Owners have filed 457 safety complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 9 crashes, 2 fires, 7 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, power train / transmission issues stand far above everything else.
"Car wouldn’t move in Reverse, I’d give it gas and it would just rev. It would drive forward but very sluggish. Brought to 2 different mechanics and they both said I need to replace the transmission. Car has 97,500 miles on it. This is a known issue with these vehicles. The transmission ship had another traverse and a GMC Acadia in it for the same exact issue."
"Engine light came on. Car started shaking and making noise when shifting. Speed would not increase while driving. When shifting into park the car does not recognize that’s it’s in park and had to jiggle the gear shift. Took it to an independent mechanic and they said it’s probably the transmission. Have to take it to a transmission shop."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse inverts that curve — filings peaked in 2025, 7 years after the model year.
Across the Chevrolet Traverse model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (668); the 2018 ranks 4 of 6.
2 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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 Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The…
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.
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 →
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.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 457 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.
The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse has 2 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2018 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.
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.