Reliable Auto DB

2018 Chevrolet Traverse reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 461 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse over 9 years — 46 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Traverse years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Critical fasteners and Automatic transmission.

2012 Chevrolet Traverse
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

461

Per year

46

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (195 of 461), then Electrical system (101) and Engine (84). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Traverse has 361 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2019 has 405 complaints, 25 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall air bags, critical fasteners 2021-04-08 · NHTSA campaign 21V246000
Summary 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.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2020-10-29 · NHTSA campaign 20V668000
Summary 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.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

Complaints by component (461 total)

Powertrain
195
Electrical system
101
Engine
84
Service brakes
37
Fuel and propulsion system
29
Engine and engine cooling
16
Steering
14
Exterior lighting
12
Seat belts
11
Structure
11
Suspension
10
Electronic stability control (ESC)
8
Fuel system, gasoline
8
Speed control
8
Forward collision avoidance
7
Lane departure
7
Air bags
5
Wheels
4
Visibility and wipers
3
Carry handle, shell, and base
2
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
2
Back-over prevention
1
Tether and lower anchor
1
Tires
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

9

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22017312018582019482020372021322022502023672024852025512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "For months we have had issues with the known issue of “Shift to Park” which is a huge potential safety risk to myself, my children, and all of my neighbors who are ever remotely close to the vehicle. No dealer can…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-18
  • "I am submitting this complaint regarding a complete transmission failure in my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse (VIN 1GNEVGKW7JJ279077). The vehicle's transmission stopped functioning altogether, resulting in a complete loss of…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-11
  • "the vehicle will not register that it is in park, when the engine is turned off a beeping noise reads shift to park - you have to start the engine and shut it off multiple times, or slam the shifter into place to get it…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-06
  • "Car recently started to jolt when accelerating. Noticed it firsthand on the highway while on stop and go traffic. It's been doing it more often now when driving around the city. As soon as you accelerate past 15mph, it…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-06
  • "the vehicle will not register that it is in park, when the engine is turned off a beeping noise reads shift to park - you have to start the engine and shut it off multiple times, or slam the shifter into place to get it…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Chevrolet Traverse SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Chevrolet Traverse SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Traverse all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 9-speed All-wheel drive 17 25 20 MPG $3250
Traverse front-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 9-speed Front-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
Traverse front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic 9-speed Front-wheel drive 20 26 22 MPG $3650

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2018–2023
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (3.6L V6); 5W-30 (2.0L turbo where equipped) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 255/55R20 to 255/65R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-668 covers certain 2018-2020 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles among other GM crossovers: the start/stop transmission accumulator end cap may have missing bolts, which can lead to a transmission fluid leak and possible loss of propulsion. Dealers inspect the accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing. Recall 23V-042 covers certain 2023 Chevrolet Traverse and Blazer vehicles: left-side half-shaft assemblies may be missing a retaining ring, which can allow the half shaft to disengage and cause a loss of drive power.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Chevrolet Traverse Next year 2019 Chevrolet Traverse See every Chevrolet Traverse model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?

Owners have filed 461 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse over 9 years — 46 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Traverse years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Critical fasteners and Automatic transmission.

What are common problems with a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (195 of 461), then Electrical system (101) and Engine (84). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Traverse has 361 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2019 has 405 complaints, 25 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse been recalled?

The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners have filed 461 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is 21 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?

2nd generation (2018-2023).

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Traverse use?

5W-30 (dexos1)

What does NHTSA recall 21V-782 cover on the Chevrolet Traverse?

Recall 21V-782 covers certain 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2008-2017 Buick Enclave vehicles: the driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect, sending sharp metal fragments into the cabin; dealers replace the driver's air…