Chevrolet
Chevrolet Traverse years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2018 and 2019. Best years: 2021 and 2022.
The 2018 and 2019 Chevrolet Traverse draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2018 has 461 complaints (51 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 406 complaints (51 for each year on the road), against a median of 33 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is shift to park warning (94 reports).
- 2,926complaints
- 21recall campaigns
- 10model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2018
Most reported: shift to park warning (94 reports, median 44,161 miles) and stalling (70 reports, median 24,450 miles).
2019
Most reported: shift to park warning (122 reports, median 50,000 miles) and stalling (47 reports, median 42,000 miles).
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- No single year holds most of the file. The busiest, the 2014, has 18% of the 2,926 complaints across 10 model years.
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Airbag leads in 4 of the 10 model years and has the most reports overall, 865. Pooled across the years, half of the 140 owners who gave a mileage for airbag were under about 65,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4% of Chevrolet Traverse complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2020, 13 of its 229 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report airbag also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 612 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 490. So far in 2026, 306 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2021 (89), 2022 (98), 2023 (89).
Year by year
2026 Chevrolet Traverse
24 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 2 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 1 recall: 26V-114 on the equipment.
2025 Chevrolet Traverse
179 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: brake wear (113 reports, median 5,400 miles), false collision warning (38 reports, median 3,900 miles) and phantom braking (15 reports). 4 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. No recalls.
2024 Chevrolet Traverse
137 owner complaints, 46 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (60 reports, median 18,454 miles), overheating (20 reports) and misfire (11 reports). No recalls.
2020 Chevrolet Traverse
229 owner complaints, 33 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine rattle (23 reports, median 85,000 miles), misfire (22 reports, median 90,100 miles) and infotainment (20 reports). 11 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 22V-210 on the airbags and 21V-817 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2019 Chevrolet Traverse avoid
406 owner complaints, 51 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (122 reports, median 50,000 miles), stalling (47 reports, median 42,000 miles) and infotainment (32 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain and 21V-246 on the airbags.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse avoid
461 owner complaints, 51 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (94 reports, median 44,161 miles), stalling (70 reports, median 24,450 miles) and transmission shudder (46 reports, median 21,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain and 21V-246 on the airbags.
2017 Chevrolet Traverse
361 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (263 reports, median 38,038 miles), stalling (12 reports) and brake wear (12 reports). 13 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 21V-782 on the airbags.
2016 Chevrolet Traverse
292 owner complaints, 27 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (163 reports, median 89,000 miles), power steering loss (18 reports, median 61,000 miles) and stalling (18 reports, median 12,000 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 21V-782 on the airbags.
2015 Chevrolet Traverse
313 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (162 reports, median 74,000 miles), traction control light (22 reports, median 58,150 miles) and power steering loss (20 reports, median 64,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 22V-246 on the airbags.
2014 Chevrolet Traverse
524 owner complaints, 40 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (257 reports, median 70,250 miles), traction control light (116 reports, median 75,000 miles) and stalling (92 reports, median 79,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 21V-782 on the airbags.
Recalls that cover several model years
The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Compare the Traverse with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Traverse vs Ford Explorer2014 to 2026
- Traverse vs Kia Telluride2020 to 2025
- Traverse vs GMC Acadia2014 to 2020
- Traverse vs Honda Pilot2014 to 2026
Questions
What Chevrolet Traverse years should you avoid?
The 2018 and 2019 Chevrolet Traverse draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2018 has 461 complaints (51 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 406 complaints (51 for each year on the road), against a median of 33 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is shift to park warning (94 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Traverse?
The 2021 and 2022 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 89 (15 a year) and 2022 has 98 (20 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Traverse?
Airbag, with 865 reports across the 10 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Traverse have?
21 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Traverse model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 21V-246 on the airbags, covers 6 model years.
How many Chevrolet Traverse complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2020 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for airbag on the Chevrolet Traverse?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.