2018 Chevrolet Traverse problems, complaints & recalls
MoreWithin ±30% year on year
NHTSA has received 463 owner complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, or 52.7 per year on the road — more complaints than typical (complaint index 1.31, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #55 of 76 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 14% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is about the same.
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
Complaints filed between 2017-10-06 and 2026-10-10. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
463Complaints
52.7Complaints per year on the road
1.31Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
2Recalls
2.2%Share involving a crash or fire
72Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 52.8 per year, about the same. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 91 complaints, 6% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (35.9% of complaints), followed by Engine (21.6%) and Unspecified or other (12.5%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 3.1 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 10 reports (2.2%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 7 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 60 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (50% of incidents). In the last 12 months 72 new complaints were filed, versus 79 in the 12 months before — down 9%.
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.31
vs. other Chevrolet models1.14
vs. other 2018 models1.11
vs. other Midsize SUVs1.0
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (91)1.06
2018 Chevy Traverse purchased from Carvana caused carbon monoxide exposure to my family in military housing. Vehicle locked itself while running in the garage (garage door open), and CO entered the home where my children were standing near the interior door.
Electrical · 2026-06-19 · ODI 11745280
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the driveway was on a slope, and his wife was attempting to reenter the vehicle while it was in parked and the engine was running, and in the process the vehicle began to roll forward down…
Brakes · 2025-07-01 · ODI 11670496 · Crash
Sporadic issues when parking. When pressing the push to start button to turn off when in park, it will not turn off. It displays shift to park. Sometimes it appears to happen on unlabeled surfaces.
Unspecified or other · 2026-10-10 · ODI 11770292
First issue-cracked catalytic converter caused leaking carbon monoxide inside vehicle. When I was driving I could smell strong, nauseating fuel smell and would have to drive with windows open to try and get fresh air.
Engine · 2026-10-01 · ODI 11768232
For months we have had issues with the known issue of “Shift to Park” which is a huge potential safety risk to myself, my children, and all of my neighbors who are ever remotely close to the vehicle.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-18 · ODI 11765375
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS Campaign 21V246000 · 2021-04-08
Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 20V668000 · 2020-10-29
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
