERATIONS.
A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 6 bulletins · 8 complaints
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air.
4 more on this problem
This Technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the auxiliary evaporator blower motor to correct an A/C Inop, Blows Warm Air or Poor Performance Due to Low Refrigerant Charge conditions.
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the evaporator, blower/fan assembly and thoroughly clean the interior of the evaporator case to correct a customer concern that the A/C is blowing warm, is exhibiting poor performance or of a general ...
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to Replace Auxiliary Evaporator, Blower Motor Assembly and Clean Case for concerns regarding A/C Inoperative, Blows Warm or Poor Performance Due to Low Refrigerant Charge, Freon Leak
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have intermittently the air conditioning blows warm.
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 2 bulletins · 7 complaints
This service bulletin provides information for tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system concerns.
This informational bulletin provides information on installing the correct tires for vehicles with the condition of under hard acceleration at higher speeds, the traction control light will flash.
Complaints filed by year
93 complaints came in 2024. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
Recalls that include the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: 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 customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: 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 customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
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 that are not in the correction location.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: 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 Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 21930.
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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: 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 replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780.
All 5 recalls on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
Airbag, with 163 of the 292 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 89,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Traverse problems start?
Of the 96 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 30,000 miles and half by about 49,000.
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse better or worse than the 2017?
Counted per year on the road, the 2016 has fewer complaints than the 2017: 27 a year against 36.
How many 2016 Chevrolet Traverse complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
10 of them (3%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for airbag on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls on the same system: 21V-246, 21V-782 and 23V-334. Its summary says which failure it covers, and that isn't always the one owners describe.