Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,790 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Chevrolet Traverse drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Chevrolet Traverse Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #24

Nov 292018

Traverse

  • 49,300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle abruptly decelerated to 20 mph. Also, the traction control and reduce power check engine indicators illuminated. The failures were experienced numerous times. When the vehicle was restarted, it regained normal acceleration; however, the failure recurred more frequently. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who replaced the accelerator pedal and the accelerator sensor. The repairs did not correct the failure and the vehicle continued to lose acceleration. The speed would not exceed 20 mph. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic who diagnosed that the crank position sensor failed and the engine timing chain stretched. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the warranted repair for the timing chain replacement, which ended in 2017. The manufacturer provided the contact with case number: [xxx]. the dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 49,300. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Bethel Park, PA, USA

problem #23

Jan 072019

Traverse 6-cyl

  • 75,500 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to knoepfler Chevrolet (100 jackson St, sioux city, ia 51101, (866) 520-9856) where the contact was informed that the 35R plate fractured. As a result, the contact was informed that the entire transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,500. Consumer stated vehicle was fixed.

- Sioux City, IA, USA

problem #22

Oct 272018

Traverse

  • 156,000 miles
My fuel light came on so I went to the nearest station to fill up. I always turn my car off while pumping. When I went to start the car afterwards, it acted like it didn't want to start. I proceeded to leave the station. As I got on the road my lights started coming on warning me that the traction control is off, that the stability something needs serviced, then something about power reduced. I quickly went from 45 mph to less than 20 on a flat road. Scared me bc I had my family in my car and on a one lane road trying to get to the side so others could pass me.

- Cave City, KY, USA

problem #21

Oct 112018

Traverse

  • 115,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving on a on a busy street vehicle- approx 30mph - unexpectedly and without warning this vehicle suddenly decelerated / downshifted to a crawl. We nearly lost control of the car and narrowly avoided several close calls of people behind us. Thankfully we were not on the highway as others have described. Also, door locks began locking and unlocking on their own. Once we got to a safe spot messages on the display began flashing, service stabiltrak; service traction control; park assist off; traction control on; traction control off. Towed this car to the dealer for an exorcism since it was no longer driveable. First thing they did was replace the battery. As they tell it a bad / funky battery might cause bad things to the electronic transmission module. $400 later issues persist. Now I am told I need to replace the transmission outright - $5500. This just can't be right. This is barely 6 year old vehicle with just over $115K. Serviced regularly / without fail. Shame on you Chevrolet. I'm betting no chev exec, dealer or mechanic would ever trust this car for their family vehicle

- Hamden, CT, USA

problem #20

Oct 142018

Traverse

  • 55,439 miles
When accelerating from a stop, the car initially did not have any power and shook a lot then eventually caught up and drove normally. When putting the car in park at home, it shook again and did not stop until I turned it off.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #19

Apr 102018

Traverse

  • 142,000 miles
Takata recall. Stabilitrack automatically goes off while driving down the road or interstate the smell of raw gas comes through the cabin, vehicle goes into limp mode and starts to stall. This happens often not just once. I have researched complaints online and there are a ton of people with the same complaints.

- Poplarville, MS, USA

problem #18

May 172016

Traverse

  • 58,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Internal issue with transmission. Mechanic will not even do 90,000 transmission service on my vehicle and stated these issues have been seen with 2012 Chevy Traverses being serviced in their shop and should not be happening with a vehicle at this age/mileage.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #17

Nov 262014

Traverse

  • 33,000 miles
I have had many ongoing issues since car purchase. Electrical, air conditioning and injector issues. Car does not seem safe. Lights go out every few months whilde driving when it is dark. This is very dangerous. 1st replacement on light was done while under warrant, however, Chevy dealer failed to address the issues causing the light to burn out and simply changed light out. It has been continuous with us changing lights, brake lights and headlights. Car would lose power and jerk as well as had gears problems while traveling on a fwy with cars going an average og 60 mph. Car would not auto shift above 20-30 mph. Gas smell upon start of vehicle and the list goes on. Stuck open evap purge solenoid setting ses light cac case 8-2106770252 dalila lopez--- scanned ECM found code P0300 P0496.performed diagnosis. Performed injector balance test found bank 1 injector out of specs.replaced 1 3 5 injectors. It seems that there is a possibility that the injector issues may have caused other problem with the vehicle which cannot be denied nor confirmed. An oil pan gasket has been leaking as well when less than 90,000 miles. Safety has been an ongoing concern. I am requesting that the electrical issues that have not been resolved since the 1st light went out in 2014 to be resolved at gms cost. In addition I am asking that the oil pan gasket replacement be done at GM cost. In addition, I am requesting reimbursement of my down payment of $10,000 on my vehicle.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #16

Mar 112018

Traverse

  • 62,000 miles
"takata recall" when I was driving home I had my check engine light come on and the traction control disengaged and the same time. It also reduced engine power (it also said it was on the dash board) however with no warning started to slow too quickly while I was dribing down street which speed limit is 50 mph. As I had another vehicle behind me who had to switch quickly to next lane. Once I made it home I did some research on this issue and their hundreds of complaints of the same problem... I never seen so many of the same issue with the same manufacturer... I have 3 children and are mostly with me when I'm on the road. Luckily I left them home this time. And no one got hurt. However, this is a major safety concern...I strongly believe if this would have happen on my way to work during rush hour on the highway. I would have had a different outcome. Please look in to this a.S.a.P.

- Lorain, OH, USA

problem #15

Dec 242017

Traverse

  • 97,000 miles
Used my auto start on 12/24/2017 parked at a hotel visiting family, when got in vehicle engine light on. Had it checked on 12/26/2017 and informed timing chain issue. Estimate given of $3400 at a certified Chevy dealership. Notified GM customer care after back and forth E-mails notified me they wouldn't do any cost assistance as warranty is up.

- Mobridge, SD, USA

problem #14

Nov 302017

Traverse

  • 89,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This incident occurred twice. Driving down the freeway at freeway speeds, a loud clunk was heard, the vehicle jerked, check engine light appeared, check stabilitrax and traction control messages appeared and stabilitrax disabled, speedometer remained frozen at speed this incident occurred. While driving to safe location to stop, vehicle appeared to be stuck in a specific gear that is lower than normal for freeway driving, rpms were much higher than normal. When attempting to accelerate from a standstill, vehicle appears to have no power (probably due to accelerating from 0 mph in a higher gear). I took vehicle to bowman Chevrolet service center for attention and they were unable to duplicate the incident though they did state that they see error codes in the system for loss of communication. After testing and troubleshooting for up to 2 weeks, service department stated that they are unable to determine the cause of the error but during their testing they found the battery needs to be replaced. Assistant manager of the service center states that a battery replacement may or may not fix the problem. I made a case (#[xxx]) with Chevrolet but the adviser received information from the dealership that was false and stated there was nothing further he could do. The information he received from the dealer is that they were waiting for me to authorize charges for additional diagnosis. I did authorize bowman Chevrolet to replace the battery. My concern is that I am now taking back a car that is a safety hazard and allowing my wife to drive, and daughter to ride in, this vehicle that has a known issue. Luckily for us the issue occurred at night when there was no one on the roads but if it occurred during rush hour it could cause an accident. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Pontiac, MI, USA

problem #13

Dec 042017

Traverse

  • 104,000 miles
The car stuttered while driving in reverse and first gear. She backed out of a parking space and the vehicle started shuttering immediately. She then put it in drive and it started shuttering violently and was only able to drive at 10 miles per hour. Even at that speed it was still shuttering. Brought it to the dealership and the quoted that the clutch plates and valves needed to be replaced at a cost of $4400. This issue could become a serious problem and cause an accident or worse if those plates decide to go bad while at any speed.

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #12

Jul 312017

Traverse

  • 87,000 miles
I was driving my car on I-75. The door locks started locking and unlocking, the vehicle lost power and went from 65 mph down too 25 mph, and the traction control off and on kept switching. The vehicle would not gain speed, even while depressing the accelerator. No check engine lights or any other lights were on except for the traction control off/on lights. I was almost hit by a semi. I pulled over, shut the vehicle off for 5-10 minutes, and restarted it. No lights were on, and I attempted to drive home. While in a slow speed on a side road, approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly started locking and unlocking, and this time suddenly accelerated. I put the car in neutral. Again the traction control off and on kept displaying on the dcim. Each time the vehicle randomly accelerates or decelerates the doors will unlock then lock and unlock and lock, the warning chime goes off rapidly and the car will then either decelerate or accelerate. The traction control off then on then off then on comes on, and then the car is fine.

- Sylvania, OH, USA

problem #11

Jun 162017

Traverse

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. While making a left turn, the contact heard a crunching noise coming from the front tires of the vehicle. The vehicle stalled without warning. The contact placed the gear shifter into neutral to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure could be the transmission. The mechanic suggested taking the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the vehicle was taken to american Chevrolet (located at 4742 mchenry, modesto, ca 95356) where it was diagnosed that the passenger side front axle completely detached and the rear differential also was detached and needed to be replaced. The technician also stated that the transmission was faulty, but could not determine without diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired due to the diagnostic and repair fees. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that the vehicle was out of warranty in April of 2017. The best the manufacturer could do was to offered 40% off the repair fees. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

- Modesto, CA, USA

problem #10

May 272017

Traverse

  • 80,000 miles
Experienced an issue with reduced engine power/stabilitrak/traction off. This happened suddenly without warning while I was headed home work.engine reving unable to move at normal speed I took it to the dealership & was told it was 3 broken wires on the tcm. Got the truck back and all seemed ok, then less than 1 week later after pulling out of my driveway chmes started dinging, check engine light started flashing, traction contol light came on, dic showed "service stibilitrack" and "service traction control" it is at the dealership now...

- Great Valley, NY, USA

problem #9

Mar 042017

Traverse

  • 96,000 miles
We were driving the vehicle with two small infants in the car going 70 mph on the highway when suddenly the vehicle went into limp mode and rapidly lost speed, causing us to swerve into the ditch and other cars behind us slamming on their brakes. The check engine light, traction control light, and stability control light went on. Engine was running rough and needed to be shut off and turned back on in order to restart the vehicle to normal function. The vehicle was brought into a Chevrolet dealership where it was determined that the vehicle needs a new throttle body. After contacting General Motors, we were told this is a known issue with the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, and in some cases an extended warranty has been given. We were then told that our vehicle does not fit that description because the throttle body was made in a different facility as the others. This is the exact same error as the known issue but General Motors is refusing to take any action. This is an extremely dangerous issue that needs to be rectified immediately in order to prevent serious injury.

- Big Lake, MN, USA

problem #8

Jan 152017

Traverse

  • miles
Vehicle will display "service stabilitrak" "traction control off". then vehicle becomes jumpy. Then a burning and fuel exhaust smell enters the cab. This happens about every 4-6 months. I put the vehicle into the shop last month and had the transmission replaced.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #7

Oct 102015

Traverse

  • miles
2012 Chevy Traverse engine light and traction control light come on. Engine loses power and requires the vehicle to. E restarted to regain power. We have had the vehicle checked by the dealership 3 times for the same reason. The dealership has reset the computer each time. The last time the diagnostic computer the dealer has stated low fuel volume. The traction control and engine light come on the same day usually within an hour or two. The service advisor told us to try hi test ethanol free gas. We did as told with a fuel treatment they put in the tank. The lights still came on. When the Traverse is started in the morning(cold start) the engine runs rough. This vehicle only has 47000 miles on it and was purchased new. We have alway kept the vehicle maintained. Last year the Traverse started using oil a quart or more in 1000 miles when driven on long trips.

- Potsdam, NY, USA

problem #6

Oct 022015

Traverse

  • 40,029 miles
At all periods of stopping and applying brakes and putting vehicle into the park position, the vehicle will lunge forward, approx 4-6 inches. This happens of flat surfaces, inclines, any and all surfaces. It has almost caused numerous front end collisions. This happens every time I apply the brake, then engage vehicles transmission into park. Happens on any and all road surfaces. Vehicle does not lunge when only brake is applied, but when it is shifted into park. As soon as the park is engaged it lunges. Nothing I do can stop the lunge. Very dangerous and I will record video of this for future references if need be,

- Augusta, GA, USA

problem #5

May 132015

Traverse

  • 16,300 miles
Vehicle with auto transmission was switched from reverse to drive position on flat surface. When driver moved foot from brake to gas pedal vehicle lurched backward striking pole. The vehicle was also observed lurching forward when reverse lights were on. Dealership replaced tcm control solenoid valve and reprogramed.

- River Edge, NJ, USA

Read the next 4 complaints »

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

Not what you are looking for?