NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the EVAP purge valve was replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the check engine warning light became illuminated again. The contact also stated that the vehicle was jerking and stalling while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was a leak coming from the purge valve. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
The component that failed or is not functioning properly is the passenger seat seat belt component where the seat belt inserts into. The seat belt cannot be inserted into the component and lock/secure in place. This poses a safety hazard to the front seat passenger as they are not able to easily and safely buckle the seat belt. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they acknowledge the malfunctioning seat belt component and stated they will not cover the replacement of it even though the vehicle is less than 5 years old.
This Traverse is the Redline Edition. Beginning in November 2022, the Right Passenger quarter LED tail Lamp stopped working. it operates the turn signal and stop light. It is unavailable since that time. It is now 6 months I have been operating this vehicle which is unsafe. It is the whole assembly and I cannot replace it with the regular taillamp due to the wiring harness. I was told from Chevrolet to go to the dealer and the dealer tells me that the part has been on National Backorder for months.
Both the driver and passenger side rear turning signals accumulate condensation (if conditions permit, liquid water). When the automatic lights are engaged the rear turning signal will blink rapidly (as if the bulb was out). This problem does not occur when the day-time running lights are on. Estimated repair costs are $600 per light, as the entire housing must be replaced rather than just replacing the bulbs when they wear out.
The gear shifter in my vehicle consistently fails to lock into “Park.” Whenever I place the car in “Park,” a message appears on the dashboard stating, “Shift to Park,” which prevents me from turning off the vehicle. It takes multiple attempts to get the shifter to lock into place and for the message to disappear. This issue is not only frustrating but also poses a potential safety hazard, as the vehicle does not reliably indicate that it is in “Park.”
As a CPST, I am very concerned by the failure that I have witnessed on multiple occasions of the Snuglock mechanism of the Graco Turn2Me to secure the seat. The Snuglock mechanism is supposed to serve as a lockoff for the vehicle seatbelt, so that the seatbelt doesn't have to manually be locked. However, it seems that the Snuglock is failing to do so. I first noticed an issue back in October of 2022 when I went to put my rear facing 2yo into the seat and noticed that it was loose/"rocking". Upon taking hold of the seat, I could completely push the seat over, with very minimal force. I chalked it up to a squirming toddler whom was fighting his father to be bucked the previous day. However, since October, I have found that the seat repeatedly becomes loose over time. It is now to the point that I check the seat every single time we get into the car and there has been multiple times I have had to reinstall in the middle of store/restaurant parking lots. At this point, I am reinstalling weekly due to what I believe is a faulty Snuglock. When loose, you can visibly see the slack in the vehicle belt. It's my belief that, over time, the Snuglock is allow the vehicle seatbelt to "slip" causing this slack and, therefore, a very dangerous, unsecure install. As a CPST, I have helped a number of caregivers whom are experiencing the very same issue. I have 2 videos I would love to share: the first showing how loose the install becomes. The second showing the seat after I have reinstalled (testing in the same locations for reference.) Please reach out to me if you would like to view them.
The right rear quarter panel stop turn signal light started to retain moisture then the turn signal and stop light stopped working all together. the light is an LED and therefore cannot replace just the bulb. I am having no luck finding the correct replacement as any search turns up a part discontinued by Chevrolet.
The tail light is collecting moisture out of nowhere. Went to the dealer to get the item looked at, was told that it was not covered under the warranty. The price to repair will be almost 1300 to replace, this is crazy. GM needs to do something about this. The moisture in the light is a potential for all the electrical wires to burnout.
Rear taillight has moisture inside which can cause an electrical shortage. Upon Google search, there are tons of other 2018 Traverses with the same issue. I contacted the dealership about a GM service bulletin about the same issue but they stated we would have to pay out of pocket for this issue.
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.
"SHIFT TO PARK" WHEN CAR IS ALREADY IN PARK
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the vehicle experienced rough idling while starting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a faulty EVAP purge solenoid valve. The dealer replaced the EVAP purge solenoid valve. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Shift to Park error occurs 90% of the time I put my car into park. The car turns off but none of the electrical does, like its in accessory mode. Dings when you try to leave the car and will not lock. Display reads 'Shift into Park'. I have to jiggle the shifter to get it to engage. Could be a couple jiggles or 5 mins of jiggling and restarting the car, shifting from drive to park over and over.. This has been "repaired" once under warranty. Now that it is out of warranty the manufacturer refuses to cover any of the expenses on this known issue with a bulletin per your website. I did not realize this was happening to so many. Should be a recall for sure! VERY FRUSTERATING.
When I turn off the vehicle, there is an audible dinging that does not stop and a message "shift to park" on the screen. This warning and message does not stop and therefore would run down the battery if left. I googled a solution before taking to the dealership and it turns out, this is a common failing in many Chevy vehicles. It is a small part located in the shift control, literally a 1 inch strip of flexible metal, that isn't making a good connection to a sensor. Chevy should fix this or replace for free since it is clearly a defect, but instead service departments charge a diagnostic fee ($169) and I was told it would be a $777 fix on top of the fee. With the "shop fees" it would cost $1,000.
The right rear outside signal light assembly is defective. Shoddy workmanship allowed moisture into the assembly shorting out the LED lighting. The signal, including 4-emergency light stopped functioning. The entire assembly must be replaced. There is not simply a light bulb to change. The replacement cost of over $500 will cause people to not change the assembly thus prolonging the operation of the vehicle in an unsafe manner.
When in park, a warning alerts “shift to park” and doesn’t stop.
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 to be replaced along with a section of the exhaust system. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was not covered under the manufacturer's extended coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact's daughter stated that when the gear shifter was shifted into park(P), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that several attempts were needed before the computer recognized that the gear shifter was in park(P). The contact was then able to turn off the vehicle. Two unknown warning lights were illuminated. The failure was becoming more frequent; however, after the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact's daughter then took the vehicle to an unknown local dealer where she was made aware that there was currently no remedy available for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
Middle row bench middle seat belt won’t stay latched in and the seatbelt has been taken in for service to repair locked middle row middle seat belt. Hazard and unsafe for passengers in vehicle.
Transmission issues :hard shifts, shift delays , hesitation upon acceleration, trouble on reverse gear. Engine issues: grinding noises , ticking noises ,check engine light turning on, loss of power engine Vibrating in steering wheel when braking.
Constantly displays “shift to park” when vehicle is properly in park and shut off which keeps the electrical system operating. Warning beeping (which can’t be turned off), interior and exterior lights, stereo, etc. continue for anywhere from minutes to hours until it randomly shuts down. Exterior lights have to be shut off manually. Meanwhile the battery is being drained and alarm system can’t be armed while warning beep is alerting passersby that the vehicle is powered on while unoccupied and unprotected. Other than waiting it out, the only option to shut the vehicle off is to disconnect the battery.
When I shift into park, the car does not recognize that the car is in park and the car will not turn off. I had this issue after only about 2 years of owning the brand new vehicle. I contacted General Motors, and since my mileage was out of warranty limits they would not fix it. I took it to a dealer and had to fix it. Now about two years later I’m having the same issue. The car doesn’t recognize that it is in shift and will not turn off fully. It is dangerous because the car won’t fully shut off. And since it is an electronic issue there’s nothing the driver can do to change it. Clearly it is faulty and something like this shouldn’t have to be replaced twice in 4 years. The only people who have inspected it are the mechanics at the Chevrolet dealership.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P) and turning off the vehicle, the message "Vehicle Not in Park" was displayed. The contact stated that he had to restart the vehicle and move the gear shifter forward and backward until the transmission moved to the park(P) position. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly. The contact stated that he could not lock the doors of the vehicle during the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gear shift selector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,119.
Attempted to park vehicle in level parking lot. Vehicle appeared to go into Park. Driver Information Center indicated that vehicle was not in Park and provided warning bells. When exiting the vehicle was providing warning more warning sounds and would not stop. Vehicle was in Park, but would have run warnings until battery discharge. Tried cycling vehicle, contacted On-Star and began troubleshooting with them. I was unable to resolve with them and GM support. Took to dealership and after troubleshooting was resolved by following steps in TSB 19-NA-206 which was performed outside of any warranty coverage.
Transmission seems to be slipping causing the vehicle to jerk or stutter while accelerating. When accelerating the vehicle will stutter while trying to shift causing temporary loss of propulsion. While reversing and shifting into drive the vehicle may continue in reverse momentarily until the drive gear kicks in. The vehicle is going in for service next week. No lights, warnings or messages are on. There are tons of other complaints online about the same issue involving many different vehicles. The only real safety risk is when trying to merge onto a highway and temporarily losing acceleration.
The driver information display indicates the vehicle is not in park when it is shifted in park and engine is turned off. A warning chime goes off and will not stop until the button on the shifter is flipped multiple times. I talked to the service manager and he indicated that many vehicles are showing this fault. The entire shifter assembly would have to be replaced to fix the issue. There is a microswitch on the assembly that is the cause of the problem. My concern is this false indicator could lead to a safety issue for drivers who don't understand the issue. Also why isn't a recall issued by GM since many vehicles have displayed this problem. My other concern is the daytime driving light is intermittent on this vehicle but what else is next to fail electrically.
Rough starting engine, close to stall while idle and stopped on-road. Check engine light activated. 2016 and 2017 model years of Chevrolet Traverse vehicles were recalled for this exact issue. This condition was covered in: Special Coverage Adjustment N192210240 Evaporative Emissions Purge Valve Replacement. Our experience shows that this recall may not have covered the entirety of this issue. It is ironic that we experienced this exact same problem in a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The GM dealership charged us >$300 to repair. The recall covering the immediately previous model year extended warranty and offered free replacement. I am reaching out to NHSTA to make them aware of the issue with the Purge Valve in the 2018 model year Traverse. I contacted GM and they were not able to help, other than stating the original recall did not cover 2018 model years. We believe that it should also cover the 2018 model year based on our experience.
Front Axle broke while driving on a busy highway, police and tow truck was called. Police blocked highway while I waited for the tow truck. Truck was towed to Bill Stasek Chevrolet in Wheeling IL. Truck was serviced about three weeks prior at Bill Stasek Chevrolet. No service lights were present at the time of incident.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. Additionally, the vehicle failed to immediately restart after refueling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed and determined that the purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the purge valve was replaced on two previous occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 55,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for tire replacement, the dealer determined that the rear toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to Ron Currier's Hilltop Chevrolet (385 NH-108, Somersworth, NH 03878) where it was also determined that the rear toe link needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the rear toe link. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 46,469.
The exhaust manifold is cracked and leaking and the weld on the front exhaust pipe is broken. When using auto start the cabin fills with exhaust fume smell
I have a 2018 Chevy Traverse that has been running strange lately. The engine seems to run rough hesitating and stalls. Today 4/4/2022 my check engine light came on with code P0496. I turned off engine and attempted to start again. It made a horrible noise like it was struggling to start and the engine revel’s up like the gas pedal was stuck out it wasn’t. I immediately turned car off because it sounded like it was going to explode. I looked it up and seems that 2015-2017 Chevy Traverse has a recall for Evaporative Emissions Purge Valve Replacement but my vin doesn’t show it. My car was manufactured in 2017. Will this qualify to be fixed under recall? It’s a cheap part and appears to be a simple fix,
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while at a complete stop and attempting to come out of auto stop, the vehicle would not automatically restart. The contact stated that once the vehicle restarted the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped at a stop light the vehicle drifted backwards and stalled. The contact also stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed start. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal sound as if the engine was about to stall. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts and had the vehicle jumpstarted. The contact then continued to drive, and once stopped again at a stop light the vehicle stalled and would not restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed and replaced the alternator. The contact stated following the alternator repair, the "Battery Charging System Service" message was displayed. The contact stated after clearing the message the "Battery Saver Mode" alert was displayed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and diagnosed with a battery and an unknown sensor failure. The battery and the sensors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to the States Attorney General and contact the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
The vehicle has a design flaw which causes a bracket which connects the 2 pipes which connect to the catalytic converter to fail. Once the bracket has failed, the rear catalytic converter is allowed to vibrate more than designed, adding extra stress to the catalytic converter. Over time, this additional stress causes the catalytic converter to fail, releasing harmful gases directly from the engine exhaust manifold with carbon monoxide and other harmful gases into the air and into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This is a know issue that GM has recalled on the 2019 (recall N212356540) and 2021 (recall N222385510) model year Traverse. Other years may have also been recalled that I am not aware of. For some reason, GM has neglected to take ownership of this issue on the 2018 Traverse which shares the same design as both the 2019 and 2021 model years. I have gone to the dealership and contact Chevrolet's customer service multiple times and they refuse to reimburse me for the cost of the necessary repairs. I have already purchased the broken and necessary, ancillary components and repaired the vehicle myself because I did not want to pay the dealership over $2000 in labor which they quoted me.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the vehicle off while parked, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated that a message was displayed on the instrument panel to shift into park(P). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
Shifter doesn't recognize its in park once car is in park and turned off (some cars cannot turn off ) cars cannot be locked. The car continues to ding. The shift assembly has to be replaced. Looking at the internet this has been going on for years. My vehicle is a 2018 Premier traverse with 50,000 miles.
Shifter doesn't recognize its in park once car is in park and turned off (some cars cannot turn off ) cars cannot be locked. The car continues to ding. The shift assembly has to be replaced. Looking at the internet this has been going on for years. My vehicle is a 2018 redline traverse with 11,000 miles. I had to layover $400 and I purchased an extended warranty!
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was an exhaust odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taking to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the catalytic converter was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that he had headaches due to the exhaust odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 76,600.
Transmission fails at low speeds (school zones) reengages once stopped. Possible rear end collision due to defect. It’s been happening since the vehicle was new and it’s been repaired numerous times by the dealer to no avail
My 2018 Chevy Traverse started to have a "shift to park" issue at 49,000 miles. I can not turn the car off because the vehicle states that it is not in park. I have to sometimes literally sit in the vehicle for 10-15 minutes waiting for the car to agree that its in park. Very dangerous. Dealer says it is not covered under warranty at I have to pay for it out of pocket.
On January 9, 2022 I was unable to release the parking brake. When I turned the car on, an alert popped up saying “service parking brake”. When I tried to release the parking brake, it would not release. It still made the sound as if it was trying to release but the parking brake was still engaged. I turned the car off and went back into my house for 10 minutes and then came out to try it again. Again, when I turned on the car, it said “service parking brake”. I tried to disengage the parking brake and it wouldn’t release. I pulled the button up as if I was setting the parking brake and pushed it down to release 3 times, with no change. On the 4th try, the parking brake disengaged. I received an email from OnStar Notifications informing me of the issue and directing me to take it to a service center. (Pic of email attached) This component has not been inspected by anyone. I would be willing to make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. This issue compromises safety because I have to set my parking brake, as I park on an incline and my truck rolls back a little each time I put it in park, or release the parking brake. It would be dangerous to leave my truck parked without the parking brake, but I can’t have my truck stuck with the parking brake on when I need to leave.
Even though the car was shifted to "park" there was an "action needed" message saying shift the car to park. The lights and radio stayed on as well as the Warning bells indicating something needed attention. Even after repeatedly restarting the car and aggressively shaking the shift mechanism, I couldn't get the car to turn off. I wasn't able to lock the car doors. I went inside the grocery store and shopped. The car was still "on" when I returned. I was afraid I would run the battery down as everything was still on. I drove home (9-10 miles) and parked in the garage. After switching off the ignition (yellow light still on), I still got the action needed message and the radio, lights were still on. I went inside and returned 20 minutes later and the car was off. This is the fourth time I've had this problem.
When it shifts gears (especially I believe first and second gear around 18-19mph and then 27-30mph speed range) vehicle shuddering, shaking like it is driven in a bumpy road. When you accelerate it drives okay. It does the same thing always. There are no warning messages appear on the vehicle.
Shift to Park message displays on the Driver Information Center (DIC) when the vehicle has been shifted to Park and the ignition has been turned to the Off position. This causes alarm chimes to go off when door is opened and the battery to drain.
Electrical ground problem affecting transmission control is evident by a Shift to Park warning that displays on the driver information center and prevents vehicle from being turned off. GM has this problem so we’ll documented that a TSB exists and is on file with NHTSA. The inability to turn off the vehicle when this is encountered is a significant safety issue. We paid out of pocket to have the fix recommended in the TSB applied to our vehicle.
Vehicle does not turn off...gives a "Shift To Park" notification even though the vehicle is in park. Play with the shifter and sometimes it will turn off. Restart engine and turn off again sometimes helps but usually has to be done multiple times. If left as is the issue will drain the battery. Cannot leave vehicle in this condition. Late for appointments. Reported issue to dealership on day the 36 mo. warranty was up and they said not in and diagnosed. This is a known issue from multiple Traverse owners yet the car was not in the shop and diagnosed. Issue began 2/27/21 and was reported to dealer 3/1/21 first available open time of dealership service department. The want $207.xx to fix the problem...if the fix helps.
When driving on a right hand curve with traffic in the opposite direction lane, the forward collision warning system flashed a large red warning flash on the instrument panel near the speedometer. This was alarming and caused me to put on the brakes immediately, although there was no impending crash. This cause the cars behind me to take evasive action and apply their brakes in an emergency fashion and almost cause several collisions. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
“When the vehicle is in park and you try to turn it off with the start/stop button an on dash error code of ‘Shift to Park’ appears even though the vehicle is clearly in park. You are not able to turn the vehicle off. I took the vehicle in for service and was told that GM is aware of the issue, however, their engineers have not found a solution. This currently is forcing me to restart the engine, put my car in reverse, shift back in drive, try re-parking and turning it off again, repeating the process until it eventually turns off. I do not know if my car is truly in gear or not. I’m afraid that it might cause a dangerous situation.” not sure but I think the doors stay locked and I would not be able to exit in an emergency. The dealer wants to charge diagnosis and hundreds for repairs with the same faulty parts . I have 42000 mi and out of warranty I see this is a widespread problem and GM is not addressing what is a serious dangerous problem please help I have been living with this problem for the past 2 years it is getting worse I was hoping it would be recalled with a new part no for permanent fix. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Car getting stuck in Shift to Park
The " Shift to Park" notification activates even though the car is placed in park. The car will not turn off and continually beeps. The dealership is aware of this common problem and will fix it at my own cost within next 24 to 48 hrs. There is a previous Service Bulletin #Bulletin No.: 18-NA-297, Date: December, 2018 that states this problem but I did not receive this notification as the only owner of this vehicle. Multiple complaints on-line re this problem. I am concerned that the vehicle may not be in park and could roll over someone or something