2020 Chevrolet Traverse: problems, recalls and reliability
8 recalls and 218 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (29% of complaints); the 2021 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 7 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Mar 2022
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 218 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the gear shifter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,818.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2026
“GM published bulletin PIP5681A on 10/05/20 regarding defective welds on the exhaust brackets near the catalytic converter. I had the same exact weld failure and GM is not honoring the warranty coverage, even though their bulletin said that all 2020 Traverse SUVs were included.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
“There is a well known exhaust issue with the catalytic converter and the separating manifold and no recall has been issue yet. It causes the vehicle to lose pressure and shuts off in the middle of traffic. The seat belt secure locks are malfunctioning and could cause loss of life in the event of an accident.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jun 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“While driving the stereo went off, the ac, the car stopped in middle of the road and I lost all electrical. I tried turning back on and the emergency brake light was on and the dash said "Steering Assist is Reduced, Drive with Care." I was able to put it in neutral and get it out of the way. Battery is good Fuses were all checked 350 replaced Car isn't starting or Turing over, but some of the lights have turned on.”Owner report · Steering · May 2026
“Brakes have screeching noise Transmission jumps when changing gear The shift to park is so constant can not even go out because it takes more than 20 to 30 tries for it to accept park and turn Vehicle off! I have taken it to the dealer for the concern stated no recall or warranty At this point I am afraid to even leave it in shift to park and walk to the store and it gets stolen or leaves me stranded with my children”Owner report · Service Brakes · May 2026
“We have had multiple issues with the exhaust system and the brackets that hold the catalytic converter in place. The catalytic converters have been replaced two times in the last 3 years with them currently needing to be replaced AGAIN. This is supposed to be our family car and it is in no way reliable. Not when we have to take it in every couple thousand miles on it to have the exhaust system repaired. We have had it into the dealership multiple times to confirm the problems.”Owner report · Engine · May 2026
“I have 37,000 miles and have taken it to a Chevrolet dealer for all suggested routine maintenance. It started shuddering so I took in to dealer. They said known issue and may need a new torque converter which would cost approximately $8500. They suggested I try changing the transmission fluid even though suggested at 45,000 miles. They said to drive 200 miles and see if it goes away. I haven't yet put 200 miles but am very concerned there is a bigger issue with the Traverses out there and afraid this is a band-aid and feel a recall may be inevitable. Just wanted to share with you.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2026
“Bracket fell off of the exhaust pipe on my 2020 Chevrolet Traverse LT, which in turn cracked the exhaust pipe, making my car create this loud noise every time the car was accelerating.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the exhaust system made an abnormally loud sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was determined that the front clamp on the exhaust system was loose. The dealer tightened the clamp; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: PIP5681A (Exhaust leak, Lean Codes, Rattle Noise, or Catalytic Converter Failures). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2026
“Electric door lock of front passenger door does not unlock door. Plunger tries to move up when energized but stays in locked position. Door design does not include mechanical key unlock override. A first responder would need needle nose pliers to lift up the door lock stem. This failure puts any passenger at risk of delayed exit. The left rear passenger door had this failure may 2024, no prior symptoms. The driver door had this failure a few months later. Each repair costs over $700, dealer is aware of these failures. No warnings of this failure visible. No inspections made other than dealer”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Mar 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 11 of these complaints and injuries in 7 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 8 campaigns
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The right-hand frame rail in the engine compartment may be cracked.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N192268310.
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place may chafe against the transmission case, possibly resulting in a transmission fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the screw and clip, and inspect for signs of contact with the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module. The recall began November 16, 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 N202314760.
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.
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 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 N202319030.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 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 N212352140.
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. 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 N212329050.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2020 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Traverse by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
NHTSA has 218 owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns on record for the 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The most complained-about area is engine (29% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2020 Chevrolet Traverse problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 55,000 miles or less.
Does the 2020 Chevrolet Traverse have open recalls?
8 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning structure:frame and members. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.