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2012 Chevrolet TraverseProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 354 owner complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, most often about the engine. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-246 the manufacturer reports only 40% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Chevrolet Traverse
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1% below the Traverse median · #9 of 16 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 40%Owner complaints35422 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage96kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 11, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: BuickRiviera99, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse has problems

354 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine1154
Electronic stability control (ESC)840
Steering624
Air bags484
Electrical system481
Power train461
Vehicle speed control372
Visibility/wiper170
Seat belts150
17 other systems797

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2012 Chevrolet Traverse recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

40%repaired · 2023 Q1

Air bags: critical fasteners

Recall 21V-246 · Apr 8, 2021 · 108 vehicles · 43 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

77%repaired · 2018 Q2

Body: hatchback/liftgate

Recall 15V-415 · Jun 30, 2015 · 691,144 vehicles · 534,626 repaired

Risk. If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

87%repaired · 2015 Q4

Seat belts

Recall 14V-266 · May 20, 2014 · 1,339,355 vehicles · 1,170,021 repaired

Risk. If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

91%repaired · 2016 Q2

Air bags: side/window

Recall 14V-118 · Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles · 1,065,180 repaired

Risk. Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Windshield wiper/washer: linkages

Recall 12V-151 · Apr 9, 2012 · 47,846 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

96kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 97 engine complaints. 53% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
8under 30k miles51under 100k miles46100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine

10 owners mentioned a cost

$5,181median

Middle half: $3,250 – $8,725

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other Traverse year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Traverse median. How we score

'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2012 Chevrolet Traverse safety ratings

2012 Chevrolet Traverse SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2012 Chevrolet Traverse frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2012 Chevrolet Traverse side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2012 Chevrolet Traverse side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (15.5% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable FailureEA20002 · closed Aug 30, 2024
    Led to recall 21V-245
  2. Seat Belt Anchor Cable FailureRQ19003 · closed Aug 31, 2020
    No recall
In owners' words

What Traverse owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

White smoke was coming out the car and my car eventually sat on fire. I had to call the fire department.. fire department stated that it was a electrical issue
Complaint 11682785 · Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle stopped abruptly. The check engine, traction control, stability control, and air conditioner warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated.…
Complaint 11640608 · Feb 4, 2025 · 120,000 miles
The air conditioning stopped working after working amazing, Traction Control Disabled light keeps coming on, The RPM's would rev up seems like it gets stuck then drops to normal. stabilitrak messages with the ABS warning light lit up, Power steering (or power control) goes limp (at the worse times…
Complaint 11614537 · Sep 13, 2024

Own a 2012 Traverse?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.