RoadVitals

2016 Chevrolet Traverse

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
291
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
5
Latest May 10, 2023
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
15 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 291 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, most frequently naming the airbags, powertrain (other) and engine categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1,139 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

5 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

May 10, 2023
995,085 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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, LLCManufacturer number N232404980View on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Oct 7, 2021
555 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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, LLCManufacturer number N212349040View on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

Apr 8, 2021
108 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
The 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, LLCManufacturer number N202321200View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Jul 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that four local dealers were contacted. The contact was informed that parts were on back order. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure associated with the unrepaired recall repair.

NHTSA ID
11752464
Incident
Jul 23, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 25, 2026

The vehicle only has 145,xxx miles and I experience a "shudder" which could be caused by torque converter issues, often felt at highway speeds (approx. 40-60 mph).

NHTSA ID
11733800
Incident
Apr 13, 2026
Airbags
Filed Mar 10, 2026

There is an open recall on my 2016 Chevrolet Traverse that I have been trying to get resolved for almost 2 years. I finally opened a case with GM (#{XXX]) back on February 15, 2026 in an effort to escalate the repair. I received a call from a GM rep who has been less than helpful telling me the recall was completed in February of 2024 at a dealership in South Carolina. I explained to him that my vehicle is housed in Florida and has never been to South Carolina. It is clear he is not interested in finding a resolution to my issue. He calls once a week to inform me he's working on it and will get back to me next week. This has been going on for a month. My grandchildren are often passengers in this vehicle and I have major concerns for their safety. It should not take 2 years to get this issue resolved. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11723198
Incident
Feb 1, 2026
Airbags
Filed Feb 26, 2026

The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (AIR BAGS) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

NHTSA ID
11720675
Incident
May 10, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 28, 2026

the transmission lost power and almost caused an accident with the vehicle behind me

NHTSA ID
11714092
Incident
Dec 10, 2024
Airbags
Filed Jan 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed that parts were in the warehouse, but no assistance was provided. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11711165
Incident
Jan 15, 2026
Airbags
Filed Nov 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags). The local dealer was made aware of the issue and stated that parts were not yet available. The contact was informed that a call would be received when parts became available; however, the contact had not yet received a call. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11699825
Incident
Jul 1, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 7, 2025

Transmission solenoid. Common. Needs to be reported. Its know as the week link to this vehicle. The manufacturer knows and there are many complaints. This vehicle needs to be recalled. Safety concern while driving.

NHTSA ID
11698126
Incident
Nov 7, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIT5099J

PI to help diagnose A/C concern

PIT3271Q

This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

PIP6104

This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.

PIP4902V

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIP4902U

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIT5214G

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions without utilizing the support of General Motors Technical Assistance Center. If valid vibration frequency or Road Force Variation data has been collected and a repair attempt does not correct the customer complaint, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support. For any vehicles that remains unrepaired after being at the dealer for three days or more and a related bulletin or PI is not found, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Traverse by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026201052.4
20251710043.2
20241290043.1
2023852056.4
2022951051.0
2021863057.6
20202178060.4
20194003056.2
20184542052.6
20173603052.5
2016Viewing2915050.5
20153135051.7
20145477255.2
20131614255.4
20123545255.1
20116085254.3
20106685255.0
20094488358.4
2008000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.