The Chevrolet Traverse has been one affordable 3-row midsize family SUV that has been loved by many owners for its appealing overall packaging. Being a favorite doesn’t make the Traverse immune to complaints as seen on the launch year of the current generation of SUVs back in 2018, which racked up almost 184 complaints in a single year. The 2021 model, in contrast, sees 2 recalls at present and over 8 complaints excluding what the unofficial forums have to tell. With asking prices for the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse starts at over $32,900, we think that prospective buyers should know what they are getting themselves into when spending this sort of money.
2021 Chevrolet Traverse User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Transmission- The 2021 Traverse has been affected by some transmission issues as per owners, with one official complaint even pointing to complete failure of the entire unit in under 1,100 miles. Failure to engage drive/reverse mode, juddering, and slipping are some common issues brought out by the users regarding this complaint. Even though the automaker has a recall for suspected physical damage to the transmission, this issue did not receive attention given the low numbers, and the vehicles affected were given transmission replacements under warranty.
- Service brakes- Brake squeal and grinding noise are one of the most common issues that owners have been complaining about on the 2021 Traverse as per the NHTSA. In addition, the front brakes are said to wear out prematurely with some cases even needing rotor replacement at mileages as low as 34,000-miles. As reported, replacing pads and rotors OEM units didn’t bring any change to the annoying braking noises and certain owners have said to go the aftermarket route.
Electrical System complaints
- Infotainment- Even though NHTSA has only one official complaint on this, the official forums say otherwise. Owners have been complaining about the screen freezing on them in the navigation menu, randomly restarting, and intermittently dropping phone calls when connected wirelessly. Also, the system is said to not respond to touch and occasionally lag when the phone is mirrored to the in-car media screen.
- Parking brake- The electronic parking brake has been said to be a hassle on the 2021 Chevy Traverse. Even though Chevy has employed this function as a safety measure to prevent rollbacks, the execution is said to be janky and it activates the brakes when not required. The auto-release function is said to be a hit or miss and drivers are forced to turn off the parking brakes manually.
Structural Complaints
- Steering- Loss of steering assistance is one issue that a handful of owners have been complaining about, on the 2021 Traverse. Users are given a “Steering assist reduced-drive with care” warning on the dashboard as the power assistance on the steering fails. A low battery or faulty power steering motor is said to be the primary cause. No additional information for rectification of this issue is available.
Safety Complaints2021 Chevrolet Traverse Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
18th October 2021 |
21V817000 |
Possible transmission fluid leak |
Faulty screw and clip holding the inner wheel-well plastic shroud may chafe against the transmission case, causing a fluid leak causing a loss of drive and increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, a leak in presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire. |
Dealers will replace the screen and clip and inspect the transmission case for any damage. The owners were notified about this on November 29, 2021 |
|
2 |
24th June 2021 |
21V472000 |
The front airbag may not deploy properly |
During service by the dealer, certain vehicles may have received incorrect airbag calibration software, which may cause the front air bag to not deploy in the event of a crash and increase the risk of injury. |
Dealers will update the airbag calibration software free of charge and the owners were notified about this on July 29, 2021. |
Should you buy a used Chevrolet Traverse?
The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse has seen far fewer complaints and recalls than the previous years, with the complaints alone seeing a massive drop from 183 to just 8 in three years. This makes it the best model year for those who are planning to get one of these SUVs in its latest generation as Chevy has got most things sorted with this three-row Midsize SUV. For the kind of comfort, space, and affordability it brings, any trim from this model year is a blind pick for used buyers as far as we are concerned.
