CHEVROLET COLORADO · model year

2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO

915 NHTSA complaints, 25 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016CHEVROLETCOLORADO carries 915 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 25 crashes, 2 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 COLORADO is steering with 429 filings, followed by electrical system (109) and power train (93). 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. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2016 COLORADO, 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.

915
Complaints
25
Crashes
2
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths
2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 3.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

915 filings

Crashes Reported

25 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 3/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING429
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM109
POWER TRAIN93
ENGINE47
UNKNOWN OR OTHER45
SERVICE BRAKES37
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)36
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL23
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM16
AIR BAGS10
SUSPENSION10
STRUCTURE:BODY9
VISIBILITY/WIPER6
WHEELS6
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4

Recalls (4)

18V35800031/05/2018

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

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 pump may detach from its mounting flange

17V62100005/10/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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.

16V12500002/03/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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 January 21, 2016, to February 4, 2016. T

15V80700001/12/2015

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

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 compartment lid latch assembly that may fail to k

Recent Complaints

20260213STEERING

While driving the dash will show power steering alert and then stabilitrack alert and the power steering then fails. This always happens while in motion and never when parked\idling. It has happened while turning which proves dangerous as the car then starts to straighten out. Had the truck serviced at the dealership to be told that it is a low voltage issue. The car is running so the alternator is running which should be providing a charge. After paying for updates to the car (software) it happened again. Then I was told it was the phone charger being plugged in and that has to be unplugged every time I stop to get out now. This has been reported by many 2016 owners and 2015 had a recal for an issue that was similar (torque sensor). Dealership says that the sensor in my truck is good.

20260209STEERING

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel locked. The message "Stabili-trak - Caution When Driving" was displayed. The contact stated that during the failure, the contact had to pull over to the side of the road almost every month. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Mileage: 115,000

20260127STEERING

Hello, I have already submitted a steering complaint for this 2016 Chev Colorado. It has intermittently have had this issue for some time. I have checked to see how many complaints there were with this same issue, and it was 422 complaints. I am just wondering how long it takes to get a recall. I am not feeling very safe and hope this gets taken care of soon. I have also checked and found that the 2015 Colorado's were recalled for the same issue. Please let me know on this matter. Thank You, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20260106STEERING

We were driving on a busy freeway and the power steering quit working making it hard to steer and maneuver in traffic. We went directly to a GM dealer and the code CO545 Steering Wheel Torgue Sensor came up. This is a sensor inside the sealed steering gear that cannot be replaced without being completely removing and replaced. The cost is over $2000 and not covered under warranty. We will not be purchasing GM products any longer.

20260104STEERING

When driving normally on wet paved city roads (it had recently rained but not currently raining), my truck suddenly lost power steering and the warning messages came on to service power steering and stabilitrak systems. Traction control lights also came on. The next morning, I tried starting the truck again, and the power steering came back temporarily before losing it again and service messages came back on. I've read many others in online forums have had this same electrical connection issue, and it was a recall on the 2015 model year of this same truck.

20260104ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When driving normally on wet paved city roads (it had recently rained but not currently raining), my truck suddenly lost power steering and the warning messages came on to service power steering and stabilitrak systems. Traction control lights also came on. The next morning, I tried starting the truck again, and the power steering came back temporarily before losing it again and service messages came back on. I've read many others in online forums have had this same electrical connection issue, and it was a recall on the 2015 model year of this same truck.

20260103STEERING

I currently have a 2016 Chev Colorado with a intermittent power steering issue. It stops sometimes without warning in which it makes it very difficult to drive especially if you have no warning to this issue. I am sure this is a extra unsafe condition to deal with. I have seen that the 2015 was recalled for the same issue. I have seen many complaints while researching this issue with exactly the same problem. Could someone please look at this issue because I am not feeling safe while driving. Thank You, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20251231ENGINE

Vacuum pump busted as shown in photos. Once that busted it sent metal shrapnel into the engine which broke a piece of the cam shaft into bits. There were metal fragments that had to be meticulously cleaned out of my engine block. The loss of vacuum seal caused me to lose brakes while driving in stop and go traffic on the highway.

20251230STEERING

My 2016 Chevrolet Colorado lost all power steering while driving down the road. My young daughter was in the vehicle with me on a busy highway when I lost my ability to safely steer the vehicle. The stabilitrak light came on and that is when the power steering failed and I had to force my vehicle off the roadway manually to avoid getting into a collision. Had I needed to quickly steer to avoid another vehicle, obstacle, or maneuver a sharp turn at those speeds that could have been fatal for me, my daughter, and potentially other drivers or pedestrians. The vehicle was diagnosed and the issue was reproduced and confirmee at an independent service center as described. It was determined this was a known issue with similar make and model Chevrolet Colorados that were already on recall however my VIN was not included. It was determined to be a defective steering wheel torque sensor (code C0545) and required a complete steering rack replacement. They inspected the wiring harness had not cha

20251209STEERING

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. In addition, the “Service Stabili-trak” message was displayed, and the “Power Steering Failure” warning light was illuminated. The contact held the steering wheel tightly and pulled on the steering wheel, preventing the vehicle from crashing into a wall. The vehicle was driven to the intended destination. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was driven very slowly, and the contact used added force to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall for the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado with a similar description of a failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that an online forum advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the

Mileage: 130,000

20251209ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. In addition, the “Service Stabili-trak” message was displayed, and the “Power Steering Failure” warning light was illuminated. The contact held the steering wheel tightly and pulled on the steering wheel, preventing the vehicle from crashing into a wall. The vehicle was driven to the intended destination. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was driven very slowly, and the contact used added force to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall for the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado with a similar description of a failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that an online forum advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the

Mileage: 130,000

20251209ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electric power steering system on my vehicle intermittently fails while I am driving. When the failure occurs, the steering suddenly becomes extremely heavy and difficult to control, creating an immediate safety risk to me and to others on the road. The loss of power steering has happened multiple times with no advance warning. Each time, the only way to temporarily restore normal steering is to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. The problem occurs randomly and without a pattern. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The issue has been evaluated by the dealer’s service center. They were not able to reproduce the failure during their inspection, but they did confirm that the vehicle had stored a diagnostic trouble code indicating a power steering failure. The service center reported that the code was too generic to determine the root cause, and no repair was performed. They acknowledged that the steering failure had occurred based on the stored code,

20251209STEERING

The electric power steering system on my vehicle intermittently fails while I am driving. When the failure occurs, the steering suddenly becomes extremely heavy and difficult to control, creating an immediate safety risk to me and to others on the road. The loss of power steering has happened multiple times with no advance warning. Each time, the only way to temporarily restore normal steering is to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. The problem occurs randomly and without a pattern. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The issue has been evaluated by the dealer’s service center. They were not able to reproduce the failure during their inspection, but they did confirm that the vehicle had stored a diagnostic trouble code indicating a power steering failure. The service center reported that the code was too generic to determine the root cause, and no repair was performed. They acknowledged that the steering failure had occurred based on the stored code,

20251119STEERING

POWER STEERING AND STABILITAK UNABLE TO STEER . CHECKED OWNERS MANULE IT SAYS TURN TRUCK OFF THEN START AGAIN. iT ALSO STATES IT IS STILL SAFE TO DRIVE I don't think so!!! it comes with no warning and you have to pull over and shut the truck off let it sit just a short while then it will steer just fine ....again for a while . the warning lamps and chimes worked just fine. at the same time the system is failing. 202

20251119LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

POWER STEERING AND STABILITAK UNABLE TO STEER . CHECKED OWNERS MANULE IT SAYS TURN TRUCK OFF THEN START AGAIN. iT ALSO STATES IT IS STILL SAFE TO DRIVE I don't think so!!! it comes with no warning and you have to pull over and shut the truck off let it sit just a short while then it will steer just fine ....again for a while . the warning lamps and chimes worked just fine. at the same time the system is failing. 202

20251119LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

POWER STEERING AND STABILITAK UNABLE TO STEER . CHECKED OWNERS MANULE IT SAYS TURN TRUCK OFF THEN START AGAIN. iT ALSO STATES IT IS STILL SAFE TO DRIVE I don't think so!!! it comes with no warning and you have to pull over and shut the truck off let it sit just a short while then it will steer just fine ....again for a while . the warning lamps and chimes worked just fine. at the same time the system is failing. 202

20251117STEERING

Steering of the truck. No, it has not been reproduced by a dealer No has not been inspected Does not do it all the time, does in over period of times cannot specify any specific time you be driving and all sudden the wheels seem to lock and hard to steer and turning is very hard.

20251117SUSPENSION

Steering of the truck. No, it has not been reproduced by a dealer No has not been inspected Does not do it all the time, does in over period of times cannot specify any specific time you be driving and all sudden the wheels seem to lock and hard to steer and turning is very hard.

20251117STEERING

My steering failed. I was driving under 30 mph and my steering locked up and I was presented with a Service notification "Stabilitrak". I can not turn my wheel and was not able to go down my driveway.

20251107STEERING

The stabiltrack and power steering fail while driving.

Compare 2016CHEVROLETCOLORADO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO have?
The 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO has 915 NHTSA complaints, 25 crashes, 2 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO?
The 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO?
Yes, the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO?
The most-complained component for the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO is STEERING with 429 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 CHEVROLET COLORADO has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. 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.