2023 Chevrolet Traverse Problems

What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Chevrolet Traverse, 2018 to 2023 model years
Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0
How the 2023 compares

Too new to judge fully

It has been on the road 3 years, so complaints are still coming in. So far it has fewer than a typical older Traverse year, which is normal for a newer car. The area owners report most so far is the transmission and drivetrain, which half of owners reported by about 66,000 miles.

Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Traverse years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The most reported problem area is the transmission and drivetrain (32, 34% of complaints), followed by the engine and cooling and the electrical system. That ranks 12th of 13 Traverse years from 2012 to 2024 for complaints. It has 2 recalls.

Complaints95filed with NHTSA
Recalls2for this model year
Crashes58 injuries reported
Fires0reported in complaints
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Most reported problems

Problem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse before you buy.

Transmission and drivetrain

32 complaintsHarsh or delayed shifts, slipping, shuddering, CVT whine, and drivetrain clunks.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 66,000 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 Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) inside the automatic transmission is malfunctioning. It is experiencing a known defect outlined in GM Service Bulletin 23-NA-072. The vehicle is still being driven and is available for inspection upon request. -The transmission violently shudders and vibrates under light acceleration at low speeds (such…Owner complaint, filed 2026
My 2023 traverse rs experienced a loud grinding noise and sudden loss of power, almost like i slammed the brakes on while moving. I was in the middle of the road and i could have been rear ended. 10/12/26. This matches the GM recall N222389310 exactly but my vin is currently excluded. I am also experiencing a heavy vibration since…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Engine and cooling

21 complaintsStalling, misfires, oil consumption, leaks, overheating and engine failure.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

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 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving below 30 MPH, the vehicle shuddered during acceleration. Prior to the failure, the catalytic converter was replaced. The contact scheduled an upcoming appointment at the dealer for diagnosis. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 120,000 miles
Engine started consuming oil at around 25-30k miles. Now adding 3Q between the recommened oil change period. First realized this when driving on road trip and the engine oil low warning triggered. Driving at night on a interstate - had to pull off and find a safe place to check it. Could of been stranded with an engine failure in the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Electrical system

21 complaintsDead batteries, warning lights, failed screens and cameras, and electrical shorts.What to check before you buy

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

My dashboard gave an alert “battery saver active” then another alert stating to “service charging system, vehicle may stall”. Then the alerts cleared. After a few minutes both alerts were on my dashboard again. I was able to pull into an [XXX] ’s and had them check the battery, which was replaced a few months ago, employee stated that…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Driving down the interstate the main screen went out completely, GPS, radio, controls to temperature for the back. Back up camera works and it shows a Chevy sign. GM dealer states the radio/Onstar module is out completely. This ironically happened immediately after warranty expired.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Brakes and stability control

13 complaintsBrakes that feel soft or grab, grinding, ABS and stability control faults.What to check before you buy

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

While driving on the highway all of a sudden the vehicle started to vibrate and smell like metal burning . Merged off the highway to find my brakes where super hot. Pulled over for a little bit and drove home very slowly . Mechanic said the pads were locked on the rotors and completely destroyed both pads and rotors. Will be taking…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Car started making a load vibrational noise on the highway. When we got to the next stopping point, the right front brakes were extremely hot and smelly. When the brakes were taken apart to inspect/replace parts, it was identified that the seals that protect the pistons had shrunk and were no longer attached to the caliper/piston.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Lights, wipers and visibility

7 complaintsHeadlights that dim or fail, wiper and washer failures, and windshield cracks.What to check before you buy

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

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hazard warning light button was pressed. The contact stated that when the hazard warning light button was pressed again to turn off the hazard lights, the button became inoperable, and the hazard lights remained activated. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 55,000 miles
The car is equipped with an automatic light feature designed to activate in low-light conditions, such as early mornings or evenings. However, the system only triggers when it is completely dark. Even in very low sunlight, the lights do not turn on, which can be dangerous as the car may not be fully visible on highwaysOwner complaint, filed 2025

Fuel system

6 complaintsHesitation, stalling, fuel smell, fuel pump and injector failures.What to check before you buy

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

The high-pressure fuel pump/fuel delivery system failed on my 2023 Chevrolet Traverse at approximately 47,480 miles. The vehicle generated diagnostic trouble code P0091. An authorized Chevrolet dealership inspected the vehicle and documented that the high-pressure fuel pump was “internally faulty” and required replacement. The vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, a strong unknown sound was noticed coming from the pipes in the front area. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and advised to take it to the dealer. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 30,000 miles

Driver assist systems

6 complaintsPhantom braking, false collision warnings, and lane keeping or backup sensors that act up.What to check before you buy

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

2023 Chevy Traverse LT with 33, 884 miles on it. ABS, TC, Service ESC, Service 4WD, Reduced Steering Assist. OBD2 Codes: C0040, U0414, U0121 populated. There is a short in the Electronic Brake Control Monitor, a part that should last way more than 3 years and 33k miles. $1300 to remove and replace EBCM.Owner complaint, filed 2026
To make a very long story short, I was having major software issues with my vehicle. I had the car "blackout" lights screens and everything turn off then when it powered on i would have service lights on for my brakes. I also had my reverse camera go out a few times and my lane assistant light on dash say its not working. All to find out…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Steering

3 complaintsLoss of power steering assist, wandering, play in the wheel and noises when turning.What to check before you buy

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

We experienced power steering failure. Our steering wheel control was taken over while backing out of our driveway and while driving on a highway. When this happens, you can’t turn the wheel. It becomes locked and then you become stuck. It is extremely unsafe and put our whole family at risk of getting in an accident. It is currently…Owner complaint, filed 2026
My car the steering gets hard to turn I have to turn car off and bk on also at light it lose power and roll and come back on sometimes things work and some times it don’t I have to shut off car and restart for things to work correctly and sometimes it work for a little bit while then start doing it again also feel funny when drivingOwner complaint, filed 2026

Cruise control and acceleration

2 complaintsHesitation, loss of power, sudden acceleration and cruise control problems.What to check before you buy

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

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lunged forward and stopped while at the traffic light. The contact stated that while driving over 4 MPH, the vehicle seized with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned about being involved…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 88,071 miles
I had 2 mile hr front side inpack in a parking lot whitch pushed me into anther parked car .then at that point my car went into at a high rate of speed .I had both feet on the break no help .I proceeded to hit other cars after the 3rd and 4rd car it finally quit .this was at a small airport thank got no one was coming out of the airport…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Air bags

2 complaintsAir bag warning lights, air bags that did not deploy, and inflator recalls.What to check before you buy

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

I was driving south on [XXX] north of [XXX] when a blue Dakota pulled out in front of me. I did not have time to stop or swerve. The Emblem of the airbag cut my left hand and fingers, tore the tendon in my thumb and hand, and sprained my left wrist. It also bruised my right thumb, bruised my heart, and collapsed the bottom of my lungs.…Owner complaint, filed 2025
The contact owned a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH going north on [XXX] towards [XXX] , another vehicle made a sudeen left turn. As a result, the vehicle T-boned the vehicle that was making a left turn, then the contact's vehicle came to a stop, and the other vehicle was flipped over. There were…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 12,000 miles

Seats and seat belts

2 complaintsBelts that will not latch or retract, seat adjusters and passenger occupancy sensors.What to check before you buy

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

The internal structural frame or track assembly of the driver side passenger seat has suffered a mechanical failure, causing severe, high-frequency metal chattering while the vehicle is in motion. The failure persists even with a passenger buckled into the seat. Because the seat frame serves as the structural anchor for both the seatbelt…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Second row seat belt is stuck in the seat adjustment lever arm. Causes passengers or children to ride home without seat belts. The belt locks up and can not be freed from the adjuster armOwner complaint, filed 2024

Body, doors and structure

2 complaintsRust, doors and liftgates that will not latch, leaks, and frame or structure concerns.What to check before you buy

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

When driving early in the morning to drop off my kids to school, we are driving on a highway, crossing a bridge, no cars on either side, no houses either, when all of a sudden the rear left window has a loud POP, and then shatters completely. This was an exploding window out of no where, with nobody around and no other cars near by to…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Suspension

1 complaintClunks over bumps, broken springs, worn struts and uneven tire wear.What to check before you buy

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 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving up the driveway, the 4WD and all-wheel drive became inoperable. The passenger's side front tire was spinning and making an abnormal sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sun…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 90,000 miles

Wheels and tires

1 complaintTire failures, wheels and lug nuts, and tire pressure sensor faults.What to check before you buy

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

Chevrolet Traverse complaints by year

Compare the 2023 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.

Compare with similar 2023 midsize SUVs

Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.

CarVs. its other yearsRecallsMost reported
2023 Chevrolet TraverseToo new to judge2Transmission and drivetrain
2023 Toyota HighlanderToo new to judge9Body, doors and structure
2023 Honda PilotToo new to judge5Seats and seat belts
2023 Kia TellurideToo new to judge6Electrical system
Compare side by side

2023 Chevrolet Traverse recalls

This is every recall issued for the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse, not what is still open on one car. A recall that was fixed does not show up any differently here. Check a VIN at NHTSA to see what is still open on the car you are looking at, and ask the seller for proof any recall work was done.

Transmission and drivetrain

Mar 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V172000
Risk
A half-shaft disengaging from the transmission can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park.
Fix
Dealers will replace the sun gears, free of charge.
Full recall summary

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT6, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2022-2023 Cadillac XT5 vehicles. The transmission may have been built with an incorrect sun gear, which can result in the driver-side half-shaft disengaging from the transmission.

Transmission and drivetrain Driveshaft

Feb 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V042000
Risk
A missing retaining ring on the half-shaft can cause half-shaft inner joint separation, resulting in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park.
Fix
Dealers will replace the left-side half-shaft assembly, free of charge.
Full recall summary

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Blazer and Traverse vehicles. The left-side half-shaft assemblies may be missing a retaining ring.

2023 Chevrolet Traverse questions

What are the most common problems with the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse?

The most reported problem areas on the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse are the transmission and drivetrain (32 complaints), the engine and cooling (21 complaints) and the electrical system (21 complaints).

Is the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse a good year to buy?

Too new to judge fully. It has been on the road 3 years, so complaints are still coming in. So far it has fewer than a typical older Traverse year, which is normal for a newer car. The area owners report most so far is the transmission and drivetrain, which half of owners reported by about 66,000 miles. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Traverse years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

How many recalls does the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse have?

NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The most recent, from Mar 2023, covers the transmission and drivetrain. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.

At what mileage do 2023 Chevrolet Traverse problems start?

Half of the owners who reported a problem with the transmission and drivetrain gave a mileage of about 66,000 miles or less. Half of the owners who reported a problem with the engine and cooling gave a mileage of about 50,000 miles or less. Plenty of cars have these problems later or never, so ask for service records.

Which Chevrolet Traverse years should I avoid?

The Traverse years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2014. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2013 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.