My 2016 Chevrolet Colorado lost all power steering while driving down the road. My young daughter was in the vehicle with me on a busy highway when I lost my ability to safely steer the vehicle. The stabilitrak light came on and that is when the power steering failed and I had to force my vehicle off the roadway manually to avoid getting into a collision. Had I needed to quickly steer to avoid another vehicle, obstacle, or maneuver a sharp turn at those speeds that could have been fatal for me, my daughter, and potentially other drivers or pedestrians. The vehicle was diagnosed and the issue was reproduced and confirmee at an independent service center as described. It was determined this was a known issue with similar make and model Chevrolet Colorados that were already on recall however my VIN was not included. It was determined to be a defective steering wheel torque sensor (code C0545) and required a complete steering rack replacement. They inspected the wiring harness had not chafed causing any damage, and that it was the sensor. There were no warning lights prior to the failure and it was abrupt while driving. The stabilitrak light came on simultaneously to the power steering failing.
2016 Chevrolet Colorado steering complaints
Page 3 of 17: complaints 41 to 70 of 465, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The electric power steering system on my vehicle intermittently fails while I am driving. When the failure occurs, the steering suddenly becomes extremely heavy and difficult to control, creating an immediate safety risk to me and to others on the road. The loss of power steering has happened multiple times with no advance warning. Each time, the only way to temporarily restore normal steering is to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. The problem occurs randomly and without a pattern. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The issue has been evaluated by the dealer’s service center. They were not able to reproduce the failure during their inspection, but they did confirm that the vehicle had stored a diagnostic trouble code indicating a power steering failure. The service center reported that the code was too generic to determine the root cause, and no repair was performed. They acknowledged that the steering failure had occurred based on the stored code, but could not identify why it was happening. During the failures, the vehicle displays warning messages stating that both Stabilitrak and Power Steering have failed. These messages appear only at the moment of failure, with no prior warning lights or symptoms. This intermittent loss of power steering severely compromises safe operation of the vehicle, especially when turning at low speeds, entering or exiting parking lots, or navigating intersections. It puts me, my passengers, and the surrounding drivers and pedestrians at risk because the vehicle cannot be steered normally when the failure occurs.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. In addition, the “Service Stabili-trak” message was displayed, and the “Power Steering Failure” warning light was illuminated. The contact held the steering wheel tightly and pulled on the steering wheel, preventing the vehicle from crashing into a wall. The vehicle was driven to the intended destination. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was driven very slowly, and the contact used added force to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall for the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado with a similar description of a failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that an online forum advised the contact to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
POWER STEERING AND STABILITAK UNABLE TO STEER . CHECKED OWNERS MANULE IT SAYS TURN TRUCK OFF THEN START AGAIN. iT ALSO STATES IT IS STILL SAFE TO DRIVE I don't think so!!! it comes with no warning and you have to pull over and shut the truck off let it sit just a short while then it will steer just fine ....again for a while . the warning lamps and chimes worked just fine. at the same time the system is failing. 202
My steering failed. I was driving under 30 mph and my steering locked up and I was presented with a Service notification "Stabilitrak". I can not turn my wheel and was not able to go down my driveway.
Steering of the truck. No, it has not been reproduced by a dealer No has not been inspected Does not do it all the time, does in over period of times cannot specify any specific time you be driving and all sudden the wheels seem to lock and hard to steer and turning is very hard.
The stabiltrack and power steering fail while driving.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at various undisclosed speeds, the stabili-trak activated independently, and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. In addition, the message “Service Power Steering” was displayed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while reversing out of the driveway, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact used force to steer the vehicle. The stabili-trak feature was activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer replaced the rack and pinion assembly. The vehicle was retrieved, and the contact was informed that a leak was found. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil pan was leaking. The dealer performed a tune-up and a fuel injection service. The timing cover gasket was replaced, the engine front cover was resealed, and the oil pan assembly was resealed. The contact arrived to pick up the vehicle, and there was a puddle of fluid on the ground underneath the vehicle. The dealer inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the water pump had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer pending the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving approximately 27 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure initially occurred while making turns but had started occurring while driving straight. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, requiring the contact to pull over to the side of the road, restart the vehicle, for the vehicle to operate as designed. The stabili-trak warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message “Service Power Steering” was displayed, and the stabili-trak warning light was illuminated. Neither the dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000.
Stablitrak has come on 2x now on the highway, completely losing power steering. Very scary. Resets after turning the car off and on. 2016 , should have a recall. Same issue as the 2015s.
When the truck is driven there are times at random that the steering wheel locks into place while driving at any speed on the road. This warrants me to slowly try and get the car off the road to shut it down and restart it and then the steering goes back to normal. This has happened multiple different times on different days. This has not happened on the highway yet, but if this occurs while driving on the highway this poses a huge risk for an accident to occur. Chevy has had this similar recall on previous 2015s and it seems that 2016 owners are complaining about this issue but it is yet to be a recall.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle stalled but restarted. The contact continued driving, but the failure recurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure should be covered under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V213000 (Steering). The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear torque sensor cover assembly needed to be replaced; Part Number: 23232310. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 122,998.
Happened twice now while driving, power steering suddenly lost and two messages on dash: Loss of Power Steering and Stabilitrak. Pulled over and turned off ignition. When restarted all errors automatically cleared and systems appear to be functioning correctly. Steering without power assist is very difficult and high safety concern at low speed driving.
I was making a left turn all of the sudden my power steering assist and stabilization light came on and I struggled to get the truck into the parking lot. In my readings and research there are a lot of complaints and recalls for the chevrolet Colorado for both 2015 and 2016. In my research you are aware of the issue and one of the solutions is turn off car/truck and wait 15 minutes and the computer might reset and be okay. It did just that! I had to walk home with my grandchildren and have someone drive me back to the truck the next morning. It started up with no lights or warning and I was able to drive it to the repair shop. I was told they can not fix it I have to take it to the dealership. I have grandchildren and I drive about 25 miles to work. This was very dangerous and could cause death if it goes out on the expressway!! Please recall and fix right away.
power steering loss of power steering while driving. reported and serviced twice over $2000 loss. problem still exists. message service power steering. freq loses power steering
While driving, my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado experiences sudden voltage drops and intermittent loss of power steering assist — the same symptoms described in the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado recall (the federal safety agency #16V054000). When the failure occurs, the steering becomes extremely heavy and unsafe, especially during low-speed turns or lane changes. In September 2024, I brought my truck to an authorized Chevrolet dealership for sudden loss of power steering and electrical issues. A diagnostic was performed, and a fuse was replaced — they claimed that fixed the issue. Not even a month later, in October 2024, I brought my truck back to the dealership for the exact same issues. They confirmed a voltage drop but could not identify a specific cause. They verbally advised me they “cleaned the connectors,” which temporarily fixed the problem. Approximately one year later, in October 2025, the same issue returned — identical symptoms and voltage behavior. My truck was manufactured in August 2015, which is close to the recalled 2015 production window. Based on the symptoms and timing, I believe my truck may have been built using the same steering components or wiring harnesses as the recalled vehicles. This appears to be the same safety defect that caused the 2015 recall, only affecting a slightly newer VIN range. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether additional 2016 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles built in mid-to-late 2015 should be included in the recall for loss of steering assist. No service lights will be on and suddenly while driving I will get “service stabilitrak”, “no traction control”, and “service power steering”. Turning off my vehicle and restarting will temporarily fix the issue. Chevrolet Colorado, 2016, steering assist loss, voltage drop, power steering failure, recall 16V054000, safety defect, connector corrosion, torque sensor wiring harness, electrical failure, early production 2016
2016 Chevy Colorado power steering failed going 55 mph on a straight road (luckily) happened 3 times on 10/04/2025. Know issue on the 2015 year and a recall was put out for that year. Was reading a lot of forums on the 2016 a lot of other people have been complaining of the same issue. GM needs to address this before it ends up taking someone’s life. These trucks are very hard to steer when the electronic power steering fails.
Turning into a parking lot and power steering went out. Immediately followed service lights of stabilitrack and power steering. Turn the truck off and back on and the problem was resolved. Took the vehicle to the dealership the next day and they stated the power steering rack was failing. After research, it was found the the power steering was recalled on the 2015s but nothing on the 2016s. The issue with the 2016s is the same issue as the 2015s
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate as the stabili-trak warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The contact declined to have a diagnostic test performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
The Stabiltrak light comes on and I immediately lose power steering WHILE DRIVING. This is an extremely dangerous situation. Took vehicle to dealer and they are not 100% certain of the problem to fix. But they would start to try steering parts and sensors but no guarantee those would work.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering and stability-trak warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The vehicle was almost involved in a crash because of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off and restarted, the warning lights were no longer illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
The power steering turned off SUDDENLY twice, once on the highway at 60 miles per hour and the other time around a sharp turn of an exit ramp--EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
I was driving down the road and the power steering completely stopped working. This could have easily caused a wreck. No warning lights or indicators were prior to failure. I pulled the truck over to avoid causing a collision and turned the truck off. After shutting down for several minutes the warning lights that appeared while I had been previously driving went away and power steering returned. I brought it to a shop but they said without the lights being active they couldn't diagnose the problem. This is super dangerous and I see many others with this model have the same problem.
My power steering went out while driving at 70mph on my way to work. This was accompanied by a dashboard warning lights "Service Power Steering" along with "Service Stabilitrack". I nearly collided with another vehicle being unable to lane change quickly. I took the vehicle to a local Chevrolet dealership, Napleton of Beaver Dam, WI 53916. They diagnosed it as "Electric Power Steering Rack and Pinion Assembly Steering Wheel Torque Sensor Shorted". This required the replacement of the Steering Rack and Pinion Assembly at a very inconvenient cost of $2542.25 parts and labor. After doing a bit of research I found that this has been a problem with the 2015 and 2016 Colorado.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering and traction control warning lights remained illuminated, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The power steering will suddenly go out while a “Stabilitrak” warning comes up on the display. There are many reports of this problem documented online in this year and model, and the 2015 had a recall for this known issue that was evidently not resolved OR recalled for the 2016 model. Suddenly losing power steering when traveling at highway speed or making a turn is a tremendous crash risk as it is very difficult to turn the wheel and the responsiveness and ability to turn quickly is greatly diminished. I and my wife have both almost crashed when this has happened. Most of the time turning the vehicle off and then on again will reset and reactivate power steering, other times it does not. I have called two Chevy dealerships who acknowledged an awareness of this problem, but difficult to replicate the problem on demand, and not always the same repair but almost always related to the steering rack and cable bundle. As I understand it, replacing the entire rack is about a $2000+ repair that based on anecdotal information online seems to resolve the problem. I am shocked Chevy/GMC is willing to assume this liability and not issue a recall or at least offer some kind of reimbursement option for doing the right thing and getting the repair done rather than place others at risk on the roads. This problem has been going on and off for the past year.
I am submitting a safety concern with my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado truck. This vehicle is experiencing intermittent loss of power steering assist, which poses a significant safety risk. This issue mirrors the defect described in the GM Recall 15595A, which affected 2015 Chevrolet Canyon and GMC Canyon models. The root cause appears to be a poor electrical connection in the torque sensor harness connector. However my vehicle hasn't been included in the recall despite exhibiting identical symptoms. I urge the NHSTA to investigate and consider expanding the scope of Recall 15595A to include affected 2016 models. I am also requesting guidance on how to proceed with repair assistance or reimbursement.
Power steering failure identical to Recall #16V054000 (issued February 2016) on 2015 Colorado. Vehicle will unexpectedly lose power steering udden stiff steering and both “Service power steering” and “Service Stabilitrak” warnings appear on dashboard. Defective parts appear to be gear assembly (GM part #23228020) and revised torque sensor cover kit (GM part #84344239)
After purchasing my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 (approx. 113,000 miles) from Avalon Honda in New Jersey, steering began to exhibit an intermittent, jerky, “cog‑like” feel—almost as if slipping or catching. It’s unpredictable but recurrent, raising serious concern for sudden loss of control and potential collision. A repair shop replaced the front passenger‑side control arm, but the issue persists. It comes and goes, making it difficult to diagnose. I believe this may be a hidden steering defect that needs formal investigation.
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