2013 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability
295 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 34/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Other leads the reports, typically around 75,754 miles.
Typical
Where 2013 sits among all Traverse years
What owners report
“While driving, my check engine light came on. Also traction light came on, loss of power came on, and stability traction turned off. My speed reduced from 40 to 25. I shut the car off and now only the check engine light is on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Traverse
“Vehicle steering wheel vibrates when it's on and on park . The light to dashboard , radio , is dim then as I drive it might turn bright then back to dim .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Traverse
“Driving on the interstate going 75 mph when the traction control warning came on and engine shut down”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Traverse
“Driving and the transmission overheats on long car rides even though the fluids are all fine the traction control code comes on and i lose power to the vehicle after about 20 minutes”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Traverse
“My "check air bag" light has gone on intermittently while driving for over a year. It is now permanently illuminated, and has been for the past 4-5 months. My vehicle is not covered by the recall on this issue. I am nervous that the airbag will not work if i am in an accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Traverse
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 229 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 77,008 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,000 and 106,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022.…
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.
Fix: 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…
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008,…
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 21V245.
Technical service bulletins
1,666 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2013 Traverse TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse drew 295 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 34/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2013 Chevrolet Traverse problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse are other (63 complaints), electrical (55), and engine (46).
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Traverse problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Chevrolet Traverse problems around 77,008 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,000 and 106,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.