2023 Chevrolet Traverse: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse
On the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, with 18 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 45,000 miles. Overall it scores 77 out of 100, severe risk for a 2023.
Severe risk for a 2023 — 66th riskiest of the 227 2023 vehicles we can rate. 118 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 35 named failure modes on the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse, and the three most-reported carry 31% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other powertrain problem leads with 18 reports and about 16 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 11 reports, median 85,000 miles.
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin follows with 7 reports, median 55,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (22), engine (14) and brakes (12).
The mileage the reports cluster at
24 of the reports on the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 45,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 54% by 50,000 miles, 92% by 100,000 miles and 96% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 80,000 and 90,000 miles, which alone holds 17% of the dated reports.
38% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 35. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 7 mention a crash and 6 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.79, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin at $250–$2,000 and tail light, brake light or signal failure at $100–$900. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
33% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 18 | 3 | — | 13k | — | 16.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 11 | 3 | — | 83k | — | 10.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 7 | 1 | — | 55k | — | 6.4 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 5 | 4 | — | 26k | — | 4.6 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 5 | 2 | — | 36k | — | 4.6 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 5 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 4.6 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 4 | 1 | — | 104k | — | 3.7 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 3.7 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 3.7 | $200–$900 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 3.7 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 3.7 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 3 | 2 | — | 90k | — | 2.7 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 2.7 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 2.7 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 3 | 2 | — | 100k | — | 2.7 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 2 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 1.8 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 2 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 1.8 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.8 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.8 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.8 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 2 | 1 | — | 37k | — | 1.8 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.8 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 88k | — | 1.8 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.8 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Paint peeling or clear coat failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $600–$6,000 | Low |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 6 | 1 | — | 12k | — | 5.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse draws about 108 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 97th percentile of complaint rates among 2023 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 1,093 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2023 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2023 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse, affecting an estimated 1,095 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover power train:automatic transmission and power train:driveline:driveshaft. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
8,744 vehicles 2023-03-16- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the sun gears, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2023. The remedy is expected to become available August 31, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC's number for this recall is N222389310.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
10 vehicles 2023-02-02- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left-side half-shaft assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222390180.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2023 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2023 sits in the model line
Severe risk for a 2023 — 66th riskiest of the 227 2023 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 18 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2017 comes out best at 68 and 2020 worst at 81, with 2023 itself at 77.
If the model year is negotiable, 2017, 2015, 2016, 2013, 2014, 2012, 2025, 2024, 2010, 2009 and 2011 score lower than 2023 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2022–2026 generation specifically, 2025 is the strongest year at 71 and 2023 the weakest at 77.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2022-2026 generation, 2025 Chevrolet Traverse scores best at 71 and 2023 Chevrolet Traverse worst at 77.
Where these figures stop being useful
118 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 118 reports, 24 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 20% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (18 reports, median 15,000 miles), other engine problem (11 reports, median 85,000 miles) and exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin (7 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
It scores 77 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 66th riskiest of the 227 2023 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2023 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Chevrolet Traverse is best?
Within the 2022–2026 generation, 2025 scores best at 71 out of 100 and 2023 worst at 77. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed