2012 Chevrolet Traverse Problems and Recalls (353 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is Engine (20% of 353 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
71 of 353 filings named Engine (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Steering (56 reports).
There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2011 has 605 reports on file; this year has 353. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 10
- Fires 2
- Injuries 14
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (ENGINE) | 71 | 20.1% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 56 | 15.9% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 30 | 8.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 30 | 8.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 29 | 8.2% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 16 | 4.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 14 | 4.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 12 | 3.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 9 | 2.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 82 | 23.2% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 15V415000 was reported 1,071 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V246000 was reported 2,576 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 12V151000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V118000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V266000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V415000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V246000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ19003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20002 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame.
-
Recall campaign 12V151000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.
-
Recall campaign 14V118000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
-
Recall campaign 14V266000
Safety recall 14V266000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
-
Recall campaign 15V415000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
-
Recall campaign 21V246000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners named Engine most often — 71 of 353 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.