NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 292 owner complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse.
Recalled components: air bags, seats, and visibility. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (20 complaints, 7%), then loss of power or limp mode (19). Most-reported area: air bags (163 complaints, 56%).
More complaints than a typical Traverse year
The 2016 drew 49 owner complaints in its first three years, against 47 for a typical Traverse year.
Years to avoid: 2018; best year: 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles.
NHTSA listing: TRAVERSE. Chevrolet campaign N232404980.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles.
NHTSA listing: TRAVERSE. Components: Air bags: frontal; Air bags: frontal, driver side, inflator module. Chevrolet campaign N212349040.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles.
NHTSA listing: TRAVERSE. Chevrolet campaign N202321200.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
NHTSA listing: TRAVERSE. Chevrolet campaign 21930.
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.
The fix and full notice
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 1-800-521-7300, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780.
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.
NHTSA listing: TRAVERSE. Chevrolet campaign 15780/15789.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse.
What owners report
Owners have filed 292 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Traverse. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Check engine light20 · 7%
Median 47,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Median 42,400 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
Engine31 · 11%
Median 46,900 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Electrical system26 · 9%
Median 48,500 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
Steering24 · 8%
Median 55,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Speed control19 · 7%
Stability control15 · 5%
Unknown or other18 · 6%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Chevrolet Traverse recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Traverse drew the most (139) and the 2016 drew 49.
Owner complaints
2016: 292 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Traverse
Model year
Complaints
2010
669
2011
608
2012
354
2013
162
2014
549
2015
314
2016
292
2017
361
2018
466
2019
412
2020
235
2021
95
2022
103
2023
95
2024
148
2025
186
2026
30
Safety recalls
2016: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Traverse
Model year
Recalls
2010
5
2011
5
2012
5
2013
4
2014
7
2015
5
2016
5
2017
3
2018
2
2019
3
2020
8
2021
3
2022
1
2023
2
2024
0
2025
0
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 292 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (20), loss of power or limp mode (19), and transmission failure or replacement (16). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse.
How do I check if my Traverse has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TRAVERSE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.