2018 Chevrolet Traverse complaints

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 sa

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.

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 sugges

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

My vehicle has not reached 100.000 miles and my transmission needs to be replaced

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 it 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Shift assembly has failed twice - April 2021 and April 2024. For this latest occurrence (April 2024), the vehicle spontaneosly stops registering when I shift into park. When I shift, the vehicle sends a warning to shift into park. There is a safety concern because I cannot determine whether or not the vehicle is actually in park. The GM dealer has determined that the issue is a faulty shifter switch and harness and a faulty shift knob. The issue occurred and was repaired in April 2021. The issue began occuring again, intermittently, in January 2024. Issue became consistent (inability to shift to park) about March 2024. At the same time, the parking brake/stabilitrak began engaging each time the vehicle stops (e.g., at stop lights, etc), which has caused premature brake wear. In April 2024 the following parts were replaced: Shifter switch (Part #84955381) Harness (Part #84733196) Brake rotors Brake pads

Shift assembly has failed twice - April 2021 and April 2024. For both occurrences, the vehicle spontaneosly stops registering when I shift into park. When I shift, the vehicle sends a warning to shift into park. There is a safety concern because I cannot determine whether or not the vehicle is actually in park. The GM dealer determined that the issue is a faulty shifter switch and harness and a faulty shift knob. Both were replaced. In April 2021 transmission shifter (part #84698649) and jumper harness (part #84733196) were replaced.

Shift to Park error occurs everytime I put my car into park. It does not turn off and the vehicle remains on until I jiggle the shifter. This has been "repaired" 2x 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 (18-NA-297).

The transmission on my 2018 Chevy Traverse went out per the mechanic that recently inspected it. It was just purchased from a Chevy dealership not even 8 months ago. I first noticed the problem a couple weeks ago when my car hit about 25mph getting on the highway then wouldn’t go any faster as I would try to accelerate speed, then it was jerking and was harshly engaging from time to time. Then it finally felt like someone crashed into the back of my car it jerked so hard and then accelerated but only went up to 40mph and wouldn’t go any faster. It would hit 40 mph and then idol at the speed when you would hit the gas to accelerate. No engine light came on or anything at that time. Then a couple days later the shifter would be put into reverse and then not go in reverse when you hit the gas to go. Having two young kids, my husband told me it wasn’t safe to be driving it at all. We had it towed to a mechanic shop to be inspected since we depend on a car for our job. The mechanic inspected it with a diagnostic code reader as well as looking at the transmission. The overall condition is that the transmission is not working anymore. I have done research and for this specific make, model and year there are tons of recalls for the transmission.

I was driving and just passed a vehicle while accelerating when I heard a pop noise, saw a lot of white smoke through my rear view mirror, had the engine light go on and the vehicle stopped working. I slowly pulled over to the side of the road and placed the vehicle in park followed by turning off the car. A person driving by stopped and advised me my vehicle was on fire under the undercarriage. I popped the hood and the engine was also in flames. I was unable to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and the local fire department and law enforcement agencies helped to put out the fire. The vehicle was a complete loss. If it were not for the passer by person telling me the undercarriage of the vehicle was on fire, not sure if I would have known in time to get out of the vehicle safely. The root of the cause is under investigation by my insurance company. 2018 Chevrolet Traverse LS

The transmission on this year/make/model has a bad track record as shown by numerous Technical Service Bulletins. Car will repeatedly not shift throughout 9 speed transmission TSB: PIP5546C 17-NA-317 PIP5621D 04-07-30-013E 20-NA-138 06-00-89-031 21-NA-201 PIP5697E 18-NA-298

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon the start of the vehicle, an abnormal rattling sound was coming from the vehicle without warning. The contact stated that once the engine had warmed up, the rattling sound turned into a chugging sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the bracket used to hold the exhaust pipes together had rubbed against one of the pipes and formed a hole. The mechanic then explained that if not repaired, the catalytic converter would become damaged. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was made to have a diagnostic test performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 117,600.

My quarter panel taillight has stopped working due to moisture in the light (no visible breakage on light). This part is on continuous backorder with no ETA of coming back in stock. Dealer has ordered part but will not give a loaner car. GM acknowledged backorder but will not give rental reimbursement. I have three children I am to put in this car that does not have a left turn signal or brake light. I feel unsafe driving this car as I may be rear ended but everyone I talk to says they can't do anything. What am I to do.

Exhaust cracks out creating a hole and cause’s problems with the catalytic converter. This is exactly the same problem as on the 2019 and up traverse that they have issued repairs on

It has a leak and having electrical issues. Everything else unknown.

I currently own a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse with 63k miles the had a cracked catalytic converter. The catalytic converter was replaced but the dealer also charged me for a flex pipe replacement which they said was broken too. This is a known issue as per GM's own bulletin #PIP5681, yet they refused to cover the repair in it's entirety. GM is entirely covering this issue in 2018-2021 chevy traverse vehicles, but they are refusing to cover the costs of the flex pipe replacement for approximately $600.

EROR MESSAGE SHIFT TO PARK AND TRANSMISSION SHUTTER ABOVE 70 MILES PER HOUR.