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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
88,572 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Chevrolet Traverse Owner Comments (Page 2 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #92

Sep 122020

Traverse

  • 65,600 miles

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

We purchased our 2012 Chevy Traverse brand new in April of 2013. I had the extended pip warranty 6 years, 60,000 miles. The mileage is 65,674. On 9/12/2020 while driving rural state road at 55mph the engine stalled losing power steering and brakes. We safely pulled to the side. The engine started back up with the check engine light on and an obvious knock. Towed the Traverse to the dealership for service Monday when they opened. Drivers village dealership cicero NY checked vehicle and confirmed 'very bad knocking when vehicle is running, noise changes with rpms. Scanned and found P0016 crank cam.' Diagnostic repair fee of $250 determined the #1 bank rod broken- need engine replacement. They also reported oil level full and clean with 57% life remaining. The oil has always been changed at the 3,000. I was presented with two quotes to install a GM new engine or a rebuilt engine. Both options are over $8,500 to repair.

- North Syracuse, NY, USA

problem #91

Mar 022020

Traverse

  • 125,000 miles
The vehicle at 125,000 the check engine light turned on and there is a problem with the timing chain stretching. It is the crank shaft/cam shaft. It is over a $2,000 repair and the mechanic said this is a common problem with Chevy Traverse's.

- New Berlin, WI, USA

problem #90

Aug 222019

Traverse

  • 100,000 miles
I have been having issues with this car cutting out/stalling for 2 years now. I keep taking it in to mechanics to get it fixed and it seems to work then randomly leaves me and my daughter stranded. Sometimes it will stall once and keep going... other times it has taken me 3-4 hours to get home. I've had a major tune up done, replaced the fule pump, fuel pressure sensor, map sensor, purge valve canister, cleaned the throttle body, and replaced relays. It has stalled on freeways, and middle of rush hour traffic leaving me stuck in unsafe locations. Similar models have recalls but not mine. Guessing they pick and choose how many of their vehicles they are willing to fix.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #89

Apr 082020

Traverse

  • 102,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, the traction control warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to provide a cause for the failure. The vehicle was then taken to videon Chevrolet of phoenixville located at (600 nutt rd, phoenixville, pa 19460) where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

- Phoenixville,, PA, USA

problem #88

Feb 072020

Traverse

  • 99,000 miles
My vehicle has 99,000 miles on it and is outside of the 5 year warranty period. My timing chain and actuators are being replaced. I have read that this is an on going issue with my specific motor. I have always had the oil changed at the dealership in the time and mileage that is recommended. The timing chain problem caused my vehicle to not drive correctly and bog down and not get power when applying the gas. When driving home on the highway I applied the gas and the Traverse sputtered and would not get up to speed to keep up with traffic.

- Rockford, IL, USA

problem #87

Sep 012019

Traverse

  • 112,000 miles
While driving the car, the traction control turns off. When this message comes on the driver information panel, the following messages appear: The check engine light comes on, engine power reduced, and service stabilitytrac system. At the same time, when you press the gas pedal, the car does not accelerate. Also, the cruise control does not work. This happens whether you're driving 5 miles an hour or 55+ miles per hour. This is a problem that occurs every time I drive the car. I have noticed that if the temperature is under 40 degrees, it happens more times than when the temperature is greater than 40 degrees. I live in Pennsylvania and the temperature dips very low. I drive a minimum of 300 miles a day M-F and this is a very dangerous flaw. I am reporting this because I have exhausted all of my resources. The only way I have found to reset the traction control, is to pull over, turn the car off, and wait for 3-5 minutes. This will reset the traction control but it does not turn off the check engine light.

- Hanover, PA, USA

problem #86

Feb 182020

Traverse

  • 116,200 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was also experienced at various speeds. The contact was able to restart the vehicle from a jump start. The vehicle was taken to several unknown mechanics to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the diagnostic trouble code determined a failure with the crankshaft sensor. The contact was also informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the warranty extension for the timing chain replacement. The approximate failure mileage was 116,200.

- Loves Park, IL, USA

problem #85

Dec 162019

Traverse

  • 165,900 miles
When driving car forward on roads and when backing up the car/engine stutters. When in reverse the car has cut off, when driving forward the engine rattles with a 'tin like' sound. When the car is in park and idling, it will cut off at times. Upon restarting the check engine light will come on. The check engine light will go off and come on intermittently. When I took the car in to determine what was going on, the check engine light had gone off and the dealership was not able to determine the problem initially and had to keep the car overnight to determine the diagnosis that the timing chain kit needed to be replaced. I was told that this repair would no longer fall under the GM warranty. Upon searching online and having my car looked at by an independent repair shop, I have found that this has been a recurring problem with the Chevrolet Traverse and GM has not issued a recall.

- Waxhaw, NC, USA

problem #84

Dec 282019

Traverse

  • miles
While driving at normal traffic and highway speeds, the vehicle will sometimes reduce speeds on its own and the transmission will drop to 2nd gear. The sevice engine light will flash and the dash will read traction control off. Sometimes the engine will also misfire. The vehicle will sometimes correct itself and return to normal driving or it has to be turned off to reset. Some forum users suggest replacing the throttle due to carbon buildup. This is can cause confusion with a driver which may result in a collision.

- Norco, CA, USA

problem #83

Jan 312020

Traverse

  • miles
The timing chain needs to be replaced and is a known problem with Chevrolet even though they have not done a recall. Eats oil, ticks and my check engine light is on. My mechanic looked at it and said it was the timing chain. I don't have 3K to fix my car.

- Owego, NY, USA

problem #82

Jul 012017

Traverse

  • 80,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was driven at an undisclosed speed there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to (mike savoie Chevrolet located at 1900 w maple rd, troy, mi 48084 phone number 248-566-6523) where the timing chain was replaced. The contact stated that after two years the failure recurred. The contact returned the vehicle to the same dealer who diagnosed that the same repair was needed. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Kimball, MI, USA

problem #81

Dec 152019

Traverse

  • 94,610 miles
Whining and winding sound on acceleration at all speeds..rumbling noise from engine. Strut leaking and front suspension issues. This turned out to be transmission and torque converter. Along with pto pinion seal, crankshaft seal, water pump, harmonic balancer, struts, sway bar links, and drive belt.

- Davenport, IA, USA

problem #80

Dec 062019

Traverse

  • 116,640 miles
My wife was driving on the highway when it lost significant power and started rattling violently. She was able to pull into a business parking lot. Stabilitrak system, traction control, check engine lights all came on. After sitting for about 10 minutes, it started back up with less violent shaking but still with reduced power, she was able to 'limp' to the pellegrino dealership in williamstown, NJ. It had fault codes P0300 and P0303 for random engine misfire and cylinder 3 misfire. They diagnosed as "minimally needing cylinder #3 fuel injector plus additional diagnostics afterwards to determine full extent of issue" first threshold would be $1500 and possibly several thousand possibly including an engine replacement. They offered $2000 trade-in toward another vehicle there. With hardly any diagnostics, I was surprised of 'possible engine replacement' diagnosis, so I took the vehicle to another shop to do the fuel injector replacement plus check plugs, coils (all good), clean remaining fuel injectors and intake manifold for a fraction of what the dealership quoted. Cylinder compression was good, but the same random misfire P0300 code and P0303 codes still come up and idles very rough with engine noise and significant reduced power. Clearly, the injector was not the root cause of the problem. If fuel is given more aggressively, all the stabilitrak lights come back up. In doing additional research online, it appears to be a common issue. Oil changes were performed routinely at the dealership since we had a "lube for life" contract. Mileage is 116,640.

- Williamstown, NJ, USA

problem #79

Nov 032019

Traverse

  • 189,000 miles
My husband and I went to the store with our two kids just to grab some groceries. We live less than 5 miles from the grocery store. On our way home the car started shaking while idling and acted like it was going to stall out on us. We were in the middle of the intersection when the car decided to start sputtering, shaking violently and then shut off. Thankfully enough we were able to pull into a parking lot to try and figure out what happened. After multiple attempts the car finally started back up. We were not able to go above 20 mph. We found out that the fuel pump went out so we spent the $300 to replace that. Once that was replaced we thought we were in the clear. About two days later the same thing happened again except I was on the expressway doing about 70-80 mph. Same thing, was able to start it up again after multiple attempts, couldn't go above 40 mph this time. About two months ago we started having P0017, P0018, P0019 trouble codes pop up. We tried to replace the sensors and they were still popping up. We cleared them, about 5-10 minutes later they would pop back up again. Thursday the car was working fine. It was running great, no shaking, wasn't acting like it was going to stall out. The engine light was still on but we are now to the point that there is some sort of electrical issue going on. This is our only vehicle, and we have two kids and jobs to get to. We are tired of putting money into this trying to figure out what's wrong with it. My parents owned this car before we did. We are the second owners. I find it pretty convenient that everything starts to go downhill after warranty dates are up or after you hit a certain mileage. And with the strike that just happened, GM isn't wanting to take any responsibility for the fear of losing money yet again. Issue a recall or you will end up with lawsuits. Either way you will lose money. Save some lives.

- Swartz Creek, MI, USA

problem #78

Nov 062019

Traverse

  • 100,000 miles
I was driving down the road going 45 miles an hour when the engine of the Traverse just shut off while driving. I was extremely lucky that I was able to coast to a safe spot but there was no power steering. I was on a 2 lane road that gets a lot of fast traffic and was barely able to get to safety.car would not start up again but electrical was still on.traction control light lit up briefly a week before the incident. At the time of engine shut off-there were no warning lights or any indication. This is a manufacturing defect that has been well documented-so many people have complained about the exact same thing happening. I can't believe that no one is taking these vehicles off of the road! this is so crazy dangerous-someone has to do something to get these vehicles off of the road. Someone is going to get killed.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #77

Sep 252019

Traverse

  • 102,000 miles
The contact's husband owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving 25 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle lost power. The contact managed to veer to the shoulder of the road and placed the gear in neutral. The vehicle would not restart. The insurance company towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the timing belt was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to harpel brothers (2305 East 10th St, glencoe, Minnesota 55336, 320-864-5181) where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000. The VIN was unknown.

- Waconia, MN, USA

problem #76

Jul 032019

Traverse

  • 102,572 miles
While accelerating to merge back onto the highway from the exit the SUV stopped accelerating. The check engine light came on and it just shut off. It was coasted to the shoulder and tried restarting it but nothing happened. Checked the oil dipstick and it was reading empty. Two quarts of oil was added and it still wouldn't start. The SUV had been driven about 4K miles since purchased with no oil change but at no point did the oil light come on to say it was low. It was towed to rincon Chevy where they said it was catastrophic internal engine failure and engine to have no compression. Contacted the dealership it was purchased from, waldorf Honda, and they continued to say the oil not being changed at 3K miles for the problem. They continued to ignore the fact that I called them the day after purchase that I noticed a hesitation while driving. Told them a second time in person about it and was told to drive it until something happens. I have read other instances about these same types of problems. This is a major safety issue for anyone as for riding in this SUV was a man, an eight month pregnant woman, and a three year old child that was traveling on a highway where speed limit was 70 mph. In the process of taking it back to the dealership where purchased. They are still putting on that it's my fault and are surprised that the warranty company is offering to pay about 30% of the cost to replace the motor. Saying that replacing the motor is the only option and also the only way to figure out the hesitation issue, a possible transmission problem.

- Suitland, MD, USA

problem #75

Apr 042014

Traverse

  • miles
I am on my 3rd engine since purchasing this vehicle. Since day 1 I have had issues with the traction control and stabilitrac. Randomly service lights come on for those as well as reduced engine power while driving. The engine has locked up on me twice. I have had numerous electrical issues with the vehicle. When the car idles or I'm stopped at a light my service lights come on. My transmission is now an issue. I have spent over 15K on repairs for a vehicle I bought for 17K..I was lied to when I purchased the vehicle being told I was the 2nd owner instead of the 5th. The passenger air bag has a code. The ac doesn't work, the heat would blow all the time even if off and on cool, now the blower doesn't work at all. The windows don't open.

- Kaiser, MO, USA

problem #74

Aug 012019

Traverse

  • 77,000 miles
I will be driving down the road, either on highway or city street and all of a sudden a warning light comes on that says service stabilitrak/reduce engine power/traction control. The next day it will run fine.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

problem #73

Dec 202018

Traverse

  • 109,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving 25 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact was able to drive home and had the vehicle towed to boucher Chevrolet (located at 1421 E moreland blvd, waukesha, wi 53186, (262) 549-1000). The dealer diagnosed that the oil was low and the timing chain, actuator, tensioner, and crank cam needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure continued. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

- Waukesha, WI, USA

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