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 114
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 56
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 21
ENGINE 20
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 15
SERVICE BRAKES 14
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9
452 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The vehicles fails to recognize it’s in park and does not shut off. Shift to park indicator turns on. Frequently have to park on incline and worried the vehicle will roll. The vehicle will not completely turn off and this has caused the steering to lock. When the vehicle finally turned off, then turned it back on we couldn’t get the steering wheel to unlock. Had to drive it with what felt like no power steering for a period of time. Shift to park indicator blinks and warning light appears that says no remote is detected, yet the remote is in the vehicle. Been in a situation where had to quickly get in to a Dr but the vehicle wouldn’t turn off so had to leave the vehicle running. At that point anything could happen, but had to take care of a sick child. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | I have an exhaust issue with my 2018 Traverse that a Chevrolet/GM refuses to cover. I am getting check engine light that points to a leaking exhaust. The cause for these concerns could be a broken or poor weld with lack of penetration on the Bank 2 exhaust flex pipe bracket. It's a known GM issue on the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 models. GM has a safety bulletin PIP5681 and PIP5681A for this issue. N222385510 is the number for the 2021 recall. The dealership said it will not cover the repair because my vin has no associated recall. GM allowed the repair of the 2020 under the same recall number. This should be covered under Exhaust Warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | ENGINE | Metal found in transmission and new transmission needed. 2018 Chevy Traverse | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I began hearing a rattling noise from my engine area recently. I made an appt with my local Radley Chevrolet dealer. It was noted by the technician that the front exhaust pipe bracket that connects the 2nd front exhaust pipe is broken and tapping against each other causing the noise concern. They listed for me to replace the front exhaust pipe that goes from under the oil pan to the catalytic converter. Upon researching this issue, this appears to be a known issue for my specific year and make and model. However, upon calling GM they have nothing listed under my specific VIN number. I believe this to be an issue that should be covered under a special coverage or recall given the amount of owners having this same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN | 9t65 auto transmission failed at 115,000 miles. It won't change past 3rd gear, and engine has reduced power. Towed it to the Chevy dealership where we bought it in York SC. They told me it needed a new transmission and it was not covered by any warranty. I then took it to a transmission repair place and was told it needed a new transmission and the cost was estimated at $7300. I've read lots on the Internet about numerous people having the same issue. There was even a very short term trial program to repair or replace the transmission on some vehicles....had to be low miles and fairly new. Meanwhile, our traverse has been sitting for about a year while I continue to make monthly payments on it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Issue with my exhaust pipe from catalytic converter code and I seen it has a hole on the exhaust | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle would not shift into park. We were told by the dealer park switch sticking at times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Catalytic converter going bad and exhaust has broken off from the weld. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 35,532 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 36,986. | Crash: No Fire: No | 36,986 |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN | When I stopped and ready to park the car, I put transmission to 'P' park position and press button to stop the engine. Even it is in park (P) position, the display shows 'shift to P position' message. I have to restart the engine and change the transmission and put it again 'P' position. Sometimes I had to try few times. I searched the internet and this looks like a common problem, but no recalls on this model. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | The E Brake engaged while driving our car, by the time we could safely stop our vehicle, less than a mile, the transmission fluid reached 175 degrees and our vehicle was smoking. We took the traverse to a local service center, they stated this has been a known issue with the make and model of our car. There is a service bulletin about this issue. The brake actuator is faulty, and allows water to seep into the actuator creating a short to ground the electric park brake actuator. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Every time I turn the vehicle off I get a warning “Shift to Park” but it IS in park. I’ve called the dealership and was told there is no recall or bulletin for my VIN but it is a known issue on other Chevy Traverse’s. The dealership is going to charge me to run diagnostics and repair but since this is a known issue it should be a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | This vehicle's canister purge valve solenoid has failed multiple times since we purchased it used in 2021. We've taken it to multiple Chevrolet dealerships for repair and the issue has not been fixed. The issue is once the part fails, the vehicle is unable to be filled with fuel completely or it sputters when trying to start and the engine turns off or it stalls right after placing into drive. This causes a safety concern. There are multiple articles all over the internet and social media about the purge valve solenoid specifically in 2018 Traverses with no recalls. This is disappointing! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | * when in park and turned off it will display shift in to park * while accelerating from a stop it will get stuck when trying to switch gears * when in car play mode it will freeze to the point you can not turn the volume up or down until you turn the car completely off for a while. * when at a stop light the car will display stailbreak * there is a clicking noise when accelerating or pressing on gas * auto start does not work | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN | I have 69k miles on my car and my mechanic is saying I need a new transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, with the gear shift lever in park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired for the same failure, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,800. | Crash: No Fire: No | 45,800 |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2018 Traverse. 70k miles. We purchased it brand new at the end of 2017. On [XXX], we were driving home from Michigan the car sputtered and would not accelerate. We were almost hit by a semi that was driving behind us. We were able to pull into a gas station and put the car in park. While sitting at gas station the car shut off and wouldn't restart. No warning lights came on prior to the vehicle shutting down. We had it towed to our mechanic (VIP Automotive- New Lenox, Illinois). The mechanic went through the car and advised that the engine had seized. All fluid levels were fine, no leaks, all scheduled maintenance completed on time. He found metal chunks- not just shavings- in the oil pan. He said he's never seen anything like this and that the catastrophic engine failure had to be due to a defect in the engine. It ended up costing us almost $6,000 to have another motor installed in the car. I contacted Chevy, and was basically told too bad, and that they would not cover or assist with anything. The car was extremely well maintained and I provided a copy of all service records dating back to 2017 when we purchased the car. There are numerous groups on Facebook that have same/similar complaints on the Chevy Traverse (3.6L V6) and Chevy Trucks/SUVs (6.2L V8). I believe they are aware that there are numerous issues with these vehicles and continue to sell them, despite the risk to consumer safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the purge valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The purge valve was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the place of employment. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 84,000 |
| Mar 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | For the past 3 years my 2018 Traverse will randomly say shift to park and won't let me turn my vehicle off even though I am in park. In the last week it has gotten worse happening almost every time I drive it and not recognizing that I am in park for anywhere from 2-10 minutes. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after his wife had parked the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off as intended. The contact also stated that the vehicle had failed to start while at a gas station. Additionally, the contact stated that upon shifting from reverse(R) to park(P), the vehicle failed to respond and continued reversing. The contact 's wife depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to Main Street Service Station, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the transmission shifter cable; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall, and he had to pay for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 66,000 |
| Feb 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Truck stuck in shift to park | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I recently had my alternator fixed and the torque converter last year. I was having issues with the battery staying charged, car would jerk, radio, heat and air would shut off and come back on, car would go in reverse although I'm trying to go forward, shift to park warning message when car was in park and there are shortages out something that will connect and disconnect the Bluetooth when I'm on calls via Bluetooth. I picked my car up from Love Chevrolet 1/28/2025. Everything seemed fine but the car still jerked when I would take off at lights, make turns or go up hills. The shift to park message is still happening. When I park the car and turn it off the car makes a sound and the warning pops up. The car lights will not go off when this happens. I have to turn the car off and on or take it out of park a few times for it to stop. I'm afraid to leave the car with that warning on because the doors won't lock and I'm afraid it will roll. Love Chevrolet said they didn't see the error message for it while they were driving but it constantly happens to me. Even when I turn the car on to warm it up it gives me that error message. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the “Shift to Park” message was displayed. The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle and left the vehicle running until the battery died. The vehicle needed to be jumpstarted the next day. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: PIT5616 (Vehicle Displays Shift to Park Message On DIC When In Park); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 111,000 |
| Jan 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Shift to Park issue. Car does not recognize the it is shifted into to Park. Shift to Park warning appears and warning bell. Seems to happen quite often and I have noticed that other years have been recalled for this same issue. Makes it quite difficult to Park and Lock the car. Electrical system stays on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I own a 2018 Chevy Traverse and have been experiencing an issue with the stabilizer trak. When my vehicle goes in idle, occasionally I am getting an alert to check the stabilizer trak. I have reached out to several mechanics and they have all stated that this is a common problem with the 2018 and 2019 chevy traverse. This is a safety issue with this vehicle and I’m wondering how there is no recall for it with it being a common issue found. This issue caused issues with controlling our vehicles, will Chevrolet take action. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |