Front exhaust pipe breaks at bracket due to poor design and ineffective welding causing exhaust leak, exhaust rattle, multiple trouble codes. Technical service bulletin PIP5681 and Special Coverage Adjustment N212356540 already exist for known problem.
2020 Chevrolet Traverse
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2020 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
Limited mileage data: 55 of 226 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
226 reportsMuffler pipes are rubbing on the metal that was used to hold the muffler pipes from dragging. There is nothing to stop this from happening. If it’s Rubbing holes in the muffler then it’s allowing the fumes into the ozone layer and also wasting gas and messing the engine up m, causing the engine to read wrong. This is not Normal …
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Muffler pipes are rubbing on the metal that was used to hold the muffler pipes from dragging. There is nothing to stop this from happening. If it’s Rubbing holes in the muffler then it’s allowing the fumes into the ozone layer and also wasting gas and messing the engine up m, causing the engine to read wrong. This is not Normal wear and tear this is a manufactured default that should not be my responsibility bc it wasn’t secured correctly.
We brought our Traverse into the dealership for a check engine light. The resulting inspection revealed as follows. The bracket welded from the f-pipe to the muffler at bank 2 was found to be cracked by the DeMontrond Chevrolet Dealership in Texas City, Texas where the vehicle was purchased in March of 2020. I am a non-destruc…
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We brought our Traverse into the dealership for a check engine light. The resulting inspection revealed as follows. The bracket welded from the f-pipe to the muffler at bank 2 was found to be cracked by the DeMontrond Chevrolet Dealership in Texas City, Texas where the vehicle was purchased in March of 2020. I am a non-destructive testing inspector; so, once the vehicle got home, I inspected it myself & found it to not only have a crack in the piping but also severe lack of penetration in the welds. Both of these are original manufacturing workmanship defects. The resulting defects present severe health hazards as the vehicle now leaks CO₂ in a location not visible unless inspecting the exhaust system & as the stress fracture grows around the piping it could eventually result in the piping breaking through or loose under the vehicle while driving down the road. If the piping were to break through then the vehicle would no longer be in compliance with the EPA for emissions by a long shot. As it sits the vehicle will fail a state inspection due to the permanent code the computer is throwing from the leak. The above listed hazards have already been noted by the NHTSA in Bulletin No. PIP5681C & in Special Coverage Adjustment N212356540 Front Exhaust Pipe from GM. The bulletin only states the issues; however, the special adjustment provides the 2019 Traverse drivers with an extended warranty for the above listed issues. I would like to request that the 2020 Chevrolet Traverse be considered for the same extended coverage of 15yrs or 150,000mi via GM for the cost of the replacement of the f-pipe, three gaskets, & the muffler as these are original manufacturing defects. If it was not for the vehicles check engine light coming on these issues would have gone unnoticed until an even further point in time taking us further away from the original warranty of 2yrs or 24,000 which is clearly not a long enough period for these issues to present themselves & be corrected.
I was driving down the street and my car started to randomly jerk. When I pushed the gas the car got slower. Once in a safe place I pulled over and sat there for a few minutes. When I accelerated again the car had a sound like the car was speeding up, but there was no speed. It drifted. So I crossed the traffic light and pulled …
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I was driving down the street and my car started to randomly jerk. When I pushed the gas the car got slower. Once in a safe place I pulled over and sat there for a few minutes. When I accelerated again the car had a sound like the car was speeding up, but there was no speed. It drifted. So I crossed the traffic light and pulled over again. I turned the car off. I waited for about 5 minutes, turned the car on and that's when the engine light came on. I had to drive slower to make it home. Once I made it home I put the car in Reverse and noticed that my back up camera was not working as well. I am so frustrated.
This vehicle has completely lost power and stalled on the freeway twice. The first time, I was with my wife and children when it happened on the highway. The vehicle stalled in the far right lane of traffic and it wouldn't restart. We had to risk our lives and push the vehicle off the freeway and onto the shoulder while other ve…
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This vehicle has completely lost power and stalled on the freeway twice. The first time, I was with my wife and children when it happened on the highway. The vehicle stalled in the far right lane of traffic and it wouldn't restart. We had to risk our lives and push the vehicle off the freeway and onto the shoulder while other vehicles raced by. We are fortunate that we did not die or become seriously injured. The second time the vehicle stalled on the highway, my wife was crossing the highway and the vehicle once again lost all power and shut-off. She is fortunate that she was not killed in a T-bone collision. The first time, there was a dash warning stating to SERVICE ESC. The second time, there was no warning lights or dash illumination of a problem beforehand. The vehicle has been taken to the Chevrolet dealership twice. They ran a diagnostic and stated the starter was pulling too many amps which caused the vehicles fuse block to blow, resulting in total failure of all vehicle components. Total repair cost for first repair was approximately 1,000 dollars. We are awaiting the service advisors diagnostic for this second incident. The first repair is covered under a 2 year unlimited mile warranty so hopefully when they replace the starter and fuse block this time, they will also find the root cause of the problem. I feel as if our lives and well-being are in jeopardy since the first incident and we no longer feel safe driving this vehicle which has stalled twice during highway conditions. I am confident that we will no longer be GM consumers due to these life risking incidents.
255/65R18 11T M+S I have to keep taking my vehicle in to get air filled into the tires due to losing air in them after a few days.
Exhaust manifold/down pipe to cat. The exhaust pipe broke just past where it hooks up to the engine block. The breakage caused exhaust fumes to enter the cabin while not moving and at idle. The vehicle has 80K plus miles so was out of warranty. I fixed the issue myself since I have the technical and mechanical know how. There ne…
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Exhaust manifold/down pipe to cat. The exhaust pipe broke just past where it hooks up to the engine block. The breakage caused exhaust fumes to enter the cabin while not moving and at idle. The vehicle has 80K plus miles so was out of warranty. I fixed the issue myself since I have the technical and mechanical know how. There never was any check engine or other warning lights. Nothing caused the issue other than normal everyday driving. I had to disconnect the exhaust from the block and after the cat. I welded the pipe back together and fixed the issue. I could have bought a replacement part for over $400, but that was not possible on our budget at this time.
Display screen for camera is black with indicator of camera malfunction. In for repair at dealer 3 times 1) first diagnosis was the video control module, that was replace and worked for a few months 2) second time black screen, diagnosis was rear camera, that was replaced, worked a few months. 3) black screen again, currently in…
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Display screen for camera is black with indicator of camera malfunction. In for repair at dealer 3 times 1) first diagnosis was the video control module, that was replace and worked for a few months 2) second time black screen, diagnosis was rear camera, that was replaced, worked a few months. 3) black screen again, currently in for repair again
The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 - 40 MPH, the contact rear-ended another vehicle. The driver's side front seat belt pre-tensioner was loose and did not restrain the contact in the seat upon impact. The air bags were deployed upon impact. The contact suffered …
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The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 - 40 MPH, the contact rear-ended another vehicle. The driver's side front seat belt pre-tensioner was loose and did not restrain the contact in the seat upon impact. The air bags were deployed upon impact. The contact suffered bruising on her chest, a lacerated thumb, and a fractured elbow from the air bag deployment. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,500.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The parking brake symbol also displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the instrument panel then went blank. The contact drove the vehicle to his residence and parked the vehicle.…
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The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The parking brake symbol also displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the instrument panel then went blank. The contact drove the vehicle to his residence and parked the vehicle. The contact then noticed that after turning the vehicle off, the radio remained on and the contact was unable to manually turn off the radio. The contact attempted to start the vehicle the following day and the battery was drained. The contact had the vehicle jump-started and drove the vehicle to a dealer who attempted to diagnose the vehicle however, all the data had been erased. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,700.
Official recalls
822V210000 · Air Bags:side/window:curtain
Mar 31, 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212352140.
21V817000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Oct 18, 2021
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
21V115000 · Tires
Feb 25, 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. 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 N212329050.
20V684000 · Tires
Nov 5, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 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 N202319030.
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.
20V639000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Oct 15, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module. The recall began November 16, 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 N202314760.
20V446000 · Air Bags:side/window:curtain:inflator
Jul 30, 2020
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
19V643000 · Structure:frame And Members
Sep 6, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The right-hand frame rail in the engine compartment may be cracked.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A crack in the frame rail may reduce crash performance, increasing the risk of an injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N192268310.
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.
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