2016 Chevrolet Colorado Common Problems & Defect Telemetry
Authoritative defect intelligence synthesized from 695 verified NHTSA owner complaints, 4 federal safety recalls, and interquartile failure mileage telemetry.
The 2016 Chevrolet Colorado receives a 3.7/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 695 verified NHTSA federal complaints and 4 safety recalls. The primary reported failure mode is Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports with a median failure point at 41,910 miles (IQR: 31,250 – 77,043 mi). Out-of-warranty repairs benchmark at $450 – $1,400 .
81.8 complaints / 10k sold
Verified US federal records
Crash, fire & stall audit
4 Active / Free Remedies
2016 Colorado Failure Distribution by Vehicle Subsystem
Top Reported Problem Clusters (7)
Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports
- Sudden loss of electric power steering assist
- Steering wheel pull or highway wander
- Clunking / knocking noise over bumps
“While driving 40-45 mph on a curvy mountain highway, the power steering suddenly stopped working. There was no warning message prior. Once the power steering ceased, a warning message displayed, "Service Stabilitrak". I was left in a situation which was challenging to steer th...”
“!!Vehicle Safety Complaint!! I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado involving the power steering system. On a regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after these wa...”
“**Vehicle Safety Complaint** I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet vehicle involving the power steering system. On a somewhat regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after ...”
Electrical Parasitic Drain, Infotainment & Harness Reports
- Unexplained battery drain after sitting overnight
- Infotainment display / instrument cluster blackouts
- Accessory malfunction / alternator fault warnings
“**Vehicle Safety Complaint** I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet vehicle involving the power steering system. On a somewhat regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after ...”
“Complete failure of power steering while driving vehicle. Luckily I was almost home, had just exited the highway and was on a side road at low speed. High likely hood i would have crashed on the highway or at speeds greater than I was travelling. Numerous (at least 436 on one ...”
“The my link infotainment system has been changing screens and channels and bouncing around on its own and is so distracting that it almost made me have an accident. It also makes calls drop while using handsfree. This problem has been taken to the dealer and they replaced the ...”
Transmission Hesitation, Hard Shifting & Slipping Reports
- Hard gear shifts / delayed engagement into Drive/Reverse
- Transmission shudder / jerking under acceleration
- Transmission slipping between gears
“The Power Steering and Stabilitrak went out on my vehicle. Within a 2 week period the service lights started coming on and then it finally went out. I could not steer the vehicle due to it being so hard to turn. Brought vehicle to dealer and they had the same issue with it. Th...”
“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 trail...”
“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 repla...”
Engine Stalling, Oil Consumption & Cooling Defect Reports
- Engine sudden stall / hesitation while driving
- Abnormal oil burning / consumption
- Check Engine Light (MIL) flashing
- Engine overheating / coolant loss
“!!Vehicle Safety Complaint!! I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado involving the power steering system. On a regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after these wa...”
“**Vehicle Safety Complaint** I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet vehicle involving the power steering system. On a somewhat regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after ...”
“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 trail...”
Service Brakes, ABS Actuator & Master Cylinder Reports
- Spongy or hard brake pedal travel
- ABS / Brake warning light illuminated
- Extended stopping distance / pedal vibration
“The contact called on behalf of a family member who owns 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but was stiff, requiring the driver to forcefully depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehi...”
“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 brake...”
“Happened twice now while driving, power steering suddenly lost and two messages on dash: Loss of Power Steering and Stabilitrak. Pulled over and turned off ignition. When restarted all errors automatically cleared and systems appear to be functioning correctly. Steering withou...”
Airbag Occupant Detection & Inflator Defect Reports
- SRS Airbag warning lamp illuminated
- Passenger occupant classification sensor failure
- Seat belt retractor lockup
“Occasionally while driving warning lights will illuminate on the dashboard and the vehicle will lose both power steering and StabiliTrak traction control. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it resolves the problem but it eventually happens again. This has happened at low s...”
“Seat belt cable broke. In my opinion the square edge of the crimp has weakened and ultimately caused the cable to be cut”
“As I was driving in the icy weather feb 2022 going down a slight incline approx speed 10-15 mph on the road the power steering went out and the traction control lights came on and air bag light went off and I lost steering control wound up in a 6 ft drop off of a culvert may h...”
Fuel Pump Pressure Loss & Fuel Delivery Defect Reports
- Sudden loss of propulsion power at highway speeds
- Extended engine cranking / failure to restart
- Fuel odor near fuel tank / engine bay
“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 trail...”
“COMPONENT: The piston in cylinder #1 cracked and created conditions for the fuel injector to bore a hole through it. SAFETY: This led to sudden loss of engine power and violent shaking of the vehicle at highway speeds. CONFIRMATION: Multiple reports of the exact same incident ...”
“On October 3, 2025 the driver of the 2016 Chevy Colorado we own, left our house and drove .5 miles where he stopped for a red light. The light turned green and he accelerated to make a left turn. At that time, the gas gauge dropped to "E", the truck engine turned off, and gas ...”
Official NHTSA Safety Recalls (4)
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Summary: 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Summary: 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, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
Summary: 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 keep the compartment door closed in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact."
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Summary: 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. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Tools for Diagnosing the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado
Reads & clears all DTC codes including ABS, SRS, TPMS. Live sensor data with freeze frames. Works on all 1996+ vehicles.
Direct-fit brake hardware engineered to factory tolerances for consistent pedal feel and fade resistance.
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Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist for 2016 Chevrolet Colorado
Before purchasing a used 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, perform the following targeted inspections based on reported federal defect patterns:
Scan the OBD-II port under the dash for pending freeze-frame codes (e.g. P0300 misfires, P0087 fuel rail pressure, P0420 catalytic efficiency).
Test vehicle at low-speed stop-and-go and highway merges. Check for delayed reverse engagement or gear shift shudder between 2nd and 3rd gears.
Verify that all 4 NHTSA safety recall campaigns have been performed by an authorized dealership using the VIN.
Ensure the instrument cluster, center screen, and auxiliary charging ports operate with stable 12.0V–14.4V alternator voltage.
Defect & Reliability Q&A: 2016 Chevrolet Colorado
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado a reliable used car?
The 2016 Chevrolet Colorado earns a 3.7/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 695 federal owner reports. Vehicles maintained under factory service schedules exhibit strong longevity past 150,000 miles.
What is the most frequent defect reported on the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado?
The leading complaint category is Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports, with a median failure point around 41,910 miles (IQR: 31,250 – 77,043 mi).
Are there free recall repairs available for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado?
Yes, the NHTSA records 4 safety recall campaign(s) for this model year. All safety recalls are performed 100% free of charge by authorized franchise dealerships regardless of vehicle warranty status.