2019 Chevrolet Traverse Problems and Recalls (401 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse is Transmission / driveline (33% of 401 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 401 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?

132 of 401 filings named Transmission / driveline (33% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (49 reports).

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

The 2018 has 456 reports on file; this year has 401. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2019 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. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. 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: Transmission / driveline 132 complaints · 32.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 14
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 16
  • Deaths 0
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 Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 132 of 401 owner complaints (32.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 132 complaints, 32.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 fire reports 132 · 32.9% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 49 complaints, 12.2% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 49 · 12.2% Engine (ENGINE): 38 complaints, 9.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 38 · 9.5% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 17 complaints, 4.2% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 17 · 4.2% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 13 complaints, 3.2% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 13 · 3.2% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 11 complaints, 2.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 11 · 2.7% Steering (STEERING): 11 complaints, 2.7% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 11 · 2.7% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 8 complaints, 2.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 7 crash reports 8 · 2.0% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 8 complaints, 2.0% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 8 · 2.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 129 complaints, 32.2% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 129 · 32.2% 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)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 132 32.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 49 12.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 38 9.5% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 17 4.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 13 3.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 2.7% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 11 2.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 2.0% 7 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 8 2.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 129 32.2% 2 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 Jan 2019; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2018. 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2020-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2021-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2021-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2021-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2022-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2022-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2022-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2023-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2023-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2023-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2024-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2024-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2024-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2024-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2025-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2025-Q2: 25 owner reports 25 2025-Q3: 22 owner reports 22 2025-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2026-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2026-Q2: 28 owner reports 28 2026-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 Owner reports Nov 2018 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 18V774000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V774000 Recall campaign 20V668000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V668000 Recall campaign 21V246000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V246000
  • Campaign 20V668000 was reported 325 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V246000 was reported 553 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 8
2019-Q4 Owner reports 6
2020-Q1 Owner reports 4
2020-Q3 Owner reports 9
2020-Q4 Owner reports 8
2021-Q1 Owner reports 9
2021-Q2 Owner reports 3
2021-Q3 Owner reports 13
2021-Q4 Owner reports 10
2022-Q1 Owner reports 17
2022-Q2 Owner reports 13
2022-Q3 Owner reports 16
2022-Q4 Owner reports 10
2023-Q1 Owner reports 12
2023-Q2 Owner reports 14
2023-Q3 Owner reports 21
2023-Q4 Owner reports 19
2024-Q1 Owner reports 17
2024-Q2 Owner reports 18
2024-Q3 Owner reports 18
2024-Q4 Owner reports 15
2025-Q1 Owner reports 21
2025-Q2 Owner reports 25
2025-Q3 Owner reports 22
2025-Q4 Owner reports 18
2026-Q1 Owner reports 15
2026-Q2 Owner reports 28
2026-Q3 Owner reports 8
Recall campaign 1 18V774000
Recall campaign 1 20V668000
Recall campaign 1 21V246000
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 Transmission / driveline and Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 18V774000

    Safety recall 18V774000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the air bags do not deploy in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM module to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18365.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 20V668000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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 →
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 6 of 401 complaints · page 1 of 17
2026-08-27Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11760078
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When driving at about 50 mph on a highway, there was a loud noise from the rear of the vehicle (something breaking) and the vehicle immediately veered into the oncoming lane (thankfully there was no traffic coming towards us, it is typically a busy road). While braking, I was able to steer it back towards the right, but soon after lost complete control of the vehicle and could not steer. The traverse went into a ditch and rolled with myself and two young passengers. Two vehicles that were behind us stopped to aid. The driver immediately behind me said there was nothing unusual (no smoke, sparks, etc) until we lost control. He checked the roadway where it happened and found a sheered off bolt. When we got the traverse to the wreckers, they lifted it up and within a minute or two found the location the bolt came from. It was the rear passenger side upper control arm knuckle bolt. I didn't see any recalls on something like this, but I do not believe something like this should have happened in a vehicle that has just 49,510 miles and barely any rust on it. I need answers. My family and friends could have been attending a funeral this week had circumstances been slightly different. I have the collision report number but not the actual police report on hand just yet.
2026-08-27Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11760075
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When driving at about 50 mph on a highway, there was a loud noise from the rear of the vehicle (something breaking) and the vehicle immediately veered into the oncoming lane (thankfully there was no traffic coming towards us, it is typically a busy road). While braking, I was able to steer it back towards the right, but soon after lost complete control of the vehicle and could not steer. The traverse went into a ditch and rolled with myself and two young passengers. Two vehicles that were behind us stopped to aid. The driver immediately behind me said there was nothing unusual (no smoke, sparks, etc) until we lost control. He checked the roadway where it happened and found a sheered off bolt. When we got the traverse to the wreckers, they lifted it up and within a minute or two found the location the bolt came from. It was the rear passenger side upper control arm knuckle bolt. I didn't see any recalls on something like this, but I do not believe something like this should have happened in a vehicle that has just 49,510 miles and barely any rust on it. I need answers. My family and friends could have been attending a funeral this week had circumstances been slightly different. I can provide pictures, but the upload link would not work for photos even after converting to proper size and file type. I have the collision report number but not the actual report on hand just yet.
2026-08-17Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11757554
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The exhaust clamp rusted and broke, causing a hole in the exhaust which set off the engine light and eventually poisoned my catalytic converter costing $4000 to replace. GM's extended warranty exception for the admitted defect is to replace the clamp and flex pipe only, about $100 worth but they refused to cover the peripheral damage caused by the faulty clamp.
2026-07-27Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11752996
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
2026-07-23Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11752521
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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!
2026-07-10Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11749502
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 132 of 401 reports (33%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and 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 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. 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