Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 89 safety complaints
about the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse with the US government. Of those, 4 describe a crash, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the air bags and the power train.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system,
named in 22 complaints, 25% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 54,000 miles,
the median across the 15
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers May 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
89 complaints on file
89
Complaints
4
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
6
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
Complaints more than doubled year on year: 34 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 15 in the twelve before.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22 · 25%
22 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 19 · 21%
19 21%
POWER TRAIN 15 · 17%
15 17%
ENGINE 11 · 12%
11 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 9 · 10%
9 10%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 7 · 8%
7 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 · 4%
4 4%
STEERING 4 · 4%
4 4%
AIR BAGS 3 · 3%
3 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 3%
3 3%
Carry Handle, Shell, Base 2 · 2%
2 2%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 2%
2 2%
01223
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 89.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2025 at 29.
32 24 16 8
212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Chevrolet TRAVERSE, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
SUV AWD
SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
15.0%
16.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
The risk
Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 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 N212352140.
General Motors, LLC · up to 89 vehicles across all model years covered
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place may chafe against the transmission case, possibly resulting in a transmission fluid leak.
The risk
A transmission fluid leak can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, a leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the screw and clip, and inspect for signs of contact with the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
Braun Corporation · up to 639 vehicles across all model years covered
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.
The risk
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N212340220.
General Motors, LLC · up to 6 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2 injured · crash · towed
I was unable to stop my vehicle from accelerating. The brakes were engaging but my vehicle continued to build speed. Myself and my family, as well as others on the road, were all put at risk due to my vehicle not responding or failing to control speed; cruise control was not engaged. My insurance company, USAA, is currently investigating and determining total damage estimate. No warning lamps, indicators, or messages were presented prior to collision. The rotors and brakes were glowing red after collision from continuous attempts to stop the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint 11557077. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? My wife and daughter were both involved in a car accident. My wife was driving the speed limit (30-35 mph) when a car traveling in the opposite direction turned left into her lane, cutting her off, and causing a collision of the two vehicles. The front driver side of the Traverse contacted the other driver's passenger side. Upon collision, none of the airbags deployed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My wife hit her face on the steering wheel and suffered a fractured nose, excessive bleeding, and head/neck pain. My …
NHTSA complaint 11731364, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed
I was hit by another car who ran the red light. No airbag deployment at all, in serious crash. Whole front end hit without airbags going off. The engine was smoking and the brake would not work after inpact to keep it from rolling
NHTSA complaint 11597270. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed
While going around 40mph I approached a stopped vehicle and tried to come to a stop. At this time my braking system failed, speeding the car up instead of slowing it down, this resulted in my car rear ending another vehicle. When the car accident occurred my steering wheel air bag came out but did not inflate. There were no warning lamps or messages at the time of the crash. Due to the laws in Mississippi it was declared I was at fault and the insurance company will not inspect or cover the damages.
NHTSA complaint 11691105. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
I went in for service at Chey 112 in Medford, NY they advised me that my computer needed to be replaced they replaced the computer and I started having transmission issues.
NHTSA complaint 11762657. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
The welding that holds the exhaust together has failed. They offer a Special Warranty to cover only the passenger side, however it has failed and exhaust is super loud. Also reading 4 codes from check engine alert. All are P0420 (cat convertor). The smell of exhaust and cat convertor is super disgusting
NHTSA complaint 11757809. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
72,400 miles
The contact owned a 2021 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. The contact stated that the failure had also occurred on a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse he owned. 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 72,400.
NHTSA complaint 11749147. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On [XXX] I purchased the vehicle from Bakersfield Hyundai within days I reported break failure and notified them about a noise that was coming from the SUV that sounded like a mini motorcycle, they first said (Xavier) that the noise would go away because it had just gotten serviced but they kept me there for four plus hours and said I had to take it back which I did and again I took it for break replacement and I told them the noise would get louder and sometimes it would smell inside the vehicle like vinegar again they did nothing they falsely said I declined to stay because of time Which I didn't I asked if they were able to provide me with a vehicle while mine could get serve since I …
NHTSA complaint 11746551, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Check engine light came on and I noticed that the cooling fan would continue running for several minutes even after turning vehicle off. Had a mechanic run the diagnostics and the code came back as a thermostat/cooling issue. Although when I called to make an appointment and told him the issue and that it was a 2021 Traverse, he knew exactly what the issue was. He said that is a very common issue in all 2021 Chevy/GM engines. Online research provided a couple special coverages for repairs on 7 different GM vehicles from that same time period. Of course, the Traverse is one that is not included. Seems fairly obvious this was a GM engine issue from all vehicles in the 2021-2023 timeframe. Not …
NHTSA complaint 11737628, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
I am filing a safety complaint regarding two vehicles provided through Bob Hook Chevrolet in [XXX] . My Chevrolet Traverse has been at the dealership for approximately one month due to a transmission failure. The vehicle has remained unrepaired during that time. The transmission issue has made the vehicle unreliable and unsafe to operate. While my Traverse was in the shop, the dealership provided me with a Buick Enclave loaner vehicle. On Thursday, while driving the Enclave, the vehicle repeatedly stalled. The entire electrical system shut down, and the power steering failed and locked up. This created a very dangerous situation and made it difficult to safely control the vehicle in …
NHTSA complaint 11736727, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed March 31, 2022.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst