2020 Chevrolet Traverse Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 82,000 miles. Parts named most: Exhaust system (17).

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured flex pipe. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was associated with GM Technical Service Bulletin: PIP 5681C and…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 104,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the exhaust system was sagging due to an improperly welded mounting bracket. The contact became aware that an exhaust system bolt was cracked and missing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a technician confirmed that the weld on the exhaust hanger had separated…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 82,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 107,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH through an intersection with a green traffic light, the transmission unexpectedly stopped functioning, and the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that the hazard lights were activated while the vehicle was in traffic. The vehicle was towed to…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 157,000 miles

I own a 2020 Chevy Traverse with currently 16,000 miles. I am currently dealing with a know shudder issue that has returned. I have already taken the vehicle under warranty to the dealership where the transmission was replaced on 6/29/2022 at 4919 miles for “catastrophic failure” where the fluids were dark, burnt, and several burnt up…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The alternator failed randomly while driving down the road. The vehicle only has 26500 miles. There was no lights on prior to the car stalling. When it failed my whole car started to flash every warning at the screen to me. My car then stopped working and I barely was able to coast into a parking lot. Luckily I was not on the highway and…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the starter. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 105,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Active GM coverage on exhaust falling off, does not include all vins affected. My car is affected by this exact issue reported and refusal to fix or repair issue, because vin “not included” (n212356540) is gm special coverage for exhaust falling off that isn’t including all vehicles affectedOwner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved diagnostic trouble code: P0091 (Fuel Pressure…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 68,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

My seat belts do not click when fastened or stay fastened. Sometimes I have to try several times to get the seabelt to click.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Vehicle: 2020 Chevrolet Traverse VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 50,100 miles Ownership: Original owner The driver’s seat belt intermittently fails to latch. This is a primary safety restraint system, federally required, and critical for occupant protection. The failure occurs randomly and cannot be reliably duplicated. The dealer inspected the seat…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

My 2020 Chevrolet Traverse is experiencing a SHIFT to PARK issue. When the car is placed into PARK, the electrical system does not recognize it and will not shut off the vehicle. There is a defect with the button trigger that allows the gear shifter to move and it is not being recognized. The quick fix is to press this button around 15…Owner complaint, filed 2026

2020 chevrolet traverse. Consumer writes in regards to defective brake pedal. The consumer stated 3 times since the purchase of the vehicle, the consumer's foot slipped under the brake when attempting to reverse.Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

A few months ago I was driving and without any warning the steering wheel would lock up and I couldn’t turn it at all. I had to use my strength to wiggle it to unlock it. It happened several times on busy roads and highways. It’s currently at the dealership for the past 2 months because there is a short and the steering gear box needs to…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet traverse. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the steering wheel became firm, with the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and contacted her husband and informed him of the failure. The vehicle was later driven to the residence. The contact stated that on june 25, 2020 while…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 300 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

When I place the car in reverse, the rear view image does not show on the display screen. This is a recurring issue when it’s approximately 75-85 degrees out. I did some research and found information on where you have done a recall of the 2020 Acadia for the exact same issue, requiring a replacement of the coaxial cable. I wanted to let…Owner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R), the back over prevention camera screen was black. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 36,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Due to a death in the family, we were traveling back from a funeral. We were miles away from another freeway change when a deer came from the ditch and darted in front of my vehicle. With no time to react, I braced for impact. Going at a high rate of speed, I was bracing for airbags. At the time of collision all the safety features…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Purchased the vehicle in 2024, the vehicle recently has been notifying “shift to park” when vehicle is on park and ignition is turned off, the notification stays on and alerting, so I am unable to leave the vehicle. I must turn the vehicle on and off again, while moving the shifting lever back and forth from drive to park, this must be…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

19 Sep 2025. The headlights turn off at night while driving. With the switch in the "auto" position, I turned the switch to "off" then back to "auto" and they came back on for a short period of time. They turned off again, I turned them to "on", they came back on for a brief period. I had to keep switching the headlight switch from "on"…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, there was a loud explosion and the sunroof exploded. The contact stated that the sunroof was closed during the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the sunroof glass needed to be…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 32,213 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds and making a left or right turn, the vehicle was not stable and was moving unintendedly. On another occasion, while having maintenance service performed on the vehicle, the mechanic advised the contact that the…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 44,036 miles

Took vehicle in for yearly inspection. Vehicle had 39950 miles on it. Vehicle would not pass inspection because of rear suspension adjustment link which could lead to accident. This problem is well known to service techs who inform owners this is a recurring issue at 40000 miles.Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound. The vehicle then started shaking uncontrollably. The contact was able to pull over to the right shoulder. The passenger’s side rear tire had separated from the rim. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 55,000 miles

255/65R18 11T M+S I have to keep taking my vehicle in to get air filled into the tires due to losing air in them after a few days.Owner complaint, filed 2022

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was on the interstate trying to merge into traffic and I floored the gas pedal to get into position with the flow of traffic. Upon pushing the gas pedal to its full position the pedal snapped off and I lost my ability to accelerate. I was lucky enough to be able to pull off to the side of the interstate and into the grass. I placed the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Cracked exhaust & bracket back in 2023 causing a loud rattling noise. Now catalytic converter is cracked & gasket leak. Dealer does have notes that it was cracked & they noticed it in 2023 at 46k miles & that converter has now cracked causing engine light to turn on. Car does not speed up properly & GM only wants to cover 30 percent of…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

March 30, 2022 I was driving on a highway with no other vehicles nearby and I heard a sudden loud pop. At first I thought is was a tire but no pressure changes on the screen. Few minutes later I heard a plinking noise and realized it was above my head and my sunroof had shattered. Luckily my visor was pulled across so I didn't have glass…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Cajun Red Paint Color has defect. Paint began showing white specks where paint is chipping off after only having vehicle for 3 months. Continues to get worse, mostly on hood of Traverse but also on sides.Owner complaint, filed 2023