Chevrolet Traverse Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 77.3% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine, with 1,051 complaints, typically at 5.3 years.

Chevrolet Traverse years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Chevrolet Traverse — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2026	1.11	20	18	too new
2025	2.89	182	63	too new
2024	2.4	139	58	too new
2023	1.52	91	60	too new
2022	1.56	97	62	too new
2021	1.4	88	63	too new
2020	2.53	230	91	yes
2019	3.95	403	102	yes
2018	4.36	453	104	yes
2017	3.69	354	96	yes
2016	3.46	287	83	yes
2015	3.24	295	91	yes
2014	4.61	525	114	yes
2013	2.18	157	72	yes
2012	3.17	323	102	yes
2011	4.73	534	113	yes
2010	3.58	570	159	yes
2009	5.52	364	66	yes

ROWS 18·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2011 Traverse asks a median $3,495, against $3,800 for a 2012, the next model year: about 8% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 6 Chevrolet Traverse years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2011, 2014, 2018; the three worth hunting are 2012, 2010, 2019.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Chevrolet Traverse — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	405	8%	covered
1 year	377	15.4%	covered
2 years	369	22.7%	covered
3 years	569	33.9%	you pay
4 years	608	45.9%	you pay
5 years	588	57.5%	you pay
6 years	642	70.1%	you pay
7 years	592	81.8%	you pay
8 years	400	89.7%	you pay
9 years	263	94.9%	you pay
10 years	160	98%	you pay
11 years	46	98.9%	you pay
12 years	30	99.5%	you pay
13 years	19	99.9%	you pay
14 years	4	100%	you pay
15 years	2	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 22.7% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 77.3% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 38% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Chevrolet Traverse, the early trouble is Service Brakes — reported at around 2.5 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine at 5.3 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Chevrolet Traverse — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Engine	1051	5.3 yrs	12	14
Air Bags	1019	6.8 yrs	60	2
Power Train	882	4.5 yrs	16	5
Electrical System	819	4.5 yrs	12	12
Steering	805	4.6 yrs	20	3
Unknown Or Other	578	4.9 yrs	17	3
Electronic Stability Control (esc)	430	4.8 yrs	6	1
Service Brakes	400	2.5 yrs	31	2

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Traverse's vehicle class. Per production run, the GMC Acadia draws 3.34, the GMC Yukon 2.61 and the Chevrolet Suburban 2.82, against 3.38 for the Traverse. That is the most complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Chevrolet Traverse — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Traverse	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
GMC Acadia	5,620	80	2007–2026
GMC Yukon	7,133	202	1992–2026
Chevrolet Suburban	8,293	188	1981–2026
Lincoln Navigator	1,419	155	1998–2026
Fisker Ocean	884	10	2023–2026
Ford Expedition MAX	2,592	108	2007–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Chevrolet Traverse

Recalls75 campaigns Fuel economy23 mpg best Common problems5,472 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices4,413 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2009–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Chevrolet Traverse reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 3.38 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Traverse years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2011, 2014, 2018. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2012, 2010, 2019. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Traverse problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Engine, typically at 5.3 years, followed by Air Bags.

Will the warranty cover Traverse problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 22.7% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 38% of the complaints here.

Is the Traverse more reliable than the GMC Acadia?

No: 3.38 complaints per production run for the Traverse against 3.34 for the GMC Acadia.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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