Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Chevrolet Traverse owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, an abnormal moaning sound was present coming from the steering wheel while turning in either direction. The steering wheel had become stiff while turning. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced regarding a power steering failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 108,000.
The power steering pump went out on my 2016 Chevy Traverse which has 34,700 miles on it. At low RPMs the pump would intermittently fail and lock up the steering wheel. This means that when decelerating and attempting to avoid an accident my power steering could have failed causing me to be unable to avoid an otherwise avoidable accident. I was close to hitting another car in a parking lot when I was turning into a parking spot and the power steering failed, but I was able to slam on the brakes in time. I was able to bring it into a mechanic and get it fixed within two days. They were able to test the system and replicate the issues I was having. $1060.05 later I have a new OEM pump installed. The mechanic informed me that the pump he installed was a superseded part by GM. …
Power steering pump in the car had low pressure causing the steering wheel to barely turn or have a hard time turning the wheel. This put me and my family at risk while driving because when making turns it would feel like it was locking up which almost would cause accidents not being able to turn the wheel all the way to make the turn. I ended up having to pay 1309 to have a new power steering pump put in.
Rack and pinion steering is failing at 66,000 miles on a 2016 Chevy Traverse. This is low mileage for a vehicle to lose this function and a safety concern should the steering fail at speed and needs to be investigated. There are other complaints by Chevy owners for the same problem across several model years of this vehicle.
Replaced the transmission in 2018, transmission went out again in 2021. Power steering also had to be replaced in 2021. The initial transmission repair was covered under warranty but not the subsequent transmission nor the power steering were covered under warranty. There are less than 95,000 miles on the car.
On 10/23/18, about 1-2 miles after exiting highway, I was driving when my traction control on appeared on my dashboard with engine light on, my vehicle started to shake like it was about to die and I could not accelerate any more. I went from 40mph to 10-15mph. I was turning left at a light and had to pull in to a parking lot and vehicle started shaking so much. It was difficult to maneuver the turns. Then the shaking just stopped. Turned my vehicle off and back on, traction control and engine light disappeared like nothing had happened. I drove but would not accelerate past 20 MPH. Turned vehicle off for a while and everything was back to normal. On 10/30/18, vehicle was in motion again, traveling 40 MPH, then traction control came back on with engine light, I slowed down to 20 MPH again and was able to pull over before engine started to shake and or turn. …
I purchased a 2016 Chevy Traverse lt new from the dealer. It has approx. 80K miles that are mostly "highway miles". I brought my Traverse into the dealer on 12-9-19 for a brake service and ask that they check the power steering which has been making "winding" noises during various turning radiuses. I was informed by the dealership of a TSB regarding the powering steering pump/line. Apparently due to a design flaw by GM, the power steering hose and A/C touch and during the normal operation of the vehicle, rub each other. This is known to produce a hole in the power steering line causing the power steering fluid to leak. This has the potential to cause the power steering pump to fail. Because of the design flaw, simply replacing the hose won't ultimately fix the issue. Furthermore. …
With under 30,000 miles on our vehicle, we need a new power steering pump. The power steering will stop working a various times. All under the speed for 20 MPH. This seems slightly harmless because of the lack of speed, but let me tell you the dangers. My husband seems to have no issues when the power steer pump stops working, but I have issues with it. When trying to park I have almost hit car parked beside me because I can not crank on the wheel hard enough. When trying to back out I almost side swiped cars parked next to me for the same reason. Today because I could not crank the steering wheel hard enough. This caused me to hit the cart coral at our local market. Researching what the issue could been, in many forums you see a constant flow of power steering pump issues in many of the traverses with less than 30.000 miles on them. …
Check engine light came on at 56K miles. Vehicle having misfire while driving, rough idle while sitting and sluggish at times. Misfire and rough idle not happening all the time. Had generic code check done before I could get into dealership to see what I was looking at... Multiple codes with running lean and 02 sensor. Was able to get into dealer after the weekend and they did diagnostic. Found power steering gear inlet hose leaking onto o2 sensor (b1 s1) causing the whole problem. Not covered under powertrain warranty. I am unable to afford the dealership repair cost at this time and have been seeing where older models have had issues with power steering pump failure and more recent models having leaks due to hoses being too close to other hoses. So I am concerned with replacing the hose and sensor and having the same issue occur again.
After driving from chicago to colorado, approx 1000 miles of extended highway driving, I slowed down to turn into the gas station and my power steering went out. Specifically I had no power steering when braking or at low speeds when rpms were less than 2000. In order for the power steering to somewhat work I would need to accelerate at low gear to raise rpms. I had my family in the car and could have easily lost control of vehicle injuring the passengers in the car or worse another bystander or driver. The car only has 61000 miles on it. Gearbox failed , power steering pump failed, and needs high pressure steering hose. This is a major safety issue and a recall needs to be placed. This is a known issue that has plagued GM cars , specifically this model in past.
Steering complaints in other Traverse years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the steering of the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, 8% of the model year's 292 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Traverse steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Traverse steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.