IllustrationTODAY DRIVING AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH. CAR STARTED TO LOSE SPEED, ENGINE LIGHT ,PARK BRAKE LIGHT AND DASH READ ENGINE IN REDUCED SPEED. STILL NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND HAS BEEN TO DEALERSHIP, SERVICE DEPT AFTER EACH OCCURANCE. NOT SAFE.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 302.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Traverse years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
810–25K
4925–50K
2650–75K
1875–100K
9100–150K
3150K+
186 reports with mileage · 274 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 194 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
Power Train complaints
194 reportsDRIVING DOWN BUSY ROAD AT ABOUT 35 40 MILES AN HOUR. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN ENGINE LIGHT PARK LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. DRIFTED INTO PARKING LOST. THEN ONLY ENGINE LIGHT WAS SHOWING. NEXT A MESSAGE OF ENGINE REDUCE POWER WAS ON DISPLAY. CALLED DEALERSHIP STATED NOT TO DRIVE AND HAD IT TOWED IN. NOW NO ENGINE LIGHT IS PRESENT. …
Read full complaint
DRIVING DOWN BUSY ROAD AT ABOUT 35 40 MILES AN HOUR. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN ENGINE LIGHT PARK LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. DRIFTED INTO PARKING LOST. THEN ONLY ENGINE LIGHT WAS SHOWING. NEXT A MESSAGE OF ENGINE REDUCE POWER WAS ON DISPLAY. CALLED DEALERSHIP STATED NOT TO DRIVE AND HAD IT TOWED IN. NOW NO ENGINE LIGHT IS PRESENT. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED. NOT SAFE AT ALL.
ONCE VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO PARK, A WARNING MESSAGE (ALONG WITH BEEPING) STATES IT STILL NEEDS TO BE SHIFTED TO PARK. VEHICLE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING PARK MODE WHEN STATIONARY.
1. WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING WHILE RAINING AND 2. NOW, THE SHIFTER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, WHEN YOU SHIFT INTO PARK YOU GET AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT THE CAR IS NOT IN PARK AND CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF UNTIL YOU JIGGLE THE SHIFTER
WHEN SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO PARK, AFTER PRESSING THE START/STOP BUTTON TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN OFF AND ALERT WITH DINGS AND DISPLAY A MESSAGE TO SHIFT TO PARK. IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE VEHICLE TO TURN OFF. THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
WHILE DRIVING 50 MILES AN HOUR IN AWD, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE D STARTED FLASHING AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO DISENGAGE. THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL INSIDE THE CAB. I PULLED OVER AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE THE REMAINING 5 MILES HOME.
I HAVE HAD TWO MAJOR ISSUES. FIRST IS THE WHOLE "SHIFT TO PARK" MESSAGE THAT YOU HAVE TO VIGOROUSLY WIGGLE THE TRANSMISSION LEVER TO GET TO GO AWAY SO YOU MAY EXIT THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALER FOR IT ONCE ALREADY AND THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE WIREING HARNESS. THIS DID NOTHING. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND I HAD THAT D…
Read full complaint
I HAVE HAD TWO MAJOR ISSUES. FIRST IS THE WHOLE "SHIFT TO PARK" MESSAGE THAT YOU HAVE TO VIGOROUSLY WIGGLE THE TRANSMISSION LEVER TO GET TO GO AWAY SO YOU MAY EXIT THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALER FOR IT ONCE ALREADY AND THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE WIREING HARNESS. THIS DID NOTHING. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND I HAD THAT DONE AT ABOUT 35,000 MILES BUT IT NEVER COMPLETELY WENT AWAY. NOW I AM AT 50,000 MILES AND FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS I HAVE BEEN NOTICING TERRIBLE HIGH PITCH NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE BAD ROAD NOISE BUT ITS COMING FROM THE DRIVE TRAIN. SO FAR IT HAS SEEMED TO HAPPEN MOSTLY AROUND THE 72 TO 78 MPH RANGE ON THE HWY. AS SOON AS YOU LET OFF THE GAS THE NOISE GOES AWAY BUT 50% OF THE TIME THE NOISE COMES BACK WHEN YOU REAPPLY THE GAS. SOMETIMES IT TAKES DRASTICALLY CHANGING SPEED AND THEN TRYING TO GET BACK TO NORMAL. MY FAMILY AND I TRAVEL A LOT. THAT'S WHY WE GOT THE TRAVERSE AND OTHERWISE HAVE LOVED IT! BUT I AM SO VERY SCARRED THAT MY FAMILY WILL GET STRANDED IN BUSY AND DANGEROUS TRAFFIC.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO RELEASE FROM PARK INTO DRIVE. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 70-85 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN SEVERAL TIMES TO WILSON CHEVROLET (4850 W 6TH AVE, STILLWATER, OK 74074, (877) 526-5255) TO BE DIA…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO RELEASE FROM PARK INTO DRIVE. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 70-85 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN SEVERAL TIMES TO WILSON CHEVROLET (4850 W 6TH AVE, STILLWATER, OK 74074, (877) 526-5255) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHIFT CONTROL ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
A 'SHIFT TO PARK' MESSAGE APPEARS AFTER SHIFT TO PARK. VEHICLE DOES NOT COMPLETELY TURN OFF. DEALER SAID IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. 44161 MILES ON CAR.
SHIFT TO PARK COMES ON WHEN PUT IN PARK. WON'T TURN OFF OR DINGS WHEN GET OUT BUT EVERYTHING IS STILL POWERED AND BEEPS AT YOU WHEN YOU TRY TO GET OUT. I TOOK IN AND SUPPOSEDLY DEALERSHIP FIXED WITH A NEW HARNESS BUT IT STILL DOES IT 2HOURS OUT OF THE SHOP. NOT SAFE COULD ROLL BACKWARDS AND KILL SOMEONE.
Official recalls
221V246000 · 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.
20V668000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Oct 29, 2020
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.