Home · 2016 GMC Canyon · Complaints

What 267 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 GMC Canyon

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (267)Crash / fire / injury (10)Steering (177)Transmission & drivetrain (39)Electrical system (37)Engine (21)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (13)Speed control (11)Fuel system (10)Brakes (9)Airbags (6)Suspension (4)

11 of 267 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Jan 5, 2025SteeringElectrical systemSpeed control

I am the owner of a 2016 GMC Canyon truck, which i purchased used in approx 2020 with about 43,000 miles on it...today's date is now 1/5/25 and the truck has approx 99,0000 mile on it. Over the last 2 years the electronic stability control has failed approx 20 times. A warning light appears on the dash stating the failure of the power steering and the stabilitrac. When this happens steering the truck and be extremely difficult and I am forced to pull off the road. Usually when the truck is turned off for a short while and then turned back on the problem will fix itself, but only for a few minutes or hours and the problem reoccurs. Last week I took the truck to a GM dealer and had the steering angle sensor recalibrated..which fixed the problem for 1 month. Now it is failing again! My wife is afraid and refuses to drive the truck because if this happens again while she is driving she isn't strong enough to turn the wheel..particularly from a complete stopped position. This is a very serious and dangerous problem that GM needs to be responsible to resolve.

NHTSA ODI 11634218

Jul 21, 2022SteeringTransmission & drivetrainSpeed control

Driving and the Stabilitrak warning comes on as well as the Power steering warning. later after the vehicle is turned off it will not restart (no crank, no Start) and there is no communication with the ECM until it has had the battery disconnected for an extended period. This is very dangerous losing power steering and stabilitrak while driving is going to cause an accident. I would like to see a recall on the 2016 like there is on the 2015 with this same issue. I have not had the issue repaired yet. waiting to get it into a shop who tells me they will likely need to replace the Rack and Pinion on this truck to correct the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11475141

May 10, 2021Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION COMMAND WHILE ENTERING A HIGHWAY OR DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, INCREASING THE RISK OF COLLATION WITH OTHER VEHICLES DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE, SUSPECT THE TORQUE CONVERTER NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS A MAJOR AND WELL KNOWN ISSUE, GM CONTINUES TO IGNORE AND I DO NOT WANT TO BECOME THE NEXT STATISTIC DEAD IN US HIGHWAYS. THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, DURING A RED TRIANGLE YIELD SIGN ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION COMMAND CAUSING A BOTTLE NECK OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND HIGH RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT AFFECTING THE TRANSMISSION, IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

NHTSA ODI 11415989

Feb 13, 2021Electrical systemSpeed controlEngine

MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MILES AN HOUR WHEN ALL DASH LIGHTS NAV SYSTEM GAUGES ETC. TURNED OFF. IT WAS AS IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF. THEN IT TURNED ITSELF BACK ON AND SEEM TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM PREVIOUS TO THIS AND THERE WAS A RECALL PERFORMED ON IT RECENTLY. ALSO THIS VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO GET CLOSE TO 30 MPG AND NOW THE BEST I CAN GET IS 21 MPG. IT HAS HAD A ROUGH IDLE AND SHUT DOWN ON ME SEVERAL TIMESDURING THE LAST FEW YEARS. I FEEL LIKE THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND GMC SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I WANTED GOOD FUEL ECONOMY FROM A DIESEL AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A NUMBER OF MAJOR ISSUES AND NUMEROUS RECALLS BUT NONE HAVE ADDRESSED THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS OF OWNERS NEARLY GETTING KILLED WHEN THEIR VEHICLE RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE SEEMS UNSAFE AND I FEEL THEY MISREPRESENTED THE FUEL ECONOMY OF THE DIESEL ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI 11396057

Dec 1, 2020Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

VEHICLE FREQUENTLY SHUTS OFF DURING BRAKING OR WHILE STOPPED AND MUST BE RESTARTED BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAN OPERATE AGAIN. VEHICLE EXPERIENCES VIOLENT GEAR CHANGES AND SIGNIFICANT LAGGING DURING PERIODS OF MODERATE ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS. GEAR CHANGES RESULT IN EITHER SEVERE UNRESPONSIVENESS AND A GENERAL LACK OF ACCELERATION OR AN AGGRESSIVE GEAR CHANGE THAT JERKS THE VEHICLE AND SPINS THE TIRES.

NHTSA ODI 11377276

Aug 9, 2020Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

THE THROTTLE AND TRANSMISSION FEEL AS THOUGH THEY WERE SEPARATELY DEVELOPED FOR TWO DIFFERENT VEHICLES AND JUST RANDOMLY MATCHED IN THE TRUCK. THE ACCELERATOR IS VERY NON-LINEAR AND UNRESPONSIVE. THEN THE TRANSMISSION IS CONSTANTLY IN THE WRONG GEAR. THIS TRUCK IS A NIGHTMARE TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC OR ON WINDY HILLY ROADS. YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY GUESS WHERE YOUR FOOT SHOULD BE TO GET ANY KIND OF STABILITY OR ACCELERATION FROM THE TRUCK. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC YOU BETTER BE PREPARED TO HAVE A LOT OF ROOM BECAUSE IT MIGHT JUST SHAKE AND SHUTTER BEFORE FINDING A GEAR AND ACTUALLY ACCELERATING. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND I FIND IT ODD THAT THERE HAVENT BEEN COLLISIONS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THIS. IF ANYONE FROM GM IS READING THIS, KNOW THIS WILL BE THE LAST GM PRODUCT I EVER BUY. EITHER YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO ENGINEER A VEHICLE, OR YOU SIMPLY JUST DONT CARE ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS. IM GUESSING THE LATTER.

NHTSA ODI 11344186

Feb 15, 2019SteeringBrakesTransmission & drivetrainSpeed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC CANYON. EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE VEHICLE HAS PULLED TO THE RIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AL SERRA GMC (LOCATED AT 6201 SAGINAW RD, GRAND BLANC, MI 48439, (810) 202-0226) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WAS MISALIGNED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,735.

NHTSA ODI 11180294

Oct 18, 2017Speed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC CANYON. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. ALSO, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (TWIN CITY BUICK GMC, 3046 ALCOA HWY, ALCOA, TN 37701) WHERE NOTHING WAS DONE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-462-8782 AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD PASS THE ISSUE ON TO THE SENIOR MANAGER. CASE NUMBER: H3455690739 WAS PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 11034299

Jun 19, 2017Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC CANYON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE FORWARD. ALSO, WHILE DECELERATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND SHUTTERED WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS NORMAL. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ODI 11000047

Feb 1, 2017Speed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC CANYON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THERE WAS A DELAYED RESPONSE OF SEVERAL SECONDS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

NHTSA ODI 10948831

Jan 23, 2017Speed control

ABOUT EVERY 3-5 WEEKS THE ENGINE WILL ACCELERATE BY ITSELF. THE FIRST 3 TIMES IT ACCELERATED TO 3,000 RPM, THE LAST 4 TIMES 4,000 RPM. SO FAR AS I CAN TELL IT DOES THIS WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. HAPPENS IN MOTION ON CITY STREET OR IN PARKING LOTS. I HAVE STANDARD TRANSMISSION SO WHEN IT HAPPENS I CAN LEAVE CLUTCH IN, TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART. PROBLEMS STARTED AT ABOUT 3,400 MILES. STILL DOING IT.

NHTSA ODI 10947214

Working with the data? Download all 267 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 GMC Canyon verdict →