2009 Chevrolet Traverse Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 90,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “wave plate” (14% of reports).
- 58power train complaints
- 90,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $5,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Wave plate: mentioned in 8 of 58 complaints (14%)
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 7 of 58 complaints (12%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse at $5,450, and half of them between $4,900 and $6,800.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 46 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 58 complaints, 2 mention a crash.
Chevrolet Traverse power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Traverse | 3 | 12% | — |
| 2025 Traverse | 13 | 7% | 3,000 |
| 2024 Traverse | 19 | 13% | 1,350 |
| 2023 Traverse | 31 | 34% | 66,200 |
| 2022 Traverse | 43 | 43% | 47,000 |
| 2021 Traverse | 16 | 17% | 95,500 |
| 2020 Traverse | 39 | 17% | 68,500 |
| 2019 Traverse | 170 | 41% | 57,000 |
| 2018 Traverse | 196 | 42% | 32,750 |
| 2017 Traverse | 18 | 5% | 60,770 |
| 2016 Traverse | 37 | 13% | 42,357 |
| 2015 Traverse | 23 | 7% | 61,500 |
| 2014 Traverse | 36 | 7% | 54,125 |
| 2013 Traverse | 28 | 17% | 90,000 |
| 2012 Traverse | 46 | 13% | 87,000 |
| 2011 Traverse | 79 | 13% | 70,000 |
| 2010 Traverse | 66 | 10% | 84,161 |
| 2009 Traverse | 58 | 13% | 90,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Problem: General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in "park".
Risk: The driver may not be able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that when she started her vehicle and shifted into drive (D) and depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that she attempted to drive the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to exceed…
I bought the car in August of last year and drove it for about 3 days before it started giving me problems. First incident I was driving my children home from the hairdresser and the car completely went out us on the highway, after repeated attempts for a half hour or so I was able to start it and…
Wiring failing, abs won't work, track control not working, reverse camera, stable track,
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Chevrolet Traverses have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 58 owner complaints about power train for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse (13% of the 448 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 90,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,450 (half paid between $4,900 and $6,800), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse?
The most frequent phrase is “wave plate”, in 8 of 58 complaints, followed by “transmission failed” (7).
Other 2009 Chevrolet Traverse problems
- Steering problems (231)
- Engine problems (50)
See all 2009 Chevrolet Traverse problems or power train problems across all Traverse years.