Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 3500HD Medium Duty.
The 2016 Chevrolet 3500HD Medium Duty is a commercial-grade van that pairs a six-speed automatic transmission with EPA fuel economy ratings of 11 city, 16 highway, and 12 combined mpg — numbers that reflect its work-oriented mission rather than any pretense of efficiency. The model year carries 20 owner complaints and six recalls on record, with service brakes standing out as the top complaint area, placing it in a moderate-to-concerning band of the platform's reliability history. For researchers, that means this particular year warrants careful attention to brake-system service records and recall completion status before drawing broader conclusions about the 3500HD's long-term dependability.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Transmission | Automatic 6-spd |
| Overall length | 254.3 in |
| Overall width | 96.1 in |
| Overall height | 78 in |
| Wheelbase | 167.7 in |
| Curb weight | 6781 lb |
| Track (front / rear) | 68.9 / 67.7 in |
| EPA city / highway / combined | 11 / 16 / 12 mpg |
| Drivetrain | Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Recommended fuel | Regular Gasoline |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-7-8-4-5-6-3.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 3 |
| Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug | 18.0 ft-lbs |
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3 |
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3 |
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-2-7-8-4-5-6-3 |
| Spark Plug Manufacturer | Ac Delco |
| Spark Plug Gap | .037 - .043 in |
| Spark Plug Torque | 11 ft-lbs |
| Spark Plug Manufacturer | Ac Delco |
| Spark Plug Gap | .037 - .043 in |
| Engine Compression | 100 min psi |
| 1 | 48.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90 | 48 ft. lbs |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet 3500HD Medium Duty top in one area — the service brakes, 2 of 20 reports (10%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 2 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 20 complaints on record, top 8 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
Showing 5 of 1323 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIT6247B | 2026-05-04 | Unknown Or Other | This Preliminary information communicates direction to find information at… |
| PIT3271Q | 2026-04-01 | Unknown Or Other | This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel… |
| PIP6104 | 2026-03-09 | Unknown Or Other | This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and… |
| PIP4902V | 2026-03-09 | Unknown Or Other | This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into… |
| PIT6400A | 2026-01-16 | Unknown Or Other | This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform… |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.
EPA figures are 11 city / 16 highway / 12 combined mpg.