YearToAvoid

2018 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#6 most-complained of 16 Traverse years

The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse has 461 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 67, ranking 6th worst of 16 model years with a 'Caution' verdict. Transmission & powertrain issues dominate at 42% of complaints, with 2 recalls covering airbags and transmission accumulator bolts.

Complaints
461
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
9 / 2
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
21
18 city / 26 hwy

Top 2018 Chevrolet Traverse problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain195 (42%)
  2. Electrical System109 (24%)
  3. Other108 (23%)
  4. Engine105 (23%)
  5. Brakes43 (9%)
  6. Fuel System37 (8%)
  7. Steering14 (3%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires14 (3%)
  9. Seat Belts11 (2%)
  10. Structure & Body11 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the transmission suddenly failing or slipping at low speed, in some cases causing the vehicle to lurch forward while parking.
  • Some vehicles allegedly rolled backward or forward on an incline after being parked, with brakes and parking brake assist failing to hold the vehicle.
  • Owners describe the blind spot detection system delaying its warning, leading to lane-change collisions.
  • Side curtain airbags reportedly failed to deploy in a low-speed crash, and OnStar failed to activate after impact.
  • One owner reported the vehicle catching fire after a minor accident.
  • A steering error message reading 'assisted steering is limited' appeared during normal turning at very low mileage.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse complaints: complaints filed per quarter482017 Q42019 Q12020 Q22021 Q32022 Q42024 Q12025 Q22026 Q3
670 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2025 Q3 (48).

2018 Chevrolet Traverse recalls

2 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 20V668000Oct 29, 2020Transmission & Powertrain194,105 vehicles

    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 Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

    Risk: 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.

2018 Chevrolet Traverse fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
26 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,250
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.

2018 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
2016Good27292517.5
2017Caution53361317.5
2018Caution67461221
2019Avoid80405321
2020Good40228820.5

All Chevrolet Traverse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
NHTSA lists 461 complaints for the 2018 Traverse with a complaint index of 67, ranking 6th worst out of 16 model years. This gives it a 'Caution' verdict relative to other Traverse years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
Transmission & Powertrain issues are the top problem area, accounting for 42% of complaints (195 total), with a median mileage at failure of 32,750.
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse have any recalls?
Yes, two recalls: one for side curtain airbags that may not be properly attached, and one for the start-stop transmission accumulator bolts that could loosen.
How does the 2018 Traverse compare to other model years?
The 2018 model's complaint index of 67 is worse than 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, but better than 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019, and 2025.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
The 2018 Traverse gets an EPA-rated 21 mpg combined (18 city / 26 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,250.

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.