Problems · by component
2011 Chevrolet Traverse power train problems
79 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse cite power train, 13% of all 608 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
79
13% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Vehicle stalls due to transmission issue at 40 mph, yes it is available for inspection. When vehicle stalls at 40 mph at that point you have no steering support and the vehicle is just coasting until you can stop. You could crash with no steering support at 40 mph into stationary object, another vehicle or pedestrians. I have had it inspected by GM dealership No warning lamps or messages or other symptoms and it is repeatable started to appear on June 9, 2021”
“AS DESCRIBED BY HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF OTHER OWNERS...OBDII CODES P0008 AND P0017, IN CONJUNCTION WITH "SERVICE STABILITRACK, AWD DISABLED, TRACTION CONTROL OFF". WE HAVE REPLACED MULTIPLE SENSORS, REPLACED THROTTLE BODY(AND SENSOR), REPLACED DRIVER FRONT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY (MAGNET THAT HAS TO DO WITH SENSOR CAME OFF). THE ABOVE TWO CODES PERSIST. PURCHASED USED VEHICLE WITH 118XXX MILES AND WITHIN A YEAR THESE CODES APPEARED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO INSISTED IT WAS TIMING CHAIN, WITH ESTIMATE OF $2300. HOWEVER, SECOND AND THIRD OPINIONS DISAGREED...SUGGESTING SENSOR ISSUES, THROTTLE BODY ISSUES, ETC. WHY HAS THE TIMING CHAIN OR TENSIONER NOT BEEN RECALLED, IF THIS IS THE ISSUE? FORTUNATELY, OUR VEHICLE DOES NOT GO INTO LIMP MODE...HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THIS COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT IF THE NHTSA WOULD DO A DEEPER DIVE AND GENERATE A RECALL. GOING TO ADDRESS CAMSHAFT BANK SENSORS NEXT BEFORE POSSIBLY REPLACING TIMING CHAIN AND/OR TENSIONER. ADDITIONALLY, PROBLEMS WITH MOISTURE ISSUE OF UNKNOWN LOCATION THAT CAUSES THE STEREO SPEAKERS TO NOT WORK. ON SUNNY, WARM DAYS, STEREO SPEAKERS WORK FINE...ANY MOISTURE, NO SPEAKERS.”
“IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES WHERE THE STABILITRACK GOES HAYWIRE WHILE DRIVING AND LOCKS THE VEHICLE UP ALLOWING TO ONLY TRAVEL A FEW MILES PER HOUR SUPER UNSAFE WHEN ON HIGHWAY. HAVE HAD A CHEVY DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY SND LESS THAN 10,000 MILES LATER SAME PROBLEM. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE SEEMS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL CHEVYS THAT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE WHEN IT HAPPENS AND YOUR DRIVING.”
“WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING SOUND AND LOSING POWER. WE PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. WE GOT A JUMP AND HAD TO BUY A NEW BATTERY DUE TO IT BEING DRAINED. GOT A NEW BATTERY AND PULLED UP THE CODE FOR THE KNOCK SENSOR. WE REPLACED IT AND NEW CODES PULLED UP. THE ENGINE THRU A ROD WITH NO WARNING OF ANYTHING BEING WRONG WITH THE TRAVERSE. IT WAS WELL MAINTAINED WITH ONLY 140,000 MILES. THE NEW BATTERY WE BOUGHT WAS DRAINED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND NEEDS TO BE CHARGED FOR THE TRAVERSE TO EVEN START WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT.”
“I HAVE BEEN IN SMALL AND BIG INCLINES AND MY CAR ROLLS BACK. I HAVE TO KEEP MY FOOT ON BRAKE AND GIVE AT SAME TIME I RELEASE THE GAS OR IT ROLLS BACK. I HAVE COME CLOSE TO HITTING THE CAR IN BACK OF ME.”
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH SUDDENLY HEAR A BEEP AND SEE A WARNING THAT TRACTION CONTROL IS OFF, THEN SERVICE STABILITRAK WARNING KEPT FLASHING AND CAR IN SKID IMAGE IS ON CONSTANTLY. ALSO AFTER THESE WARNINGS STARTED FLASHING THE SPEED CONTROL COULD NOT BE SET. LUCKILY I DID'T LOSE POWER THIS TIME AS SO MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. AFTER ARRIVING HOME AND RESTARTING THE CAR LATER ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF. FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW WHEN RESUMING SPEED AFTER STOPPING THE CAR LUNGES WHILE GETTING BACK UP TO SPEED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS HAD I LOST OR HAD REDUCED POWER LIKE HAS HAPPENED TO SO MANY. GM REALLY NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.”
Showing 6 of 79 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.