2018 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability
674 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 65/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 34,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2018 sits among all Traverse years
What owners report
“When car is parked and tried to turn off it’s giving me a “shift to park” and it won’t turn off the car. I changed gears to try and take it off park and then put back in park and same message and it would not turn off car. After multiple attempts it finally turned it off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Traverse
“Shift to park notification when car is park. Other forums with same model traverse is having the same issues.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Traverse
“The car will not turn off 85% of the time. When I put it in park and hit the start/stop engine button the vehicle does not turn off. It shows a message "Shift to Park" but it's in park.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Traverse
“The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling and squeaking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact that the exhaust manifold bracket had failed and needed…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Traverse
“The vehicles dashboard lit up with a service emergency brake, and then the brakes locked up while the car was in motion on the roadway.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Traverse
“I have had to repair the muffler and now the catalytic converter. There was a fissure on the muffler and now there’s a fissure on the catalytic converter.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Traverse
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 257 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 27,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,000 and 50,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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 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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
1,106 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2018 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 2018 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse drew 674 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 65/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2018 Chevrolet Traverse problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse are transmission & drivetrain (191 complaints), other (115), and electrical (112).
At what mileage do 2018 Chevrolet Traverse problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Chevrolet Traverse problems around 27,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,000 and 50,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 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.