2021 Chevrolet Traverse reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse over 6 years — 8 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 13 Traverse years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Curtain, Automatic transmission, and Frontal impact.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (22 of 89), then Powertrain (15) and Engine (11). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Traverse has 228 complaints, 12 per year, and the 2022 has 98 complaints, 15 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, side and window, curtain 2022-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 22V210000

Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.

Remedy Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212352140.

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2021-10-18 · NHTSA campaign 21V817000

Summary Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place may chafe against the transmission case, possibly resulting in a transmission fluid leak.

Remedy Dealers will replace the screw and clip, and inspect for signs of contact with the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.

Recall air bags, sensor, frontal impact 2021-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V472000

Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.

Remedy Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N212340220.

Complaints by component (89 total)

Electrical system

Powertrain

Engine

Service brakes

Engine and engine cooling

Forward collision avoidance

Steering

Air bags

Speed control

Carry handle, shell, and base

Fuel and propulsion system

Seat belts

Suspension

Back-over prevention

Fuel system, gasoline

Other or not sure

Structure

Tether and lower anchor

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I went in for service at Chey 112 in Medford, NY they advised me that my computer needed to be replaced they replaced the computer and I started having transmission issues."
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-08
"Transmission shutters at lower gear going from 20-30 mph approximately and at the speed of 60-70 mph. When this happens it causes a delay in acceleration and for the whole car to shake. This was also noted by my…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-08-21
"The welding that holds the exhaust together has failed. They offer a Special Warranty to cover only the passenger side, however it has failed and exhaust is super loud. Also reading 4 codes from check engine alert. All…"
Engine · filed 2026-08-18
"The contact owned a 2021 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. The contact stated that the failure…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-07-08
"On [XXX] I purchased the vehicle from Bakersfield Hyundai within days I reported break failure and notified them about a noise that was coming from the SUV that sounded like a mini motorcycle, they first said (Xavier)…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-06-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Chevrolet Traverse SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2021 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

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 2020 Chevrolet Traverse Next year 2022 Chevrolet Traverse See every Chevrolet Traverse model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (22 of 89), then Powertrain (15) and Engine (11). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse been recalled?

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse has 3 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 2021 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners have filed 89 complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse is 20.5 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…