2016
New 2022
Used 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

Chevrolet Traverse

Unlock Ratings
General Motors might not build minivans anymore but that doesn't mean they're out of the big family-vehicle market, as three-row SUVs such as the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave corporate trio demonstrates. The test results for our Traverse test vehicle also apply to the Acadia, which differs only in styling details.
Alerts
There are 4 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2016
New 2022
Used 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

Chevrolet Traverse

Reliability
See All
Owner Satisfaction
See All
Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver NA
IIHS Side Crash Good
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit.
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.
Fuel Economy & Emissions
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Greenhouse Gas Greenhouse Gas The Greenhouse Gas Rating represents the amount of carbon dioxide the vehicle emits compared to other vehicles of the same model year. This score from the EPA ranges from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).
Smog Rating Smog Rating The Smog Rating represents the amount of health-damaging and smog-forming airborne pollutants the vehicle emits compared to other vehicles of the same model year. This score from the EPA ranges from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
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2009
NA
2010
NA
2011
2012
2013
NA
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
Transmission Minor Transmission Minor Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.
Drive System Drive System Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
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Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS and ESC standard. Side and head protection air bags standard.
Road Test

General Motors might not build minivans anymore but that doesn't mean they're out of the big family-vehicle market, as three-row SUVs such as the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave corporate trio demonstrates. The test results for our Traverse test vehicle also apply to the Acadia, which differs only in styling details.

These large SUVs are all very spacious inside, comfortably seating up to eight adults while leaving some cargo space behind the third row. Drivers and passengers should appreciate the quiet cabins, comfortable seats, and well-finished interiors.

Seating
2 front, 3 rear, 3 third
Drive Wheels
AWD, Front
Warranty
Coverage varies among versions of this vehicle

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
4-door SUV
Transmissions Available
  • 6-speed Automatic
Engines Available
  • 3.6-liter V6 (288 hp)
  • 3.6-liter V6 (281 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2016 Chevrolet Traverse owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

A/C compressor

"my A/C stopped blowing cold air suddenly. I brought it to the dealer & because I had a repair coverage plan, there was no out-of-pocket expense to replace the compressor. Dealer was very accommodating in completing the repair in one day."

Anonymous, (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

"Because of the leak"

James M., GA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"compressor locked up replaced and no more problem"

Anonymous, TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Condenser

"Car still under warranty so it was repaired for free"

Kay M., AL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Evaporator

"Rear evaporator and motor were replaced and paid for by dealer"

Anonymous, (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

"rear evap core was leaking and this was causing the A/C to blow warm air. Car was still under warranty so it was fixed. took about 2 days to fix."

Kevin S., AZ (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Heated or cooled seat controls

"Heated seats took a long time to get hot. I previous cars, the seats heated up quickly. Was told that the very slow heating was now the way it was. I used to like them a lot. Now they don't really get warm until I get to my destination."

James P., TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
Heater system

"Car would not get warm, they put in a new engine thermostat and a new Cabin Filter, after that it heated."

Anonymous, MN (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
Refrigerant leaks

"I had it in twice for leak, but it was never found."

James M., GA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"it lost refrigerant and stopped cooling on two different occasions. The leak was never found and therefore may happen again."

James M., GA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"In the spring of 2017 we found that the Air Conditioner was not cooling hardly at all, shop checked and found that it was low on Freon, they added some and it cooled but they could not find a leak, so will this happen again?"

Anonymous, MN (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
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Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose exterior trim or moldings

"the body trim started to come off on the drive door"

Anonymous, PA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

"weather strip at bottom of drivers door fell off"

J G., IL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
Loose interior trim or moldings

"This is a 2016 Chevy, Traverse. I traded my Chevy Traverse 2011, in on this vehicle, new. Both of these Traverses, 2011 & 2016, have problems with loose moldings, around seat belts, pull tabs on seats, for folding down. Some pop off and can be shaped back on, others break. I guess that's the life of plastic"

Anonymous, FL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling)

"My last vehicle was a 2011 Chevy, Traverse. Loved it. It's color was red. Bought a new 2016 Chevy, Traverse, in White. This White paint, chips very easily. Never buying White again"

Anonymous, FL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"paint on the tailgate is cracking and starting to peel off"

Anonymous, PA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
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In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Display screen freezes up

"Sometimes when I switch radio stations the screen wil go black and then off, then re-start"

K P., PA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"The central display would freeze up or not turn on at all when the car was started. The system was replaced, but the problem is starting to show up again."

James P., TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
Display screen goes blank

"They initially replaced the screen, but shortly afterwards it begin to occasionally go blank again. Took it in but after 70 miles in their care, it never did it. It still goes blank occasionally."

Larry C., TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"Sometimes it want pair with her phone at all and she have to take it to the car dealer to solve the problem"

James C., NE (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
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Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Alignment

"minor pull/drift to one side"

Robert G., IL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Power steering pumps and hoses

"Power steering pump failed. Fluid leaked under extreme lock difficult parking situation. Independant mechanic thought it was a leak and replaced hose. Pump failed one week later. Car was drivable be me, but not wife."

Anonymous, (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"Was actually the power steering cooler that failed or had blockages build up. Causing the steering to vibrate left and right. Took the dealer a total of 2 months to track down the problem they even had to get GM engineers to assist. After replacing the entire front suspension, tires, linkages, Lower steering pump, and rims. They finally checked the cooler. And it hasn't been a problem since. Dealer covered all costs as we had not owned the care for more than 3 weeks before the problem started."

Anonymous, (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
Tie rods

"When going over ruts in the road, it would sound like something was loose under the car. We took the car to a dealer. From dealers statement Found front stabilizer links loose, removed and replaced front stabilizer links, re checked, now working as designed. With filter replacements, the cost was $383.11 with a military discount."

Anonymous, NY (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
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Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Exterior lights (other than headlights)

"Fog lamp on passenger side front came loose and is nearly impossible to access to fix."

Anonymous, NC (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Heated or cooled seats

"Intermittently the heated seats do not work."

Anonymous, NC (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Keyless entry

"passenger door either wont lock or stays locked when attempting to lock/unlock car"

G G., VA (2016 Chevrolet Traverse 3.6-L V6)
Wiper motor or washer

"wiper operation was intermittent at first then failed completely. Could not use vehicle in rain or snow."

Anonymous, WI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
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Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Electrical failure

"Wasn't able to start the car due to dead battery, whichwasn't caused by leaving anything on overnight"

Anonymous, MI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Stability control (ESC)

"The check stabilitrac light came on, but when we shut the car off the system reprogrammed itself. This was how our 2013 Traverse acted when it first started to have problems. That is why we leased this car rather than buying it. The dealer said nothing is wrong with this car. We do not have confidence in it."

Anonymous, MI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Traction control

"intermittent vibration. combination between ABS control system and the traction control"

William B., WI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

"I think this is all part of the stabilitrac issue."

Anonymous, MI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Load more

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Squeaks or rattles

"There are rattles where the 2nd row seatbelts pull down and a lot more rattles behind the 3rd row seat. Previous models of Traverses we owned didn't have this problem"

Margaret B., SK (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"Driver door rattles."

Anonymous, MI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)
Wind noise

"Whistling noise while driving. The luggage rack was put on improperly"

Patrick B., IL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Transmission rebuild or replacement

"the transmission failed at about 4000 miles. The dealer told me it was an assembly problem. They had had a few others"

J G., IL (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

"Transmission failed with less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle"

Anonymous, OH (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

"Transmission broke down. Would only operate in first gear"

Anonymous, MI (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

What Owners Say

Normal routine brake wear

"I bought it, like six to nine months later I had to change darn brakes. They told me that it was certified and that everything was new that was wearable but apparently it wasn't. Somebody quoted me almost three hundred bucks just to change one axle. So the whole brake job they wanted like six hundred bucks almost. If I wasn't such a fantastic mechanic it would have cost me $600 + tax."

Anonymous, NJ (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

"We had about 65,000 when our brakes were changed. We didn't think that was a problem."

Anonymous, NY (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

What Owners Say

Engine computer

"Check engine light, engine coolant sensor failed, replaced it myself, now it's all good!"

Anonymous, TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)
Oil leaks

"The dealership said it was oil leaking from the motor mounts."

Brian L., TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6-L V6)

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

What Owners Say

Overheating

"Engine coolant sensor failed,"

Anonymous, TX (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 3.6-L V6)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

Emission control devices (includes EGR)

"Got a notice from GM. Took it to the dealer and they fixed it. It did later turn on the engine check light. Took it to another dealer and they fixed it. No more trouble with it."

Anonymous, AR (2016 Chevrolet Traverse LS 3.6-L V6)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

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