YearToAvoid

2015 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

33/100

#11 most-complained of 16 Traverse years

The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse has 313 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 33, and 5 recalls, earning a Good verdict — it ranks 11th worst of 16 model years. Airbags are the top complaint area at 52% of reports.

Complaints
313
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
10 / 3
Injuries / deaths
11 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 23.5 hwy

Top 2015 Chevrolet Traverse problems

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

  1. Airbags162 (52%)
  2. Engine54 (17%)
  3. Electrical System33 (11%)
  4. Brakes29 (9%)
  5. Steering27 (9%)
  6. Other23 (7%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain23 (7%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires15 (5%)
  9. Structure & Body13 (4%)
  10. Fuel System12 (4%)

What owners report

  • Owners report sudden unintended acceleration while backing out of a garage or turning into a parking lot, reaching speeds of 40-50 mph before crashing.
  • Some drivers describe the accelerator pedal being barely touched or the brake pedal being depressed without engaging, leading to collisions with buildings, trees, or parked vehicles.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in several crashes, including one where a vehicle was struck hard enough to prevent doors from opening.
  • One owner reported a fire starting minutes after a short drive in a nearly new vehicle, resulting in a total loss.
  • A transmission fire was reported alongside complaints of the vehicle braking on its own, failing to move in reverse, and making loud clunking noises.
2015 Chevrolet Traverse complaints: complaints filed per quarter422015 Q12016 Q42018 Q22019 Q42021 Q22023 Q22024 Q42026 Q3
409 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2015 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2023 Q3 (42).

2015 Chevrolet Traverse recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 23V334000May 10, 2023Airbags995,085 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.

    Risk: 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.

  2. NHTSA 22V246000Apr 14, 2022Airbags2,687 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.

    Risk: 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 drivers air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. 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 N222366190.

  3. NHTSA 21V782000Oct 7, 2021Airbags555 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.

    Risk: 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse →

2015 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.

2015 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
2013Best7162419
2014Caution73547719
2015Good33313519
2016Good27292517.5
2017Caution53361317.5

All Chevrolet Traverse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2015 Traverse a complaint index of 33 and a Good verdict, ranking 11th worst out of 16 model years for the Traverse, so it performs better than many other years.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse?
Airbags are the top complaint area, making up 52% of the 313 complaints, followed by Engine issues at 17% and Electrical System problems at 11%.
Does the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists four separate airbag-related recalls covering the 2015 Traverse, including driver's airbag inflators that may explode during deployment and side curtain airbags that may not be properly attached.
How does the 2015 Traverse compare to other years?
With a complaint index of 33, the 2015 model is rated Good, better than the 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2019 model years, which are rated Avoid or Caution, but worse than the 2013 and 2021-2023 models rated Best.
What is the fuel economy of the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse?
EPA rates the 2015 Traverse at 19 mpg combined (16.5 city / 23.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400.

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.