Is the Chevrolet Traverse more reliable than the Honda Passport?

No. The Passport has a slight edge, though both are in good standing. It costs less per year to repair and needs fewer unscheduled shop visits. The Traverse also has more crash-linked complaints, with the most in its brakes, power train and electrical system, which pulls its standing down a little.

Which has more recalls, the Traverse or the Passport?

The Passport has more. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across 8 model years for the Passport and 19 across 9 model years for the Traverse. Recall count alone does not decide reliability, so weigh it with repair cost and the kinds of complaints owners file.

Which costs less to repair, the Traverse or the Passport?

The Passport. Independent repair-cost data estimates $521 a year against $656 for the Traverse. Over five years that adds up to about $675 in savings. The Passport also averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, compared with 0.4 for the Traverse.

What is wrong with the Traverse exhaust?

Front exhaust pipe brackets crack at the welds, and the pipe can then tear. It starts as a rattle at startup and grows into a loud clang. Owners also report exhaust fumes in the cabin. GM special coverage applied to 2019 and 2021 models but not 2020, and welded patches often crack again.

What is the Passport phantom braking problem?

Owners report the SUV braking hard with nothing ahead, along with a flashing red BRAKE warning and a shaking steering wheel. Oncoming cars in the next lane and curves are common triggers. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. One complaint ties false braking to a crash.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport: Reliability Compared

Chevrolet Traverse

Good

More Reliable

Honda Passport

Good

Passport owners spend less on repairs, which gives the Honda Passport a slight reliability edge over the Chevrolet Traverse. Both rate well. The Traverse draws more crash-linked complaints in its brakes, power train and electrical system, while the Passport has more recalls on record.

How Do the Chevrolet Traverse and Honda Passport Generations Compare?

Second-generation cars make up most of the Traverse used market. That generation ran from the 2018 model year through 2024 and received a facelift for 2022. The 2018 and 2019 years are its weakest. The Passport's third generation ran from 2019 through 2025, with a facelift for 2022 and further model year changes in 2023 and 2024. A fourth generation arrived for 2026. Most used Passports are still third-generation cars, and the earliest years, 2019 and 2020, are the weakest. The 2025 and 2026 years lead on standing, but they are young and have had little time to collect complaints.

Verdict

The Honda Passport is more reliable than the Chevrolet Traverse, scoring 74/100 vs 70/100.

Slight edge to the Passport. Both sit in good standing, so the gap is small. The deciding factors are cost and shop time: the Passport is cheaper to keep running and needs fewer unscheduled visits. Owner complaints for the Traverse also include more crash-linked reports, especially in the brakes, power train and electrical system. The Passport is not spotless. It has more recalls and a higher complaint rate for the number sold. Its edge rests on repair costs and fewer serious reports, not on a clean record.

Key Differences

1Honda Passport costs $135 less per year to repair
2Chevrolet Traverse has 10 fewer total recalls
3Chevrolet Traverse has 4.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

2Chevrolet Traverse

—

3Honda Passport

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport: Which Is More Reliable?

Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chevrolet Traverse	Honda Passport
Reliability Score	70/100	74/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	19	29
Complaints per 10k Sold	7.2	11.6
Annual Repair Cost	$656/yr	$521/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.3/yr
Year Wins	2	6

What Are the Common Problems With the Chevrolet Traverse and Honda Passport?

Drivetrain and exhaust trouble dominate the Traverse complaints. AWD shuts off with service messages, the car can act as if it is in park while in drive, alternators fail early, and front exhaust bracket welds crack. Its brakes sometimes fail to stop the car at low speeds, and that area has 7 crash-linked complaints. Passport complaints lean toward electronics and driver aids: the engine not restarting after Auto Idle Stop, phantom braking, and the transmission shifting into neutral while driving. Only the Passport has a forward collision avoidance problem area. Only its engine area has a crash-linked complaint, while the Traverse engine area has none.

Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport common problem areas comparison
Component	Chevrolet Traverse	Honda Passport
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.1Low	2.6Low
POWER TRAIN	2.2Low	1.2Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.9Very Low	1.2Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.7Very Low	1Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	1.4Low
ENGINE	0.6Very Low	0.7Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.5Very Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.2Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
SUSPENSION	0.1Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.1Very Low
TIRES	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.1Very Low
SEATS	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Chevrolet Traverse or Honda Passport?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Passport at $521 a year and the Traverse at $656. That is $135 a year, or $675 over five years. The Passport also visits the shop less often, at 0.3 unscheduled visits a year against 0.4 for the Traverse. The Traverse has an 18% chance that a given repair is major. The data gives no major-repair figure for the Passport.

How Does Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport Reliability Compare by Year?

Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chevrolet Traverse	Honda Passport	Edge
2026	76/1000R / 6C	84/1000R / 0C	Honda Passport
2025	75/1000R / 132C	82/1000R / 11C	Honda Passport
2024	73/1000R / 107C	79/1001R / 12C	Honda Passport
2023	72/1002R / 62C	75/1004R / 24C	Honda Passport
2022	73/1001R / 76C	74/1003R / 45C	Honda Passport
2021	71/1003R / 72C	68/1005R / 119C	Chevrolet Traverse
2020	62/1008R / 188C	68/1008R / 84C	Honda Passport
2019	62/1003R / 358C	59/1008R / 253C	Chevrolet Traverse

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Chevrolet Traverse scored 73/100 and the 2024 Honda Passport scored 79/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Chevrolet Traverse vs the Honda Passport?

Pick the Passport if you want the lower running cost and fewer trips to the shop. Its repair bills are smaller and its crash-linked complaint counts are lower. Test the Auto Idle Stop restart and the collision braking on a drive, and check that the front camera shows no warnings, since owners quote $1,800 to $2,500 to replace it. Avoid the 2019 and 2020 model years, which are the weakest. Pick the Traverse if you need its space and can accept more risk in the brakes and drivetrain. Skip 2018 and 2019, the weakest years. Be careful with 2020, because GM special coverage for the cracked exhaust bracket applied to 2019 and 2021 but not 2020. Ask whether the AWD warnings, the alternator, or the exhaust have ever been serviced. The newest years show fewer complaints mainly because they have had less time to collect them, so do not treat that as proof they are better.

Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Passport: Common Questions

Is the Chevrolet Traverse more reliable than the Honda Passport?: No. The Passport has a slight edge, though both are in good standing. It costs less per year to repair and needs fewer unscheduled shop visits. The Traverse also has more crash-linked complaints, with the most in its brakes, power train and electrical system, which pulls its standing down a little.
Which has more recalls, the Traverse or the Passport?: The Passport has more. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across 8 model years for the Passport and 19 across 9 model years for the Traverse. Recall count alone does not decide reliability, so weigh it with repair cost and the kinds of complaints owners file.
Which costs less to repair, the Traverse or the Passport?: The Passport. Independent repair-cost data estimates $521 a year against $656 for the Traverse. Over five years that adds up to about $675 in savings. The Passport also averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, compared with 0.4 for the Traverse.
What is wrong with the Traverse exhaust?: Front exhaust pipe brackets crack at the welds, and the pipe can then tear. It starts as a rattle at startup and grows into a loud clang. Owners also report exhaust fumes in the cabin. GM special coverage applied to 2019 and 2021 models but not 2020, and welded patches often crack again.
What is the Passport phantom braking problem?: Owners report the SUV braking hard with nothing ahead, along with a flashing red BRAKE warning and a shaking steering wheel. Oncoming cars in the next lane and curves are common triggers. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. One complaint ties false braking to a crash.

More Chevrolet Traverse comparisons

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More Honda Passport comparisons

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Decided between Chevrolet Traverse and Honda Passport? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Chevrolet Traverse and Honda Passport

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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