Problems · by component
2013 Chevrolet Traverse electronic stability control (esc) problems
43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse cite electronic stability control (esc), 27% of all 162 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
43
27% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electronic stability control (esc)
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2013 CHEVY TRAVERSE THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT/STABILITRAX COMES ON, WHICH MAKES MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON, WHICH THEN CAUSES MY ENGINE TO POWER DOWN, I WILL THEN HAVE TO WAIT 2-3 MINUTES AND IT WILL EITHER CRANK UP OR IT WON'T (HAS TO BE TOWED), IT ALSO CAUSES IT TO STALL OUT WHEN TAKING OFF OR COMING TO A STOP. STALLED OUT ON ME WHILE PULLING OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC THANKFULLY I WASN'T ALL THE WAY OUT IN THE ROAD OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN T-BONED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A TWO DIFFERENT CHEVY DEALERS WHICH IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO BOTH WITHIN A MONTH THE FIRST ONE TOLD ME IT WAS JUST THE BATTERY $400 AND 4 DAYS LATER I WAS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY 3 KIDS AGAIN. I HAD TO TOWED TO ANOTHER CHEVY DEALER WHICH THEY REPLACED THE ECM, REPAIRED WIRING THAT HAD BURNT, REPLACED WIRING HARNESS AND FPCM THAT HAD ALSO BURNT AND PERFORMED A MULTIPOINT INSPECTION. I WAS CHARGED $1540.06 ON AUGUST 5, 2020 AND HEAR I AM OCTOBER 26, 2020 AND I AM ONCE AGAIN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY 3 KIDS DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUES AS BEFORE”
“WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY KIDS DRIVING NORMAL WHEN THE STABILITRAK HAPPENED, AND THE CAR WENT FROM 60 MILES PER HOUR TO 20 MILE PER HOUR ON THE FREEWAY ALMOST CAUSING A BAD ACCIDENT. WE GOT VERY SCARED. I BEEN LOOKING UP ONLINE ON THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS THIS IS A ISSUE WITH THE GM CARS.”
“DRIVING AND THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS ON LONG CAR RIDES EVEN THOUGH THE FLUIDS ARE ALL FINE THE TRACTION CONTROL CODE COMES ON AND I LOSE POWER TO THE VEHICLE AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES”
“BEEN HAVING SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE POWER ON TURNING MY SUV ON SOUNDS LIKE IT'S SPARKING HARD UNDER HOOD AND ALSO WHEN THE TRUCK RUNS IT JERKS AND WHEN I GO TO START IT UP IT TELLS ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE AIR BAGS THE ALTERNATOR READS 14.0 VOLTS THEN DROPS TO 12.5 VOLTS SOMETIMES IT STAYS THERE NEW BATTERY HAS BEEN PUT IN A GOLD TOP AND STILL PROBLEMS ARE NOT GOING AWAY THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IF IT COULD CATCH ON FIRE OR WORST”
“WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL GO INTO REDUCED POWER, TURN OFF TRACTION CONTROL, TURN OFF STABILITY CONTROL. IT HAS ALSO TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SEE THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR VEHICLES FROM 2009-2015, WITH NO KNOWN FOR SURE FIXES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS. I DONT HAVE MONEY TO KEEP FIXING THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE PROBLEM.”
“IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS MY 2013 CHEV TRAVERSE HAS HAD THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS. IT HAS HAPPENED GOING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND 30 MPH ON CITY STREETS. USUALLY I PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURN OFF THE ENGINE FOR A MINUTE THEN THE CAR WILL START AND OPERATE AS NORMAL FOR A FEW DAYS OR A FEW WEEKS. IN THE PAST MONTH I HAVE BEEN IN FEAR FOR MY LIFE. I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY ENGINE TOTALLY SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO AVOID A TRACTOR TRAILER IN THE RIGHT LANE AND COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER STEERING. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER THE CAR SAT IDLE FOR A DAY IT STARTED UP. CODES WERE CLEARED AND IT RAN NORMALLY AGAIN FOR WEEKS. LAST WEEK WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH ON A CITY STREET THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER STEERING, BUT STILL IMPACTING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER HELPED ME PUSH THE CAR FURTHER OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE SIDEWALK. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. 24 HOURS LATER THE CAR STARTED OK. CODES WERE CLEARED AND IT ONCE AGAIN COULD OPERATE NORMALLY.…”
Showing 6 of 43 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.