ChevroletCity Express2016Overview/chevrolet/city-express/2016/base/

2016 Chevrolet City Express

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 City Express.

Body TRUCKTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2016 Chevrolet City Express is a compact truck-based cargo van powered by an engine requiring 4.6 quarts of 5W-30 oil, paired with an automatic transmission featuring variable gear ratios and delivering an EPA-estimated 25 mpg combined (24 city/26 highway). Within its 20152018 model run, complaint data shows a peak of 10 issues in the inaugural year, tapering to just 1 by 2018, positioning the 2016 model year early in a clear trend of improving reliability.

Model year2018201720162015

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.6 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy24/26/25 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI NS battery, OE oil filter 19317651. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI NSOEM · verified
Tire size185/60R15OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter19317651
Engine air filter19316246
Spark plug19316339
Battery88866270
Front wiper blades19317320 alt 19318364
Serpentine belt19316080
Thermostat19316306 alt 19316308

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length186.2 in
Overall width68.1 in
Overall height73.6 in
Wheelbase115.4 in
Curb weight3252 lb
Track (front / rear)59.8 / 59.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)52/48

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined24 / 26 / 25 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.6 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidAC Delco VTF fluid part number 1920800
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.8
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.6 qt
Power Steering FluidGM part number 89021185

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs89 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts20
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts24
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts40.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel HubInstall a new nut and torque to 96.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAc Delco
Spark Plug Gap.043 in
Spark Plug Torque14 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity0.89-1.00 lbs

Service checks

Pressure Test23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief11-14 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature177-182 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60
Residual Pressure43-58 in idle psi
Engine Compression100 min psi

Brakes

Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementStamped on rotor
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.001
Maximum Rotor Runout0.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
120.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: loosen all bolts completely, Step 3: 15.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 6020 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
170

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 5,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 5,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 10,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 20,000 miFuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 40,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 45,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 175,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
889
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

16V244000Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant ClassificationReported 26/04/2016

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50… Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control…

25V676000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump:Control/Drive ModuleReported 09/10/2025

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2021 NV200 Van, 2014-2017, 2019 NV200 Taxi, and 2015-2018 Chevrolet City Express vehicles. The Fuel Tank Temperature (FTT) sensor harness may have been… Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reroute the FTT sensor harness or replace the fuel pump assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 889 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific City Express. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2016 City Express take?

4.6 qt of 5W-30 meeting GM Dexos 1 specification or equivalent., per the factory manual.

Does the 2016 City Express have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the City Express get?

EPA figures are 24 city / 26 highway / 25 combined mpg.