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2016 Chevrolet Traverse

Gas Midsize / large SUV

202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
F
Safety Signal
53 / 100
FSafety Signal · 53 / 100
5Recalls · 1 critical
291Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
18 mpgFuel economy · best combined

The 2016 Chevrolet Traverse is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Traverse FWD, is EPA-rated at 18 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 291 complaints, most often about air bags. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Traverse FWDGasFWD3.6L 6-cyl152218$3,450
Traverse AWDGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl152217$3,650

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

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Recalls (5)

Air Bags

high
995,085 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 23V334000 · reported May 10, 2023 · General Motors, LLC

Air Bags

high
555 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 21V782000 · reported Oct 7, 2021 · General Motors, LLC

Air Bags

high
108 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 21V246000 · reported Apr 8, 2021 · General Motors, LLC

Seats

high
2,633 vehicles

Problem: 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 correction location.

Risk: If the seat frame is not welded in the correct places, the seat may not perform as intended, and in the event of a crash, the seat occupant could be at an increased risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 21930.

NHTSA campaign 15V833000 · reported Dec 11, 2015 · General Motors LLC

Visibility

critical
29,295 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at

NHTSA campaign 15V609000 · reported Sep 29, 2015 · General Motors LLC

Owner complaints

291 complaints filed

8 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 15 injuries, 1 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2015: 2 · 2016: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2018: 19 · 2019: 21 · 2020: 15 · 2021: 17 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 70 · 2024: 93 · 2025: 13 · 2026: 6

Most-cited components

  • Air Bags — 163
  • Power Train — 36
  • Engine — 31
  • Electrical System — 26
  • Steering — 24
“I WAS AT A RED LIGHT, FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED JUMPING FROM 1000RPM TO 3000RPM, MULTIPLE TIMES IN A ROW. CAUSING MY CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY & WAS ASKED TO DRIVE MY CAR IN. I WAS HEADED TO A DESTINATION FIRST. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION…”Nov 3, 2016 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANU…”Oct 13, 2016 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF, AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME, BUT …”Oct 7, 2016 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Traverse model years

A

2027 Traverse

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Traverse

1 recalls · 22 complaints

A

2025 Traverse

0 recalls · 174 complaints

A

2024 Traverse

0 recalls · 134 complaints

B

2023 Traverse

2 recalls · 87 complaints

A

2022 Traverse

1 recalls · 96 complaints

D

2021 Traverse

3 recalls · 89 complaints

F

2020 Traverse

8 recalls · 224 complaints

D

2019 Traverse

3 recalls · 403 complaints

C

2018 Traverse

2 recalls · 459 complaints

C

2017 Traverse

3 recalls · 361 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 36351, 36354). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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