Your vehicle report
2018 Chevrolet Traverse
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 465
- Received Oct 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Gear shifter fails to register Park123 complaints · 26% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips36 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes25 complaints · 5.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V246000General 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.
- Recall #20V668000General 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Gear shifter fails to register ParkFirst signal: Jul 2019
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slipsFirst signal: Mar 2019
- Transmission fails or loses power while drivingFirst signal: Aug 2019
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 10 crashes, 2 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Gear shifter fails to register Park
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
- Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes
9 more problems
- Transmission fails or loses power while driving
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds
- Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion
- Transmission will not engage reverse gear
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 31 |
| 2019 | 58 |
| 2020 | 48 |
| 2021 | 37 |
| 2022 | 32 |
| 2023 | 50 |
| 2024 | 67 |
| 2025 | 85 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 55 |
| Total | 465 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 123 | 26% | 34.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 3.4% |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 36 | 7.7% | 2.4× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.0% |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 25 | 5.4% | 49.8× | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 22 | 4.7% | 3.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Aug 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.7% |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 12 | 2.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 12 | 2.6% | 1.5× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 12 | 2.6% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 11 | 2.4% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 11 | 2.4% | 4.1× | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 11 | 2.4% | 1.2× | |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 11 | 2.4% | 10.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2023 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 9 | 1.9% | 1.5× | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 9 | 1.9% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 8 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 1.5% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 6 | 1.3% | 8.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2025 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.9% |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 5 | 1.1% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 5 | 1.1% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 5 | 1.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #21V246000April 8, 2021108 vehicles affected
air bags: critical fasteners
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #20V668000October 29, 2020194,105 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN