Complaint volume
452 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
452 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, grouped by component category.
452 Total complaints
9 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
3 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, 3 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 186 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 69,149 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
3 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
4 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Chevrolet Traverse complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 138
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 66
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 45
ENGINE 36
SERVICE BRAKES 23
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 14
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 12
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 8
SEAT BELTS 8
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6
452 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Exhaust raddling | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle displays Shift to Park message and audible tone after arriving at destination and attempting to turn off vehicle. Shifter indicates the vehicle is in Park and the transmission gears display on main screen also indicates the vehicle is in Park; however the warning message and audible continue to occur. Numerous attempts to move shifter through the different positions P-D1 are required to get the warning message to clear and the audible tone to stop. It has rapidly gotten worse in a matter of two weeks and I’m concerned that it will continue to get worse until I am no longer able to clear it leading to a dead battery, as well as other potential powertrain problems. A recent class action settlement unfortunately does not provide any relief to me for this known safety issue which already has a large number of NHTSA complaints filed pertaining to this powertrain issue. Given the number of complaints filed, I would urge NHTSA to force GM to issue a recall for this safety issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | When my car is shift into Park and I tried to turn it off it’s giving me a “Shift to Park” message and the car continue to idle when it is turned off. I changed gears to try and take it off Park and then put back into Park and the same message occurs and it would not turn off car. After multiple attempts it finally turned it off. This has become more and more frequent. I cannot leave the car if it is not properly in park, still running with the warning bell beeping. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission is slipping which caused the converter to go out in the transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Frequent symptom is an "Action Required: Shift to Park" message on the dashboard. Which is preventing my vehicle from shutting down properly, and causing the battery to drain, and hinder my car's ability to start in addition to getting trapped in the vehicle because the vehicles fail to shift to the ‘Park’ position preventing me from being able to exit the vehicle. This is a known issue affecting various GM models which one being my 2018 traverse by GM but not willing to make official recall of the issue. There is a class action settlement due to this issue that was not privileged to me as an owner of a used vehicle included in this notice and have. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | When car is parked and tried to turn off it’s giving me a “shift to park” and it won’t turn off the car. I changed gears to try and take it off park and then put back in park and same message and it would not turn off car. After multiple attempts it finally turned it off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,LANE DEPARTURE | My 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, has unresolved safety defects that endanger occupants and other road users. These include transmission failure with loss of acceleration, “Shift‑to‑Park” malfunctions preventing engine shut‑off, inoperative blind‑spot/cross‑traffic sensors, faulty tire pressure monitoring, and an active oil leak from the timing gasket cover. These issues occur unpredictably during normal driving and parking, creating an immediate risk of collision, roll‑away, or engine fire. All of these issued happened within a very short time frame. June 2025 and I took my car into Crews Chevy, they want over $15,000 to repair. All of these items I have mentioned have numerous class action lawsuits (that they have won) for the year of my vehicle. I have spoken with GM (and have a case number) however, they are unwilling to repair, at no cost to me. I have an [XXX] daughter and work 7 days a week. I have been with out a car since [XXX] due to these issues. I do have the estimate for the repairs if needed. I do not have an actual repair invoice, as I wasn't able to afford the over $15,000 repairs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shift selector was shifted to park(P), and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, and the contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that after shifting to park several times, the failure self-corrected. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that the vehicle had previously been repaired for the same failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 84,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 84,000 |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | The vehicle has a design flaw which causes a bracket which connects the 2 pipes which connect to the catalytic converter to fail. Once the bracket has failed, the rear catalytic converter is allowed to vibrate more than designed, adding extra stress to the catalytic converter. Over time, this additional stress causes the catalytic converter to fail, releasing harmful gases directly from the engine exhaust manifold with carbon monoxide and other harmful gases into the air and into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This is a know issue that GM has recalled on the 2019 (recall N212356540) and 2021 (recall N222385510) model year Traverse. Other years may have also been recalled that I am not aware of. For some reason, GM has neglected to take ownership of this issue on the 2018 Traverse which shares the same design as both the 2019 and 2021 model years. I have gone to the dealership and contact Chevrolet's customer service multiple times and they refuse to reimburse me for the cost of the necessary repairs. I have already purchased the broken and necessary, ancillary components and repaired the vehicle myself because I did not want to pay the dealership over $2000 in labor which they quoted me. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling and squeaking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact that the exhaust manifold bracket had failed and needed to be replaced along with a section of the exhaust system. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was not covered under the manufacturer's extended coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 55,000 |
| Aug 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Been receiving a "shift to park" warning message since last year. It seems to be a known issue, however nothing has been done about it. I've had trouble from time to time getting the car to recognize the Park position I've put the shifter in and occasionally have sat in my car with it on for minutes attempting what I can think of to have to car finally recognize that I shifted into Park. I had called a Chevy dealership near me who advised because my car is outside warranty it would not be a covered repair. I'm concerned as I have 2 young children and this is our family vehicle. I cannot leave a car running while I have my children inside or with them inside and me outside trying to turn the car off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My transmission failed and had to be replaced for 10,000. The car is a 2018 so this was totally unexpected | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | SUSPENSION | To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to inquire about an issue recently encountered with my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. On July 21, 2025, my vehicle was at Riverview Chevy for its state inspection, during which the rear toe links were identified as failed and required replacement. This service, including the necessary alignment, resulted in an out-of-pocket expense of approximately $750. I recall previous discussions regarding a potential recall concerning failing rear toe links on 2018-2020 Chevrolet Traverse models. While my vehicle is a 2018 model and experienced this exact issue, the dealership indicated that no recall was pending for my specific VIN. I find this discrepancy concerning, particularly given the known history of this component in similarly years and the fact that my vehicle indeed suffered this failure. I will be submitting the relevant documentation from the dealership outlining the repairs performed. I kindly request that you review this matter and provide clarification regarding the recall status for my vehicle's VIN. I am seeking a resolution regarding the costs incurred for this repair, as it appears to be a known issue for which a recall may have been appropriate. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My 2018 Traverse has had the “shift to park” message displayed on the instrument cluster when I put the vehicle in park. Even though the red P for park is illuminated and the vehicle is clearly in park the ignition will not power off when you depressed the start/stop button. The vehicle displays the message shift to park. Now this has transpired for about 3 months and it is very frustrating when you can not park in your garage especially when storms are imminent from the forecast not to mention carbon monoxide poisoning! Now I or my wife have to continuously push on the shifter to get it to turn off. Or we have to turn the vehicle back on and try driving around the block or wherever we are at. Now not being able to turn your engine off is a definite safety concern especially when you have children and pets . This has been happening in GM SUV’s and is a known issue by GM but they seem it’s not a safety issue due it not causing any issues while driving. I had the vehicle repaired at our local dealer and it was $789 to repair the malfunctioning item. I have never heard of a shifter being defective in today’s modern cars. Whether it’s a mechanical issue or electrical issue it needs to be addressed. If I were to live an apartment dwelling with indoor parking I would have to find some other means to park if I could not turn my engine off. I have read numerous complaints online via forums which is very saddening when these automakers claim dependability with their very expensive vehicles. If the vehicle was built with defective or faulty components how does thst burden fall on the consumer? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I have had to repair the muffler and now the catalytic converter. There was a fissure on the muffler and now there’s a fissure on the catalytic converter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to use the second-row middle seat buckle, the contact became aware that the buckle was inoperable. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: N192223110-01. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the buckle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed there was no coverage on the vehicle and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 140,000 |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission shudders at low speeds changing gears. Less than 79,000 miles and changed or flushed transmission 3 times at dealership. Vehicle has been at dealership over a month with no fix in sight. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Regarding the vehicle's functionality, the horn activated unexpectedly on or around May 2, 2025, sounding continuously for approximately 10-15 minutes while the vehicle was occupied. Subsequently, the horn has ceased to function. Furthermore, on or around May 10, 2025, the powertrain system indicator illuminated, leading to a diagnosis on May 18th that identified code P0455, indicating an EVAP system leak. Concurrently, the driver's side seat belt buckle has exhibited a tendency to detach and fall between the seat components, failing to remain in its intended position. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ENGINE | Engine light- shifting rough, steering wheel shakes. I took it in to get checked, they replaced something for the emissions. Then told I need a twerk converter. Another place didn’t recommend that & I was told needs a new transmission. I have only had my vehicle 4 years and have kept it well maintenanced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Constantly displays “shift to park” when vehicle is properly in park and shut off which keeps the electrical system operating. Warning beeping (which can’t be turned off), interior and exterior lights, stereo, etc. continue for anywhere from minutes to hours until it randomly shuts down. Exterior lights have to be shut off manually. Meanwhile the battery is being drained and alarm system can’t be armed while warning beep is alerting passersby that the vehicle is powered on while unoccupied and unprotected. Other than waiting it out, the only option to shut the vehicle off is to disconnect the battery. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the driveway was on a slope, and his wife was attempting to reenter the vehicle while it was in parked and the engine was running, and in the process the vehicle began to roll forward down the contacts driveway, the contacts wife was injured in the process receiving bruises to her left leg and right hip, medical attention was required for the contacts injuries. The vehicle was brought to a stop upon crashing into a lawn mower trailer and the contact's garage with the vehicle's front passenger side quarter panel. Property damage was reported. The vehicle was going 5 MPH at the time of the crash. The contact confirmed that after the incident, the vehicle was still in the parked position after the crash. The vehicle was not towed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The local dealer was contacted, however the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Medical attention | 107,000 |
| Jun 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while his daughter driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to stop at a traffic light, the vehicle lost automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the hazard lights were also inoperable. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 108,316. | Crash: No Fire: No | 108,316 |
| Jun 2025 | STEERING | The power steering shut off suddenly while driving and I could not move my steering wheel. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | There is a shutter at a low speed. Upon research, this is a common problem with the torque converter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |