AutoUtility currently tracks 456 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 191 complaints (41.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 9 filings cite a crash, 2 cite a fire, 3 report one or more injuries.
Key Problem Findings
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 456 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Powertrain & Transmission (191 reports • 41.9% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (100), Engine & Cooling (87)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 9 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 2 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 3 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
456
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
9
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
2
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
3
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities
Most Reported Problems for 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
#1 Problem Area 41.9% of complaints
Powertrain & Transmission
191 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #20V668000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
⚠️ 1 crash report
#2 Problem Area 21.9% of complaints
Electrical System
100 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
🩹 5 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 19.1% of complaints
Engine & Cooling
87 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
#4 Problem Area 9.4% of complaints
Brakes & Traction Control
43 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 3 crash reports
#5 Problem Area 8.1% of complaints
Fuel & Propulsion System
37 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Powertrain & Transmission 2.4% of complaints
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
11 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engine & Cooling
NHTSA ODI ID: #11759855
Filed: 08/26/2026
"Cracked flex pipe on exhaust system"
Incident Date: 07/30/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA ODI ID: #11757817
Filed: 08/18/2026
"On 08/15/26, I was at a traffic light waiting to make a left turn on a major roadway. Because the wait was on a hill, the park brake automatically engaged. When the traffic light turned green and as I attempted to accelerate, the electronic parking brake failed to release as it should and normally..."
Incident Date: 08/15/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA ODI ID: #11755241
Filed: 08/06/2026
"Car wouldn’t move in Reverse, I’d give it gas and it would just rev. It would drive forward but very sluggish. Brought to 2 different mechanics and they both said I need to replace the transmission. Car has 97,500 miles on it. This is a known issue with these vehicles. The transmission ship had..."
Incident Date: 08/05/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA ODI ID: #11753379
Filed: 07/28/2026
"Transmission shuddering when gear changing as accelerate."
Incident Date: 07/28/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Body & Structure
NHTSA ODI ID: #11749614
Filed: 07/10/2026
"I work full time in an auto body repair shop and a fire chief. I am coming across more and more white GM vehicles where the paint is not stuck where the windshield is glued in. A couple real hard pushes and the windshield will about come completely out."
Incident Date: 07/10/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.
Complaint History for Chevrolet Traverse
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Chevrolet Traverse | 313 | 10 | 5 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Chevrolet Traverse | 291 | 8 | 5 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Chevrolet Traverse | 360 | 13 | 3 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Chevrolet Traverse Current Page | 456 | 9 | 2 | Current |
| 2019 Chevrolet Traverse | 403 | 14 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Chevrolet Traverse | 219 | 11 | 8 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Chevrolet Traverse | 88 | 4 | 3 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Chevrolet Traverse | 95 | 3 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Chevrolet Traverse | 85 | 5 | 2 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Chevrolet Traverse | 132 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Chevrolet Traverse | 172 | 4 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Chevrolet Traverse | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 92 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 116 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 56 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CHEST CLIP, BUCKLE, HARNESS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| CARRY HANDLE, SHELL, BASE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CARRY HANDLE, SHELL, BASE,TETHER, LOWER ANCHOR (ON CAR SEAT OR VEHICLE) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WHEELS,ENGINE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (456). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.
Official US Government Data Provenance
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.