2018 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Traverse years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 463 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. That ranks 4th out of 18 Traverse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (195 complaints, 42%), typically at around 32,500 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 2 fires, 7 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 463owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Chevrolet Traverse problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 195 | 42% | 32,500 | “shift park” (46%) | $5,850 |
| Unknown or Other | 105 | 23% | 15,438 | — | — |
| Electrical System problems | 102 | 22% | 21,700 | “shift park” (51%) | — |
| Engine problems | 85 | 18% | 18,835 | “shift park” (18%) | — |
| Service Brakes | 37 | 8% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 30 | 6% | 18,991 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 3% | 4,631 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 3% | 45,700 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 11 | 2% | 21,958 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 2% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 2% | 25,611 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 2% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 2% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 2% | 5,300 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 2% | 25,450 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 7 | 2% | 3,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 1% | 30,462 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 4,116 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 1,925 | — | — |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 121,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Chevrolet Traverse recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:critical fasteners
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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.
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. Took it to local shop for repair which cost $2700. After repair did some research…
For months we have had issues with the known issue of âShift to Parkâ which is a huge potential safety risk to myself, my children, and all of my neighbors who are ever remotely close to the vehicle. No dealer can resolve the known issue for this year/make/model. It has slipped from park to…
I am submitting this complaint regarding a complete transmission failure in my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse (VIN [redacted]). The vehicle's transmission stopped functioning altogether, resulting in a complete loss of propulsion. The vehicle can no longer be driven and requires repair/towing. A sudden…
the vehicle will not register that it is in park, when the engine is turned off a beeping noise reads shift to park - you have to start the engine and shut it off multiple times, or slam the shifter into place to get it register in park. this happens constantly and is starting to get old, and…
Other Chevrolet Traverse years
← 2017 Traverse · 2019 Traverse →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Traverse | 25 | 1 |
| 2025 Traverse | 183 | 0 |
| 2024 Traverse | 140 | 0 |
| 2023 Traverse | 92 | 2 |
| 2022 Traverse | 99 | 1 |
| 2021 Traverse | 92 | 3 |
| 2020 Traverse | 233 | 8 |
| 2019 Traverse | 411 | 3 |
| 2018 | 463 | 2 |
| 2017 Traverse | 361 | 3 |
| 2016 Traverse | 292 | 5 |
| 2015 Traverse | 313 | 5 |
| 2014 Traverse | 548 | 7 |
| 2013 Traverse | 162 | 4 |
| 2012 Traverse | 354 | 5 |
| 2011 Traverse | 608 | 5 |
| 2010 Traverse | 669 | 5 |
| 2009 Traverse | 448 | 8 |
See all Chevrolet Traverse problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners most often report power train, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 195 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Traverse model years, the 2018 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.