2016 Chevrolet Traverse: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 290 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
290
Complaints
5
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
15
Injuries
68.3
Severity index
Severity index 68.3 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse ranks 66 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 53% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 162 | 55.9% |
| POWER TRAIN | 36 | 12.4% |
| ENGINE | 31 | 10.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 26 | 9.0% |
| STEERING | 24 | 8.3% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 18 | 6.2% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 18 | 6.2% |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 15 | 5.2% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 162 of 290 complaints (55.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 70 |
| 2024 | 93 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 4.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15V609000 | 29/09/2015 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used. |
| 15V833000 | 11/12/2015 | SEATS | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row left lower seat frame that may have welds that are not in the c |
| 21V782000 | 07/10/2021 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 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. |
| 21V246000 | 08/04/2021 | AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS | 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. |
| 23V334000 | 10/05/2023 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.