Chevrolet Traverse problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 1,657 owner complaints and 13 safety recalls for the Chevrolet Traverse. That averages 43.8 complaints per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (index 1.04 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize SUVs segment it ranks #6 of 14 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 53.1.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
Across eight model years from 2018 to 2025, NHTSA has logged 1,657 owner complaints and 13 safety recalls for the Chevrolet Traverse, with the 2025 model year showing the highest rate at 103.4 complaints per year, which runs at least 50% above the model's own average. The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain, accounting for 26.9% of complaints and occurring 2.3 times as often here as across all tracked vehicles, while recurring terms in owner reports include "shift park," "exhaust," "pipe," "park message" and "shifter." Although 54 complaints describe a crash or fire with 53 injuries reported, the trend remains flat with 499 complaints filed in the last 12 months versus 400 in the previous year. Buyers should research the 2025 model carefully as it generated the most recent reports totaling 105, while model years 2021, 2022 and 2023 sit well below the average.
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.The trend is flat. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models are within 19% of the 2018 and 2019 models (65 early complaints per model year versus 65).
The 2025 model year has the highest rate (103.4 complaints per year) and the 2021 model year the lowest (15.5). The 2025 model year runs at least 50% above the model's own average — the one to research most carefully. Model years 2021, 2022 and 2023 sit well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (26.9% of complaints), followed by Engine (21.4%) and Electrical (14.7%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 2.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “shift park”, “exhaust”, “pipe”, “park message” and “shifter”. 54 complaints (3.3%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 53 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 499 complaints versus 400 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. The 2025 model year generated the most recent reports (105). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 41 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 13 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2020 (4). 1 NHTSA defect investigation has covered this model, 1 still open; the latest is “Electronic Brake Module Component Failure” (opened 2026-08-21, still open).
Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Dodge Durango, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder and Kia Sorento; Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot have more.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 457 | 52.7 | 1.25 | 91 | 1.02 | 86 | 2 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2019 | 403 | 52.5 | 1.25 | 39 | 0.48 | 76 | 3 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2020 | 223 | 33.4 | 0.79 | 25 | 0.44 | 58 | 8 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 Fewest complaints | 88 | 15.5 | 0.37 | 12 | 0.2 | 33 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
| 2022 | 95 | 20.3 | 0.48 | 20 | 0.27 | 39 | 1 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2023 | 86 | 23.4 | 0.56 | 31 | 0.37 | 30 | 2 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2024 | 132 | 49.3 | 1.17 | 100 | 1.42 | 72 | 0 | Brakes | View › |
| 2025 Years to research carefully | 173 | 103.4 | 2.46 | — | — | 105 | 0 | Brakes | View › |
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 499 · Previous 12 months: 400 Steady
Problem areas
Transmission / powertrain ›
445 · 26.9% · 2.31 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- shift park208
- transmission177
- shifter81
- park message54
Electrical ›
244 · 14.7% · 0.94 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- shift park74
- park error19
- battery63
- alternator24
Interior & equipment ›
196 · 11.8% · 1.32 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- shift park71
- exhaust40
- pipe23
- bracket18
Airbags & seat belts ›
51 · 3.1% · 0.81 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- seat belt19
- buckle12
- seatbelt13
- airbags13
Body & structure ›
43 · 2.6% · 0.28 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- fin6
- antenna6
- sunroof11
- shark4
Wheels, tires & suspension
29 · 1.8% · 0.7 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- toe14
- links14
- rear20
- tire9
Steering
25 · 1.5% · 0.23 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- steering19
- wheel13
- carefully3
- error message3
Lighting
18 · 1.1% · 0.69 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- moisture6
- bulb5
- led5
- high beams4
Other
17 · 1.0% · 0.57 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- seat10
- folded4
- row4
- pulled5
Driver-assist systems
14 · 0.8% · 0.15 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- activated4
- braking5
- system7
- behind4
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Common terms in reports
- shift park394
- exhaust192
- pipe112
- park message93
- shifter127
- bracket84
- message shift66
- turn279
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 41 months
What owners report
When driving at about 50 mph on a highway, there was a loud noise from the rear of the vehicle (something breaking) and the vehicle immediately veered into the oncoming lane (thankfully there was no traffic coming towards us, it is typically a busy road).
After turning the car on, engaging reverse, and then retuning back to park (driver stepped out of vehicle once in park) the vehicle reversed 60 feet on its on through a parking lot with 2 children inside of the car (disengaged from park on its own while…
I am filing a complaint regarding a persistent safety defect widely known as the "Shift to Park" issue. For over a year, my 2020 Chevrolet Traverse, VIN [XXX] has repeatedly displayed a "Shift to Park" warning message on the instrument cluster when the…
Bracket on the exhaust pipes just before the flex pipes broke free and there is now a hole in the pipe.
I made an error and incorrectly submitted an issue under the wrong vehicle, with NHTSA Safety Issue ID 11759404. This is the same submission under the correct vehicle and VIN. Issue ID 11759404 can be merged here or canceled.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Midsize SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge Durango | 752 | 15.2 | 0.36 | Improving | Steady | 18 | Lighting |
| 2 | Honda Passport | 652 | 17.6 | 0.42 | Improving | Rising | 16 | Engine |
| 3 | Nissan Pathfinder | 566 | 20.1 | 0.48 | Worsening | Rising | 12 | Engine |
| 4 | Kia Sorento | 1,382 | 36.2 | 0.86 | Stable | Rising | 17 | Engine |
| 5 | Ford Edge | 2,164 | 43.6 | 1.04 | Improving | Steady | 20 | Engine |
| 6 | Chevrolet Traverse | 1,657 | 43.8 | 1.04 | Stable | Steady | 13 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 7 | Toyota Highlander | 2,062 | 44.5 | 1.06 | Improving | Rising | 21 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 8 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 1,968 | 58.3 | 1.38 | Worsening | Rising | 26 | Engine |
| 9 | Ford Explorer | 3,122 | 65.6 | 1.56 | Improving | Steady | 70 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 10 | Honda Pilot | 2,824 | 67.4 | 1.6 | Stable | Steady | 26 | Engine |
| 11 | Kia Telluride | 1,945 | 73.6 | 1.75 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Body & structure |
| 12 | Subaru Outback | 3,749 | 77.0 | 1.83 | Improving | Steady | 15 | Body & structure |
| 13 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 3,335 | 85.9 | 2.04 | Worsening | Rising | 49 | Electrical |
| 14 | Hyundai Palisade | 2,277 | 102.2 | 2.43 | Worsening | Steady | 13 | Airbags & seat belts |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 13
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (2) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (8) · 2021 (3) · 2022 (1) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (0) · 2025 (0)
Investigations
- Electronic Brake Module Component Failure Open
On April 11, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24011 after receiving complaints concerning a loss of brake assist in 2023 MY Cadillac Lyriq vehicles. These complaints allege a hard brake pedal, followed by a âBrake System Failureâ message at start up or while driving. GM shared records regarding several internal investigations for loss of brake ass…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Traverse model year has the most complaints?
The 2025 model year has the highest rate (103.4 complaints per year) and the 2021 model year the lowest (15.5).
Is the Chevrolet Traverse getting better or worse?
The trend is flat. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models are within 19% of the 2018 and 2019 models (65 early complaints per model year versus 65). In the last 12 months owners filed 499 complaints versus 400 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.
What are the most common Chevrolet Traverse problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (26.9% of complaints), followed by Engine (21.4%) and Electrical (14.7%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “shift park”, “exhaust”, “pipe”, “park message” and “shifter”.
How does the Chevrolet Traverse compare with other Midsize SUVs?
Within the Midsize SUVs segment it ranks #6 of 14 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 53.1. Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Dodge Durango, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder and Kia Sorento; Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot have more.
Does the Chevrolet Traverse have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 13 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2020 (4). 1 NHTSA defect investigation has covered this model, 1 still open; the latest is “Electronic Brake Module Component Failure” (opened 2026-08-21, still open).