The Lane Check

CarsChevrolet › Traverse › 2018

2018 Chevrolet Traverse: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
65%
283 of 436 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

65% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 86% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 23 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 62%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
Share this car

Looking at a specific Traverse?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.

Check a VIN
Drivetrain complaints
283
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
459
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
9 crashes · 7 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN194 · 42%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER103 · 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM101 · 22%
ENGINE84 · 18%
SERVICE BRAKES37 · 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM29 · 6%

The years either side

2010
37%
232 of 669
2011
49%
270 of 608
2012
51%
151 of 354
2013
60%
79 of 162
2014
55%
154 of 547
2015
45%
63 of 313
2016
47%
59 of 291
2017
50%
46 of 361
2018
65%
283 of 459
2019
60%
229 of 404
2020
64%
135 of 225
2021
39%
33 of 89
2022
62%
56 of 97
2023
59%
47 of 87

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Other midsize SUVs with no elevated signal in 2018

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION 09/06/2026
the vehicle will not register that it is in park, when the engine is turned off a beeping noise reads shift to park - you have to start the engine and shut it off multiple times, or slam the shifter into place to get it register in park. this happens constantly and is starting to get old, and annoying. it is listed as …
POWER TRAIN09/06/2026
Car recently started to jolt when accelerating. Noticed it firsthand on the highway while on stop and go traffic. It's been doing it more often now when driving around the city. As soon as you accelerate past 15mph, it starts to jolt. The check engine light is not on. I do see that other 2018 Chevy Traverse have a reca…
POWER TRAIN08/30/2026
the vehicle will not register that it is in park, when the engine is turned off a beeping noise reads shift to park - you have to start the engine and shut it off multiple times, or slam the shifter into place to get it register in park. this happens constantly and is starting to get old, and annoying. it is listed as…

Three of 283 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (2)

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet…
AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags m…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.