2019 Chevrolet Traverse Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Powertrain (other)14530.8%
- Electrical10923.1%
- Engine6513.8%
- Fuel system265.5%
- Brakes214.5%
- Transmission194.0%
- Steering163.4%
- Driver assistance143.0%
- Suspension143.0%
- Seat belts132.8%
- Airbags91.9%
- Body & structure81.7%
- Visibility40.8%
- Other / unspecified30.6%
- Exterior lighting30.6%
- Tires & wheels10.2%
- Interior & seats10.2%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
My transmission is said to be failing. I plan to get it looked at again this week. Safety of me and my two children are at risk when driving. The car shakes and could lose control. An independent I tried reporting it to my insurance but they told me to go to a mechanic and they won’t do anything to help me. There are no warning signals or lights or anything. It just started shaking and it’s scary to drive. I was told by an independent mechanic that it is my transmission. There was a recall in 2020 for transmission and he thinks it was never fixed and that’s most likely the issue. I have not gotten it fixed yet. It’s sitting in my driveway because I’m scared to drive my kids in it and it’s too expensive. So we had to get a rental car.
My car WILL not register that it is in park even though the dash says it’s in P and my gear shift is pushed all the way up in the park gear. It has taken hours some days for it to finally acknowledge that it is indeed in the park gear. I do NOT have time for that! And if it gets to the point where I have a dead battery because I didn’t “shift to park”, Chevrolet WILL be paying for it. This is insane and apparently has been an ongoing issue for a decade! FIX IT!
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
My car WILL not register that it is in park even though the dash says it’s in P and my gear shift is pushed all the way up in the park gear. It has taken hours some days for it to finally acknowledge that it is indeed in the park gear. I do NOT have time for that! And if it gets to the point where I have a dead battery because I didn’t “shift to park”, Chevrolet WILL be paying for it. This is insane and apparently has been an ongoing issue for a decade! FIX IT!
The car will be placed in park but keeps saying shift to park. Then I have to turn the car on and off clicking the shift button till it will finally shut off. One time it took ten minutes. This needs to be a recall!!! Specifically since it seems to be affecting many of the cars!!!
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an inspection, where a leaking oil pan gasket was diagnosed. Although the vehicle had been taken to the dealer two months prior, the dealer did not find the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
My 2019 Chevy Traverse prior to "The Storm" when I left work and approached my vehicle someone left a not in my windshield wipers stating that my horn was honking every 15 seconds it was a long shift so by the time I got to my vehicle my battery was dead. I got a jump from a co-worker allowed my alternator to charge my battery, and it was fine (so I thought). Then the day after "The Storm" happened, my Traverse went haywire displaying multiple signs of electronic failures while driving on a major highway: Service ESC, ABS disabled, Traction control disabled, Power steering disabled, Horn honked continuously, windows won't roll down, Key fob unresponsive, Manual lock/ unlock switch unresponsive, A/C on but doesn't blow cold, infotainment system on, Cluster Hazard light indicators on but lights aren't illuminated, Windshield Wipers on max speed unprompted while spraying continuously. I pulled over, placed the vehicle in "park", turned the vehicle off, safely exited to realize my vehicle was still running, got back into the vehicle where I was greeted by a prompt that said to place the vehicle in park to turn it off. I attempted to shift but it was immovable, called a tow truck. Every time after dealership visits/ repairs my vehicle shutoff while moving. It's been to the dealership 3 times (4 to include tomorrow) I've also connected an OBD2 Scanner to run a diagnostic after the last visit and these faults appeared almost instantly. Work done so far: x2 BCM replacements (w/ flashed software) x1 Battery replacement x1 Keyless Entry Module replacement x1 Driver door lock/unlock switch replacement x3-->4 tow trucks Over $3,000 in expenses
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Infotainment electrical issues, purge valve failure regardless of replacement, transmission failure regardless of replacement, exhaust bracket break regardless of replacement.
I keep having emission problems. The first time I took it to the dealership they fixed then it messed up again had that fixed about three months later check engine light was on again same thing had it fixed for the third time check engine light went off and of course came back home had to fix it again it’s off for now. I’m just waiting for it to pop back on. Second problem that I’ve been having is the fuel pressure sensor changed it light went off now it’s back on. They say change the fuel pump just to see. Did that check engine light back on? When is the check engine light gonna go off another problem that I’ve been having shift to park that pops up every so often at this point, I do not recommend Chevy traverses too many problems and nobody fixing them
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The car will be placed in park but keeps saying shift to park. Then I have to turn the car on and off clicking the shift button till it will finally shut off. One time it took ten minutes. This needs to be a recall!!! Specifically since it seems to be affecting many of the cars!!!
My 2019 Chevy Traverse prior to "The Storm" when I left work and approached my vehicle someone left a not in my windshield wipers stating that my horn was honking every 15 seconds it was a long shift so by the time I got to my vehicle my battery was dead. I got a jump from a co-worker allowed my alternator to charge my battery, and it was fine (so I thought). Then the day after "The Storm" happened, my Traverse went haywire displaying multiple signs of electronic failures while driving on a major highway: Service ESC, ABS disabled, Traction control disabled, Power steering disabled, Horn honked continuously, windows won't roll down, Key fob unresponsive, Manual lock/ unlock switch unresponsive, A/C on but doesn't blow cold, infotainment system on, Cluster Hazard light indicators on but lights aren't illuminated, Windshield Wipers on max speed unprompted while spraying continuously. I pulled over, placed the vehicle in "park", turned the vehicle off, safely exited to realize my vehicle was still running, got back into the vehicle where I was greeted by a prompt that said to place the vehicle in park to turn it off. I attempted to shift but it was immovable, called a tow truck. Every time after dealership visits/ repairs my vehicle shutoff while moving. It's been to the dealership 3 times (4 to include tomorrow) I've also connected an OBD2 Scanner to run a diagnostic after the last visit and these faults appeared almost instantly. Work done so far: x2 BCM replacements (w/ flashed software) x1 Battery replacement x1 Keyless Entry Module replacement x1 Driver door lock/unlock switch replacement x3-->4 tow trucks Over $3,000 in expenses
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced hard shifting. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was examined, and the contact was informed that the transmission or the transmission valve body had failed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an extended warranty coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while stopped at red lights and stop signs on several occasions, the vehicle began jerking. Additionally, when the vehicle was in park (P), a "shift to park message" appeared. The contact stated the gear shift had to be forcibly moved to the park (P) position for the gear to register. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,100.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Our 2019 traverse transmission around 130,000 miles started shuddering when slowly accelerating or driving. Not sure what causes this but I do know that it should be doing this as well as getting the Shift to Park message. I looked online and found that it's supposed to be the torque converter. I then contacted a transmission repair specialist and he stated that changing the fluid may make it worse or make it possibly fail altogether. Then I found a video about Shudder Fix and I added one of those packets to the transmission and it stopped the shudder but it now seems to be trying to creep back. This is a known issue with most people not being able to afford the $9000+ repair costs. The Shift to park issue is another issue that shouldn't be happening and the dealership will charge an arm and a leg for the repairs on this as well. Pressing the gear shift button about 5 to 10 times after shifting to park is a short term solution because that issue is tied to a spring action underneath the shifter to tell the car I'm in park. I found a bypass piece that is required to resolve the issue but I shouldn't have to do that to get this vehicle to work properly. Chevy needs to do a recall on this or they run the risk of having a bunch of them on the market where we all got rid of them and won't buy anymore Chevrolet vehicles. This is the second newer model vehicle I had from them. The first one was an Impala and the dealership didn't know why the screen would go black and cause the car to start hesitating horribly. So I left it with the dealership, they can have it back.
The car started locking up my steering wheel. I took it to the mechanic and they ran the codes and said it is the ABS control system module. I called the dealer to get the part and they said it is on back order nationally and it may be months before they can get the part. The 2018 model for Chevrolet traverse has been recalled for this exact thing but my model has not even though this is a known issue. My car is currently not drive able and GM can’t even provide the piece to make it driveable. This is a big issue and I am not receiving any help. If it is on back order it is obvious that it is a big issue nationally yet they have not submitted a recall. The wheel keeps locking up every time I drive it for more than 5 minutes
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The "shift to park" alert keeps coming on even when car is in park gear. One has to either put car in reverse and then shift slowly to park more than a few times for it to finally recognize it is in park. Otherwise, one cannot turn car off and brake stiffens and hard to turn car on again. This is frustrating and poses a hazard. This has been ongoing for months.
When I park, the shift to park warning comes on and the vehicle will not shut down.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, she felt an imbalance in her rear driver side tire. The vehicle was taken to both a dealer and an independent mechanic where they inspected the vehicle and discovered that the toe links were defective on both the rear driver side and rear passenger side tires. The contact was given an estimate for the repair at the dealer. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over a bumpy road, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. The contact stated that the sound became louder over time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer determined that the front lower control arms and the front suspension sway bar links needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
I purchased a 2019 Chevy Traverse brand new off the lot as single owner and kept up with maintenance. The transmission just went out while I was on the highway and abruptly begin reducing speed and I was unable to accelerate. This was dangerous as no warning lights came on prior to this happening to warn that there were any engine issues. This could have caused an accident on the highway due to me not having control to accelerate and vehicle de-accelerated without warning. Also the passenger seat belt stop working and would not click. There was a Shift to Park warning that kept coming up on the car about 1.5 years ago that should be a recall as the car would not go off when turned off. The radio and lights in the vehicle would continue to run while the engine was off. I am concerned about all of the issue with this car that makes me question the quality and build of this vehicle. The first 4 years this vehicle was great and then all of a sudden it begin to breakdown in parts. The dealership confirmed all of these things and I asked if warranties were on these items and it was not.
The front passenger seat belt does not work. I dont have anyone in the front passenger seat. When I did the seatbelt did not lock.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Driver's side airbag. A car crashed into the driver's side at a 90 degree angle that caused damage starting right behind the driver's door and continued all the way to the rear of the vehicle. The damage was severe enough that the driver's side passenger door, the rear wheel, hub, hub assembly, linkage, lower control arm, and tire, rear fender, the pillar and hingers between the front and rear door, steering gear and linkage. In spite the of violence of the accident, none of the airbags deployed, especially the driver's side airbag which allowed the driver's head to contact the driver's door window.
Safety restraint system is on the screen and the airbag icon is on the dash. All of a sudden No accident occurred
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P), the “Shift to Park” warning light illuminated, even though the vehicle was already shifted to park(P). The contact stated that the gear selector was shifted back and forth several times before it was recognized that the vehicle was in park(P). During the failures, the warning light remained illuminated, causing the battery to drain and the following day the vehicle was unable to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that underneath the vehicle there was a bracket that had detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the mechanic replaced the catalytic converter. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
See attached document for complaint
My complaint is in regard to the climate control system on my 2019 Chevy Traverse. I chatted with Will of the Chevrolet Customer Service Center on October 10, 2021. The problem is that the system will not keep the windshield clear of fog in certain weather conditions. During the chat, Will said that he couldn't do anything unless I had taken the car to the dealer. I believed it is a design flaw, because my son owns the same model and year of Traverse and has the same complaint. (I have previously owned 2009 and 2012 Traverses and did not experience this problem.) The next time I took the car to my dealer for service 12/14/2021, I told the service dept about the problem. According to the service request: "All functions working as designed at this time." The service manager told me that this is a common complaint. He suggested using the "Max Defrost" button (which bombs the driver with air), turning on the AC to take the humidity out of the air, and turning up the temperature. We have had this fogging happen at many times. but is not something that can be replicated, because it is dependent on the weather. The time I complained in October 2021 was particularly scary, because I was bringing my husband home from surgery late at night from Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh. The hospital is about 2 hours from our home and is not a trip we make on a regular basis. It happened on Friday, May 6, 2022 again, when my husband was going to Monroeville, PA for a check-up with the vascular surgeon. It was one of those "all day rains" and the temperature was in the 52-58 degree range. I think we both had a stiff neck the next day after having the Max Defrost blasting all the way to Pittsburgh and back.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking forward while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal depressed to the floorboard. The contact also stated that the "Service Stabili-trak" warning light was recently illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The contact was informed that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The tire pressure monitoring system shows incorrect information. It is of by 3 - 5 psi when compared to a tire pressure gauge the is tested & calibrated accurate to ±2% at our JACO NIST and ANSI certified calibration lab. Not knowing the correct tire air pressure risks a blowout while traveling. The component will be inspected within 5 days at a Chevrolet dealership service center. The failure causes alerts on the Driver Information Center to the incorrect tire pressure. The error first appeared around June 2020 while checking the tire pressure with my gauge.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
Moisture in the rear driver side taillight ( factory issue involving faulty seal). The moisture shorts out the indicator light, and the entire unit must be replaced.
Left rear light side-marker assembly is not functional after 3 years in service and less than 29,000 miles. The side marker indicator inside the vehicle flashes rapidly (in quick succession) when the left blinker is applied. This indicated to me that a bulb was out. Initially, all lights were working when inspecting and inside flasher was quickly blinking. After checking multiple times, the left rear blinker finally stopped working altogether. This left rear indicator mark prevents others from knowing which direction I'm turning unless I stick my left arm out the window. The vehicle was taken in to dealership. Dealership said it needed the light assembly replaced at a cost of ~$867. We may have this done outside of an OEM dealership due to cost.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2019 Chevy Traverse was purchased new in August of 2018. It has approx 34,500 miles on it as of 7/26/21. Tire size: 255/55 R 20 107H. The vehicle has been in for regular maintenance/service at the original dealership since it was purchased. Around March 2021, I noticed the outside tread on all 4 tires becoming brittle and breaking off. There are small chunks of the tread missing and some type of thread showing where the chunks have come off. I went to my local Costco and the associate in the tire department told me that I should not be driving on it because the tires could blow. I wanted a second opinion and went to my local Discount Tire. The associate told me that what was happening was called "chunking" and it was not common (actually rare to happen) and I should call Continental Tire. No alarms/warning lamps have gone off due to this issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEATS ON 2ND ROW SEAT BELT GET STUCK AROUND THE RECLINE LEVER. CAR DESIGN DOES NOT ALLOW TO UNLOCK THE SEATBELT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .