GMC · Canyon · 2016
4
Recalls
261
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2016 GMC Canyon has 4 recalls and 261 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: steering (137 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
21.4% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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."
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering gear had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
1. The power steering failed when I was driving my 2016 GMC Truck. 2. The failure caused the steering of the truck to be very difficult putting myself and any passengers at risk. 3. This issue occurred on 2/19/26 at about 3:00PM Central time while driving. Power steering warning lights did illuminate. 4. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone at this time. Please note there is a safety recall associated with the 2015 GMC Canyons for the exact same problem. Instructions were given to submit a report to the NHTSA and the vehicle's owner may be eligible for reimbursement or free repair is a "hidden," warranty extension or "customer satisfaction program" covers it.
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 130,000.
Power steering goes out intermittently while driving, almost causing wrecks. A warning pops up that power steering needs to be serviced...but when truck is turned off and restarted the issue goes away. This is an extremely dangerous situation and seems to be affecting thousands of vehicles according to internet research. GM needs to be held accountable and recall and fix the issues immediately.
Power steering turned off while driving Pulled over cycled the key it came back on Has happened 3 times in two weeks
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 safety issue. The issue first appeared 2 months ago and after the restart stopped. Then all of a sudden it seems to occur daily.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that the headlights failed to activate automatically. Additionally, one of the phone charger ports had become inoperable. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. A message advising that the power steering was inoperable and to drive carefully was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH after the power steering failure, the vehicle was pulling to the right. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
EPS becomes difficult to steer occasionally, Brakes seem to lose stopping ability Leaking oil @ either oil pan or transmission
Transmission has been shuddering since 15,000 miles till now. Dealerships says it's normal on these transmissions, 6 fluid and filter changes and now at 72,000 miles the transmission is failing just outside of warranty. They scammed me and kept my transmission barely alive until warranty ran out and now they want 8k-10k for a replacement. They knew. Dash goes crazy from the touch screen to the digital information screen in the speedometer. They say it's normal and happens on all the units. But it's distracting and has been messing up since bought the truck new. Again they just kept saying it was nothing they can do. Now they say it needs to be replaced after my warranty has run out. DEF system is failing conveniently after the warranty has run out. It's dangerous because they programmed the truck to go into limp mode when anything emissions related fails stranding me anywhere at anytime. Emission failures like sensors should not restrict travel. This is a major issue with the diesels in these trucks and they need to be forced to remove anything that's not dangerous to the health of the engine or drive train from the software or hardware from being able to restrict travel. In every situation I've been restricted to limp mode by dirty particulate sensors, but the code that pops and puts my truck in limp mode says that the NOX sensor is bad. This is false and is just a way for GM to get service at their dealers. Then they charge customers a fortune to replace parts that don't need to be replaced when you can just remove and clean the four particulate sensors and the restrictions will clear themselves shortly after. EMISSIONS RELATED ISSUES SHOULD NOT RESTRICT TRAVEL BY ANY MEANS! It is dangerous to be stranded on a trip because your emission sensors may be malfunctioning.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost electric power steering, and the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The contact pulled to the shoulder of the roadway and turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable; however, the failure recurred while driving. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
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 motor, steering angle sensor, and the electric belt drive rack and pinion steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,263.
As I was pulling away from the stop sign my power steering quit working and I was almost hit by another vehicle. The dash light flashed and said there was Drive System problems. I was able to get the truck turned back around and headed back home. I got into my garage and checked the power steering fluid and it was full. I started my truck back up and was able to drive to the dealership (Everett GMC where I purchased the truck new) The service representative said he will put it on the diagnostic machine and find out what was wrong. The next day they called me and said they found out what it was a drive gear that quit working. He said that he would get this ordered and put it in, I got a call 2 days later and said it was finished. My wife checked to see if there was a recall. There was a recall for this problem for 2015 Canyon in 2021 for the same issue. I am thinking that this issue and a very
Car repeatedly gives stabilitrack warning while driving and power steering goes out completely. It is incredibly dangerous and it appears this was a problem with the previous model year as well. This has continued to happen and looking online it looks like many owner of this year are plagued with this problem and the cost to fix is very expensive, even though it is a known recall for the previous model year.
While driving the truck's stabilitrak and power steering lights came on and I lost the use of power steering. This first happened while going 70 mph on the toll road and I almost lost control of the car it happened so suddenly. I was able to pull over and turned the truck off and back on again. The issue seemed to have resolved itself. Then a week later I was turning right into traffic and it happened again mid turn causing me to almost hit a car in the adjacent lane. It resolved itself again upon restarting the truck but has happened with each trip since. When I looked up the issue I saw that there was an issue with corrosion on the electrical part that controls these features in this particular model.
While driving, power steering system quits providing power assist. This problem is intermittent and can occur at any time without any warning and at any speed. This is a safety concern since no warning is given as to when the power steering system will fail. Have contacted local GMC dealer and was told there is a recall for the 2025 model but not the 2016. Contacted General Motors and was told the same.
While driving the power steering went out making the vehicle difficult to control. Once I stopped the vehicle and turned it off then back on, the power steering came back on leading me to believe an electrical issue is the cause
4/17/2025:Approached a 4 way intersection and truck steering lost power assist. Vehicle engine still running and hard steered thru intersection. A convenience store on corner so turned wheel (manually) into parking lot. StabiliTrak light was on as well, turned key off. Re start truck and power steering good, stabiitrak light off. 4/25/2025: Driving truck and stopped at red light, truck engine stopped. Pressed accelerate pedal, no response. Turned key off and back on, started and drove normal with no problems.
WHEN TURNING TRUCK, POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO TURN. CODE FOR SERVICE STABILITRACK AND SERVICE ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM CAME ON DASH. COULD NOT PROPERLY TURN VEHICLE AND ALMOST CROSSED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to turn. The traction control and Service Vehicle Soon lights were illuminated. The message "Power Steering Fault - Drive with Care” was displayed. The contact pulled over to the shoulder lane to restart the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was inspected; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall, and there was no failure cause for the failure found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2016 GMC Canyon has 4 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 261 owner-reported complaints for the 2016 GMC Canyon.
The 2016 GMC Canyon received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2016 GMC Canyon are steering (137 reports), power train (22 reports), electrical system (11 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 4 recalls on record for the 2016 GMC Canyon. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.