Common Problems With The Chevrolet Traverse (According To Owners)

The Chevrolet Traverse has been selling well since its introduction in the fall of 2008, with more than 1.2 million sold in North America, and now a fully redesigned Traverse offered for 2024. It initially garnered attention for affordable capacity, seating seven or eight at an MSRP starting under $30,000. It was the more budget friendly version of the same platform that the Saturn Outlook, the GMC Acadia, and the Buick Enclave were built atop. With front-wheel or all-wheel drive powered by a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine and, originally, a six-speed automatic transmission, this SUV has a lot going for it.

Unfortunately, the early models in particular had a few strikes against them that were not just inconvenient but potentially hazardous, according to owners. If you're shopping for a used Chevy Traverse, keep in mind there have been complaints and service bulletins concerning power steering failures and catastrophic engine failures that required engine replacement. Let's look at these, and some of the various Traverse transmission problems.

Engine failure has to be one of the scariest diagnoses to hear from your mechanic. According to CarComplaints.com, engine failure is one of the most-reported problems of the 2009-2012 Traverse, though the number of complaints were notably higher for model years '10 and '11. Buyers reported their vehicles making noises and suddenly losing power, stranding them by the side of the road. The engine died from bearings failing, timing chains stretching or breaking, or thrown rods – all highly damaging and expensive problems. 

The most common fix was to replace the engine, with CarComplaints citing an average repair cost between $5,200 and $6,300 –ouch. The high repair cost came from the fact that often the mileage on the consumers' vehicles was over the standard powertrain warranty limit of 60,000 miles when the engines failed. Even though there were a number of complaints relating to engine failure, the NHTSA doesn't list recalls for engine problems in the 2010 and 2011. 

According to the NHTSA, there haven't been recalls for the Traverse based on power steering issues, but it has a record of hundreds of complaints across multiple model years concerning power steering fading or going out. Some complaints relate to instances of engine failure at the same time. Others describe increasing difficulty turning the steering wheel at slow speeds. 

Given the length (205 inches) and weight (4,790 to 5,066 pounds)  of the 2010 model, for example, little or no power steering makes pulling over, parking, and other slow-speed maneuvers very difficult and potentially dangerous. One owner wrote to CarComplaints.com about losing steering and hitting several things by the side of the road. CarComplaints notes complaints focused on the 2010 and 2011 models, and that the problems tended to kick in after the typical warranty expired, leaving owners with repair costs above $1,300 to cover steering pump or rack and pinion replacement.

The Traverse has several big-ticket complaints from owners to go with its big size, and one frequent source of complaints has been the transmission. According to RepairPal.com, a large number of the transmission problems centered on loss of power while driving (with the vehicle slowing alarmingly from highway speeds), loud revving sounds without accompanying burst of power, overheating, hesitation, gear skipping, and not being able to put the SUV into reverse. Owners of model years 2009- 2014, and 2016 wrote in about their transmissions, with many messages coming from 2009 owners.

The manufacturer issued a recall for 2009 FWD and AWD models for possible roll-aways (if the car didn't fully shift into park), but not for the problems mentioned above. Instead, a Special Coverage Adjustment (PDF) was issued by GM to warn owners about a potential "cracked or fractured wave plate, resulting in a loss of 3rd, 5th and reverse gears," and offered to have dealers replace the affected parts at no charge "for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles (193,000 km)" after the vehicle first went into service. Those owners with Traverses out of warranty faced around $3,200 in charges for transmission rebuilds or replacements. By 2018, Chevy released a second generation of Traverse that used a nine-speed transmission to better effect.

The Traverse has had an issue with the "Service StabiliTrak" warning light turning on or staying on, and traction control turning off. In some 2011 models, the StabiliTrak warning light would come on while the SUV was struggling with other issues, such as engine failure. Several owners reported on an Edmunds.com forum that the fix for the StabiliTrak/traction control problem was to replace the throttle body on their vehicles. 

Other owners, on the TraverseForum.com website, found that these warning lights were going on as a result of an old battery that could not hold enough charge anymore. With a new battery, the lights did not reappear unless there was an actual problem with these safety features. It can be disconcerting and feel unsafe if a driver can't tell whether the warning light is signalling a real traction problem or just a sad battery.

More than one owner ended his or her complaint by saying they wish they had researched the model year they chose, in order to learn about its repair history and consumer complaints. It's an important lesson on what to look out for when used car shopping. Otherwise, buyers might find themselves writing in to CarComplaints.