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2016 GMC Canyon problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2016 GMC Canyon has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 4safety recalls
- 271owner complaints
- 8crash reports
- 2fire reports
- 4injuries reported
271 complaints, against an average of 68 for the other 12 GMC Canyon model years.
Every GMC Canyon model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2016 GMC Canyon?
The components named most often in the 271 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2016 GMC Canyon owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 271 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why does the power steering fail or feel heavy on my 2016 GMC Canyon?70 owners · 25.8%
- Why does my 2016 GMC Canyon stall, lose power or shut off while driving?49 owners · 18.1%
- Why are the ABS and stability control lights on in my 2016 GMC Canyon?19 owners · 7%
- Why does my 2016 GMC Canyon idle rough, misfire or hesitate?13 owners · 4.8%
Has the 2016 GMC Canyon been recalled?
4 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Fuel System, Gasoline: Delivery: Fuel Pump 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.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
Air Bags: Frontal 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.
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17387.
Air Bags: Frontal 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.
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 28030.
Latches/Locks/Linkages 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."
Risk: If the console compartment door does not remain closed in a crash, the contents stored in the console may strike the vehicle occupants, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the console compartment door latch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on January 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16370.
What do 2016 GMC Canyon owners report?
12 of the 271 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Issue #1: While driving on the highway, the screens flickered once in a while. While stopping at a gas station, the vehicle did not turn on. Everything was black as if there was no power. After a several minutes of trying, it came back. Apparently it was an electrical issue. Took it to the dealership shop, but they couldn't find anything wrong with it. A couple of month after, my son was driving and when he turned right, the vehicle shut off. Same issue, the vehicle went black but after a few minutes, he was able to turn it back on. Third time, my other son was driving. Arrived at his…
I was driving around a windy road up a canyon with sheer cliffs, and my power steering suddenly went out. It took almost all my strength to steer it clear of me going off the canyon. It has since then gone out intermittently for months now. I’m waiting for the warranty to approve a replacement. I know this is a common issue with this year vehicle and there was a recall for the previous years version. Seeing how many complaints about this year make and model online for the same issue makes me wonder if a recall should be in place.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the infotainment system and screen display became inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power steering and StabiliTrack warning pops-up randomly and cuts off power steering assistance while I'm driving on the highway or on country roads. The power steering is very hard to maneuver. However, when it's safe to do so, I have to pull over on a safe place and have to restart my truck twice, in order to regain power steering. I have taken it to an independent mechanic and to a Chevy dealership on Merced. The dealership service tech informed me that in order to service the vehicle and find the code that is making this issue, that I would have to continue driving the truck and bring it…
The power steering and Stabilitrak systems intermittently fail while the vehicle is in operation. The issue occurs unpredictably, both immediately after startup and while driving. On several occasions, the systems have failed during turns, requiring sudden corrective action and increased steering effort to maintain control and avoid veering off the road or colliding with nearby vehicles. No warning signs or noticeable symptoms are present prior to the failure occurring.
Transmission shudder that is causing Drivability issues. Multiple mechanics have told me to drive it and maintain it until the transmission gives out.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH in a parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was very firm while being depressed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the vacuum pump and brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…
At random the power steering and traction control turn off making it difficult to drive.. This happens randomly and has become unable to steer. Once the vehicle is turned off for a period of time you can start it up and the steering returns. The issue was reported in the 2015 models. That recall needs to extend into the 2016 models since most of the parts were most likely manufactured tot eh same specs as the 2015. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent repair shop. The dealership wanted $200 for just the diagnostics. Every time this happens it becomes very difficult to drive and is a…
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that upon attempting to leave the driveway, the vehicle was shifted into drive and the engine experienced a complete loss of automotive power, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle lost power steering functionality while driving at 65 MPH, and the traction control and vehicle stabilization warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the 4-WD assembly, steering electronic…
EPS becomes difficult to steer occasionally, Brakes seem to lose stopping ability Leaking oil @ either oil pan or transmission
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the traction control warning light illuminated and the messages "Service Power Steering" and “Service Stabili-trak" were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel became stiff and was very difficult to turn. On several occasions, the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,000.
I am the owner of a 2016 GMC Canyon truck, which i purchased used in approx 2020 with about 43,000 miles on it...today's date is now 1/5/25 and the truck has approx 99,0000 mile on it. Over the last 2 years the electronic stability control has failed approx 20 times. A warning light appears on the dash stating the failure of the power steering and the stabilitrac. When this happens steering the truck and be extremely difficult and I am forced to pull off the road. Usually when the truck is turned off for a short while and then turned back on the problem will fix itself, but only for a few…
2016 GMC Canyon: questions owners ask
Is the 2016 GMC Canyon reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 271 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 GMC Canyon; the most common categories were steering (181, 66.8%), power train (39, 14.4%), electrical system (38, 14%). There are 4 safety recalls. 8 complaints mention a crash, 2 mention a fire, 4 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 GMC Canyon?
Across 271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are steering (66.8% of complaints), power train (14.4% of complaints), electrical system (14% of complaints), engine (8.1% of complaints), electronic stability control (esc) (4.8% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2016 GMC Canyon have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2016 GMC Canyon; the most recent (campaign 18V358000, 2018-05-31) concerns Fuel System, Gasoline: Delivery: Fuel Pump. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does the power steering fail or feel heavy on my 2016 GMC Canyon?
70 of the 271 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 GMC Canyon (25.8%) describe power steering failing, locking up or turning heavy. One owner wrote: "2016 GMC Canyon Power Steering failure exactly the same as the recall done on the 2015 GMC Canyon in 2021. While I am driving, for the last 5 days, my power steering and stabilitrac will shut off, and a warning sign will appear on my dash." (NHTSA complaint 11764576, September 2026). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2016 GMC Canyon stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
49 of the 271 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 GMC Canyon (18.1%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Loss of power steering. This is a known problem with the 2015 GMC Canyon models. My 2016 GMC Canyon has the same problem. This is a serious issue. A recall should be issued. It has happened to me several times." (NHTSA complaint 11717197, February 2026). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why are the ABS and stability control lights on in my 2016 GMC Canyon?
19 of the 271 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 GMC Canyon (7%) describe ABS, traction or stability control warnings or faults. One owner wrote: "While driving at 70 MPH on the interstate approaching a bend in the path of travel the "service traction control" warning was displayed on the instrument panel display and just after that the electronic power steering stopped working causing a near collision…" (NHTSA complaint 11537601, August 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2016 GMC Canyon idle rough, misfire or hesitate?
13 of the 271 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 GMC Canyon (4.8%) describe rough idling, misfires or hesitation when accelerating. One owner wrote: "July 30, 2021 airbag warning - dealer replaced left front impact sensor mileage 33905 March 9, 2022 rough idling and stalling - dealer replaced evap purge solenoid valve mileage 39067 April 20, 2023 airbag warning - dealer replaced right front impact sensor…" (NHTSA complaint 11524997, June 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Canyon
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2016 only.