AutoUtility currently tracks 698 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. Steering System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 449 complaints (64.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 14 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 6 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 698 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Steering System (449 reports • 64.3% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (114), Powertrain & Transmission (97)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 14 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
698
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
14
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
1
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
6
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2016 Chevrolet Colorado

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 64.3% of complaints

Steering System

449 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 6 crash reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#2 Problem Area 16.3% of complaints

Electrical System

114 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report
#3 Problem Area 13.9% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

97 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 1 injury report entry
#4 Problem Area 11% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

77 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 5 crash reports 🩹 2 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 6% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

42 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Chevrolet Colorado

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 10.6% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

74 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Steering System 7.4% of complaints

Steering Sticking, Binding or Assist Loss

52 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Chevrolet Colorado

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11759930
Filed: 08/27/2026

"While driving the vehicle, the power steering all of sudden goes out and I am unable to steer the vehicle properly. I know there was a recall for 2015 vehicles and wanted to know if the repair could be fixed on my vehicle as well. This is not safe for me to be driving with my children and..."

Incident Date: 08/27/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,POWER TRAIN
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11758971
Filed: 08/24/2026

"Complete loss of electronic power steering capability while new teenage driver was traveling at high rate of speed. Loss of power steering and stabilitrak traction control warning indicators on dash. Issue that invoke a safety recall in previous year model vehicle (GM Recall #15595 & GM Special..."

Incident Date: 08/22/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11758817
Filed: 08/22/2026

"For about two months my 2016 Chevy Colorado has been having a random power steering and stabilitrak issue message popping up. There’s no clear reason why this happens as I can drive my truck for days/weeks and it was suddenly lose power steering. When this happens it is a serious safety issue as I..."

Incident Date: 06/08/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11749265
Filed: 07/09/2026

"While driving 40-45 mph on a curvy mountain highway, the power steering suddenly stopped working. There was no warning message prior. Once the power steering ceased, a warning message displayed, "Service Stabilitrak". I was left in a situation which was challenging to steer the vehicle, and much..."

Incident Date: 06/26/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Other / Miscellaneous NHTSA ODI ID: #11748946
Filed: 07/07/2026

"!!Vehicle Safety Complaint!! I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado involving the power steering system. On a regular basis, I receive dashboard warnings including "StabiliTrak Not Working," and "Service Power Steering." Shortly after these warnings appear, the..."

Incident Date: 07/07/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Chevrolet Colorado

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Chevrolet Colorado 488 17 7 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Chevrolet Colorado Current Page 698 14 4 Current
2017 Chevrolet Colorado 215 5 1 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Chevrolet Colorado 181 3 1 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Chevrolet Colorado 148 6 0 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Chevrolet Colorado 81 1 0 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Chevrolet Colorado 72 6 1 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Chevrolet Colorado 51 1 1 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Chevrolet Colorado 130 2 3 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Chevrolet Colorado 115 6 3 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Chevrolet Colorado 27 1 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Chevrolet Colorado 0 0 1 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Chevrolet Colorado

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 89 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 332 1 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 56 1 0 1 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 40 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 25 1 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 23 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 22 3 0 1 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 22 0 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 11 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 1 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 1 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 5 1 0 1 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 0 1 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 5 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 5 0 0 1 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 4 1 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS 2 1 0 1 0
STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SEATS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,TIRES,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (698). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.