Engine. Review the 204 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 165 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 103 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports4 fire reports15 injury reports

What owners actually said

608 reports

116,000 miles · Feb 18, 2019

Engine

MY CAR DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 120000 MILES AND THE CRANKSHAFT IS OUT OF IT. I GET REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND MAINTAIN MY CAR. AS I WAS DRIVING MY CHEEK EVERYONE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE

NHTSA ODI #11180819

Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2019

Air BagsSteeringUnknown Or Other

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OUT OF NO WHERE MY AIR BAG LIGHTS CAME ON. THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT ISNT DETECTING WEIGHT AND STAYS OFF ALL THE TIME NOW, ALSO MY SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON FOR THE DRIVER AS WELL. I AM ALSO HAVING POWER STEERING ISSUES AS WELL. MY POWER STEERING FLUID IS FULL, NO LEAKS BUT THE STEERING IS HARD TO TURN. HAD THE STEERING PUMP CHECKED AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. MY LAST ISSUE IS WITH THE SPEAKERS THEY CUT IN AND CUT OUT ALL THE TIME AND NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN I ONLY HAVE MY TWEETERS FOR SOUND. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH CHEVY RIGHT NOW.

NHTSA ODI #11180377

Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2019

Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

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THIS IS TOWARD CHEVROLET AND ANY OTHER VEHICLE MAKERS THAT REQUIRE EXCESSIVE USE OF DEALERSHIPS FOR MINOR MAINTENANCE. I HAVE COMMUTED 40 MILES DAILY FOR 18 YEARS, I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED FORD VEHICLES AND HAD NO ISSUES WITH DOING MINOR REPAIRS MYSELF. WITH MY CHEVY VEHICLE I HAVE TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP OR REPAIR SHOP TO CHANGE A SIMPLE HEADLIGHT BECAUSE OF THE GREEDY DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THEY DID THIS ON PURPOSE SO THEY COULD MAKE MORE MONEY AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER SALES. IN THE PAST WHEN I DROVE FORDS IF MY HEADLIGHT WENT HOME I WOULD STOP A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM MY WORK AND POP ONE IN. I STOPPED ON EXIT RAMPS AND ADDED A NEW ONE MANY TIMED, KEEPING A EXTRA IN MY GLOVE BOX LIKE A PREPARED DRIVER. WITH MY TRAVERSE I HAVE GO IN AND HAVE THE TIRE TAKEN OFF AND THE WHEEL WHEEL PLASTIC OFF TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHT. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND RIDICULOUS. I'VE COMPLAINED TO CHEVY WITHOUT A RESPONSE. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE TO SAVE LIVES. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR LONG COMMUTERS. IMAGINE BEING ON VACATION AND HAVING TO SPEND A DAY OF IT AT A DEALERSHIP GETTING YOUR HEADLIGHT CHANGED FOR $125.00. WE LIVE IN MN AND FREQUENTLY HAVE TO CHANGE BULBS DUE TO --60 DEGREE WIND CHILLS. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP UP WITH, AND SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. WHEN YOU SPEND $30K-50K ON A VEHICLE IT SHOULD BE SAFE AND EASY TO MAINTAIN SAFETY. DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HAVING TO PULL OUT THE FLOORING OF THE 2ND ROW TO CHANGE A BATTERY.

NHTSA ODI #11179788

6 miles · Feb 13, 2019

Engine

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WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN A I HEARD A BANG NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED, NO WARNING SIGNS NOTHING. MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT, THE ENGINE LOCKED AND TOLD ME IT WAS THE TIMING BELT AND IT GAVE OUT, AND I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE COMPLETELY. LOOKED ONLINE THERE HAS BEEN SIMILAR CASES AND GM IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. NOW I'M LOOKING AT $7,880 TO GET THE CAR RUNNING. THE VALUE OF THE CAR IS OVER 8K MECHANIC SAID ITS A TOTAL LOST BECAUSE ITS ABOUT WHAT THE CAR IS VALUED. VERY DISAPPOINTING, HAVE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11176662

110,000 miles · Feb 12, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

REDUCED POWER ON VECHILE WITH DASH LIGHTS INDICATING CHECK STABILE TRACK. SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS. HAPPENED 3 TIMES FINALLY HAD TO REPLACE THROTTLE BODY AND HARNESS FOR $550. NO RECALLS? 110,000 MILES. VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE CAR SLOW DOWN ON HIGHWAY DURING WINTER CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ODI #11176445

100,000 miles · Feb 3, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineUnknown Or Other

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WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR BEING DRIVEN THE TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF, THE STABILIZER GOES OUT, AND THE ENGINE POWER REDUCES. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND I LOST POWER GOING FROM 65 MPH DOWN TO 25-30 MPH. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND SHUT OFF THE CAR, WAITED FOR 15 MINUTES AND STARTED DRIVING AGAIN. I HADN'T GONE FAR AND ALL THE WARNINGS CAME UP AGAIN AND POWER WAS REDUCED. WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN THE SAME THING HAPPENS AND I CAN BE GOING 25 MPH AND THE POWER GOES DOWN TO 10 MPH. WARNING LIGHTS SAY TRACTION 'CONTROL OFF, STABILIZER OFF, ENGINE POWER REDUCED. ALL OF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR BEING DRIVEN!!!

NHTSA ODI #11173794

101,000 miles · Jan 24, 2019

Fuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

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WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY ON A FREEWAY WHERE SPEED LIMITS ARE 65+ THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER AND ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH SPEEDS ABOVE 15 MPH. SEVERAL CODES APPEAR "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" "TRACTION CONTROL OFF". THE CAUSE IS A FAULTY THROTTLE BODY, WHICH IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART IT JUST RANDOMLY FAILS. ONLINE FORUMS SHOW REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM 100S AND 100S OF TIMES DATING BACK TO AT LEAST 2014, ON LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES NO LESS. DEALERS DENY KNOWING OF A PROBLEM. CHEVY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MANY CUSTOMERS YET NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND DEALERSHIPS AREN'T AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN ORDER TO FIX IT. A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER LIKE THIS COULD BE FATAL. IF YOUR FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE NEAR A DEALERSHIP YOU MIGHT FIND A REPAIR. OTHERWISE YOUR STUCK TRYING TO LIMP IT TO A SHOP, FIND THE PART AND RESET THE IDLE CODES. THIS IS TURNING INTO A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR.

NHTSA ODI #11171923

126,000 miles · Jan 23, 2019

Suspension

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHOCKS WERE FRACTURED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WIILIS CHEVROLET BUICK (2707 S DUPONT BLVD, SMYRNA, DE 19977) AND TEST DRIVEN. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SHOCKS WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL EVENTUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER, AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

NHTSA ODI #11171649

135,000 miles · Jan 22, 2019

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

MY TRAVERSE HAS BEEN LOOSING POWER TRACK CONTROL CUTS OFF AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON. AT TIMES IT DOESN'T SHIFT GEARS. WHEN THE TEMP GETS DOWN IN THE 30'S IT MESSES UP. CAN'T GO VERT FAR WITHOUT IT STOPPING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I'VE HAD THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11171313

110,000 miles · Jan 20, 2019

Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

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'TIMING CHAIN'. RECENTLY ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ON AND GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING MY 2011 CHEVY TRAVERSE LT 3.6L WITH ALMOST 113,000 MILES. I USED MY SCANNER AND CODES P0008 AND P0017 APPEARED. AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT, 1. THE CODES ARE FOR THE ENGINE TIMING CHAIN. 2. TONS OF CUSTOMERS THAT OWN THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR AS MINE ALONG WITH MANY DIFFERENT GM MODEL VEHICLES THAT HAVE THE 3.6 L ENGINE, ARE HAVING THE SAME CODE AND ENGINE PROBLEM. 3. GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY UP TO 120,000 MILES ON SOME OF THE 2011 CHEVY TRAVERSE'S AND OTHER GM MAKES AND MODELS. GM ADVISED ME THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED AND I SHOULD BRING MY VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST GM DEALER TO HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO ADAMS CHEVROLET LOCATED IN HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND ON 01/10/19. ADAMS CHEVROLET TECH STATS: FOUND CODES P0008 AND 0017. FOUND TIMING IS NOT IN SYNC DUE TO FAULTY TIMING CHAINS. STATED CUSTOMER DECLINED REPAIRS AT THIS TIME. CUSTOMER WOULD NEED TO REPLACE TIMING CHAINS AND ACTUATORS. I CONTACTED GM A SECOND TIME A FEW DAYS AFTER I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO ADAMS CHEVROLET, THE GM EMPLOYEE STATED THAT SHE WILL NOTE EVERYTHING AND HAS MY CURRENT ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER ON FILE IF THEY NEED TO GET AHOLD OF ME. SHE STATED AGAIN MY VIN IS NOT COVERED AND THAT I SHOULD KEEP IN TOUCH WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE FROM A GM DEALERSHIP AND SEE IF THEY WILL WORK WITH ME ON A PRICE AT MY EXPENSE. I HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING IN 2018 AND ADAMS CHEVROLET RECENTLY ADVISED ME THAT THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE POWER STEERING AS WELL BUT TIMING CHAIN IS NOT COVERED ON MY VIN. MY 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE TIMING CHAIN AND /OR ISSUES RELATED TO THAT PROBLEM NEEDS RPLACED FOR FREE OR I WILL GRACEFULLY ACCEPT A NEW VEHICLE FROM GM FOR FREE AND YOU CAN HAVE MY TRAVERSE BACK. RESPECTFULLY,DYLAN

NHTSA ODI #11171076

Official recalls

21V246000 · Air Bags:critical Fasteners

Apr 8, 2021

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

15V415000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Jun 30, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

14V266000 · Seat Belts

May 20, 2014

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

14V118000 · Air Bags:side/window

Mar 17, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

12V151000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Apr 9, 2012

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SNOW OR ICE BUILDUP ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPER MAY RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, CAUSING THE WIPER ARM TO LOOSEN AND CAUSE THE WIPER TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA20002 · Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

Opened Aug 31, 2020 · Closed Aug 30, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:anchorage

On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Seat Belts:front

Seat Belts

RQ19003 · Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

Opened May 28, 2019 · Closed Aug 31, 2020

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:anchorage; Seat Belts:pretensioner

On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Seat Belts:front

Seat Belts:pretensioner