2019 Chevrolet Traverse problems, complaints & recalls
MoreSteady
NHTSA has received 403 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse, or 52.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.25, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #53 for fewest complaints per year. 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 2019-03-12 and 2026-08-27. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
403Complaints
52.5Complaints per year on the road
1.25Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls
4.0%Share involving a crash or fire
76Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2018) drew 52.7 complaints per year, about the same. The following model year (2020) drew 33.4 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 39 complaints, 52% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (37.2% of complaints), followed by Engine (16.1%) and Electrical (15.4%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 3.2 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Transmission / powertrain reports, owners most often mention “shift park”, “message”, “shifting park”, “shifter” and “transmission”. 16 reports (4.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 16 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 57 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (45% of incidents). In the last 12 months 76 new complaints were filed, versus 82 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls for this model year. 41% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.25
vs. other Chevrolet models1.14
vs. other 2019 models1.15
vs. other Midsize SUVs0.99
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (39)0.48
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).
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-27 · ODI 11760075 · Crash
Driver's side airbag. A car crashed into the driver's side at a 90 degree angle that caused damage starting right behind the driver's door and continued all the way to the rear of the vehicle.
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).
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-27 · ODI 11760078
The exhaust clamp rusted and broke, causing a hole in the exhaust which set off the engine light and eventually poisoned my catalytic converter costing $4000 to replace.
Interior & equipment · 2026-08-17 · ODI 11757554
The car will be placed in park but keeps saying shift to park. Then I have to turn the car on and off clicking the shift button till it will finally shut off. One time it took ten minutes. This needs to be a recall!!!
Electrical · 2026-07-09 · ODI 11749378
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.
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark, Traverse, and Trax vehicles. The Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) on these vehicle may not have been turned off of "manufacturing mode," preventing the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM module to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18365.
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?
403 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse, or about 52.5 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?
The most common category is Transmission / powertrain, accounting for 37.2% of complaints.
Does the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 76 new complaints were filed, versus 82 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 403 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse, or 52.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.25, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #53 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 14% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is about the same.