P16F3
1 owner report and 33 manufacturer filings across 12 model years from Chevrolet, GMC.
Where P16F3 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD | Engine And Engine Cooling | 7 | — |
| 2020 Chevrolet Silverado | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2020 GMC Sierra 3500HD | Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 | — |
| 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2021 Chevrolet Colorado | Equipment | 2 | — |
| 2020 Chevrolet Corvette | Electrical System | 2 | — |
| 2021 GMC Canyon | Equipment | 2 | — |
| 2023 Chevrolet Corvette | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2022 Chevrolet Corvette | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2021 Chevrolet Corvette | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2017 Chevrolet Traverse | Engine | — | 1 |
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
What it gets filed under
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P16F3. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- 21-NA-2142023-08-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Service Engine Soon Lamp being illuminated. They may also comment on multiple transmission issues including harsh or delayed shifts, slip, surge, shudder, noise, whine, growl, shake and/or vibration. As well as the exhaust brake not working or that they do not feel it. Technicians may find DTCs P2002, P2463, P2459
- 22-NA-2062022-10-19 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides a procedure to correct the condition of Service Engine Soon Light/Message with DTCs P16F3 and/or P060C in the ECM.
- 21-NA-2142022-04-01 · Power Train
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Service Engine Soon Lamp being illuminated with DTCs P2002, P2463, P2459, P144E, P0421, P0422, P0106 P20EE, P129F, P16F3, P20FF, P226D, P249D, P249E, P11CC and / or P11D5. They may also comment on multiple transmission issues including harsh or delayed shifts, slip, surge, shudder, noise, whine, growl, shake and/o
- 21NA0852021-05-13 · Electrical System
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of MIL Illuminated with DTC?P16F3 Set.
- 21NA0852021-05-13 · Equipment
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of MIL Illuminated with DTC?P16F3 Set.
- PIP57132020-03-09 · Electrical System
- This Preliminary information communicates P16F3 setting after performing a cylinder deactivation tes with GDS A software anomaly clear the codes when done with the test. Do not replace the ECMÂ
What P16F3 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP16F3 is a manufacturer-specific code: the second character is a 1, which under the OBD-II standard hands the definition to whoever built the vehicle. The same code can mean one thing on a Ford and something unrelated on a Hyundai. Any site that prints a single definition for it is guessing.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about P16F3
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardWhy does this page not define P16F3?
Because it cannot be defined honestly. The second character of a trouble code says who owns its meaning, and a 1 or a 3 hands that to the manufacturer. Sites that print one definition for a manufacturer-specific code are showing you one automaker's meaning and hoping it is yours.
Can I keep driving with P16F3 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light generally means the fault was logged and the vehicle is in a reduced-risk mode; a flashing light means stop soon, because a misfiring engine can destroy a catalytic converter in minutes. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.