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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Car will not accelerate fast up hills | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,505. | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,505 |
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the emissions purge valve needed to be replaced. The contact did research and was made aware of Technical Service Bulletin Number: N232395300 however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,000 |
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the vehicle was emitting a vibrating and rattling noise while driving. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated while driving uphill and accelerating, the engine backfired. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that there was an EVAP leak. The vehicle received an undisclosed repair however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to immediately start-up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed because the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the check engine warning light illuminated, and the rattling noise became more prominent. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed that a weld had fractured on the exhaust pipe. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,000 |
| Dec 2024 | POWER TRAIN | I purchased this vehicle in 2022 of October after about a year. I started noticing the car beginning to jerk back. Also, I noticed that the shift the handle when I would put it into park. It would not stay in park. It kept giving me a beeping noise. It kept slipping. At the time it wasn’t doing is it as much but lately I’ve noticed that it’s been happening more frequently so I took it into a mechanic to have it checked and they said it is a defect on the transmission. when I searched it up under NHTSA website I seen that there was multiple defects for this 2018 Chevy traverse. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and shifted to park(P), the shift to park sensor failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked; however, the shift to park(P) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the shift to park sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,479. | Crash: No Fire: No | 116,479 |
| Dec 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The vehicle will not shut off and vehicle information screen states Shift to park. When this happens we have 2 options. 1st to sit and wait for the vehicle to turn off(takes over an hour on average), 2nd Disconnect the negative battery connection. The vehicle shuts down nearly instantly. Then reconnect the battery before being able to use the vehicle again | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that when the vehicle started, the engine made an extremely loud sound and smoke came from the exhaust. The contact stated that the vehicle sounded like a motorcycle. While the contact's wife was driving the vehicle, there were fumes from the exhaust entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that his wife had asthma, and the fumes affected her breathing while driving the vehicle. Additionally, the contact's wife was the main driver of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic where it was diagnosed with a fractured mid-pipe assembly bracket. The contact was informed that the mid-pipe assembly bracket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled to be taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under an undisclosed Technical Service Bulletin. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not associated with the Technical Service Bulletin. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,835. | Crash: No Fire: No | 88,835 |
| Nov 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | When I turn my vehicle off it says that it’s not in park when it is and it keeps beeping | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Third instance of failure on this vehicle. Vehicle does not recognize that gear selector is in Park. "SHIFT TO PARK" warning is displayed when shift selector is firmly in Park. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The gear shifter in my vehicle consistently fails to lock into “Park.” Whenever I place the car in “Park,” a message appears on the dashboard stating, “Shift to Park,” which prevents me from turning off the vehicle. It takes multiple attempts to get the shifter to lock into place and for the message to disappear. This issue is not only frustrating but also poses a potential safety hazard, as the vehicle does not reliably indicate that it is in “Park.” | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | The issue is with the Traverse Stabilitrak system. The Stabilitrak system controls, includes traction control, emergency brakes, tire monitoring, etc. as I understand it. The Stabilitrak lights has been intermittently coming on for several months. I took the truck to the manufacture and was charged over $1,700.00 to fix the problem. After the repairs, I picked up the vehicle and within three miles of the dealership the issue manifested itself again. The Stabiltrak system light usually indicates as the vehicle waits at a traffic light, and just as I accelerate for the signal change. The vehicle frequently stalls at that point, creating a rear end hazard, and a dangerous situation for me and other commuters. Upon returning the vehicle to the dealership, they claimed not to be able to identify the issue, that they initially charged me over $1,700.00 to fix. The said they could not recreate the problem, although it is a persistent problem that occurs within minutes of the vehicle operation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | POWER TRAIN | After I purchased the vehicle in 2021 I noticed there was a shuddering feeling when accelerating at speeds below 40mph. I found the service bulletin and the dealership flushed the transmission fluid and reprogrammed the transmission. Issue seemed to be resolved, but on 11/4/24 I was pulling my car out of a parking lot after being parked 4 hours and when shifting from park to drive the car lurched forward and made a loud clunking sound. There were no lights on so I drove onto the highway and shortly after the check engine light came on and I could not accelerate above 50 mph. I limped the car to a nearby dealership and they indicated that the transmission was shot and needed to be rebuilt or replaced. It is currently in the shop waiting to be rebuilt. The total cost is around $5,500. Between both transmission incidents I also had an issue with the shift to park and service stabilitrak warning lights. That was fixed before warranty expired, but I am now out of warranty and need to pay out of pocket. Called Chevrolet corporate and was told they'd look into offering financial relief but still haven't heard back from them despite the case being escalated. This is a known issue and is a risk to driver safety. There should be a recall and all expenses should be reimbursed! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormal thumping sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact noticed a smoky smell in the cabin of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,136. | Crash: No Fire: No | 139,136 |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | Transmission issues :hard shifts, shift delays , hesitation upon acceleration, trouble on reverse gear. Engine issues: grinding noises , ticking noises ,check engine light turning on, loss of power engine Vibrating in steering wheel when braking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the shift gear was shifted to park, however, the contact stated that the vehicle did not turn off as intended. The contact stated that when turning the engine off, a warning light illuminated indicating shift to park instead. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle did not turn off. The contact stated that the failure began a year ago, however the failure has become persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 80,000 |
| Oct 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Had my traverse for two years, second owner. When I received the car, it had to immediately go into the shop as they couldn’t figure out why all sorts of dash lights where coming on. My car was at the dealership for three weeks and ultimately they replaced the chip, stating that was the issue. Two months down the road, I get the shift to park error message starting. Fast forward to 4 months ago when the stability error message starts to intermittently come on and off. 30 days ago I got the first of the service charging system message and the battery saver mode. My car shut itself down while I was doing 55 miles per hour on a back country road. Every lthing locked up and I had to force a turn to get out of traffic. It was determined my battery was good but alternator was bad. Checked fuses just to be safe all were good. Replaced the alternator with a new one. As of today, I am not able to drive my vehicle because of this same issue. This time I went ahead and replaced the battery and nothing has changed. They are saying it’s my alternator AGAIN. How is this possible that all of us 2018 traverse drivers are experiencing the exact same malfunctions in order and now we have to repeatedly replace the alternator? There is no way 1000s more of traverse owners are all buying “bad” alternators. Something is going on with this and these vehicles are not safe to drive. I can’t even trade mine in because my credit is shot. I pay way too much for this car to not be able to reliably and safely transport my kids to and from school. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | SUSPENSION | Incident Description: On 10/2/2024, I discovered a critical failure in the rear suspension of my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The rear left control arm had completely rusted through and detached from the vehicle frame. This occurred unexpectedly while my family was backing the vehicle into the driveway from my garage. Had this failure happened while driving, it could have resulted in a catastrophic loss of control, leading to a severe accident with potential for serious injury or fatality to my family and others. This incident raises serious concerns about the safety of 2018 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The premature and sudden failure of a critical suspension component due to rust suggests a potential defect in the materials, anti-corrosion treatment, or design of the control arm. This could pose a significant safety risk to all owners of this vehicle model. I have taken detailed photographs of the failed control arm and the affected area of the vehicle frame, clearly showing the extent of the rust and corrosion. General Motors has issued a safety recall (N212346640) for certain vehicles due to a defect in the rear suspension toe links. These vehicles may have received improper electrocoating corrosion protection, making the toe links susceptible to premature rust and fracture. This could lead to a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash. The similarity of this recall to the failure I experienced with the rear left control arm onmy 2018 Chevrolet Traverse suggests a potential pattern of corrosion-related suspension component failures in General Motors vehicles. This recall demonstrates that General Motors has acknowledged and addressed similar corrosion-related defects in other vehicles. It supports my concern that the control arm failure on my Traverse may also stem from a manufacturing defect and warrants a thorough investigation by the NHTSA. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park(P), the message “Shift to Park” was displayed even thought the vehicle was in park(P). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,900. | Crash: No Fire: No | 54,900 |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Experienced slipping and shuddering while driving and a sudden loss of power. The vehicle also would not accelerate while driving. The vehicle was towed to a Chevy dealer as it was not drivable. The Chevy service department found an evap leak, vehicle does not move in reverse, slips going into drive. Checked fluid level and condition found level ok. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | Carry Handle, Shell, Base,Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle) | I purchased these Carseats after I was in an accident and needed to replace the 2 that I had, The tethers attached to the carseat were not effective at all, I could not get them anywhere near close to actually securing the Carseats. So I opted to use my vehicles seatbelts, with the seatbelts pulled as far as I could get them and locked the Carseats still moved more than an inch. I had to have my husband help me push the carseat as far down into my seat that I could to get the least amount of movement as possible. One of the Carseats even tipped over while I was driving after all of this. Needless to say that I will be replacing these seats as I do not feel they would keep my children safe in the event of an accident, I feel as though these seats endanger my children because they aren't keeping them secure enough not to become projectiles in the event of an accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated while attempting to reverse, the gear shifter failed to shift into reverse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer offered to assist with a monetary rebate to assist with the cost of the repair. In addition, the contact stated that there was an unknown recall for the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 77,000 |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated and shifted out of gear independently. The vehicle was repaired prior to the failure; however, the failure became persistent. The manufacturer was notified on the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 93,000 |
| Sep 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | When putting my car in park and shutting off. My traverse says warning shift to park when I am clearly in park. I cannot lock my doors and horn beeps. It continues to ding with warning! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ENGINE | bracket on the exhaust flex pipe bracket broke. This is a known issue by GM (PIP5681C) that covers 2018-2022 Chevy Traverse and Special Coverage notices have been issued for at least the 2019 (N212356540) and 2021 (N222385510). I called GM today and they said my 2018 Traverse would not be covered even though it is a known issue and had a bulletin issued on it. If this is a known issue for several years (including 2018), why wouldn't the 2018 model be included and covered? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |