2017 Chevrolet Traverse Problems: Airbags (356 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse is Airbags (70% of 356 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 356 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse?

250 of 356 filings named Airbags (70% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (15 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2016 has 288 reports on file; this year has 356. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Airbags. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Airbags 250 complaints · 70.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 13
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 11
  • Deaths 1
All Chevrolet Traverse years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

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.

Which systems owners named Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 250 of 356 owner complaints (70.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 250 complaints, 70.2% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 250 · 70.2% Engine (ENGINE): 15 complaints, 4.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 15 · 4.2% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 12 complaints, 3.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 12 · 3.4% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 10 complaints, 2.8% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 10 · 2.8% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 9 complaints, 2.5% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 3 crash reports 9 · 2.5% Steering (STEERING): 8 complaints, 2.3% of reports Steering (STEERING) 8 · 2.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 7 complaints, 2.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 7 · 2.0% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 5 complaints, 1.4% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 5 · 1.4% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 5 complaints, 1.4% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 5 · 1.4% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 31 complaints, 8.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 crash reports 31 · 8.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 250 70.2% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 15 4.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 12 3.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 10 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 9 2.5% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 8 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 7 2.0% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 5 1.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 5 1.4% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 31 8.7% 3 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2017; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2021. 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2023-Q3: 43 owner reports 43 2023-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2024-Q1: 54 owner reports 54 2024-Q2: 46 owner reports 46 2024-Q3: 44 owner reports 44 2024-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2025-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Apr 2017 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 21V246000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V246000 Recall campaign 21V782000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V782000 Recall campaign 23V334000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V334000
  • Campaign 21V246000 was reported 1,073 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V782000 was reported 1,255 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V334000 was reported 1,835 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 5
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 7
2018-Q2 Owner reports 6
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 4
2019-Q1 Owner reports 3
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 7
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 5
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 5
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 5
2023-Q2 Owner reports 13
2023-Q3 Owner reports 43
2023-Q4 Owner reports 39
2024-Q1 Owner reports 54
2024-Q2 Owner reports 46
2024-Q3 Owner reports 44
2024-Q4 Owner reports 9
2025-Q1 Owner reports 7
2025-Q2 Owner reports 9
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 6
2026-Q2 Owner reports 8
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 21V246000
Recall campaign 1 21V782000
Recall campaign 1 23V334000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags.

  1. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 21V782000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 23V334000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

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.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 356 complaints · page 1 of 15
2026-08-29Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11760624
CrashFireInjuryDeath
A scheduled airbag recall repair could not be completed because the dealership did not verify that the recall part was in stock before my appointment. I arrived for the recall service after confirming the appointment days in advance and was told the part was not available. I was told I would be contacted when the part arrived, but weeks have passed with no update or communication. This is an airbag recall, so the lack of proper handling and follow‑up puts safety at risk. The issue has not been inspected or confirmed by the manufacturer. The dealership did not provide any warning messages or indicators before the failed appointment, and the problem has not been resolved. The recall repair has still not been completed.
2026-07-31Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11754022
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Transmission body throttle and TCM had to be replaced a year after purchase because of failing shifts, reverse failed to work completely.
2026-06-19Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11745215
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THERE is a recall for the year, make and model for driver side airbag, also to do with transmission slipping and both of those I'm currently having issues with on my vehicle but with my vin its not coming up for any of the recalls but I want to request a Investigation on if my vehicle or any other of the same year be added to the recall.
2026-06-17Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11744689
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Dealership Lead car GMC Utica, verified code B0074 passenger presence sensor/module, found module internally faulty verified power and ground. This puts safety at risk because the passenger side air bags are off because of the faulty sensor. There is TBS on this issue. Dealership confirmed problem. there were no warning messages before failure, it just failed and now service air bags light is on, and passenger air bags are off. Has not been repaired because the want 1259.73 for the part, I believe this should be a recall, as the air bags are off and won't work because of the fault sensor/module.
2026-06-16Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11744489
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The driver door main window control panel and steering wheel, where the airbags seem to deploy from, have both had to be repaired/recalled parts installed on multiple occasions however the main window control panel still does not work and it started shorting out my battery ultimately locking my keys in the ignition, leaving OnStar as well as my key fob panic alarm unable to be used. After getting the steering wheel recalled airbag part installed at Penske Chevy, I received yet another recall notice saying that despite that install they still feared for my safety driving it, and that they would let me know when a new part was available. However now my battery is completely dead, I have not been m able to work and have been evicted from my home forced to live in my sweltering 2017 Traverse with no AC, No OnStar emergency services, not even a panic alarm to rely on. On top of that I cannot roll the windows all the way up which is a major safety concern considering I'm a single, disabled, [XXX] female living on the streets in my vehicle alone. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-05-31Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11741095
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving my entire dashboard goes dark and once I shut my car off it did not start again. Brought it to the mechanic who is rated as 5 stars, to have no codes come up. He has been looking for the answer for over 5 months now. Car will start for a short time then do the same thing all over again. No clicking when turning the key, new battery put in, remote control module replaced and car still doesn’t start. I still owe on this car and have no idea what to do with it.
2026-05-22Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11739570
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Sometimes my backup camera will not show a screen. I have considerable amount of trouble trying to connect my phone to the car. Hands down can I use the GPS on the car. Lights do not come on my dashboard. The RPM bounces up and down from starting it all the way to the while you're driving. The car does not want to stay started it does not like to go it does not hands down not like sitting still. I've either replaced or cleaned four different parts for this problem. 2017 Chevy traverse is a horrible vehicle, that doesn't like to be used. Honestly just take it back and junk it
2026-04-27Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11734175
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The transmission is going out at 107K miles and needs to be completely replaced for around $8500 (see attached quote). It has a shudder and has a hard time shifting into third gear. This is a known issue with Traverses.
2026-04-08Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11729919
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rear-view camera screen displayed a distorted image. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the front driver’s side window failed to roll up or down occasionally while the power window switch was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the result of the diagnostic test was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners named Airbags most often — 250 of 356 reports (70%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags. 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 2017 Chevrolet Traverse?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

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.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources