Is the Chevrolet Traverse more reliable than the Toyota 4RUNNER?

No. The 4RUNNER leads by a large gap. Owners filed 286 complaints on it, or 1.5 per 10,000 sold, against 1,417 for the Traverse at 7.2 per 10,000. The Traverse still rates good, but it has more power train, electrical and brake problems.

Which has more recalls, the Traverse or the 4RUNNER?

The Traverse has slightly more. Federal recall records show 19 recalls across 9 model years for the Traverse and 17 for the 4RUNNER. The gap is small, so recalls should not decide the choice. Check any specific VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Which costs less to repair, the Traverse or the 4RUNNER?

The 4RUNNER costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $514 a year against $656 for the Traverse. Shop visits are the same at 0.4 a year, but only 13% of 4RUNNER repairs are major, compared with 18% for the Traverse.

What is the most common Traverse problem?

Power train complaints lead, at 431 reports. Owners describe AWD Service messages that drop the car into two-wheel drive, and high RPM followed by the car acting as if it is in park. Dealers often find no codes. Cracked front exhaust brackets are another common repair.

What goes wrong most often on the 4RUNNER?

Steering complaints lead, at 39 reports. The main pattern is a shake through the wheel at 50 to 70 mph that balancing, new tires and alignment often do not cure. Brake squeak after the vehicle sits overnight and air bag reports follow.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner: Reliability Compared

Chevrolet Traverse

Good

More Reliable

Toyota 4Runner

Excellent

Reliability favors the Toyota 4RUNNER over the Chevrolet Traverse by a wide margin. Owners filed far fewer complaints on it. The Traverse's AWD dropouts, early alternator failures and cracked exhaust brackets decide it, though both SUVs are weakest in 2018 and 2019.

How Do the Chevrolet Traverse and Toyota 4Runner Generations Compare?

Most used Traverse listings fall in the second generation, which ran from 2018 through 2024 and was facelifted for 2022. That makes 2018 and 2019 early cars from the start of that cycle, and they are the weakest years. The data also lists a third generation beginning in 2024. The 4Runner's fifth generation ran from 2010 through 2024 and was facelifted in 2013, so every 4Runner from 2018 to 2024 belongs to a long-running design. The sixth generation began with 2025. Those newest years have had little time to collect complaints, so their clean records say little yet.

Verdict

The Toyota 4Runner is more reliable than the Chevrolet Traverse, scoring 80/100 vs 70/100.

Reliability favors the 4Runner by a wide margin. Owners filed far fewer complaints on it, even after adjusting for sales, and its estimated repair bill is lower. Its repairs are also less likely to be major. The Traverse still rates good, but its power train, charging and exhaust problems show up more often and in more serious forms. Shoppers who want the lowest chance of trouble should start with the 4Runner.

Key Differences

1Toyota 4Runner costs $142 less per year to repair
2Toyota 4Runner scores 10 points higher in reliability
3Toyota 4Runner has 5.7 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Chevrolet Traverse

—

5Toyota 4Runner

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner: Which Is More Reliable?

Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chevrolet Traverse	Toyota 4Runner
Reliability Score	70/100	80/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	19	17
Complaints per 10k Sold	7.2	1.5
Annual Repair Cost	$656/yr	$514/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	18%	13%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0	9

What Are the Common Problems With the Chevrolet Traverse and Toyota 4Runner?

Mechanical trouble that repeats defines the Traverse. AWD shuts off with service messages, alternators fail early and cut power while driving, and brakes sometimes fail to stop the car at low speeds. Cracked front exhaust brackets are a common repair. Power train, electrical and brake complaints all include crash-linked reports, and dealers often find no fault codes. The 4Runner's complaints are fewer and more scattered: a steering wheel shake at 50 to 70 mph, a brake squeak on cold mornings, stalls, and rodent-chewed wiring. Its crash-linked concentration is air bags, including front bags that did not deploy. Air bags are not a main problem area for the Traverse.

Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner common problem areas comparison
Component	Chevrolet Traverse	Toyota 4Runner
POWER TRAIN	2.2Low	—None
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.1Low	0.1Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.9Very Low	0.2Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.7Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE	0.6Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.2Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SUSPENSION	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.1Very Low
SEATS	—None	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—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 Toyota 4Runner?

Lower running costs go to the 4Runner. Its estimated annual repair bill is $514, against $656 for the Traverse. That gap is $142 a year, or about $710 over five years. Both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year, so neither sends you to the shop more often. The difference is severity: 13% of 4Runner repairs are major, compared with 18% for the Traverse.

How Does Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner Reliability Compare by Year?

Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chevrolet Traverse	Toyota 4Runner	Edge
2026	76/1000R / 6C	84/1000R / 0C	Toyota 4Runner
2025	75/1000R / 132C	81/1001R / 36C	Toyota 4Runner
2024	73/1000R / 107C	79/1001R / 8C	Toyota 4Runner
2023	72/1002R / 62C	82/1001R / 28C	Toyota 4Runner
2022	73/1001R / 76C	79/1003R / 36C	Toyota 4Runner
2021	71/1003R / 72C	82/1001R / 31C	Toyota 4Runner
2020	62/1008R / 188C	82/1001R / 30C	Toyota 4Runner
2019	62/1003R / 358C	77/1004R / 61C	Toyota 4Runner
2018	62/1002R / 416C	77/1005R / 56C	Toyota 4Runner

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Chevrolet Traverse scored 73/100 and the 2023 Toyota 4Runner scored 82/100 — 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 Toyota 4Runner?

Pick the 4Runner if you want the lower chance of surprise repairs. It has the lower annual repair cost and the lower odds that a repair is major. Target 2021, one of its strongest years, and be more careful with 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Check the steering for a highway shake on a test drive, and ask whether the air bag light has ever come on. Pick the Traverse only if its layout suits you better and you can buy at a good price. Skip 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. Test the AWD, look for any "Shift to Park" message, and have the alternator and the front exhaust pipe brackets checked. Ask whether GM special coverage applied to that exact car, because owners of a 2020 reported paying out of pocket for the exhaust repair. Recent years such as 2025 and 2026 look strong but have had little time to collect complaints.

Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota 4Runner: Common Questions

Is the Chevrolet Traverse more reliable than the Toyota 4RUNNER?: No. The 4RUNNER leads by a large gap. Owners filed 286 complaints on it, or 1.5 per 10,000 sold, against 1,417 for the Traverse at 7.2 per 10,000. The Traverse still rates good, but it has more power train, electrical and brake problems.
Which has more recalls, the Traverse or the 4RUNNER?: The Traverse has slightly more. Federal recall records show 19 recalls across 9 model years for the Traverse and 17 for the 4RUNNER. The gap is small, so recalls should not decide the choice. Check any specific VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which costs less to repair, the Traverse or the 4RUNNER?: The 4RUNNER costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $514 a year against $656 for the Traverse. Shop visits are the same at 0.4 a year, but only 13% of 4RUNNER repairs are major, compared with 18% for the Traverse.
What is the most common Traverse problem?: Power train complaints lead, at 431 reports. Owners describe AWD Service messages that drop the car into two-wheel drive, and high RPM followed by the car acting as if it is in park. Dealers often find no codes. Cracked front exhaust brackets are another common repair.
What goes wrong most often on the 4RUNNER?: Steering complaints lead, at 39 reports. The main pattern is a shake through the wheel at 50 to 70 mph that balancing, new tires and alignment often do not cure. Brake squeak after the vehicle sits overnight and air bag reports follow.

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Decided between Chevrolet Traverse and Toyota 4Runner? 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 Toyota 4Runner

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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