There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Traversein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Failing front exhaust pipe mounting bracket. GM has a special coverage program (N212356540) for 2019-2020 Chevrolet Traverse which covers the repair for 15 years or 150,000 miles from the original service date. The coverage is VIN specific. My vehicle has been having this issue for two years now and my VIN is not covered. This is unfair to the consumer/Chevrolet owners who's VIN's are not listed. This is an obvious ongoing problem for many Chevrolet Traverse owners, it should be an active recall on all 2018-2023 Chevrolet Traverse owners. Especially since Chevrolet/GM is aware of the problem. Most of us are paying off our vehicles because we can't afford a new one and GM is not providing assistance for some of us who at no fault of our own are having to pay for a defect they are aware of.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the exhaust system made an abnormally loud sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was determined that the front clamp on the exhaust system was loose. The dealer tightened the clamp; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: PIP5681A (Exhaust leak, Lean Codes, Rattle Noise, or Catalytic Converter Failures). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Failed/failing hydraulic timing chain tensionors. Common issue for this engine said to be caused by poor oiling. After speaking to many shops, this is just one of the many, very common issues that occurs in this vehicle. Started on February 20th, 2026. There are no warning or check engine lights on for this issue. People who are unfamiliar with the symptoms may be driving a vehicle that may suddenly stop running without warning as there is no light illuminated on the dash. Online it states that this may be caused by not performing oil change services on time. For my particular situation, I am a preventative maintenance specialist for the past ten years. I am professionally trained and perform PM services daily. I know my Traverse has been very well maintained and serviced with premium synthetic motor oil since my ownership. And despite this, I am now having to pay a significant amount of money to have this fixed or risk the safety of myself, my family and really anyone else on the road. My vehicle is available upon request any time.
A MANUFACTURER RECALL NOTICE NEEDS TO BE ISSUED ASAP. Exhaust is leaking into passenger cab due to a defective exhaust mounting bracket. Was replaced 1 year ago at the dealer at considerable cost to vehicle owner. Now this defective part has failed a second time. A MANUFACTURER RECALL NOTICE NEEDS TO BE ISSUED ASAP. This presents a health hazard as well as financial loss due to defective manufacturing. Other years of this particular vehicle have been recalled and this defective part was repaired/replaced it is supected to replaced with the same defective OEM part due to its repeated failure. It is unclear why this model year has been discriminated against. A MANUFACTURER RECALL NOTICE NEEDS TO BE ISSUED ASAP.
Cracked flex pipe. Common issue with all traverse models/years. Needs to be addressed and recalled!
The forward exhaust bracket weld broke causing a rattling noise and allowing exhaust fumes into the car which is incredibly dangerous.
The contact's son owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic who could not perform the repair. The contact was referred to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that a crack in the catalytic converter had caused a defect within the exhaust manifold. The contact was then informed that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin Number: PIP5681C and was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle no longer qualified for the TSB repair due to the mileage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and made the same assessment. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,100.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied in the vehicle, there was a rattling sound coming from the front of the vehicle while stationary or while driving. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that the exhaust mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: N222385510 (Front Exhaust Pipe); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.
Weld on exhaust was faulty the bracket malfunction. The exhaust system has leak and rattle with exhaust noises, causing the converter fail.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there were abnormal sounds coming from the exhaust system. The contact stated that the vehicle sounded like a motorcycle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and DTC: P0171 was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that there were exhaust fumes entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there were cracks in the exhaust pipe and the catalytic converter pipe at Bank 2 and Bank 1 that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: PIP5681A. The contact had called the dealer to advise that there was a bulletin covering the cracks on the exhaust and the catalytic converter pipes, but was informed that the cracks on the pipes were on the wrong side and that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,045.
The car has 45,000 and started burning oil. The car is in brand new condition and well under mileage for an issue of such to be occurring. Took to car dealership where purchased and was told $8,500 fix!
Exhaust started to rattle, now it is a loud clangy exhaust. Clearly a part has separated or there are holes in it. Dealership told me my car has a repair out for that for years 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 but NOT my year, 2020.
Engine light came on couple weeks ago. Code is p0420 so I did some research and inspected the exhaust system and found the weld on the support bracket of the exhaust pipes was cracked and wore a hole between the pipe and the bracket. There are others that have the same problem with different year models Chevrolet traverses. Mine is a 2020 Chevrolet traverse LT
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormally loud rattling sound. The contact stated that the failure also occurred upon starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the mounting bracket on the front exhaust pipe had separated from the pipe and might develop a hole in the exhaust pipe. The dealer determined that the front exhaust pipe mounting bracket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The dealer notified the manufacturer of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle jerked, with an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where the contact was provided DTC: P0420 (Catalytic converter was fractured and punctured, and a bracket was missing). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the muffler was punctured and not the catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then took the vehicle to a Valvoline Center to be diagnosed and DTC: P0420; was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally while driven with an abnormal rattling sound coming from underneath the vehicle. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Manufacturer's Recall Numbers: N212356540 and N222385510; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic convertor had failed needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
Vehicle developed a large hole in the exhaust pipe going to front converter. Identical failure which is noted in an April 30,2023 bulletin which specifically narrowed defects down to the 2019 Chevy Traverse. ( Special Coverage# N212356540). Dealership did repair defective exhaust section although my warranty coverage refused to cover defect. Significant safety hazard to state the least anytime a section of any exhaust component begins to deteriorate and come apart on welded sections of pipe. My vehicle has approximately 59000 miles of use and I simply cannot understand why GM refuses to reimburse my out of pocket costs related to this defect.
The check engine light is illuminated. The Chevy app indicates there is an emission related concern regarding the catalyst system. After inspected, the catalytic converter bracket has a hole or is separating from the exhaust pipes. This causes the vehicle sound very loud during driving. Additionally the vehicle has less power during acceleration. The vehicles performance is poor and the maintenance is accelerated.
Car started making a “pinging” noise and gradually got worse over time. Finally today, it’s really bad so I crawl under and look to notice not one but TWO holes in the exhaust pipe. I noticed several recalls on other models with the same issue but not this year.
A few weeks ago, I started noticing a purring, kind of sound coming from my vehicle when I would turn it on. I took it in to Chevy and they said there was a leak or a hole in the exhaust that they needed to be replaced for over $1600 and that wasn’t covered through warranty that it was normal wear and tear. My vehicle has 53,000 miles. They said that it’s common for a vehicle of over five years to have these kinds of issues. And that it wasn’t covered through my warranty. Which expires in April
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026