2018 Chevrolet Traverse Transmission & Powertrain Problems
NHTSA lists 195 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, 42% of all 461 complaints filed for the year. The median mileage at failure was 32,750 miles, and one related recall (20V668000) covers a start-stop transmission accumulator issue.
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints
- 195
- 42% of 461
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 32,750 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical transmission symptoms owners report
- Vehicle hesitates or fails to move after shifting from park to drive, with the engine revving but no power reaching the wheels, sometimes rolling forward as if stuck in neutral.
- Transmission jerks or lurches suddenly during normal driving, including sudden stops or hard forward jerks at low speed.
- Vehicle gets stuck in a low gear (such as first) and will not shift up, forcing the driver to stop and restart the vehicle to correct it.
- Loud grinding noise occurs when accelerating and the transmission stops engaging, sometimes while stopped in traffic.
- On the highway, the vehicle surges or hunts for gears going uphill, feeling like it wants to shift between 8th and 9th gear but does not settle.
- Engine stalls or powers off while driving in traffic, with instrument panel lights flickering and the vehicle continuing to roll even after being shifted into park.
When 2018 Chevrolet Traverse transmission complaints were filed
First complaint Feb 20, 2018, latest Sep 18, 2026.
Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
- 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.
Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Traverse model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many transmission complaints does the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse have?
- NHTSA lists 195 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2018 Traverse, which is 42% of the 461 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a transmission recall for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
- Yes. Recall campaign 20V668000, reported October 29, 2020, covers the start-stop transmission accumulator; dealers inspect it and replace it if bolts are found loose.
- At what mileage do 2018 Traverse transmission problems usually appear?
- The median mileage at failure for Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2018 Traverse is 32,750 miles.
- Did the 2018 Traverse transmission issues cause any crashes?
- NHTSA data shows 1 crash and no fires or injuries linked to the Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2018 Traverse.