Skip to content

Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2018 Chevrolet Traverse

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
2
on record
MPG
27
combined

Open recalls on record

2 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2018 Chevrolet Traverse

2 recalls
452 complaints
27 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 2 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 9 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 452 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
2
Owner complaints
452
Complaints citing a crash
9

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

2 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 20V668000high

    Drivetrain issue

    POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

    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, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

    Consequence

    Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

    Full campaign record
  • 21V246000high

    Airbag system issue

    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.

    Consequence

    Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    15%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 15% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2018 Chevrolet Traverse Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2018 Chevrolet Traverse Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2018 Chevrolet Traverse Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

22

City

34

Hwy

27

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$1,944
Tailpipe CO₂
329 g/mi

How this compares

The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse against its peers.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 329 grams per mile — about 4.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

452 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

452
Total
9
Crashes
2
Fires
7
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE249
  • OTHER61
  • ELECTRICAL39
  • BRAKES36
  • FUEL SYSTEM23

Notable Issues

452 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 7 reports involve injuries. 9 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)249
miscellaneous issues61
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)39

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 21V246000

    Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 20V668000

    Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
Drive type
FWD
Engine
2.5L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Regular Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Seats
5

Fuel economy

22

City

34

Hwy

27

Comb

Annual cost
$1,944
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 21V246000

    Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 20V668000

    Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.