2018 Chevrolet Traverse Suspension Problems

While driving going home to Deming,NM together with my daughter and son on [XXX] . I was driving over a bridge over path on [XXX] and without warning my electrical power steering gave out on the traverse I could not turn my steering wheel left or right I thought I was going to be in an accident because there was semi trucks going 80 miles an hour behind me we almost got hit by semi’s. Thank God I forced my steering wheel to the right with all my strength. I had to call the towing company we waited 3 hours until he got there even he said we could of had an accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11721577

Incident

Nov 13, 2025

For the past few months now my 2018 Chevy Traverse has had a weird shimmy when changing lower gears. Got it looked at and they said one of the 9 clutches are going out and needs to be replaced for a total of $6664.63. After doing my own research, this is a common problem with the 2018 Chevy Traverse after reading all the complaints on Social Media and a few Chevy enthusiasts websites. I’ve called the dealership and they refuse to help out at all with the pricing or do anything without a recall issued. If I’d had to calculate the amount of cars effected that already had work done and cars that haven’t had work done yet due to the insane cost, I’d say at least 30-40% of these vehicles have these issues right now that people know about or have already had fixed. The transmission place I sent our vehicle to said he does work on all these Chevys constantly with the same issue. I tried to call corporate and they gave me this site to go ahead and log a safety concern about this problem because it truly is a safety concern. The constant shim and rough feel when switching between lower gears makes it difficult when needing to pull out into traffic unless your lucky enough to get no traffic in your lane. I’ve also noted the start stop problem when it starts back up at a red light it sometimes has issues shifting in between 2nd, 3rd, & 4th gear like it doesn’t want to do it in that order. Feels more like it wants to skip 2nd and 3rd gear which may be fine but it definitely has a shimmy/ grinding feeling. Not sure if the transmission clutch can cause all these problems but after witnessing these issues, I’m definitely rethinking purchasing Silverado 2500’s for my family owned plumbing business. Thank you and hopefully this helps.

NHTSA ID

11694922

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to inquire about an issue recently encountered with my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. On July 21, 2025, my vehicle was at Riverview Chevy for its state inspection, during which the rear toe links were identified as failed and required replacement. This service, including the necessary alignment, resulted in an out-of-pocket expense of approximately $750. I recall previous discussions regarding a potential recall concerning failing rear toe links on 2018-2020 Chevrolet Traverse models. While my vehicle is a 2018 model and experienced this exact issue, the dealership indicated that no recall was pending for my specific VIN. I find this discrepancy concerning, particularly given the known history of this component in similarly years and the fact that my vehicle indeed suffered this failure. I will be submitting the relevant documentation from the dealership outlining the repairs performed. I kindly request that you review this matter and provide clarification regarding the recall status for my vehicle's VIN. I am seeking a resolution regarding the costs incurred for this repair, as it appears to be a known issue for which a recall may have been appropriate. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

NHTSA ID

11675303

Incident

Jul 21, 2025

Incident Description: On 10/2/2024, I discovered a critical failure in the rear suspension of my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The rear left control arm had completely rusted through and detached from the vehicle frame. This occurred unexpectedly while my family was backing the vehicle into the driveway from my garage. Had this failure happened while driving, it could have resulted in a catastrophic loss of control, leading to a severe accident with potential for serious injury or fatality to my family and others. This incident raises serious concerns about the safety of 2018 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The premature and sudden failure of a critical suspension component due to rust suggests a potential defect in the materials, anti-corrosion treatment, or design of the control arm. This could pose a significant safety risk to all owners of this vehicle model. I have taken detailed photographs of the failed control arm and the affected area of the vehicle frame, clearly showing the extent of the rust and corrosion. General Motors has issued a safety recall (N212346640) for certain vehicles due to a defect in the rear suspension toe links. These vehicles may have received improper electrocoating corrosion protection, making the toe links susceptible to premature rust and fracture. This could lead to a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash. The similarity of this recall to the failure I experienced with the rear left control arm onmy 2018 Chevrolet Traverse suggests a potential pattern of corrosion-related suspension component failures in General Motors vehicles.   This recall demonstrates that General Motors has acknowledged and addressed similar corrosion-related defects in other vehicles. It supports my concern that the control arm failure on my Traverse may also stem from a manufacturing defect and warrants a thorough investigation by the NHTSA.

NHTSA ID

11617954

Incident

Oct 2, 2024

51000 miles.Rear toe links replaced.Well kept highway miles driven with low mileage. Other GM cars have been recalled for this.Well known problem on Traverse.

NHTSA ID

11553449

Incident

Nov 3, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11514221

Incident

May 11, 2022

Mileage

46,469 mi

AT APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS OLD AND 47K MILES REAR DRIVER SIDE SWAY BAR LINK BROKE.

NHTSA ID

11405271

Incident

Mar 26, 2021

Mileage

47,000 mi

MANY ISSUES FROM THE DAY THAT I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. 1) NOTICED FRONT WINDSHIELD AND OR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAVING LOTS OF AIR NOISE COMING IN AND WIND CAN BE HEARD AS IM DRIVING. 2) THE AUTO START DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY WHEN GOING TURNS OFF AND ABOUT TO DRIVE OFF IT TUMBLES/SHAKES. 3) HEARING A NOISE ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT PART OF THE VEHICLE THAT CAN BE HEARD ON THE INSIDE AS IM DRIVING. SORT OF A KNOCKING RATTLING SOUND.

NHTSA ID

11280491

Incident

Jul 28, 2018

Mileage

250 mi

OVER TWO DOZEN AREAS ON THE POWDER COATED SUB FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS HAVE RUSTY WELD BEADS WITH FLAKING PAINT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION AND FILED A CLAIM WITH CHEVROLET. CHEVROLET SAID THE RUST IS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED" AND NO REPAIR WOULD BE COMPLETED. THE AREAS ARE INCREASING TO RUST AND I BELIEVE THIS MAY LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRAME AND STEERING COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ID

11160605

Incident

Oct 30, 2018

Mileage

4,752 mi

DRIVING THIS SUV ON THE ROAD THE INNER LINER UNDER THE FENDER STARTED TO COME DOWN AND RUB ON THE TIRE, SMELLY RUBBER WAS BEING BURNT AS I STOP RIGHT AWAY AND NOTICE THE WEAK CHEAP FABRIC THAT WAS IN-PLACE INSTEAD OF A HARD PLASTIC CAME DOWN ALMOST CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD !! WHAT A CHEAP CAR AND YES TO THOSE WHO OWN THIS CAR OR DRIVE IT YOUR IN DANGER BEWARE! THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE REPLACED ASAP, BEFORE A COUNTER LAWSUIT HAPPENSGM!ALSO IVE NOTICE! IF YOU TURN YOUR WHEEL ALL THE WAY YOUR CV,JOINTS WILL MAKE THIS CLICKING NOISE LIKE THERE READY TO GO OUT ? TOOK IT TO MY DEALER AND THEY SAID GM TOLD THEM TO REPLACE A CREW TO STOP THE NOISE CALLED GM AND ASK THEM BUT THEY SAID NO WE DIDN'T ?

NHTSA ID

11121021

Incident

Aug 19, 2018