2018 Chevrolet Traverse Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 466 owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.

Recalled components: air bags and powertrain. Most-described problem: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear (156 complaints, 33%). Most-reported area: powertrain (196 complaints, 42%; median mileage when it happened: 32,800).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

2 safety recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.

What owners report

Owners have filed 466 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Traverse. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Shifter errors or stuck in gear156 · 33%
  Median 43,600 miles at failure, from 48 reports with mileage
• Check engine light51 · 11%
  Median 36,800 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off31 · 7%
  Median 18,400 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration31 · 7%
• Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting28 · 6%
  Median 17,200 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Transmission failure or replacement26 · 6%
• Loss of power or limp mode24 · 5%
• Hesitation or slow acceleration18 · 4%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Powertrain196 · 42%
  Most named: automatic transmission, lever and linkage, floor shift (3) · Median 32,800 miles at failure, from 78 reports with mileage
• Electrical system102 · 22%
  Median 21,700 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Engine86 · 18%
  Median 18,800 miles at failure, from 39 reports with mileage
• Brakes38 · 8%
  Median 37,000 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system30 · 6%
• Engine and cooling16 · 3%
  Most named: exhaust system (9); exhaust system, emission control, catalytic convertor (4) · Median 80,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Steering14 · 3%
• Unknown or other105 · 23%
  Median 15,400 miles at failure, from 25 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Chevrolet Traverse recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Traverse drew the most (139).

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Traverse MPG

Questions