Chevy Traverse Problems | Avoid These Model Years

By Max Anthony •  Updated: 04/09/21 •  8 min read

Chevrolet Traverse is a seven-seater SUV specially designed for families offering a luxurious ride. The first creation was in 2009, and the problems started emerging along with its creation. Overall, it is a reliable vehicle that comes at an affordable price and offers incredibly luxurious rides.

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Unfortunately, it comes with several problems making it not so safe. We have listed the most common Chevy Traverse problems here for you to know before you buy the car.

Chevy Traverse Problems by Year

Chevy Traverse Problems
Chevrolet Traverse 3.6 LT 2018 | wikimedia

Chevrolet is a big name in the automotive industry. Still, the users have found many technical and non-technical issues in their cars for the past few years. The company has maintained consistency throughout the years, which is a failure. We have composed a list here to highlight some problems that were noticeable and common.

 2009 Chevy Traverse Problems

In the first year of Chevrolet’s creation, the Traverse found multiple complaints from the users. Mostly, these issues were regarding the engine and steering. Besides, complaints about the drivetrain and brakes were also reported.

There were excessive oil consumption and a broken timing chain. However, some users also reported issues regarding spark plug coil failure and misfires.

2010 Chevy Traverse Problems

As the company is known for repeating the same issues constantly. Again, there were issues regarding the engine and steering. This time another problem with the AC/heater was also found.

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The engine failure used to occur over a specific mileage, and the cost for the repair was enormous. About the steering problem, the power steering stopped working and made noises while turning. Last, the AC/heater was not able to blow the specific temperature of the air you set.

2011 Chevy Traverse Problems

chevy traverse problems
2011 Chevy Traverse | wikimedia

The company paid attention to some problems and solved them regarding steering and AC/heat. Once again, the issues with the engine were not adequately resolved.

Some common issues with the engine were the engine shutting off while driving and engine failure. Also, some reports of reduced engine power and check engine light coming on were clearly noticeable.

2012 Chevy Traverse Problems

2012 Chevy Traverse | Flickr

Traverse kept the streak of producing engine problems again in 2012. Although the other issues were minimized to almost zero.

Keep in mind problems with the engine affect the vehicle badly besides costing a considerable amount of money to fix them. For example, the issue of engine power being reduced can be resolved by replacing the timing chain. But it costs around $2,500, which is a lot of money.

2015 Chevy Traverse Problems

2015 Chevy Traverse | wikimedia

After almost 5 years since the Chevrolet creation, Traverse was finally able to resolve the engine-related problems. The company always had some problems with the vehicle, and this time, the complaints were about electrical, brakes, and steering. For example, while accelerating, the car used to lose power.

The problems with brakes include hydraulic issues, unwanted accelerating, and electronic stability.

2020 Chevy Traverse Problems

chevy traverse problems
2020 Chevy Traverse | Chevrolet

If we check the latest reports and complaints about Chevrolet Traverse, we can find numerous issues. The chevy traverse problems with brakes continued this year as well.

The users have complained multiple times about the brake pedal not working. The electric issues are noticeable as well, such as the rear camera stopped working as reported by several customers.

Chevy Traverse Problems by Systems

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Now let’s go through the problems, either technical or non-technical, the Chevy faced by systems such as engines, brakes, electrical, etc. The most common issues in nearly all the Chevrolet Traverse models are faulty brakes, engine troubles, electrical systems not working, and defective steering systems. Let’s talk about each of these problems in detail.

1. Chevy Traverse Engine Troubles

The engine needs to work appropriately for efficient working of the entire vehicle. Chevrolet Traverse has struggled a lot with engine problems in the past. The new models are updated, and engine issues are minimized to the lowest possible level.

The main issues with the engine include traction control turning off and the engine light coming on. Besides, losing power while driving is the most common throughout the years.

All these issues about engines cost an enormous amount of money. That’s why the users tend to prefer to sell the vehicle, and Traverse ends up “losing a customer”.

2. Faulty Brakes

Faulty brakes are the scariest thing that can happen to any driver. There are several complaints reported about brakes suddenly stopped working in Chevrolet Traverse.

The reports regarding brake failure include unintentional accelerating, pulses while braking, failing during use, and hydraulic issues. You can check Best brake line flaring tools for better performance. The brake line flaring tool is a must-have for every car owner. It helps to repair your brake lines without any hassle.

Also, issues regarding electronic stability control that falls under the same category are noticed. The braking issues in recent years are a frightening addition to the already unsafe Chevy.

3. Chevy Traverse AC/Heater Issues

The issues regarding heater and AC first evolved in the very first model of Chevy Traverse. It includes sometimes failing of pressure hose.

Also, heater/AC used to not blow the correct temperature of the air. These problems can be resolved with a very low cost of around $350, but the issues were noticeable and needed improvements.

You need to replace the AC compressor or hose lines which are pretty cheaper. But if the hose fails, it requires the pressure line to replace that costs a lot of money.

4.Chevy Traverse Steering Problems
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In the very first model of Traverse, which was 2009, Traverse had multiple steering problems. The main issues were difficulty in turning, and sudden power steering stopped working.

Once you reach the 110,000 miles, these issues start emerging out of nowhere, such as difficulty turning. It costs an enormous amount of money that is nearly $5,000, to replace the transmission.

There were some NHTSA complaints regarding defective steering that needed an immediate fix.

5. Electrical System Not Working

The early models didn’t have any problems with the electric system not working. A few years back, the customers founded several electrical problems.

The reports include happening of power loss, traction loss, and engine light coming on. All these issues are not so good in terms of safety.

How many miles will a Chevy Traverse last?

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The average expected lifespan for a Chevrolet Traverse is up to 200,000 miles. You should still take Your vehicle in for routine maintenance if you want it around for as long as possible and get the longest life out of your car!

This includes fluid changes such as transmission oil power steering among other things like checking tire pressure so be sure not skip any steps when following through on regular checks with service people at Your local dealership.

Chevy Traverse Year Models To Avoid

The 2011 Chevy Traverse has been the subject of complaints for years. It was a bad model, but not because it had many issues that needed to be fixed before releasing another one.

The 2010 version only came with minor problems and these were mostly ignored when designing the new car. For example, your engine will start having some mild or major troubles after about 70,000 miles on average according to Car Complaints.

“This is typical of gas engines,” said Kip Kirkpatrick from Repair Clinic in Atlanta Georgia “Chevy should have done more research into their design”.

2011 Chevy Traverse | wikimedia

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse has many minor issues, including a tendency for the engine to stall while it is on the road. This costs an average of $390 in repair fees and often gets worse as time goes by due to some other parts breaking down within that same model year.

Carcomplaints reports another major issue where at 76,000 miles there are reduced power levels with this vehicle’s engine costing about $2,100 dollars in repairs when going over 100k miles can incur up between 3-4 grand in costly fixes!

Chevy faced numerous problems with the 2011 Traverse, including a chronic engine issue that forced many owners to replace their entire engine.

To make matters worse, CarComplaints gave this model year “Beware of Clunker” badge due to these ongoing issues as well as other more minor problems! However Chevy did bounce back in later models and started producing much better vehicles.

Is Chevy Traverse Reliable?

Chevy Traverse problems evolved in the very first year of this vehicle. The company put efforts into minimizing the problems but could not eliminate them entirely.

In recent years, there are still several complaints about these vehicles. Some problems may be neglectable, but the ones with braking issues and steering are frightening, making the vehicle unsafe for the ride.

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Max Anthony

Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.