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2013 Chevrolet Traverse problems

What owners reported to NHTSA, at what mileage, and every safety recall for this model year.

162owner complaints
4safety recalls
7involved a crash

Also reported: 2 fires, 6 people injured, 0 deaths. Each complaint is counted once even if it lists several components.

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Most reported problems

Complaints by component. One complaint can name more than one component, so these add up to more than 162.

Electrical system53
Usually 63,000–112,854 miles (middle half of 40 reports with mileage)
Engine45
Usually 64,250–105,000 miles (middle half of 38 reports with mileage)
Electronic stability control (ESC)43
Usually 59,000–105,000 miles (middle half of 41 reports with mileage)
Power train28
Usually 40,000–107,000 miles (middle half of 21 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Automatic transmission › torque converter (1)
Air bags27
Usually 39,136–111,782 miles (middle half of 18 reports with mileage)
Vehicle speed control19
Usually 59,100–107,160 miles (middle half of 16 reports with mileage)
Fuel/propulsion system18
Usually 26,250–71,000 miles (middle half of 14 reports with mileage)
Steering18
Usually 55,389–109,000 miles (middle half of 13 reports with mileage)
Unknown or other18
Usually 46,250–98,788 miles (middle half of 14 reports with mileage)
Service brakes5
Usually 6,421–70,529 miles (middle half of 4 reports with mileage)

When problems show up

Reports by odometer reading at the time of the problem, top components. Each bar is a 25,000-mile band, labeled by where it starts (0 = 0–25k miles). Reports without mileage are left out.

Electrical system

40 reports with mileage · median 88,780 miles
025k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k+

Engine

38 reports with mileage · median 89,500 miles
025k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k+

Electronic stability control (ESC)

41 reports with mileage · median 74,500 miles
025k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k+

Safety recalls (4)

Recalls that cover the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse. Some apply only to certain trims or build dates. This page cannot tell whether a specific car's recall work was done.

Check a specific VIN's open recalls on nhtsa.gov

Air bags › frontal; air bags › frontal › driver side › inflator module

Campaign 21V782000 · 2021-10-07 · 555 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during…

Full recall text and remedy

Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.

Air bags › critical fasteners

Campaign 21V246000 · 2021-04-08 · 108 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

Summary: 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.

Seat belts

Campaign 14V266000 · 2014-05-20 · 1,339,355 vehicles

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles…

Full recall text and remedy

Summary: 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, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

Air bags › side/window

Campaign 14V118000 · 2014-03-17 · 1,176,407 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

Summary: 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 (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

Questions to ask the seller

Any battery drain, dashboard warning lights, or electrical repairs? Test every switch, screen, and power accessory before buying.

53 owner complaints mention the electrical system, half of the reports with mileage are between 63,000 and 112,854 miles.

Has the engine had any repairs, oil leaks, or check-engine lights? Ask for the invoices and listen for knocking or ticking on a cold start.

45 owner complaints mention the engine, half of the reports with mileage are between 64,250 and 105,000 miles.

Has the stability or traction control light ever come on? Ask whether the related sensors were replaced.

43 owner complaints mention the stability control, half of the reports with mileage are between 59,000 and 105,000 miles.

Has the transmission been serviced or repaired? On the test drive, watch for slipping, delayed engagement, or harsh shifts.

28 owner complaints mention the transmission or drivetrain, half of the reports with mileage are between 40,000 and 107,000 miles.

Has the airbag warning light ever stayed on? Was any airbag replaced after a crash?

27 owner complaints mention the air bags, half of the reports with mileage are between 39,136 and 111,782 miles.

Has the open recall work been done? Ask for dealer service records, and check the VIN on nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year.

Other Chevrolet Traverse years

Owner complaints per model year (2010–2022). Older cars have had more time to collect reports.

Compare all years on one chart

Source: NHTSA complaints file (FLAT_CMPL, updated 2026-10-21) and NHTSA recalls file. Page generated 2026-10-22.

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