The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that after arriving to his destination, he became aware that the ignition switch would not release the key. After restarting the vehicle and then turning the vehicle off, the contact was able to remove the key, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.
2016 GMC Canyon complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2016 record →
On [XXX] at approximately 5:30p, I was driving normal highway speed when I saw what I thought was exhaust trailing behind. There were NO dash warning lights, engine temperature showing normal range, car was performing normally. I pulled over to shoulder, turned off car, released the hood latch. My husband tried to open hood but it was too hot. We then realized it was smoke coming from under hood, not exhaust. Smoke began to come inside car through vents. I quickly exited the car, and within a minute the entire front end engine area was engulfed in flames. 911 was called, fire, police, highway patrol responded. Fortunately there was no injury to myself or husband. There was also concern of starting a brushfire risk here in SoCal, but it was all extinguished thoroughly. Truck was towed to Al’s Towing, 475 W Vermont Ave, Escondido CA 92025, ph 760-745-5933. A report has been filed with our insurance USAA, inspection by adjuster is pending. I also notified Temecula GMC, where I purchased vehicle from, of the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power steering failed twice during a turn on two separate drives, nearly causing an accident both times. A power steering warning was displayed on the dash. I was able to move the vehicle to the side of the road, and normal power steering function returned following a restart of the vehicle. It is my understanding that the 2015 model year was recalled for the same reason, and that the 2016 model year contains the exact same problematic part.
Truck reads power steering problem and does not allow me to turn my steering wheel.
I have been having the same problem many people have been having with the same vehicle type. I will be driving and this has happened 4 times now and once on the freeway! Were I am driving, and all of the sudden the power steering cuts out, and I get all the warning lights come on. I had to pull over, or find a spot to pull over and turn the vehicle off and turn back on. Now I see there was a recall for this issue on the 2015 canyons but not for the 2016, and this needs to be recalled there are going to be people dying if you do nothing, and GMC will have a class action suite and this regulatory agency shall have serious legal redress against you should you do nothing, even though you know there is a serious issue and that multiple complaints have been filed and GMC is well aware of this! I do smell legal redress coming for you and GMC...
Over the past 6 months, when driving, the power steering stops working and I get a dash light that comes on that talks about stabilitrac. If I shut my car off and restart, it works again, but it is random when it might occur. It's very scary, because, if I were not strong with great reaction time...I might be dead.
Received a stabilitrck error and lost power steering and traction control while driving. This appears to be a common and dangerous issue with this model vehicle.
Was driving home going about 45 mph and the driver information center displayed “service power steering” and service stabilitrack system. Was able to safely move over without power steering and come to a stop. Put the truck in park turned it off. Turned truck back on and everything is as working fine
While driving my 2016 GMC Canyon today May 1st, I am experiencing the following... power steering/stabilitrac control lights come on and loose power steering. sometimes it will reset after turning off the truck and restarting but this is happening more and more often which is a major safety issue when considering this occurs randomly at any given point while driving. I have experienced this issue in the past few years at all different mileages and then it doesn't happen for a long time but always ends up having the same issue. I have been doing research and found this exact same problem is why there was a recall on the 2015 GMC canyons referencing the steering torque sensor assembly and cover. I have also researched the cost to repair out of pocket and it quite expensive. This recall for the older models needs to be updated to include all 2016 models as there are many more complaints about this happening on 2016 models as well. just search google and there you go. I have already called GM and got nowhere. Extremely frustrated as this shouldn't be happening and i as the consumer should not be having to pay out of pocket for a manufacturer error they refuse acknowledge. Thank you,
Power steering drive with care. Stabilitak. Steering problems
Randomly lose power steering control while operating vehicle, dealer diagnosed issue as same problem part in 2015 GMC Canyon Recall
I have lost my power steering while driving over a dozen times in the previous month. Fortunately, it usually happens when I am not attempting to negotiate a turn. However, it did happen once when I was turning into a parking lot, but luckily it was at a low speed. I could not negotiate the turn without the power steering, so I stopped and turned the car off to reset it. I have found that if I stop, park and turn the car off, the power steering immediately resumes upon restarting the vehicle. In some cases, I have lost the power steering again within the next few minutes. Usually, the problem won't happen again for the remainder of the drive.
I have had this repeated issue since i purchased my 2016 GMC Canyon in 2020. The power steering goes out at different speeds with NO indication . The lights that appear on dash are power steering and stabilatrax. I have had the battery and all connectors replaced and now the rack and pinion that the sensor is in. These repairs have been very costly and this situation has been very dangerous as it happens without any warning. Just when i thought it was fixed with a new battery and cables it quit again in heavy traffic and i was almost hit by 2 vehicles. It has been in 3 different repair shops and now at a Chevrolet Dealership. They have ordered the parts twice and the 1st 1 came to them broken from the Factory, This part was recalled for all 2015 models, but not the 2016? Receiving broken parts even shows that there is an issue. I have read on some of your sites from others posting about their 2016 Colorado and Canyons having this same issue. Please look into this and try to help me if possible. I am beyond frustrated. Thank you very much
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while his father was driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to the steering wheel in order to maneuver the vehicle. Afterward, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The electronic steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Without any notice the stabiltrak and service power steering message will come on while driving and the power steering will stop working. While researching it looks like this issue was resolved with a recall on the 2015 models which has the same components as the 2016 version. This is a life-threatening issue when you are driving on a busy road and have to make a turn or swerve to avoid an accident and it looks like many are online sharing the same concern and asking for a recall. This has happened 3 times in the past year and resets when you turn the vehicle off for a short time and start it back up,
Without any notice the stabila track and service power stealing message will come on while driving and the power steering will stop working. While researching it looks like this issue was resolved with a recall on the 2015 models which has the same components as the 2016 version. This is a life-threatening issue and it looks like many are online sharing the same concern and asking for a recall.
The problem: Electrical connectors within the power steering system may corrode and fail, which can cause the power steering system to stop working. The fix: GM dealerships will replace the steering gear torque sensor cover assembly with an updated part that is designed not to corrode. This was a recall on the 2015 GMC Canyon. The 2016 is having the same issue but GMC will not assist with the fix for my year. $3000 estimate to correct the problem. It Is also a safety issue. I nearly lost control when my steering went out while driving on interstate 79 with my daughter in the truck. Please help if you can.
We have lost power steering several times.We did take it to our local GMC Dealer and they supposedly fixed the problem by re-programming the Steering Sensor. We have since had several unexpected failures that put us in dangerous situations and have been very lucky in not had collisions or off-road accidents We sought answers and looked to the internet In researching this problem. We could occasionally get steering back after parking,shutting off engine, then restarting it. We now only drive the truck very little knowing we could have a steering failure anytime. This is not a sustainable or reasonable situation. We have found that the NHTSA issued a recall for replacement of the Steering Sensor Cover in 2015 , but did not for 2016 and beyond model years for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. We implore the NHTSA to recall all of the aforementioned vehicles that experienced this failure. Please help us by defraying the cost of replacement and programming and hold GM to repair our unit, and all of the others needing repair. This expense ethically and morally should be borne by GM. A response is expected and appreciated.Thank You.
Complete loss of power steering and traction control while driving. Very difficult to make turns. Would have to pull off the road and restart vehicle to fix problem. I have not taken it to a service center. It has not been inspected. Warning lights for loss of stabilitrak do come on.
Vehicle intermittently and suddenly loses power steering. This started happening more often. Restarting vehicle usually restores power steering. Losing power steering while driving was very dangerous, as steering became much more difficult, especially if mid-turn.
At approximately 92k miles the diesel High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failed, all internal seals were disintegrated (technician's verbage). This is apparently a common problem (but no recall was ever issued), which can lead to premature engine failure due to sending foreign material into the engine. This pump was replaced, however the new pump failed, after 2 days, and required replacement again, May 2023. The total cost for this was $6200. At 100,450 miles my engine blew up while driving, 01 Feb 2024. There is a very good chance that when the HPFP pump had failed, 10 months earlier, it in fact send foreign material into the engines cylinders which might have led up to this catastrophic failure. Fortunately, I was on a rural street travelling at about 20 miles an hour, and not on the highway travelling at 70 miles an hour, like I was 10 minutes before this happened. When the engine blew it sent pieces of cast iron flying out the bottom of the truck, on a highway this could have seriously damaged vehicles travelling behind me. When it blew I also lost all 'propulsion', the truck immediately began coasting to a stop, had this happened at high speeds it would have been extremely dangerous because without the engine running the brakes lose pressure, plus the oil leaking out could have caused a loss of traction. From what I have found, while researching online, these 2.8l diesel engines have a fairly high failure rate (often being referred to as "a bomb just waiting to explode"), e
I have not been in an incident yet, but when I slow down coming off the highway and try to come back up to traffic speed the the transmission bucks or shutters. Also when starting from a red light or stop sign the truck bucks or shutters very notable in 3-4-5th gear. I watched the tachometer and it shutters most of my drive. In all fairness, I have not brought it to the dealership yet. I see other people are having this problem with the Canyons and Colorado also. Please advise!
Warning on dash states Service Power Steering Drive With Care, results a complete loss of power steering assist. Happens at start up or while driving. Looses stability control and traction control as well.
The contact owned a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that an unknown steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with power steering failure. The contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
I lose steering like the recall says, would like dealer to fix this as part of existing recall
Driving down the road and power (electric) steering goes out. Power steering and traction control warnings lit up on the display. Almost impossible to steer without power steering. I am lucky that this didn't cause an accident-- very scary. This seems to be the same issue as the recall for the 2015s, but GM didn't recall the 2016s (even though online forums report that it was the same part number for 2016 as 2015). Reported same codes when the truck was the same as those reported by others (C0545: Steering Wheel Torque Sensor, also U0420: invalid data reported from steering control module). Upload button below disappears when I try to upload my invoice--but invoice included remove and replace of rack and pinion, diagnosis, alignment-- total invoice $2003.78
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Power Steering" message was displayed, and the contact became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the steering column shaft torque sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V054000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 146,000.
Driving on expressway power steering went out, very hard to steer, warning light came on. Upon reaching destination, turned vehicle off, then back on, fixed the issue. This has happened again, two more times over a period of three months. This appears to resemble NHTSAC 16V054, or GMC recall N202325410. GMC dealer informed me vehicle reports diagnostic code C0545 which reflects the same issue as the above campaign and recall. This is very dangerous.
Power steering shows stabillitrack and I lose control.
On Monday, 10/23/23 I was driving up a mountain to go on a leisurely hike at Fremont State Park, CA. While I was ascending up the mountain the "Service Power Steering and Service Stabilitrack" warning dash alert came on. From then on, I lost power steering and had to struggle driving up the mountain. After my hike and having restarted my vehicle, Power Steering returned. However, while I descended down the mountain, I lost Power Steering again and had to struggle steering my vehicle down the mountain (this scared me quite a bit and placed my safety at risk). It's been five days since I had this problem. I haven't had any issues since then. I primarily drive on Highways, but now I'm nervous driving up hills or mountains with switchbacks. No. Right now, I don't have the means to pay for a scan or fix. I'm not planning to drive up a mountain anytime soon. However, before I drive up mountains or hills with switchbacks, I plan to get it checked and fixed if possible. There weren't any warning or messages before this incident.
Stability track Cameondoing 50mph transmission geared down motor shut down on and off yes it's available problem not found by dealer took to 2 different ones stability track comes on side lights stay on and off press brakes it shut down turn left it shut down motor running in park put in reverse shut down Will drive and run sometimes but gets worse
The vehicle’s power steering and stability control (Stabilitrak) have stopped working suddenly several times over the past two weeks. There have been no warnings leading up to the loss of power steering .This has happened while I have been traveling at highway speeds as well as in the middle of making a turn and has nearly led to crashes on a couple of occasions. It has also happened at lower speeds as well as upon starting the vehicle with no rhyme or reason. The vehicle has not been inspected for this issue but is available for inspection if necessary. I understand that this same issue has also led to a recall on the previous year’s model (2015 GMC Canyon).
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the power steering failed. The contact stated that the ABS and "traction control" warnings were illuminated. The contact stated that he pulled off of the road and turned the vehicle off and on several times and the power steering regained functionality. The contact stated that the power steering failure had been intermittent initially but had become a recurring failure that would occur at any speed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed showing a C0545 code (steering wheel torque sensor malfunction) and determined that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V213000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the stabilitrak warning light illuminated and a chime sounded. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering became functional. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Hello I own a 2016 gmc canyon truck It has 49000 miles on it I recently I'm experiencing some power steering issues When the car is running, the power steering stop working and the wheel is really hard to turn any direction What I found online this model has issues and recalls with the power steering. Something like power steering control module This is my VIN number [XXX] And I haven't received any information by mail or something about this recall Thanks This is my email [XXX] Thanks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering and stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was due to the gear torque sensor. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Sudden loss of power steering. Happened to me a lot a times. Sometimes when I driving on a freeway already took it to the GMC. Paid money and the problem is not solved.
Aug 31, 2023 Power steering failure. Aug 31, 2023 I started the vehicle, warning bell chimed, dash warning to "service power steering" appeared. Then dash warning, of vehicle stability control appeared. Steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. I shut the vehicle off and restarted, which momentarily cleared the problem. I backed out of the driveway and the problem described above returned along with the inability to turn the wheel. I shut the ignition off and restarted the truck, which cleared the problem. I attempted a short drive, and the problem (described above) returned within a 1/4 mile at a speed of 30 mph. I managed (with difficulty) to safely drive the vehicle to the shoulder as I was driving in a straight line at the time of the incident. No mechanic or service personnel have inspected or diagnosed this problem as yet. I have scheduled an apptointment with my mechanic. In my opinion the vehicle is unsafe to operate at this time both to the occupants and the general public. No recalls are currently issued on the vehicle, although the vehicle manufacturer has had prior issues with the 2015 model which mirror the issues on the 2016 model which was recognized by GMC as a safety issue in regards the prior year, the manufacturer (gmc) has not recognized the 2016 issue as a safety problem and subsequent safety recall has not been issued.
The stabilitrak power steering system fails randomly at high speeds causing loss of control and risk of crashing. This is a known problem to GMC and a recall was issued for 2015 canyon trucks requiring the dealer to replace the steering gear torque sensor cover assembly free of charge due to defective electrical connections within the assembly. They have excluded 2016 and it is a serious problem. This problem is widely reported on GMC and Chevy forums and Reddit for 2016 models. It’s essentially all over the internet for anyone willing to simply look. The error “loss of power steering, proceed with caution” appears as does the lane departure light and check engine light. The errors “Stabilitrack has failed” “Torque sensor failure” Fault Code C0545 also appear. After shutting the car off and restarting , all error codes and lights disappear and do not appear on a code reader. The issue then happens sporadically again at very dangerous times. It is the exact same issue as the 2015 recall # 21V213000 issued on Mar 25, 2021 but GMC refuses to help.The problem is a defective torque censor connection. Please help. I don’t want to die on the freeway.
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 with a vehicle in the adjacent lane. The local GMC dealership noted a recall for the 2015 Canyon model for the steering gear torque sensor cover assembly to be replaced due to corroded electrical connections. The number (15595) recall was not associated with my VIN but should be added as part of the vehicles in the recall as it is experiencing the same issues.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the stability control and power steering warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then lost stability control functionality and the steering wheel became firm. The contact stopped on the side of road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to diagnosed. The failure mileage was 116,000. The VIN was not available.
Vehicle Stability Control systems light comes on sporadically and stalls the power steering. In other words, the power steering turns off at any time and dangerously on a highway, when the Vehicle Stability Control lights comes on the dashboard. The first diagnosis (May27, 2023) of the above issue was performed at Green Brooks, a Certified NJ GMC Service Dealership yielded no results from their inspection. A second diagnosis was needed due to the vehicle's malfunctioning danger to me and other drivers on the road. The Certified GMC Service Dealership Ewing Buick/GMC TX diagnosis (June 12, 2023) showed a "STEERING GEAR INTERNAL TORQUE SENSOR" costing two thousand one hundred and eight dollars and fifty cents ($2,108.50) to complete. The codes were C0545 00 stored in DSCM followed by S14849247 requiring Steering Gear Replacement. The total cost including labor cost was two thousand seven hundred and ninety dollars and eighty-eight cents ($2,719.88).
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 and air bag module mileage 44496
The problem: the power steering disables at high speeds suddenly due to a potential poor electrical connection within the steering gear assembly. The hazards: a loss of power steering makes it more difficult for me to maintain control of my vehicle and in turn increases my risk of a crash. This problem requires steering inputs with increased effort. It clears with a power cycle to the truck but then reoccurs randomly.
While driving in excess of 40mph, my truck experience two warning lights "Service: Stabilitrak" and "Service: Power Steering Drive With Care", and my power steering immediately went out and my steering was very difficult and had to maneuver off the road and through traffic to the side of the road, and was very fearful for my safety and others around me on the road when this happened. I could not turn the vehicle without a tremendous amount of effort. After pulling to the side of the road, I immediately shutoff the vehicle and restarted and the steering and messages were gone. I began driving down the road and it happened again within 5 minutes. I shutdown and it reset again. I then proceeded to the GMC Dealer in West Chester Pa (Faulkner) to determine if they are familiar with this problem and they said they've never heard of this and couldn't find anything wrong with the truck otherthan a couple Codes unrelated to any Steering problems.
The Power starting keeps going out while driving it. Once vehicle is turned off and back on it resets and works again. There is active recall for this exact issue but only in 2015 models and mine is a 2016 so told it isn’t a part of recall. It happened a few times several months ago but GMC service center couldn’t get problem to recreate and I didn’t have good documentation for the few times it had happened. GMC then offered free onstar for several months to try to help track problem. It hadn’t happened in last several months until Friday. It has now happened 7 times in last 4 days. On star sent me two reports indicating a code of U0240 with ABS system failure code. I took videos and pictures of the dashboard with what was showing. There is service message saying “power stealing drive with care” and “stabilitrak” service message too. GMC not getting me in for another week. I have a new 16 year old driver who drives this vehicle and it’s so unsafe! I don’t understand how I keep being told my vehicle is not included in the recall but it’s the same issue. I have to keep taking pictures and videos and pushing onstar button when it happens.
Power steering fails during driving. This happened frequently just like the 2015 model but NHTSA fails to do anything. It happened 3 times on this one day
-The power steering has failed and malfunction is inline for the type of recall on other GMC Canyons and Chevy Colorado trucks of this year and years before and after. Vehicle is available for inspection. -The steering does not work and steering wheel can be moved which could cause an accident. -It has not yet been inspected -No warning lamp prior to failure. It came on suddenly and when I tried to move steering it did not work. This appeared on the afternoon of 3/7/2023.
We recently purchased this vehicle used from a dealer. The power steering fails while driving. This has occurred 4 times in the first 100 miles.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2016 GMC Canyon → · Every Canyon year → · How the figures are calculated →