2016 Chevrolet SS: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
24 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 24 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.4
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
A few days ago I was heading home from work and sport mode automatically turned on and the “service power steering” warning came on. Then the steering wheel stiffened up 2 times for a few seconds while I was driving. I looked into it and there was a recall before I purchased the vehicle and it was repaired also. But it is the same problem. I contacted the dealer ship but they said there’s no warranty on recalls. I di…
"service side detection system" and "park assist unavailable", are errors due to water intrusion to proximity sensors. In addition sensor modules are physically bulging and there was some corrosion on my passenger side harness connector and visible rust inside both modules' connectors. Errors are starting to affect other electrical system components and other errors are showing up like various electrical glitches lik…
The driver information center is displaying "Service Side Detection System" alert. On the SS Forum this appears to be an increasingly popular problem with these cars
Recalls: 7 campaigns (7 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 20V254000 | Steering | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Caprice Police Pursuit vehicles (PPV) and SS vehicles. Corrosion of the connector between the electric power steering module and the torque sensor connector may cause a loss of electric power steering assist. |
| 19V801000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet SS vehicles that previously received an inspect-only remedy under recall 17V-382. Corrosion of the connector between the electric power steering module and the torque sensor connector may cause a loss of electric power steering assist. |
| 16V518000 | Seat Belts:Front | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Chevrolet Caprice Police Pursuit vehicles manufactured May 14, 2013 through June 14, 2016, and Chevrolet SS vehicles manufactured May 15, 2013 through April 27, 2016. The driver's seat belt tensioner cable may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the… |
| 16V651000 | Air Bags:Frontal | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and… |
| 17V437000 | Air Bags:Frontal | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL… |
| 17V382000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet SS vehicles. Corrosion of the connector between the electric power steering module and the torque sensor connector may cause a loss of electric power steering assist. |
| 20V638000 | Seat Belts:Front | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet SS and Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 16V-518. The repair may not have been performed properly. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 16 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $4,750
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering12 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Seat Belts6 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
- Electrical System4 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Lane Departure2 complaints · typical job: Camera module replacement and calibration (2.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other2 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train1 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Chevrolet SS?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (12 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Chevrolet SS a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 69/100, computed from 24 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Chevrolet SS's most common problem?
12 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Chevrolet SS sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Chevrolet SS cost to run per year?
About $6,865 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $34,325 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Chevrolet SS have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Chevrolet SS, 7 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/05/2020. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Chevrolet SS really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 24 complaints, 7 recalls on record
- 24 NHTSA complaints on record (2.4/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (2.0/yr)
- 7 recall campaigns, 7 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality