YearToAvoid

2012 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

47/100

#9 most-complained of 16 Traverse years

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse ranks 9th worst out of 16 model years, with a complaint index of 47 and a "Good" verdict relative to other Traverse years. Engine problems (41% of complaints) and brakes (27%) are the top concerns, alongside 5 recalls.

Complaints
354
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
10 / 2
Injuries / deaths
14 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 23.5 hwy

Top 2012 Chevrolet Traverse problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine144 (41%)
  2. Brakes95 (27%)
  3. Steering62 (18%)
  4. Electrical System49 (14%)
  5. Airbags48 (14%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain46 (13%)
  7. Other38 (11%)
  8. Structure & Body19 (5%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers18 (5%)
  10. Fuel System16 (5%)

What owners report

  • Some engine failures occurred with no clear warning and reportedly led to fires while the vehicle was parked, with front-end and engine areas badly burned.
  • Owners describe transmission lurching or shifting unexpectedly between reverse and drive on flat surfaces, sometimes striking objects.
  • Steering has been reported as very difficult at low speeds, such as parking or turning, with the power steering pump identified as the issue.
  • Brake pedals reportedly became hard to depress and unresponsive at low speed, occurring alongside steering that would not move and loss of power.
  • Airbags have failed to deploy in some crashes, or in one case a side curtain airbag deployed abnormally and struck the driver's head instead of covering the window.
2012 Chevrolet Traverse complaints: complaints filed per quarter372012 Q12015 Q12016 Q42018 Q32020 Q22022 Q12024 Q1
565 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q1 to 2025 Q4; peak 2019 Q2 (37).

2012 Chevrolet Traverse recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V246000Apr 8, 2021Airbags108 vehicles

    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 may not be properly attached.

    Risk: 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.

  2. NHTSA 15V415000Jun 30, 2015Structure & Body691,144 vehicles

    Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

    Risk: 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.

  3. NHTSA 14V266000May 20, 2014Seat Belts1,339,355 vehicles

    Seat belts

    General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

    Risk: 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse →

2012 Chevrolet Traverse fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
23.5 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other Traverse years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid87669519
2011Avoid93608519
2012Good47354519
2013Best7162419
2014Caution73547719

All Chevrolet Traverse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
Compared with other Traverse model years, 2012 has a complaint index of 47 and ranks 9th worst out of 16 years, earning a "Good" verdict relative to the rest of the lineup.
What is the top problem area for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
Engine complaints make up 41% of all reported issues, the largest share, followed by brakes at 27% and steering at 18%.
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse have?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, covering airbags, structure and body, seat belts, and wipers.
What year Chevrolet Traverse should I avoid instead of 2012?
Among Traverse years, 2010, 2011, 2019, and 2025 carry "Avoid" verdicts with higher complaint indexes of 87, 93, 80, and 100 respectively, all worse than 2012's 47.
At what mileage do 2012 Traverse problems typically show up?
NHTSA data shows median mileage at failure of 95,000 for engine issues, 97,350 for brakes, and 70,000 for steering complaints.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.