Complaint volume
437 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Chevrolet Traverse Complaints
437 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, grouped by component category.
437 Total complaints
9 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
2 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 9 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 2 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 183 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 69,391 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, unknown or other, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse complaints?
9 Crash
2 Fire
2 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Chevrolet Traverse complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 108
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 54
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20
ENGINE 18
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 14
SERVICE BRAKES 14
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8
437 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | as i come to a stop and go to accelerate my transmission stutters and sometimes slips,i went to gm website and there is a recall on the 2018 chevy traverse transmission but my vin isnt included. i have all the symptons of the recall as described on the gm website but again my vin isnt included in the recall. it only has 61k miles i been having issue since around 30k i been in and out of dealership but the test drive it and it doesnt do it and they just give it back to me,they told me i gotta catch it doing it and try to get it in.i contacted chevy and they instructed me to come to this site fill this form out. chevy told me my vehicle probally wasnt included in the recall because not enough people reported it so i should fill out a report. around 55k miles when the transmission slipped and the rpms rose really high it snapped the drive shaft which was scary as i had my children in car and car just stopped moving right in the middle of traffic if it would of been busy i could of been rear ended because of the sudden stoppage. i keep trying to get back in dealership but i work mornings so the driving i do is later i day so when it acts up the dealer is closed and they are closed sat and sun so by the time i get to them the next day or on a monday it doesnt do it for them so they just keep giving me car back and i keep worrying about something happening like on the highway with my kids in car. the dealer did have someone test drive car and it did reproduce the symptoms but they made appointment for following week and when tech it then it didnt act up so it was returned to me once again | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Having to have the torque converter looked into, 2nd vehicle in the last 2 years with what appears to be same shifting / shuttering problem! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Special coverage programs for the 2018 Chevy Traverse front exhaust pipe mounting bracket failure. GM has focused on coverage specifically on 2019-2021 models, but 2018 models are affected as well. I'm being forced to pay for a new exhaust when 2018 models should have been included for the Specific special coverage (e.g., N212356540, N222385510) exists for 2019–2021 vehicles, offering repairs (sometimes for 15 years or 150,000 miles) when the front mounting bracket breaks. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Purchased the car in 2022 noticed some trans slipping issues and immediately reported it to the purchasing dealer. They took the car in serviced it and said it was good shortly after that noticed the problem again. We took it to be looked at and was told "nothing was noticed". A few months later again noticed some issues took it to another dealership and was told "nothing was noticed". Driving time dropped on the vehicle 2023-2025. Once instance driving down a major highway transmission started slipping. I reached out to Chevrolet and they were less than inclined to offer help other than to say take it in for service. I explained to them that we were lucky we were not in an accident as we lost transmission while driving on a major highway. Same response. Sporadically it would happen but no major problems. Fast forward to 2026 we noticed 2 weeks ago that driving down the street it would slip. Before we could make an appointment we pulled into a parking spot and reverse dropped. Now we have a car with no reverse. Took it to be looked at a local shop near where we were and was told transmission is bad. Now it sits because it can not be driven safely. Waiting for an appointment at a Chevrolet facility. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The vehicle shudders and it very slow to shift from park to drive. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | This vehicle has under 90,000 miles and is only used to transport my grandchildren to and from the local elementary school. We got in the vehicle, and it would not accelerate. The vehicle is currently at the Chevy dealership getting diagnosed, but the error message was for the transmission. We do not feel that this should happen on a vehicle with this low mileage and completely without any warning. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Our Traverse has the transmission shudder really bad. This started at about 20k miles. Dealership made some adjustments which helped. Now that it out of warranty, this has gotten soo much worse. This needs to recalled. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | My engine light came on, so I took it the mechanic. According to the reading it says it was my purge valve, they replaced. After driving 30 miles it came back on. I took it back and they thought it was a defected part so they replaced it again. After 30 miles, it came back on. The mechanic searched online and showed me this issue was for 2019 for a recall. I contacted GM to see if there is a recall for 2018. They said no. At this time the engine lights stays on, but it gives a evap engine light. I can't pass smog due to the issue. The gas tank does not have a cap, it's open. This is how it was when I purchased the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | Exhaust weld break similar to the 2019 Chevy traverse | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Valor Canister Purge solenoid is faulty. After filling it up with gas and start driving the vehicle begins to stutter. After a stop at an intersection the vehicle begins to stutter and shuts off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon parking and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed while the gear shifter was already in park(P). The contact stated that the vehicle responded after several attempts to shift to park(P). The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 81,000 |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | When car is shifted into park, it does not register that. It is in park. Therefore the car keeps beeping, and you cannot leave the car in this position. This is the second time that we have had to address this problem once in 2021 and now in 2026 I believe that General motors should fix this problem without the consumer being charged to have it corrected. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The exhaust system on my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse has failed due to cracking in the exhaust pipe and/or muffler assembly. This appears to be consistent with known issues in similar model years where exhaust pipe brackets separate and cause cracks or holes in the exhaust system. The failure has resulted in excessive exhaust noise and potential exhaust leakage. The dealership has confirmed the issue and recommended repairs costing several thousand dollars but stated my VIN is not included in the existing recall or special coverage. Yes, the vehicle and failed components are available for inspection upon request. The failure of the exhaust system creates a risk of exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide, entering the passenger cabin, which poses a serious health hazard. Additionally, a compromised exhaust system can affect vehicle performance and emissions, and in some cases may increase the risk of fire if hot exhaust gases escape in unintended areas. This issue is especially concerning because it has been identified in other model years of the same vehicle, yet my vehicle is not currently covered, despite experiencing the same failure. This creates an ongoing safety concern for myself, my passengers, and others on the road. The problem been reproduced and confirmed by a certified Chevy dealer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | When putting the vehicle in park it doesn’t recognize it’s in park and keeps saying shift to park. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | I have had this car seat a little over a year and the chest buckle randomly stopped magnetizing. It will appear magnetized but will pop apart. This is absolutely unsafe and these seats need pulled from the consumers. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle was driving fine in good condition and well maintenance. No warning at all and went to drive it home from a friends and it would not go in reverse at all. Towed to dealership and they said it’s a transmission issue. There is a recall on 2018 chevy traverse vehicles. My vehicle is not showing up but I do believe this could be the issue and should be considered a recall | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My car has been acting odd and shaking a lot. Was told it could be transmission since i fixed everything else it could be | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | While driving going home to Deming,NM together with my daughter and son on [XXX] . I was driving over a bridge over path on [XXX] and without warning my electrical power steering gave out on the traverse I could not turn my steering wheel left or right I thought I was going to be in an accident because there was semi trucks going 80 miles an hour behind me we almost got hit by semi’s. Thank God I forced my steering wheel to the right with all my strength. I had to call the towing company we waited 3 hours until he got there even he said we could of had an accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | The vacuum pump had a catastrophic failure. This led to failure of assisted breaking, and caused brake pedal to go rock hard while driving on the roadway. Metal shards from the vacuum pump broke off, and has now entered the engine. Chevy knows this vacuum pump is flawed, but did not include my model of vehicle in the recall. Even though it uses the same part. I received a “brake assist” message on the dash about 15 seconds prior to the loss of brakes. I had my wife and two kids with me, and this jeopardized their safety. Further research on the matter states this is a known issue at GM, but for some reason my year and model were not included. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | Noxious emissions fill passenger compartment while at idle, or when using remote start. Cannot drive with windows closed, or with recirculation on. Passengers feel, "sleepy". Bracket holding flex pipe fails at the same point in several different traverse vehicles. The 2018 model we have, is not covered by a recall, even though the 2019 of the same design and fail point, is. N222385510 GM is addressing this on only select models, even though the same issue is applicable to other models, and the same part numbers are the cause and or affected. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | After refueling we re-entered I495 Northbound. While traveling in the fast lane of traffic my vehicle shut off. I lost all power, including the ability to use On-Star. The vehicle refused to start for thirty minutes. This problem repeats within a mile of refueling. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer. The first time the said it was a sensor in the stable trak. This last time they claimed a bolt on the battery was loose. There was no pre-warning the car just stopped in rush-hour traffic on the busiest highway in America. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Shift to Park" Error.. even after turning the car back on.. slowly going through each gear and back down to park I'm still getting this error | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, there were exhaust fumes entering the cabin of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the mechanic was notified of a failure with the exhaust manifold. The local dealer was contacted and informed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the exhaust manifold weld needed to be re-welded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 98,000 |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | My 2018 Traverse has had several issues the past few years such as the electrical components in the car turning on and off randomly, a shift to park message which has been fixed twice, and the most current problem is the transmission. I was out of town 160 miles away with my family of 6 and we were about to drive home when the engine started to sound forced while I was driving. It wouldn't go past 30 mph and I had to quickly and safely get off the road and look for a mechanic. Had we already gotten on the freeway my family would have been in much more danger. After driving cautiously to 2 mechanics they referred us to a transmission service location. We had to leave the car there for several hours and came to find out that the transmission needed to be replaced and it would cost anywhere between $4,000-$9,000 depending on if they try to fix our transmission or replace it with another transmission and the cost would depend on the warranty years. We ended up getting it towed home so that our local mechanic can take a look at it. We still haven't gotten it fixed because the repair cost is so high and we can't afford it. For being a 2018 and only having 65,000 miles we should not be having transmission issues. We also took it in to our local Chevy service dealer who confirmed the transmission needs to be repaired or replaced and an accurate cost is unknown until they open it but the first estimate was $10,000. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I did see there was a recall for transmission issues for this make and model but it doesn't come up for my VIN. I really hope that Chevrolet can apply the recall to all VIN numbers affected because it is a very costly repair and has put my families safety at risk. It should not keep happening to others. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I am experiencing and "Shift to Park" notification on my dashboard when my vehicle is in park. This causes my vehicle to stay in accessory mode where ally electrical stays on when I am attempting to turn the vehicle off. Due to the inability of fully turning the car off, my car battery can potential drain out. I have experienced the issue for up to 30 minutes before the notification clears. This is an intermittent issue and comes and goes every few months. When I take it in for service, I'm told the issue can not be recreated and I am stuck with no resolution. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |