2016 Chevrolet Traverse Problems: Airbags (288 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse is Airbags (54% of 288 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
155 of 288 filings named Airbags (54% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (25 reports).
There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2015 has 309 reports on file; this year has 288. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 8
- Fires 1
- Injuries 15
- Deaths 1
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 155 | 53.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 25 | 8.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 21 | 7.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 13 | 4.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 12 | 4.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 9 | 3.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 5 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 5 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 4 | 1.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 37 | 12.9% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 23V334000 was reported 413 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V609000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V833000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V246000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V782000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V334000 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 15V609000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 15V833000
Safety recall 15V833000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 21V246000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 21V782000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 23V334000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 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.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners named Airbags most often — 155 of 288 reports (54%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.