2012 Chevrolet Traverse: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 354 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
354
Complaints
5
Recalls
10
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
14
Injuries
46.3
Severity index
Severity index 46.3 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse ranks 90 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 30% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 115 | 32.5% |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 84 | 23.7% |
| STEERING | 62 | 17.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 48 | 13.6% |
| AIR BAGS | 48 | 13.6% |
| POWER TRAIN | 46 | 13.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 37 | 10.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 35 | 9.9% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 115 of 354 complaints (32.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 26 |
| 2015 | 33 |
| 2016 | 39 |
| 2017 | 48 |
| 2018 | 58 |
| 2019 | 67 |
| 2020 | 30 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 6 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15V415000 | 30/06/2015 | STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, |
| 14V266000 | 20/05/2014 | SEAT BELTS | General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014 |
| 14V118000 | 17/03/2014 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIA |
| 12V151000 | 09/04/2012 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES | GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, |
| 21V246000 | 08/04/2021 | AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.