2012 Chevrolet Traverse Engine Problems
Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, 32% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 96,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “traction control” (35% of reports).
- 115engine complaints
- 96,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $9,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 49%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.
- Traction control: mentioned in 40 of 115 complaints (35%)
- Timing chain: mentioned in 27 of 115 complaints (23%)
- Engine power: mentioned in 19 of 115 complaints (17%)
- Service stabilitrak: mentioned in 7 of 115 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse at $9,400, and half of them between $6,450 and $10,900.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2021), 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 engine problems happen?
Based on 97 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 115 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Traverse engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Traverse | 5 | 20% | 2,700 |
| 2025 Traverse | 13 | 7% | 34,188 |
| 2024 Traverse | 31 | 22% | 1,200 |
| 2023 Traverse | 18 | 20% | 44,000 |
| 2022 Traverse | 18 | 18% | 17,000 |
| 2021 Traverse | 11 | 12% | 86,500 |
| 2020 Traverse | 70 | 30% | 58,000 |
| 2019 Traverse | 62 | 15% | 18,500 |
| 2018 Traverse | 85 | 18% | 18,835 |
| 2017 Traverse | 25 | 7% | 30,272 |
| 2016 Traverse | 31 | 11% | 46,900 |
| 2015 Traverse | 37 | 12% | 46,359 |
| 2014 Traverse | 118 | 22% | 67,385 |
| 2013 Traverse | 45 | 28% | 89,500 |
| 2012 Traverse | 115 | 32% | 96,000 |
| 2011 Traverse | 204 | 34% | 86,000 |
| 2010 Traverse | 178 | 27% | 86,944 |
| 2009 Traverse | 50 | 11% | 112,485 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
White smoke was coming out the car and my car eventually sat on fire. I had to call the fire department.. fire department stated that it was a electrical issue
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle stopped abruptly. The check engine, traction control, stability control, and air conditioner warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated…
The air conditioning stopped working after working amazing, Traction Control Disabled light keeps coming on, The RPM's would rev up seems like it gets stuck then drops to normal. stabilitrak messages with the ABS warning light lit up, Power steering (or power control) goes limp (at the worse times…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Traverses have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 115 owner complaints about engine for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse (32% of the 354 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 2012 Chevrolet Traverse engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 96,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners report a typical cost of $9,400 (half paid between $6,450 and $10,900), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
The most frequent phrase is “traction control”, in 40 of 115 complaints, followed by “timing chain” (27).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Traverse problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Traverse problems or engine problems across all Traverse years.