Owners have filed 571 complaints
about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse with NHTSA between 2019 and 2026.
The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
Across this model's run it ranks 5 of 18 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 65
Against the median year of the Chevrolet Traverse. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 33
6.5% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 91
53% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2019 compares with every other Chevrolet Traverse
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Floor Shift
1336.1%
Body
616.7%
Warnings
411.1%
Automatic Transmission
411.1%
Warnings
38.3%
Automatic Emergency Braking
25.6%
Blind Spot Detection
25.6%
Instrument Cluster/Panel
25.6%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
43.2%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
2015.9%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
3225.4%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
2822.2%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
1511.9%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
1612.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
97.1%
150,000+ miles
21.6%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 2019peak 23Aug 2026
Recalls on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
21V246000
AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
20V668000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
18V774000
AIR BAGS
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark, Traverse, and Trax vehicles. The Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) on these vehicle may not have been turned off of "manufacturing mode," preventing the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202052022,911 units in Canada
Powertrain
Issue: On certain vehicles, the start-stop accumulator in the transmission may be missing bolts. As a result, transmission fluid could leak and eventually cause the transmission to stop working. If this happens, there could be a loss of power to the wheels. Safety Risk: A transmission fluid leak onto a hot surface can create the risk of a fire. Additionally, a loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the transmission start-stop accumulator. It will be replaced if any bolts are found missing.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Austin, TXCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
Driver's side airbag. A car crashed into the driver's side at a 90 degree angle that caused damage starting right behind the driver's door and continued all the way to the rear of the vehicle. The damage was severe enough that the driver's side passenger door, the rear wheel, hub, hub assembly, linkage, lower control arm, and tire, rear fender, the pillar and hingers between the front and rear door, steering gear and linkage. In spite the of violence of the accident, none of the airbags deployed, especially the driver's side airbag which allowed the driver's head to contact the driver's door window.
NHTSA complaint #11731637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rock Springs, WYCrash2 injured
AIR BAGS
I was in an accident in my 2019 Chevy Traverse on September 4, 2025. Upon impact, my airbags did not deploy. I was pulling out from and intersection and a car with no lights on was coming from the right of me going towards the left of me. I ended up hitting his car on the driver' side and rear door. His side airbags went off. I was wearing my seatbelt. My body was thrown forward and hit the steering wheel. The airbag did not go off upon impact. I have a broken sternum, bruised ribs and bruises across my left shoulder due to the seatbelt. I ended up in the hospital overnight for observation. They were worried about my heart and lungs since they were jarred forward when I hit the steering wheel. Now my insurance company wants to total my car. They also want me to get a different title (salvage title) if I have the car fixed, which in turn with make it hard for me to sell it and keep insurance on it. I want to know what will be done about this. If I get the car fixed, will it happen again? Looking for answers. I feel that I would have been just fine if my airbag had went off. Now I am looking at 6-8 weeks of painful recovery.
NHTSA complaint #11687919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 48,000 milesRock Springs, WYCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 20 MPH at an intersection, she failed to see the approaching vehicle that was driving 40 MPH and T-boned that vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. During the impact, the contact's wife's chest area collided with the steering wheel. The other vehicle did have all the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact’s wife sustained abdominal, right knee, and chest pain, as well as a headache, and was treated in the hospital. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
NHTSA complaint #11685003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Deerfield Beach, FLCrash1 injured
POWER TRAIN
My Traverse intermittently displays 'shift to park' message and I was not able to shut the SUV all the way off. I would have to play with the shift gear in order for it to turn off. I am under 50k miles.
NHTSA complaint #11569190 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Deerfield Beach, FLCrash1 injured
SERVICE BRAKES
My Traverse intermittently displays 'shift to park' message and I was not able to shut the SUV all the way off. I would have to play with the shift gear in order for it to turn off. I am under 50k miles.
NHTSA complaint #11569190 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Parrish, FLCrash2 injured
AIR BAGS
My wife and I were t-boned in the front end of our 2019 Chevy Traverse. I am familiar with how airbags operate and the force necessary to activate the trigger switch. At the force we were hit, the airbags should have deployed. None of the airbags worked. The car that hit us was totaled. Their front end was completely demolished to the firewall and all airbags were deployed. Our car had $11,000 plus worth of front /side damage. Our bodies are recovering from injuries we should not have sustained if the airbags were functional. We will be contacting the dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11491846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Liverpool, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The exhaust clamp rusted and broke, causing a hole in the exhaust which set off the engine light and eventually poisoned my catalytic converter costing $4000 to replace. GM's extended warranty exception for the admitted defect is to replace the clamp and flex pipe only, about $100 worth but they refused to cover the peripheral damage caused by the faulty clamp.
NHTSA complaint #11757554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arnold, MO
POWER TRAIN
My transmission is said to be failing. I plan to get it looked at again this week. Safety of me and my two children are at risk when driving. The car shakes and could lose control. An independent I tried reporting it to my insurance but they told me to go to a mechanic and they won’t do anything to help me. There are no warning signals or lights or anything. It just started shaking and it’s scary to drive. I was told by an independent mechanic that it is my transmission. There was a recall in 2020 for transmission and he thinks it was never fixed and that’s most likely the issue. I have not gotten it fixed yet. It’s sitting in my driveway because I’m scared to drive my kids in it and it’s too expensive. So we had to get a rental car.
NHTSA complaint #11752996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Haltom City, TX
POWER TRAIN
My car WILL not register that it is in park even though the dash says it’s in P and my gear shift is pushed all the way up in the park gear. It has taken hours some days for it to finally acknowledge that it is indeed in the park gear. I do NOT have time for that! And if it gets to the point where I have a dead battery because I didn’t “shift to park”, Chevrolet WILL be paying for it. This is insane and apparently has been an ongoing issue for a decade! FIX IT!
NHTSA complaint #11752521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Haltom City, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car WILL not register that it is in park even though the dash says it’s in P and my gear shift is pushed all the way up in the park gear. It has taken hours some days for it to finally acknowledge that it is indeed in the park gear. I do NOT have time for that! And if it gets to the point where I have a dead battery because I didn’t “shift to park”, Chevrolet WILL be paying for it. This is insane and apparently has been an ongoing issue for a decade! FIX IT!
NHTSA complaint #11752521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 140,000 milesWhiteville, NC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced hard shifting. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was examined, and the contact was informed that the transmission or the transmission valve body had failed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an extended warranty coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #11749502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brandon, MS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car will be placed in park but keeps saying shift to park. Then I have to turn the car on and off clicking the shift button till it will finally shut off. One time it took ten minutes. This needs to be a recall!!! Specifically since it seems to be affecting many of the cars!!!
NHTSA complaint #11749378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brandon, MS
SERVICE BRAKES
The car will be placed in park but keeps saying shift to park. Then I have to turn the car on and off clicking the shift button till it will finally shut off. One time it took ten minutes. This needs to be a recall!!! Specifically since it seems to be affecting many of the cars!!!
NHTSA complaint #11749378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 74,000 milesForth Worth, TX
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:FILTER/SCREEN
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an inspection, where a leaking oil pan gasket was diagnosed. Although the vehicle had been taken to the dealer two months prior, the dealer did not find the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
NHTSA complaint #11749148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lincoln Park, NJ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The shift to park sensor is broken. It will keep my vehicle on and beeping for hours saying “shift to park” although my vehicle is in park and shut off.
NHTSA complaint #11747465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lincoln Park, NJ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The shift to park sensor is broken. It will keep my vehicle on and beeping for hours saying “shift to park” although my vehicle is in park and shut off.
NHTSA complaint #11747465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 80,000 milesMiramar, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P), the “Shift to Park” warning light illuminated, even though the vehicle was already shifted to park(P). The contact stated that the gear selector was shifted back and forth several times before it was recognized that the vehicle was in park(P). During the failures, the warning light remained illuminated, causing the battery to drain and the following day the vehicle was unable to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11746412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wrightsville, PA
POWER TRAIN
I bought my traverse in 2024 it’s now two year later and my entire transmission needs replaced no longer shifting between 1000& 2000rpms this is a known issue with these vehicles and there hasn’t been a recall yet. Also the button in my shift knob tells me it is not in park (shift to park) even though it’s clearly in park. Along with the transmission issue the stabilitrack warning comes on every time the car comes out of auto shut off and jumps forward. How is this safe?
NHTSA complaint #11745627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wrightsville, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I bought my traverse in 2024 it’s now two year later and my entire transmission needs replaced no longer shifting between 1000& 2000rpms this is a known issue with these vehicles and there hasn’t been a recall yet. Also the button in my shift knob tells me it is not in park (shift to park) even though it’s clearly in park. Along with the transmission issue the stabilitrack warning comes on every time the car comes out of auto shut off and jumps forward. How is this safe?
NHTSA complaint #11745627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Bragg, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2019 Chevy Traverse prior to "The Storm" when I left work and approached my vehicle someone left a not in my windshield wipers stating that my horn was honking every 15 seconds it was a long shift so by the time I got to my vehicle my battery was dead. I got a jump from a co-worker allowed my alternator to charge my battery, and it was fine (so I thought). Then the day after "The Storm" happened, my Traverse went haywire displaying multiple signs of electronic failures while driving on a major highway: Service ESC, ABS disabled, Traction control disabled, Power steering disabled, Horn honked continuously, windows won't roll down, Key fob unresponsive, Manual lock/ unlock switch unresponsive, A/C on but doesn't blow cold, infotainment system on, Cluster Hazard light indicators on but lights aren't illuminated, Windshield Wipers on max speed unprompted while spraying continuously. I pulled over, placed the vehicle in "park", turned the vehicle off, safely exited to realize my vehicle was still running, got back into the vehicle where I was greeted by a prompt that said to place the vehicle in park to turn it off. I attempted to shift but it was immovable, called a tow truck. Every time after dealership visits/ repairs my vehicle shutoff while moving. It's been to the dealership 3 times (4 to include tomorrow) I've also connected an OBD2 Scanner to run a diagnostic after the last visit and these faults appeared almost instantly. Work done so far: x2 BCM replacements (w/ flashed software) x1 Battery replacement x1 Keyless Entry Module replacement x1 Driver door lock/unlock switch replacement x3-->4 tow trucks Over $3,000 in expenses
NHTSA complaint #11744076 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Bragg, NC
ENGINE
My 2019 Chevy Traverse prior to "The Storm" when I left work and approached my vehicle someone left a not in my windshield wipers stating that my horn was honking every 15 seconds it was a long shift so by the time I got to my vehicle my battery was dead. I got a jump from a co-worker allowed my alternator to charge my battery, and it was fine (so I thought). Then the day after "The Storm" happened, my Traverse went haywire displaying multiple signs of electronic failures while driving on a major highway: Service ESC, ABS disabled, Traction control disabled, Power steering disabled, Horn honked continuously, windows won't roll down, Key fob unresponsive, Manual lock/ unlock switch unresponsive, A/C on but doesn't blow cold, infotainment system on, Cluster Hazard light indicators on but lights aren't illuminated, Windshield Wipers on max speed unprompted while spraying continuously. I pulled over, placed the vehicle in "park", turned the vehicle off, safely exited to realize my vehicle was still running, got back into the vehicle where I was greeted by a prompt that said to place the vehicle in park to turn it off. I attempted to shift but it was immovable, called a tow truck. Every time after dealership visits/ repairs my vehicle shutoff while moving. It's been to the dealership 3 times (4 to include tomorrow) I've also connected an OBD2 Scanner to run a diagnostic after the last visit and these faults appeared almost instantly. Work done so far: x2 BCM replacements (w/ flashed software) x1 Battery replacement x1 Keyless Entry Module replacement x1 Driver door lock/unlock switch replacement x3-->4 tow trucks Over $3,000 in expenses
NHTSA complaint #11744076 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Bragg, NC
SERVICE BRAKES
My 2019 Chevy Traverse prior to "The Storm" when I left work and approached my vehicle someone left a not in my windshield wipers stating that my horn was honking every 15 seconds it was a long shift so by the time I got to my vehicle my battery was dead. I got a jump from a co-worker allowed my alternator to charge my battery, and it was fine (so I thought). Then the day after "The Storm" happened, my Traverse went haywire displaying multiple signs of electronic failures while driving on a major highway: Service ESC, ABS disabled, Traction control disabled, Power steering disabled, Horn honked continuously, windows won't roll down, Key fob unresponsive, Manual lock/ unlock switch unresponsive, A/C on but doesn't blow cold, infotainment system on, Cluster Hazard light indicators on but lights aren't illuminated, Windshield Wipers on max speed unprompted while spraying continuously. I pulled over, placed the vehicle in "park", turned the vehicle off, safely exited to realize my vehicle was still running, got back into the vehicle where I was greeted by a prompt that said to place the vehicle in park to turn it off. I attempted to shift but it was immovable, called a tow truck. Every time after dealership visits/ repairs my vehicle shutoff while moving. It's been to the dealership 3 times (4 to include tomorrow) I've also connected an OBD2 Scanner to run a diagnostic after the last visit and these faults appeared almost instantly. Work done so far: x2 BCM replacements (w/ flashed software) x1 Battery replacement x1 Keyless Entry Module replacement x1 Driver door lock/unlock switch replacement x3-->4 tow trucks Over $3,000 in expenses
NHTSA complaint #11744076 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Moore, SC
ENGINE
Exhaust bracket broke, created a hole in pipe, which then resulted in cracked catalytic converter. Dealership and GM denied repairs due to the hole being on the "wrong pipe" but the same bracket that is covered broke resulting in the consequential damage. Check engine light came on, loud exhaust noise. Threw codes P219A, P2097, P0171. Bulletin even outlines that broken bracket/hole can cause cracks in converter, still denied. This is a known issue with the welding on this pipe/bracket, why they didn't extend the coverage to BOTH pipes is beyond me.
NHTSA complaint #11743135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesAppleton, WI
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the "Shift to Park" message was displayed after shifting the vehicle into park(P). The bells and whistles failed to go off, and the vehicle made a continuous beeping sound. The failure required the contact to restart the vehicle 14 times. The contact was concerned that the battery would die. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the "Shift to Park" light needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered cost assistance. A case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11742725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saint Stephens, AL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When shifter is put in park, vehicle does not register it is in park. This could possibly cause the vehicle to unintentionally roll. The vehicle could also not shut down and full and displays message "shift to park". This began at around 70k miles. The problem has been noted and witnessed with mechanic.
NHTSA complaint #11741101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Windsor Heights, IA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Wiring harness keeps getting ate up due to soybean coated wiring manufacturing.
NHTSA complaint #11740732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Windsor Heights, IA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Wiring harness keeps getting ate up due to soybean coated wiring manufacturing.
NHTSA complaint #11740732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 95,000 milesDecatur, IL
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the bracket was making an abnormal rattling noise. There was a hole on the outside of the muffler. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the bracket was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11739214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 95,000 milesDecatur, IL
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the bracket was making an abnormal rattling noise. There was a hole on the outside of the muffler. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the bracket was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11739214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Canadensis, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car started making a sound similar to a cracked muffler but it was a very quiet sound that lasted a minute or two and went away. I thought something was loose and took to repair shop. My catalytic converter was cracked & the mechanic said it was in a place he had never seen before. Very high up. He tried to go through GM but my issue isn’t the same as any other that had been reported. My car only has 53,536 miles on it and I bought it new in October of 2019. I maintain consistent maintenance on it at the same repair shop. There is a recall on this car about emissions and possibly affecting the catalytic converter. If I do not fall into that recall so be it but maybe I am not the only person reporting this issue. I just want to have it on record in case it ever does become a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11738116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 88,000 milesMiami, FL
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 15-30 MPH and shifting gears, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle began to shudder at 50-60 MPH. The yellow engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the gear system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined a new gear system was needed. There was no warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
NHTSA complaint #11737517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.