84 Total complaints
4 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
4 Injury reports
Quick answer: The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse has 84 consumer-submitted complaints in our database. The most common complaint categories are electrical system, unknown or other, power train. Enriched records show 4 crash reports, 0 fire reports, and 4 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.

Complaint volume

84 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.

Pattern to inspect

The most common categories are electrical system, unknown or other, power train. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.

Severity flags

Enriched records include 4 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 4 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.

Mileage clue

Mileage is available on 14 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 51,196 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.

Questions to ask the seller

  • Have you had any problems related to electrical system, unknown or other, power train?
  • 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 2021 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.

2021 Chevrolet Traverse
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.

How severe are the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse complaints?

Enriched complaint indicators from official bulk records.

4 Crash
0 Fire
4 Injury
0 Fatality
6 Towed
2 Medical attention

Mileage at failure is available on 14 complaints ; average reported mileage is 51,196 miles.

Most common incident states: KS (1), KY (1), MA (1), NH (1), NM (1), OK (1), RI (1), TX (1).

What are the most common 2021 Chevrolet Traverse complaint categories?

84 total complaints on record

Latest complaints

Showing 26-50 of 84 complaints.

Date Component Summary Severity Mileage
Sep 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER Radio went blank unable to access screen. Not sure reason. Upon start up couldn’t access any parts of radio. Couldn’t reset and issue still current as of today.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2025 POWER TRAIN Shift to park warning comes on every time I put my car into park. I can give the gear shift a hard tap so it can go into park and my car will turn off. I feel like after a period of tapping the great shift it will turn into a bigger problem.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2025 ENGINE I was driving to work and my car made a loud noise. I was able to drive back home. I took my car to the Chevrolet repair shop. They said my front exhaust and catalytic converter are broken. They replaced my exhaust pipe and not the converter.
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2025 BACK OVER PREVENTION See attached document for complaint.
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MY ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AT 40K MILES IT WAS REPLACED AND NOW WENT OUT AGAIN AT 75K. I HAVE GONE THRU 7 BATTERIES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW. THE CAR DIED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF IN INTERSECTION AFTER GETTING THE NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY REPLACED 3 WEEKS AGO. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE!!!!!
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. The contact lost power steering functionality and was unable to move over to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the alternator was replaced. The contact stated that it was the second time that the alternator was replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jump-started, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery. Most recently, the vehicle failed to start, and the contact was unable to open the doors. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery again. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Incident: Aug 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Towed 20,000
Aug 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM On [XXX], Onstar did an Auto Unlock on my car. After the car was opened, the entire radio panel didn’t work. On June 13th, Bob Johnson replaced the Onstar telecommunications module. Only the radio worked with the screen black for a couple of minutes. Then it stopped working. They stated that they ordered the part, but every time I call, they haven’t. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2025 ENGINE the dealership car because the engine lingt Come the fun out the Cadillac converter have to be replaced. Is a 2021 traverse. Come to find out I'm not the only person that has the same problem I need to check the Cadillac converters on these Traverse
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER HAD RECALL DONE (N222385510 ) EXHAUST LEAKING FROM ROTTING AWAY PIPE, REPAIRED WITH NEW PIPE, BUT PIPE ON OTHER SIDE WAS ALSO LEAKING EXHAUST WOULD NOT FIX BECAUSE IT WASN'T PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL, THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, FOR THE COMPLETE EXHAUST SYSTEM, JUNK METAL ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK
Incident: Jun 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER I had my car on the shop I was never told that there was a recall on the exhaust system in these type of cars I have had my car a little over a year they fix one side of the exhaust but stated the other side was not covered they told me I would have to pay I dont have the money to pay for this had they told me when this was under warranty I could have done something different but they never said anything about this being a problem in this SUV I have talk to several persons at the dealership as well as GM now they are telling me it’s nothing they could do because my car is not under warranty but it was when I was taking my car to the shop if there’s a recall on certain items in a car I should have been aware about any issues before I purchased this vehicle they tell me when the problem occurs this is what happens in these vehicles.
Incident: Nov 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER Vehicle with less than 50000 miles has 2 broken flex pipes on the exhaust system that is going to cost me $1,932.66. This should be a warranty recall and GM should allow you to take it to a mechanic of your choice for repairs as the dealerships cannot give you a fair time frame to repair.
Incident: May 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER Vehicle: 2021 Chevrolet Traverse Problem: Persistent “Shift to Park” message when vehicle is in Park I own a 2021 Chevy Traverse and have experienced repeated incidents where the dashboard displays “Shift to Park” even though the gear shifter is securely in the Park position. This prevents me from turning the vehicle off and has caused battery drain and confusion about whether the car is fully secured. This issue is clearly known by GM, as evidenced by a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB #19-NA-206 and others). It affects multiple model years and has prompted a class action lawsuit. Despite the widespread nature of this defect, GM has not issued a recall. I believe this issue presents a safety concern, particularly for drivers unaware that the car may not fully power down, and due to the potential for battery drain and immobilization. I urge NHTSA to investigate whether a recall is warranted
Incident: Apr 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2025 POWER TRAIN Car was late shifting into gear. Taken to dealership and replaced tourque cpnverters for 3800. Car gets fluids checked 4,000 miles later transmition is shot fue to leak from gasket on transmition...
Incident: Apr 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM The vehicle does not recognize when the vehicle is shifted to park. It states “shift to park” when the vehicle is already shifted to park. When this happens and the push to start button is pressed to shut the vehicle off, the vehicle will not shut off which becomes a major issue as the car continues to run and the vehicle’s battery will die since the vehicle will not fully shut off. This is a safety hazard because the vehicle can end up with a dead battery when this happens. I’ve looked this issue up online and it is a common issue that Chevy has failed to address.
Incident: Apr 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Mar 2025 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1. DRIVER SIDE EXHAUST FLEX PIPE BRAKET 2. Exhaust leak 3. Yes. It has been replicated and diagnosed. 4. No engine light. There was a rattling and increased exhaust noise. A hole in the exhaust pipe at the bracket location was found. 5. This condition seems to be a common problem with this year and make which I am now having to pay $600 to repair.
Incident: Dec 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jan 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM My car came up with an alert message when I started the vehicle, "Service Battery Charging System Vehicle May Stall". I assumed using my remote start had somehow drained my battery or that the cold weather (30 degrees) was affecting my battery. I began driving hoping the battery would charge once running. Another alert came up, "Battery Saver Active". The alerts repeated again. In less than 10 miles from where I first started, I made it to a Les Schwab where I asked them to check my battery. The guy ran out and said my battery had more juice not running. They told me to take it to service repair shop close by. I began driving to the nearest shop and my car jerked/stopped/died, the steering was locked up and I lost complete control of the vehicle but luckily I was not far out of the Les Schwab parking lot and was able to coast into another parking area. I had to have my car towed to the repair shop where they told me it would cost $1,600 to replace the alternator, I luckily have a Platinum Extended Warranty and it appears to be covered. I am so thankful that I was not on a highway at the time and that I took the alert seriously and responded immediately. My 14 year old was in the car with me and it really scared her that the car jerked and stopped. The amount of time I had from receiving the alert to a dead battery was very short. This should not happen and I'm so glad that I was driving versus an up and coming driver (turns 15 next week) that would not have known what to do. I've done my research and this issue has been mentioned in several chats regarding owners experiences for Traverses' around the 30,000 mile mark, my car is at 40,000 miles and was serviced at 30,000. I'm honestly not sure I can ever trust my vehicle after this experience. Others have said that they fixed the issue only to have it happen again.
Incident: Jan 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jan 2025 STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM The battery wasn't being charged which caused some problems. However, it was the alternator that was bad. Since the battery wasn't being charged and the alternator was failing, there were problems with steering and engine power which almost caused a collision at highway speeds.
Incident: Oct 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jan 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER Around 8-19-24 I started noticing liquid on my garage floor. It had a slight oil consistency to it. I brought it in to a local auto shop who inspected it and confirmed the radiator was leaking randomly. There was no visible damage to it and no reason it should have started leaking when only 3.5 years old and only had 53k miles on it. No indicators of any kind prior to the leaking starting either. It started leaking a little bit one day and each day it started leaking progressively more.
Incident: Aug 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Dec 2024 SEAT BELTS My front passenger seat belt has started to not latch. I have to push the button and insert the seatbelt in order for it to latch. Sometimes it will release on it’s own.
Incident: Nov 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Nov 2024 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 times in 5 days, 2021Traverse completely shut off. 2 of those times were in a busy intersection. I couldn’t even turn my flashers on and had to manually unlock my door to get out. Fortunately the third time was in my driveway. I called AAA to tow it to dealer. This is a severe safety issue and hopefully will be covered under my warranty and the extended bumper to bumper warranty.
Incident: Nov 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2024 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2021 Chevy Traverse went out in September, it would shutter causing take off to jerk so hard and cause traffic to stall, hurting passengers necks, and almost causing accidents
Incident: Sep 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2024 POWER TRAIN I bought this 2021 Chevrolet Traverse on January 4th 2021. Since owning this vehicle the transmission has always skipped and sputtered. We have done regular maintenance on it. But at 115,000 miles it seems to get worse and really shift hard or skip while trying to go into each gear. There is no information on maintenance for the transmission other than taking it to the dealership, which is really bizarre and unreasonable because dealerships take to long and some can be without. We have also noticed on a couple different occasions that the reverse lights were on when it was in park. The parking brake also likes to set when someone opens or closes a door. We are not sure what the problem is. But would like this transmission to be fixed.
Incident: Sep 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2024 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM When leaving work last night, a warning appeared saying 'Service Charging System Vehicle May Stall' and shortly after another showed "Battery Saver Active" so I went to my local auto parts store and had the battery replaced for $300. The gentleman also ran a test on the alternator and it came back with a failure on the voltage regulator but all others were good. I drove home hoping drive cycles would clear it out. I drove to work this morning getting the same errors and voltage not going above 12.0, dipping all the way to 11.5. So now, I have to replace the alternator, praying it does not shut off on the highway and I get hit and killed. I have seen numerus incidents online of the exact same issue. I bought this car brand new (my 1st ever) in 2021, I only have 25,000 miles on it, she is garage kept and very well taken care of, this should not be happening on a practically new car. Please do something before more get injured or even killed.
Incident: Jul 2024
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2024 AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE I was hit by another car who ran the red light. No airbag deployment at all, in serious crash. Whole front end hit without airbags going off. The engine was smoking and the brake would not work after inpact to keep it from rolling
Incident: Jun 2024
Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention Unknown
Jun 2024 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the exhaust pipe. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: PIP5681C (Exhaust leak, Lean Codes, Rattle Noise, or Catalytic Converter Failure Codes); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000. The VIN was not available.
Incident: Apr 2024
Crash: No Fire: No 33,000

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