CHEVROLET 3500 · model year

2016 CHEVROLET 3500

7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016CHEVROLET3500 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 3500 is steering with 2 filings, followed by service brakes (1) and suspension (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2016 3500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

7
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING2
SERVICE BRAKES1
SUSPENSION1
WHEELS1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recent Complaints

20240917CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Low Cab Forward truck. The contact stated that an employee had started the vehicle while parked and placed the vehicle in drive (D), the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into 2 vehicles parked in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact stated that the employee had not noticed any warning lights. The contact stated that his vehicle had crashed into the front ends of the 2 vehicles and had crushed the hoods front bumper and grills on both vehicles and had pushed both vehicles aside. The contact stated that his vehicle had sustained damage to the driver and passenger side front doors and fenders as well as damage to the front bumper and grill. The police were called, and a report was written. The contact's employee was not injured. The other 2 vehicles were not occupied. The contact stated that the other two vehicles were towed away. The contact stated that his employee was able to drive his vehicle back to his business. The vehicle was n

Mileage: 62,000

20200808STEERING

AT 54,000 MILES, NOTICED 2-3 INCHES IN PLAY IN THE STEERING WILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. NOW THAT THE STEERING HAS LOOSENED, IT IS A CONTINUAL ISSUE. I HAVE NOT HAD IT DIAGNOSED YET. HOWEVER, IN READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE, THIS SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN ERROR. AS THIS IS DANGEROUS. THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE GM TO ISSUE A RECALL.

Mileage: 54,000

20200211FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

2016 SILVERADO DURAMAX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CP4 FAILURE. *LD *JS

20191209STEERING

I REPORTED TO MY DEALER CHARPER CHEVROLET NOV. 2018,I HAD ROUGHLY 23K MILES,THAT MY 2016 CHEVY 3500 HAD DEVELOPED A WOBBLE, SHAKE WHATEVER YOU COULD CALL IT. THEY INVESTIGATED AND TOLD ME MY TIRES POSSIBLY HAD BROKEN BELTS THE TIRES HAD PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT. I WAS TOLD IF I COULD DEAL WITH THE SHAKE TILL I GET NEW TIRES SO BE IT. I RODE THEM TILL JULY 2019 GOT 6 NEW MICHELIN 235/80/17 LTX A/T2 TIRE PACKAGE. THEY RODE OK STILL HAD A LITTLE SHAKE TO START THEN IT GOT WORSE THE MORE I DROVE. LET ME SAY IT NEVER SHOOK ALL THE TIME IT WOULD COME AND GO. SOMETIMES WHEN I HEADED FOR WORK IN THE MORNING SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE OTHER TIMES NOTHING. WHEN GOING AROUND BENDS SHAKE SHAKE THEN NOTHING. IT IS VERY ANNOYING AND NEEDS ATTENTION. MY DEALER WANT TO INVESTIGATE MORE BUT I AM BEING ASKED TO FUND THE INVESTIGATION. WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? PLEASE ADVISE ME. THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

Mileage: 13,000

20191209SUSPENSION

I REPORTED TO MY DEALER CHARPER CHEVROLET NOV. 2018,I HAD ROUGHLY 23K MILES,THAT MY 2016 CHEVY 3500 HAD DEVELOPED A WOBBLE, SHAKE WHATEVER YOU COULD CALL IT. THEY INVESTIGATED AND TOLD ME MY TIRES POSSIBLY HAD BROKEN BELTS THE TIRES HAD PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT. I WAS TOLD IF I COULD DEAL WITH THE SHAKE TILL I GET NEW TIRES SO BE IT. I RODE THEM TILL JULY 2019 GOT 6 NEW MICHELIN 235/80/17 LTX A/T2 TIRE PACKAGE. THEY RODE OK STILL HAD A LITTLE SHAKE TO START THEN IT GOT WORSE THE MORE I DROVE. LET ME SAY IT NEVER SHOOK ALL THE TIME IT WOULD COME AND GO. SOMETIMES WHEN I HEADED FOR WORK IN THE MORNING SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE OTHER TIMES NOTHING. WHEN GOING AROUND BENDS SHAKE SHAKE THEN NOTHING. IT IS VERY ANNOYING AND NEEDS ATTENTION. MY DEALER WANT TO INVESTIGATE MORE BUT I AM BEING ASKED TO FUND THE INVESTIGATION. WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? PLEASE ADVISE ME. THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

Mileage: 13,000

20191209WHEELS

I REPORTED TO MY DEALER CHARPER CHEVROLET NOV. 2018,I HAD ROUGHLY 23K MILES,THAT MY 2016 CHEVY 3500 HAD DEVELOPED A WOBBLE, SHAKE WHATEVER YOU COULD CALL IT. THEY INVESTIGATED AND TOLD ME MY TIRES POSSIBLY HAD BROKEN BELTS THE TIRES HAD PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT. I WAS TOLD IF I COULD DEAL WITH THE SHAKE TILL I GET NEW TIRES SO BE IT. I RODE THEM TILL JULY 2019 GOT 6 NEW MICHELIN 235/80/17 LTX A/T2 TIRE PACKAGE. THEY RODE OK STILL HAD A LITTLE SHAKE TO START THEN IT GOT WORSE THE MORE I DROVE. LET ME SAY IT NEVER SHOOK ALL THE TIME IT WOULD COME AND GO. SOMETIMES WHEN I HEADED FOR WORK IN THE MORNING SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE OTHER TIMES NOTHING. WHEN GOING AROUND BENDS SHAKE SHAKE THEN NOTHING. IT IS VERY ANNOYING AND NEEDS ATTENTION. MY DEALER WANT TO INVESTIGATE MORE BUT I AM BEING ASKED TO FUND THE INVESTIGATION. WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? PLEASE ADVISE ME. THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

Mileage: 13,000

20190127SERVICE BRAKES

BOUGHT A NEW 2016 CHEV 3500 DULY DIESEL TRUCK. AT ABOUT 14K MILES WE FOUND BRAKE FLUID AND HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO SHOP. THEY FIXED FOR FREE. ABOUT 7K MILES AFTER THE BREAKS TOTALLY WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. AT 26K FOUND FLUID AGAIN BUT IN THE BACK. SHOP BLAMED BREAK PADS SAID NO KNOWN ISSUES. FIXED BACK BRAKES. 37K FLUID EVERYWHERE AND BRAKES TOTALLY OUT. GM NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. LARGE TRUCK ON ROAD THAT BRAKES HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES. TOTAL BREAK FAILURE SEVERAL TIMES CAN NOT BE NORMAL

Mileage: 37,000

Compare 2016CHEVROLET3500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 CHEVROLET 3500 have?
The 2016 CHEVROLET 3500 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 CHEVROLET 3500?
The most-complained component for the 2016 CHEVROLET 3500 is STEERING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and SUSPENSION.
Is the 2016 CHEVROLET 3500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.