2016 Chevrolet Colorado Powertrain (other) Problems

While driving my family home on a hot 90+ degree day. My 2016 Chevy Colorado suddenly has a power loss engine died and i went from 75 to parked in less than 30 seconds. Luckily I was able to pull off the freeway to the median. We were almost hit by two vehicles pulling a trailer and the other pulling a RV. I had to have someone pick my kids up due to the hazards of being stranded on the side of the freeway. We had to have the truck towed. The code we got was for a fuel pump control module. We replaced and had it programed. This did not fix the issue. After further diagnostics from a auto mechanic shop, which we had to pay out of pocket. We learned it was a lifter failure. I have see numerous forums and people sighting "Lifter Failure" in Chevy Vehicles. Where most of us owners have to cover all cost out of pocket. Yet still "NO RECALL" for this issue that seems to be worth a recall. Next Issue the speed sensor which we have replaced it 3 times now in less than 2 years.

NHTSA ID

11727045

Incident

Mar 21, 2026

Power steering suddenly stops working while driving, making it difficult to steer. Fortunately when this happened today it was at low speeds and on a straight away. Warning light to check power steering went on followed by check Stabilitrak system. I called the dealer and am waiting for a response. The vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance rep, or other. No warning lamp occurred prior to the power steering failure.

NHTSA ID

11667498

Incident

Jun 17, 2025

The contact stated the company they work for owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission would slip intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the transmission failed. The transmission was replaced. When attempting to start the vehicle it failed to start. They had to jump-start the battery to start the vehicle. The battery was replaced by O'Rileys, a battery specialty shop. Approximately a year later, while another employee was driving at approximately 65 MPH when smoke began coming from underneath the vehicle's hood. The driver pulled over and exited the vehicle. The fire department came and put the fire out. The fire department informed the contact that the cause of the fire was because the battery caught fire. The fire department filed a report. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. There were no injuries or need for medical assistance. The contact spoke with the dealer who informed them that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

NHTSA ID

11659171

Incident

May 6, 2020

Mileage

88,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a complete stop, the vehicle jerked while shifting gear. Additionally, while driving at slow speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle hesitated while shifting into gear. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the torque converter and other unknown transmission parts had previously been replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

NHTSA ID

11630583

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

Mileage

142,000 mi

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission, yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was going 55mph on an open highway and the transmission downshifted into 2nd gear throwing me forward and dropped me to 35mph with a line of cars behind. I could've been rear-ended, thrown off the road, or rolled if I had not immediately grabbed the shifter and put into manual and manually upshifted it back up. Besides the damages to the engine downshifting at that rate of speed to the wrong gear without notice or warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no not a dealer but it has recreated itself a handful of times. This happens more often on downhill grades. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? yes, Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?No

NHTSA ID

11621342

Incident

Jun 29, 2023

On multiple occasions the warning to service Power Steering and Stabilitrak have popped up during driving causing a loss of power steering. Once I was taking a curve and it jerked the truck toward the right but I luckily had a good grip on the steering wheel to keep it on the road. Other occasions it occurs upon starting the vehicle in the morning or after sitting parked for several hours. When this occurs, it is very difficult to keep control of the vehicle when turning is concerned. I have brought it up with service technicians at the dealership but they cannot diagnose unless it is in the state of warning lights on and loss of power steering. The issue usually goes away when vehicle is turned off and restarted, though not always. This issue continues at haphazard intervals so it makes driving tense and unsafe as there is no telling when it will pop up. It is also causing an issue to get fixed because it cannot be replicated to get diagnosed properly. I have not been able to get any codes read for the issue as I am not near a facility when it occurs.

NHTSA ID

11611363

Incident

Aug 26, 2024

The contact's husband owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure persisted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions where the contact was informed that the engine solenoid needed to be replaced. The contact disputed the dealer's diagnosis and took the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic discovered that the torque converter was defective, and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11608905

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

Mileage

30,000 mi

Transmission shudder at low speeds

NHTSA ID

11606369

Incident

Aug 4, 2024

Sudden loss of power steering assist while driving. Warning light went off on dash for steering assist and Stabilink traction control system. Truck is very hard to steer when this suddenly happens. This is the third time in a month. 2015 models have a recall for exact same problem but 2016 do not.

NHTSA ID

11585295

Incident

Apr 25, 2024

Randomly lose power steering and enables stabilitrak.

NHTSA ID

11584566

Incident

May 1, 2023

06/13/2023: Odometer: 86881 Transmission-2nd Shift: Flare, 3rd Shift: rough shift flare, 4th Shift: shutter. Excessive metal particles in the fluid. No transmission codes or engine light detected. Result was a new rebuilt transmission. 11/01/23: Odometer: 90239 Engine Code: P00b7 coolant flow restriction, stuck thermostat. Result was to replace thermostat and flush coolant system. 12/06/23: Odometer: 91701 No codes detected. Fluids noticed on pavement occasionally. Valve cover gasket, vacuum pump gasket were failing. Result was to replace all parts. 02/25/24: Odometer: 92885 Code-engine overheating, idle engine. Critical 260 upon cold start. Failing temperature sensor. Result was to replace front and rear temperature sensor. Driver seat has begun to unravel and separate at the stich line on the side closest to the door. No repairs have been made. Issue began years ago. Approximately 2018. The area was small and has slowly widened. Approximately 6 inches currently even with avoidance of stretching and being cautious of that area. I do have documentation of this events and repairs if they are needed.

NHTSA ID

11575521

Incident

Jun 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The failure was intermittent. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle regained power steering functionality however, the failure would recur soon afterwards. The contact found NHTSA ID Number: 10208045 (Steering, Power Train, Electrical System, Exterior Lighting) as well as NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V213000 (Steering) which were related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery had failed. The battery was replaced. The failure persisted and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, and a recalibration was performed. The vehicle was returned to the dealer a third time to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the failure was related to the NHTSA ID Number and the recall however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11568482

Incident

Jul 29, 2023

Mileage

85,000 mi

Had transmission problems for over 2 years with the truck has always shifted hard and weird since I bought the truck repair torque converter mechanic has had to go back in twice still can't get it right everything on this truck has been very difficult to get fixed and repaired everything has to be done more than once it's getting annoying

NHTSA ID

11568195

Incident

Jul 4, 2023

Reference report #[XXX] The transmission in my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Quad Cab short bed is hard shifting, shuddering and pausing. The transmission has been serviced two times by the dealer and two times by me. Servicing means fluid and filter changes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11567899

Incident

Jan 5, 2024

Stabilitrack system alerts then will cut off power steering. Clicking on the shift module occured resulting the computer to go into limp mode making unsafe to drive when it happens spontaneously as I drive. Took it to a local mechanic and ecu codes came up however the dealership is scheduled this weekend. No warnings. The mechanic was able to see the codes pop as I drove

NHTSA ID

11555092

Incident

Nov 8, 2023

A known wire chaffing problem for this make/model caused vehicle to loose all transmission power. Doors unlocked and locked on their own while moving the vehicle. Had two young children with me in 100+ degree weather. Truck finally moved in first gear at 20 mph max to get home on the road with other traffic.

NHTSA ID

11541545

Incident

Aug 25, 2023

My power steering and stablalink keep malfunctioning. My power steering will go out on me while I'm driving!

NHTSA ID

11523931

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

Power steering and stabilitrak fail while driving randomly. Any speed, any steering angle. NUMEROUS times at highway speed. Loss of power steering completely. Will sometimes reset if truck is turned off, key removed, and turned back on again. Other times it takes a few restarts. This is dangerous and scary and it is identical to the 2015 Colorado/Canyon issue.

NHTSA ID

11520090

Incident

May 2, 2023

Vehicle suddenly loses power steering without warning. The power steering module is connected to the CAN bus which errors everything else on the same network so stabilitrack, traction control, ABS, etc goes out all at the same time. On icy roads, this caused to hit the ditch at very high speed. What I don’t understand is why you only forced a recall on the 2015 MY when the 2016’s use the same exact components and assembly process. Clearly this is still an issue for many 2016 owners!

NHTSA ID

11514352

Incident

Mar 18, 2023

While my 17 year old son was traveling on the highway at a speed of 55, the truck (2016 Chevy Colorado)suddenly lost its power steering. He was barely able to get off the road, because the steering wheel was so hard to turn. The stabilitrak warning light came on and a warning light about the power steering also came on(while the problem was happening). My son was very concerned, because he said if he had been traveling at that speed around a curve, he could have crashed. This seems very serious to me. I googled this problem, only to find there have been recalls on several 2015 and 2016 models, but my VIN was not one of them.... something is wrong here!!?? I'm scared to let him drive it anymore.

NHTSA ID

11513141

Incident

Mar 21, 2023

Vehicle shuddering at low speeds. Took to Chevrolet Dealer, and they diagnosed as Torque Converter coming apart. Colorado has 67,953 miles. Per dealer service department, Need to replace Transmission at $6,273.52. If not replaced, Vehicle will freeze up and not be able to shift gears.

NHTSA ID

11507164

Incident

Dec 14, 2022

Auto stutters in lower gears at lower speeds like transmission is skipping.

NHTSA ID

11506756

Incident

Dec 13, 2022

Vehicle shift lever, part # 23397472, will not go into mode to allow keys to be removed from ignition. Will only go into the accessory mode which will allow the battery to run down if left this way. Have to restart and move shift lever back and forth multiple times before keys can be removed. This seems to be a continuing problem on Chevy Colorados and GMC Canyons according to various Chevy/GMC owner complaints. Almost have pointed back to the part number above.

NHTSA ID

11503619

Incident

Jun 15, 2020

The transmission sucks. It’s jerky, rough, and random. Downshifting from 5th to 4th and 2nd to 1st is rough. Stopping the vehicle can be a pain sometimes because it’s like the truck doesn’t want to stop. Acceleration is very poor, I shouldn’t have to go pedal to floor to accelerate 5+mph while at highway speeds. It shudders, chuggles, and creates a weird deep droning noise when getting up too speed While driving, the engine picks and chooses when to speed up. I press the gas peddle down and have to wait a few seconds before the vehicle responds. I have noticed the vehicle making sounds like it is sputtering almost to the point to seizing all together. Slow and go driving 20-40mph after coasting and trying to accelerate again the transmission bucks, hesitates trying to find a lower gear. It can’t decide which gear to go into and just sputters and chugs until I push the accelerator 1/2 way down or more and it the finds its gear and rockets off. This type of driving is not safe at all. This happens all the time. This is a known gm issue with Colorado/Canyons and GM changed transmissions following years and no support for 2015-16. It sucks at maintaining speeds; even with cruise control. I go up the slightest, and I mean like a 2% grade incline it loses its speed by 2-5 mph. And with cruise control it’ll down shift to get back to the set speed but I go nowhere. Then it’ll downshift again to a lower gear and climbs even higher in RPMs to get up to speed and then cruise control will shut off and I’ll have to manually accelerate.

NHTSA ID

11488223

Incident

Oct 30, 2021

The transmission went from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive without me doing a thing. The light came on that the transmission was transmission to 4 wheel drive. Then the traction control lights came on the dash which said they were off. The transmission was very sluggish, I pressed on the gas pedal to see if that would clear it and the transmission didn't engage. When I went to turn of the road my front wheels felt like they were coming off. (Hard to explain) it's like the wheels were turned to tight. And the front end shook. I was stuck.

NHTSA ID

11476398

Incident

Jul 27, 2022