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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | The car will not turn off 85% of the time. When I put it in park and hit the start/stop engine button the vehicle does not turn off. It shows a message "Shift to Park" but it's in park. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While I was driving, the rear sunroof suddenly "exploded". I was shocked as I did not feel any impact, but it sounded like a wrecking ball had hit my car. I don't think I swerved into the other lane or anything like that, but honestly it happened so fast, I'm not sure. My heart was racing, and I felt like I was in danger, but able to pull over fairly soon after. I began to feel unwell as if my blood pressure was elevated, which I'm sure it was. I inspected the outside of the vehicle and didn't see any damage, but then from inside noticed a crackling sound, which was localized to the rear sunroof. I examined it from the top and found it to be cracking in various areas around the perimeter of the glass. The shade on the sunroof was closed, so I don't believe any glass entered the interior of the car. I called my daughter to tell her what had happened and drove the rest of the way home. At this point, I have not had anyone else look at it but am reaching out to the dealership where I bought the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | Shift to Park Issue. Other years have been recalled for this issue but not 2018 (specifically this vin#). Car doesn't recognize when parking gear is engaged and asks for parking to be engaged. Issue is happening more often and it's becoming harder to park the car. Dealership says nothing can be done unless out of pocket. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a rattling sound coming from under the front passenger’s side seat. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a detached exhaust pipe bracket. The contact was informed that the bracket needed to be welded back onto the front of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under an unknown special coverage adjustment program. The contact was advised to contact the NHTTA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. The VIN was unavailable. | Crash: No Fire: No | 78,000 |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN | I’m having a constant issue where the vehicle does not recognize that it is in park, and won’t shut down properly. It keeps all electrical components running and drains my battery. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | My vehicle has not reached 100.000 miles and my transmission needs to be replaced | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | So since 8/02/23 when the vehicle had 54,000 miles it began to give electrical problems. I bought the car 01/16/23 it had only 26,000 miles. The service battery charging system light and battery saver mode went on and also the reduced steering light which began to shut the car down I immediately pulled over. Took it to gm dealer they tested battery was dead then charged it checked alternator it failed so they replaced alternator. 7 days later 8/10/23 the car is still running rough idle. Had savi code p0496 evap flow during non purge replaced purge solenoid. The car still the engine slightly was not 100 percent fixed I told them every time it wasn't good. 02/12/24 I took back to dealer engine running rough and every time I put gas it was hesitant the transmission I am assuming check engine light was on code p0496 the gm dealer diagnosised and replaced canister purge solenoid.so 2/28/24 battery saver mode light came on andservice battery charging vehicle stalled out checked alternator failed replaced alternator. 6/25/24 took to another gm dealer and the diagnosised it check engine light was on and told them my car wasn't starting well after I filled my gas and rough engine. Told me to come back 7/03/24 to do evap canister check engine light was on they found evap leak from from evap canister charged me 508 dollars. So I took vehicle from dealer towards hone filled up gas car would not start problem was not fixed called dealer immediately manager said get here before they close I did and manager left but on service guy got the master mechanic to look at it he said it's purge valve the next day they were closed due to 4th of July so was told to take back on 7/5/24 to replace purge solenoid. The gas issue was fixed but now the transmission is worse when I accelerate it stutters bad I been telling both dealers was told they can't look at vehicle unless check engine light was on so 3 faulty purge valves 2 alternators replaced and car stutters worse shift to park light. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This concerns a defective transmission control (shifter) assembly. The defective shifter assemblies prevent the vehicles from detecting when the driver places the car in “Park.” As a result, the vehicle goes into accessory mode and one cannot shut off or lock the vehicle, the instrument cluster displays a “Shift to Park” message even though the gear shifter is already in “Park,” and the battery drains. Because one cannot reliably turn off their vehicles when reaching their destination, the Defect substantially impairs the vehicles’ ability to provide safe and reliable transportation. Shifter assemblies are not expected replacement or maintenance parts and absent a defect should not require replacement. Nonetheless, GM had knowledge of the defect and GM fails to repair the GM known Defect. Chevrolet service department has confirmed the defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was an extremely loud sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter, observing that the catalytic converter had detached from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two additional times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 92,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 92,000 |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to sound like a lawnmower. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with catalytic converter and failed flex pipe failures. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter and the flex pipe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and discovered the Manufacturer's Communication Number: 212356540; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not eligible for repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 80,000 |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the driver’s side taillight was blown due to water entering the taillight assembly. While driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the battery failure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the following day while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The battery warning light remained illuminated along with the check engine warning light. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,700. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 45,700 |
| Jun 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Shift to Park error occurs 90% of the time I put my car into park. The car turns off but none of the electrical does, like its in accessory mode. Dings when you try to leave the car and will not lock. Display reads 'Shift into Park'. I have to jiggle the shifter to get it to engage. Could be a couple jiggles or 5 mins of jiggling and restarting the car, shifting from drive to park over and over.. This has been "repaired" once under warranty. Now that it is out of warranty the manufacturer refuses to cover any of the expenses on this known issue with a bulletin per your website. I did not realize this was happening to so many. Should be a recall for sure! VERY FRUSTERATING. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The gear shift is malfunctioning. When parking keep getting shift to park message when in park. Have to tap shift or turn car off and on several times and shift gears for it to register the car is parked. Has not been inspected yet. No warning messages at all. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | when driving my vehicle with the air condition on after about 25 minutes, the audio system completely goes out. no sound from the stereo, the backup camera alert, the blind spot alert, the "clicking" sound from the blinkers, all chimes, everything. The mechanic looked at the car and stated that this is a result of the condensation from the HVAC system entering the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) module through the module vents. He stated this should have been a recall as it is an extreme safety hazard as it prevents any audio alerts of the blind spot or backup camera warning systems. He states the ANC module should be replaced and a secondary shield should be installed to prevent this in the future. The sound eventually comes back once the condensation dries up but once the Air condition comes back on again shortly all the sounds go out again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The shift lever is not sensing that the vehicle is in park. This is the second time this has happened. I have to click the shift lever button rapidly to get it to sense that it is in park. The problem was confirmed in 2019 by a dealer and the whole housing was replaced. It is ultimately failing again. GM needs to be held liable for this fix. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while at a complete stop and attempting to come out of auto stop, the vehicle would not automatically restart. The contact stated that once the vehicle restarted the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped at a stop light the vehicle drifted backwards and stalled. The contact also stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed start. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal sound as if the engine was about to stall. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts and had the vehicle jumpstarted. The contact then continued to drive, and once stopped again at a stop light the vehicle stalled and would not restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed and replaced the alternator. The contact stated following the alternator repair, the "Battery Charging System Service" message was displayed. The contact stated after clearing the message the "Battery Saver Mode" alert was displayed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and diagnosed with a battery and an unknown sensor failure. The battery and the sensors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to the States Attorney General and contact the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 149,000 |
| Jun 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the exhaust and smelled a gasoline odor. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Jun 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Passenger tail light kept getting moisture in it causing it to stop working. Local Dealer,GM,Chevrolet and 3rd party show sold out or discontinued. I have a vehicle I am paying for that I can't drive or risk getting a ticket or rear ended everytime I go to work. Item is on backorder with no date for deliveries to start. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission will not go into reverse. While in drive, the transmission will completely stop, thus jerking the car to a stop. Prior to this, there was difficulty putting into park. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | The emergency park brake engaged automatically, and the battery had to be disconnect to reset it. When the vehicle is shifted to park, the dash display says shift to park even though the vehicle has been shifted to park. Have to start and turn off engine, the shift lever back and forth for vehicle display message has been cleared. This has happened more than once | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The shifter or gear selector does not sense when it is in park. So it will not fully let the vehicle power down. Example.... if I park, place the vehicle in position Park, the "P" on the dash is illuminated, the "P" on the center console is illuminated, the doors unlock, but system information screen will continue to alert, ringing, with an alert to place vehicle in Park. This is happening now everyday, sometimes take 10 plus minutes before the car senses it is actually in park. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | 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 shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then firmly shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 84,000 |
| May 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | My drivers side quarter panel taillight has stopped working due to moisture in the light (no visible breakage on light), this was in January. This part is on continuous backorder with no ETA of coming back in stock. The light is an LED and therefore cannot replace just the bulb. I travel for work and drive through large cities and have no left turn signal or brake light which is extremally dangerous. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The parking brake came on as I was driving and would not allow me to turn it off. It caused my brakes to smoke and they were radiating heat. It is currently at the shop Kelley Buick GMC Bartow, FL | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Shift to park. Car won’t turn off and me and kids are stuck in car. 2nd vehicle this has happened to. This is very dangerous as my car is stuck on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |