Chevrolet Traverse Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 921 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Chevrolet Traverse across 18 model years. The 2018 model year has the most (196). The words owners use most often: “shift park” (25% of reports).
- 921power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 18mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- $4,900typical repair cost reported by owners
- 36%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.
- Shift park: mentioned in 226 of 921 complaints (25%)
- Traction control: mentioned in 75 of 921 complaints (8%)
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 Chevrolet Traverse at $4,900, and half of them between $840 and $8,400.
Based on 41 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2026), 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 444 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 921 complaints, 18 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 7 an injury.
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 (6)
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2023
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT6, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2022-2023 Cadillac XT5 vehicles. The transmission may have been built with an incorrect sun gear, which can result in the driver-side half-shaft disengaging from the transmission.
Risk: A half-shaft disengaging from the transmission can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the sun gears, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2023. The remedy is expected to become available August 31, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC's number for this recall is N222389310.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Model years: 2023
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Blazer and Traverse vehicles. The left-side half-shaft assemblies may be missing a retaining ring.
Risk: A missing retaining ring on the half-shaft can cause half-shaft inner joint separation, resulting in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left-side half-shaft assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222390180.
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2020, 2021
Problem: Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place may chafe against the transmission case, possibly resulting in a transmission fluid leak.
Risk: A transmission fluid leak can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, a leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the screw and clip, and inspect for signs of contact with the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020
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.
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Model years: 2009
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 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving at 5â8 MPH, the transmission slipped. After coming to a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate for five seconds before jumping forward 3â5 feet. Several unknown warning lights briefly illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle…
2024 Chevrolet Traverse, 2.5L turbo (LK0). The cooling system has repeatedly lost coolant through quick-connect hose fittings. On 4-3-2026, at 36,650 miles, Washington Chevrolet replaced the radiator inlet hose under warranty for coolant loss. After that repair the vehicle kept losing coolant, and…
When I accelerate at a stoplight the car shuddered and slammed into gear then it shop the rpms up to 8000 and back down i was barely able to make it home and when I arrived at home I tried to park and it would not go into reverse tostraighten my vehicle. I had it towed to a shop the next morning…
My 2023 traverse rs experienced a loud grinding noise and sudden loss of power, almost like i slammed the brakes on while moving. I was in the middle of the road and i could have been rear ended. 10/12/26. This matches the GM recall N222389310 exactly but my vin is currently excluded. I am also…
My car the steering gets hard to turn I have to turn car off and bk on also at light it lose power and roll and come back on sometimes things work and some times it donât I have to shut off car and restart for things to work correctly and sometimes it work for a little bit while then start doing…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Traverses have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 921 owner complaints about power train for the Chevrolet Traverse. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Traverse power train?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,900 (half paid between $840 and $8,400), from 41 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Chevrolet Traverse?
The most frequent phrase is “shift park”, in 226 of 921 complaints, followed by “traction control” (75).
Other Chevrolet Traverse problems
- Engine problems (1,117)
- Air Bags problems (1,051)
- Steering problems (955)
- Electrical System problems (852)
- Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems (476)
- Service Brakes problems (393)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (306)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (208)
See all Chevrolet Traverse problems.