Last updated: 2026-10-10
Chevrolet Traverse Transmission Problems
Chevrolet Traverse transmission complaints center on a false "Shift to Park" warning, plus shudder, slipping and sudden failures.
- Owner complaints
- 431
- Share of all complaints
- 30%
- Crash / fire / injury reports
- 6 / 2 / 7
- Related recalls
- 4
Traverse transmission complaints by model year
The 2018 and 2019 model years carry the bulk of the complaints, at 173 and 145, and they also have the highest rates per vehicle sold. The 2020 and 2022 years sit well below that, with about 30 each. The 2021 year has very few, only 6. Model years 2023 through 2026 have fewer complaints, but they have had less time on the road to collect them, so low counts there do not prove they are better. The 2024 and 2025 reports already describe early leaks and failures.
- 2018173 · 11.8/10k sold
- 2019145 · 9.9/10k sold
- 202030 · 2.4/10k sold
- 20216 · 0.5/10k sold
- 202231 · 3.2/10k sold
- 202318 · 1.5/10k sold
- 202416 · 1.5/10k sold
- 202510 · 0.7/10k sold
- 20262
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under power train. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.
What goes wrong
The most common report is a "Shift to Park" warning that appears when the lever is already in park. The car will not shut off or lock, it keeps chiming, and the battery can drain. Owners wiggle the shifter or restart to clear it. The second pattern is the transmission itself. Owners describe shudder at low speed, bucking between gears, slipping, a flashing D, and a car stuck in a low gear with the engine revving.
Some of this is a safety problem. Complaints include a Traverse that rolled into a roadway while showing park, and two 2023 reports of the vehicle rolling away after it was shut off. Others describe power loss at highway speed or in intersections, with the risk of being hit from behind. Several cars were towed. Some owners wait weeks for a backordered valve body. Fire reports exist for 2019, and both involve leaking fluid. One ended with flames in the engine compartment.
Symptoms owners report
False Shift to Park warning
The shifter sits in park, but the dash says to shift to park. The engine will not fully shut off, the car will not lock, and it keeps chiming. Owners wiggle the lever or restart. The battery can run down.
Shudder and torque converter trouble
The car shudders at low speed, especially when hot or climbing hills. It can also slip in low gears or lose power while passing. Shops often trace it to the torque converter. A fluid change sometimes helps only briefly.
Stuck in a low gear
The transmission will not upshift, or it feels like it slips into neutral. The engine revs high while the car crawls, sometimes around 10 mph. One 2023 owner was told a transmission solenoid had failed.
Fluid leaks and early failure
Newer cars leak fluid, sometimes with no warning light, and then lose drive. Some leaks trace to loose bolts. Cars may refuse drive or reverse, show Reduced Acceleration, or need a backordered valve body.
Rollaway and park problems
Some cars would not come out of park, or rolled after being shut off or shown as in park. A 2019 crash report describes the vehicle rolling into a roadway while showing park.
AWD Service messages
On 2026 models, AWD Service and 4WD Service messages appear while driving. The car drops to two-wheel drive until it sits for a few hours. Dealers find no fault codes, so repeat visits end without a repair.
When the problems start
Early failures are common on newer cars. Owners report problems at 1,085 miles on a 2021, 103 and 1,017 miles on 2024 models, and between 500 and 4k miles on 2025 models. The Shift to Park warning shows up around 24,000 to 28,600 miles on 2019 models and 22,168 to 65,000 on 2022 models. Shudder and torque converter failures appear near 50,000 to 57,000 miles, and several 2018 owners report transmission replacement between 57,833 and 85k miles.
Repairs and recalls
For the Shift to Park warning, dealers usually replace the shifter assembly, often at the owner's cost. One 2020 owner was quoted about $809. For shudder, a fluid change under a service bulletin sometimes helps only briefly. Some owners paid around $6,000 for a replacement transmission. One 2018 owner said GM split a torque converter bill 50/50 after the warranty ended. Federal recall records list four recalls in this area: a start-stop accumulator bolt check (2018 to 2020), a wheelchair-conversion screw that may chafe the transmission case (2020 to 2021), and two 2023 half-shaft and sun gear recalls. None of them covers the Shift to Park warning.
| Model years | Campaign | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 23V042000 | 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 | 23V172000 | 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… |
| 2020, 2021 | 21V817000 | Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place… |
| 2018, 2019, 2020 | 20V668000 | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave,… |
Checking a used Traverse for transmission problems
- Put the shifter in park, shut the engine off, and watch for a Shift to Park message, chiming, or a car that will not lock.
- Drive at low speed, on a hill, and once warmed up. Feel for shudder, bucking, or slipping between gears.
- Look under the car and at the parking spot for fresh transmission fluid, especially on a 2023 or newer vehicle.
- Run the VIN through federal recall records and confirm any open recall work was done, including the 2023 half-shaft and sun gear recalls.
- Ask for service records showing shifter, torque converter, or fluid work, and who paid for it.
- Test reverse and drive engagement from a stop, and confirm the car upshifts normally without revving high.
4 transmission recalls cover the Chevrolet Traverse. A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.
Chevrolet Traverse Transmission Problems: common questions
- Which Chevrolet Traverse years have the most transmission problems?
- The 2018 and 2019 model years have the most complaints, at 173 and 145, and the highest rates per vehicle sold. The 2020 and 2022 years follow with about 30 each. Newer years show fewer complaints, but they have had less time to collect them.
- Is it safe to drive a Traverse with transmission problems?
- It depends on the symptom. A Shift to Park message mostly drains the battery, but some owners reported rollaways. Sudden power loss, slipping, or a car stuck in low gear is riskier in traffic. Owners reported being towed after these failures.
- Does a recall cover Traverse transmission problems?
- Four recalls are listed in this area. They cover a start-stop accumulator bolt check, a wheelchair-conversion screw that may chafe the transmission case, and two 2023 half-shaft issues. None covers the Shift to Park warning or shudder. Check your VIN for coverage.
- How much does it cost to fix a Traverse transmission?
- Owners report about $809 for a new shifter assembly on a 2020 model. Some paid around $6,000 for a replacement transmission. Independent repair-cost data puts the model's overall annual repair cost at $656, but that covers all repairs, not just the transmission.
- What does the Shift to Park message mean on a Traverse?
- Owners see it when the lever is already in park. The car will not shut off or lock, keeps chiming, and can drain the battery. Wiggling the shifter or restarting sometimes clears it. Dealers usually replace the shifter assembly, often at the owner's cost.
More on the Chevrolet Traverse
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