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.
Complaint records
2021 Chevrolet Traverse Complaints
84 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, grouped by component category.
84 Total complaints
4 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
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.
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?
4 Crash
0 Fire
4 Injury
0 Fatality
6 Towed
2 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Chevrolet Traverse complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13
POWER TRAIN 10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 6
SERVICE BRAKES 6
ENGINE 5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3
STEERING 3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2
SEAT BELTS 2
84 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal rattling sound emanating from underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter. Additionally, the contact was informed that the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the exhaust had previously failed and was replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Special Coverage: N222385510. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 61,000 |
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The service battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the alternator. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 43,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 43,000 |
| Apr 2024 | SUSPENSION | The rear sway bar linkage broke which lead to unsafe handling/ control of vehicle. I was driving and anytime I made a right turn there was a loud clunk in rear of vehicle. Concerned it will wear other parts out by this specific part not working/broke | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Warning on dash to check charging system. Driving on highway, all lights on dash started lighting up and going crazy and then everything on dash completely shut off while I was driving. Car eventually stalled. Car has less than 40k miles and only 3 years old. Brought it to dealership and they said it needs new alternator and battery. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I bought my 2021 Chevy Traverse brand new. Now it has about 44,000 miles on it and is just under 2 months of purchase date. I noticed that my battery light turned on yesterday while I was driving. Within seconds my vehicle stalled out and I was just coasting along in traffic, unable to restart my car. I was able to coast to the side of the freeway and jump my car. After doing so it started again so I proceeded to drive away. After about 4 more minutes my vehicle shut off again as I was driving in traffic. I was unable to get the car started again and was just a sitting duck in heavy traffic. I had the vehicle towed and a new battery was put in. My vehicle starts but the new battery is already loosing voltage. After a diagnostic test was done by the mechanics at the auto shop it looks like the alternator needs to be replaced. This is not only unheard of that such a new vehicle would already need a brand new alternator, but it was also a huge safety risk with how it all happened so quickly with VERY minimal warning and the vehicle completely shut off while I was driving in heavy traffic. So many people could have been harmed due to this malfunction. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery charger notice came on and on way to go have it checked the car stalled in the middle of a busy road and i had problems turning the steering wheel few seconds later the engine stopped running completely. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | SEAT BELTS | Middle seatbelt will not retract. This vehicle has not been in any accidents. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | On [XXX] my 2021 Traverse with 46K miles, purchased new from Atlantic Chevrolet, Bay Shore, NY, broke down on the road, dead battery, and alternator. I could not successfully jump the car to get it running. I had no use of steering, nor could I shift the vehicle into neutral to move to the roadside. Prior to towing the vehicle, based on my car insurance, Atlantic Chevy was outside of my towing area and would have cost me $500.00 out-of-pocket to tow. I called customer service and a female employee told me that the battery issue would not be covered. I had the car towed to my local mechanic, upon inspection they determined that the alternator failed, and needed to be replaced. I called Atlantic Chevy again and explained the issue to the same representative, she told me that that would not be covered based on my expired warranty. To be sure, I proceeded to call GM corporate. I spent an hour on the phone with a representative who ultimately told me that it would not be covered. I had no option but to have the repair done by my local mechanic. They purchased the alternator from Atlantic Chevy to ensure that they were installing certified parts for which I paid out of pocket. It goes without saying, that an alternator should not fail with such low mileage and after researching, I have found that there are identical complaints for the same year, make and model car. I contacted GM corporate to file a formal complaint, and ask for compensation. I dealt with a very competent person who exhausted all of the options within her corporate structure, but to no avail, GM refused to take responsibility, and would provide no resolution. References Consumer Reports: [XXX] : [XXX] NHTSA ID Number: 11563091 Incident Date [XXX] Vehicle Identification Number [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | Carry Handle, Shell, Base,Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle),Other/I am not sure | When this seat is first installed with the seat belt, it has a tight fit. However, the install seems to loosen for no apparent reason on its own. This occurs frequently. The seat is properly installed with pulling the slack out of the seat belt, securing the snuglock, and then locking the vehicle seat belt. I am concerned that the install will loosen in the event of an accident, and my toddler will not be properly secured. When the seat loosens, it moves more than one inch from side to side. It has even loosened so much that it began visibly lean to one side. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The alternator is placed right under the fill cap for engine oil. So if and when an auto repair shop or owner spills oil out of a funnel or anything else this oil will leak and the first spot it drips onto is the alternator. With all the other plastic under the hood there should be some kind of shield bracket or sloped plastic to get in the way of all the other maintenance under the hood. So precede with caution and avoid the unnecessary cost of an alternator change. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I bought my Chevy traverse car in June 2021 with 0 miles. On 12/25/2023 the alternator went out. I know there any many people who are having this same problem when the car reaches 40k miles. This is not fare to us bc we now have to pay 1700 in repairs. If the alternator goes out when driving, your car will stall and stop and you can end up in a sudden crash. This should not be happening at 40,000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving on I-20 with cruise control on @ 71 mph (night time) @ 7 min into using cruise control, the suv acted like it stopped for a quick second (scaring me) I remember rubbing my neck afterwards, thinking it was almost like whiplash. I pulled off the road into parking lot. I thought maybe I had a flat or tire issue, no tire issues. I then stopped @ a store, when getting back into the suv, I could smell something awful. Like something had burnt. Still don’t know. I have not used the cruise control since this incident. It was Xmas weekend, so I have to wait till dealer opens back up to have it checked out. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | We have had issues with the Onstar system not working after using the key fob to remote start the vehicle. This has been going on for 1.5 years and again GM customer service told me that the engineers are working on it. Additionally the Onstar emergency SOS will not work during this time because it is disabled Red light instead of green. We live in northern Minnesota where the winters can be brutal-20 to -30 degrees and are afraid that the crash detection system will not work due to this issue. Every thing works fine if you start the car with the button on the dashboard. There are numerous complaints about this affecting numerous vehicles including trucks. A real safety hazard being we live and drive in frigid conditions a bunch in the winter. All GM tells me is they are working on it but the Safety bulletin is dated February 2021 and NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT TIS SAFETY ISSUE!!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was unable to stop my vehicle from accelerating. The brakes were engaging but my vehicle continued to build speed. Myself and my family, as well as others on the road, were all put at risk due to my vehicle not responding or failing to control speed; cruise control was not engaged. My insurance company, USAA, is currently investigating and determining total damage estimate. No warning lamps, indicators, or messages were presented prior to collision. The rotors and brakes were glowing red after collision from continuous attempts to stop the vehicle. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | Since I bought this car new the brakes have been squeaking and when I took it to the dealer they said they need about this problem but there was nothing that they could do about it since the manufacture has not given them a bulletin on this model of vehicle yet. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | the purge valve is ticking for the past two weeks dealership informed me yesterday that it is working as designed and no codes were noted by technician. ticking noises ( which are VERY annoying) were not present when vehicle was bought about 3 months ago . The service rep informed me that although purge valve issues have been noted and taken care of by other GM models., the traverse is not part of any recall at the moment | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Peeling/ chipping paint down to primer in areas. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | KNOWN ISSUE: Chevy Traverse owners may experience a condition wherein the front exhaust pipe on their crossover separates from the mounting bracket, resulting in damage to the pipe. Now, General Motors has issued new Special Coverage that addresses this issue. NEW ISSUE: Rear exhaust pipe is also affected. When separated/cracked this was leaking carbon monoxide fumes into the inside of the vehicle when driven. Our family's safety was put at risk breathing these fumes. The Chevrolet dealership says that only the front exhaust issue is being recalled/covered but rear is not even when it is attached to same mounting bracket with known issue. Appeared/noticed as loud muffler sound and strong smells of fumes. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle on several occasions, the vehicle shut off and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. Additionally, the interior and exterior lights became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was concerned that the failure was caused by the vehicle being hacked by a local terrorist network. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Display Instrument Center on the instrument cluster goes out for a couple of drive cycles and comes back on. I took it in to the dealer at the end of March and had the vehicle updated. There's a history with this issue with the Traverses and the Cadillac XT6. I don't know if it's a glitch when these parts were produced for GM or not but it needs to be investigated | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon depression of the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal, clicking sound and a fuel exhaust odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions to have the exhaust pipe under the hood replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 36,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 36,000 |
| Jan 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | At only 15,000 miles the brakes are squeaking as if they would on extended mileage brakes that require replacement. These are practically brand new and should not be making this sound. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS AN INADVERTENT DUPLICATE OF ODI# 11495132*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ ******* | Crash: No Fire: No | 70,000 |
| Nov 2022 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a rattling sound coming from the hood of the vehicle. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a hole was in the exhaust and the exhaust needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled a fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to have the vehicle diagnosed and to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 70,000 |
| Oct 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | On Thursday October 13, 2022, i was driving in to work. I travel approximately 25 miles one way, 4 days a week. The wind up here in Montana was blowing extremely hard for 2 days then and i was driving into the wind going west. I noticed my car felt like it wouldn't accelerate like normal so i just figured the wind was that strong. by the time i got to Poplar where i work my car sounded like a lawnmower! I ended up calling the Chevrolet dealer in Wolf Point to tell them and see when they could get me in to look at it. They gave me an appointment for the next day, October 14th. On October 14 i take it to the dealership and they take it in. About an hour later one of the main guys came out and asked my if i hit anything. I told him no, i was just driving it and that noise and lack of power started. He said they looked it over and it was a bracket thats on my exhaust system that is broke. I asked him if it would be fixed and he said no they would have to order parts. He said the part that broke was a weld and so he don't know how that could have happened if i didn't hit anything. My car is a highway car, i don't go baha-ing around in it. I bought the car brand new and I am the only one that drives it. I am scared to drive it now thinking my whole exhaust system might fall and cause me to wreck. the dealership said it is still safe to drive and just the noise would be annoying, but i don't trust it. i seen the older model traverses have that exact same problem. I am thinking this problem extends to the 21s too because like i said, my car is a highway car. i seen a bulletin that gm put out on this same problem, it is bulletin #PIP5681 publish date of 9/26/19. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |