Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2011 Chevrolet Traverse: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 608 safety complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

608
Complaints
5
Recalls
2
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 16 crashes, 4 fires, 30 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling leads the complaint list, cited in 213 of 608 complaints, followed by Steering.
  2. Complaints peaked 4 years after the model year (121 filed in 2015) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  3. 2 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 608 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
213
Steering
165
Brakes & stability
127
Power train / transmission
79
Electrical
67
Airbags & restraints
59
Speed control
58
Other / unspecified
57

"My timing and my energy is going bad..I don’t know the problem.Im new on having my own car..And when I got it everything was great at first but Two trips going too Chicago it started going bad"

Owner complaint filed July 2024 · Engine,Lane Departure · NHTSA ODI 11605410

"12/24/2022 while driving the car made a popping sound then started to slow down while I was driving. I went to make a left turn and the car stalled in mid turn. No warning or anything. Had it towed to a shop and was told that the motor had no oil in it. Which wasn’t true, when they pulled the dip stick it read that it was full. However when they opened the motor up, it appeared to be bone dry."

Owner complaint filed January 2023 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11501052

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse peaked later than usual, in 2015.

Complaints filed per year — 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
1
15
16
33
105
121
64
59
67
66
20
23
5
7
5
1
10111213141516171819202122232425
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2011 compares with other model years

Across the Chevrolet Traverse model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (668); the 2011 ranks 2 of 6.

Total complaints by model year — Chevrolet Traverse
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
448
668
2011
608
547
457
403
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 5 recalls

5 recalls apply to some or all 2011 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Apr 201212V-151
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Linkages

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSH…

Mar 201414V-118
Air Bags:Side/Window

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 side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses m…

May 201414V-266
Seat Belts

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, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Satu…

Jun 201515V-415
Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 2…

Apr 202121V-246
Air Bags:Critical Fasteners

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.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 608 complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse have?

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.