How Many Miles Can A Chevy Traverse Last? (+Reliability Scores)

How many miles can a Chevy Traverse last? When you’re in the market for a new or second-hand Traverse, that’s a very reasonable question to ask. After all, you’re probably looking to get the most bang for your buck. In this blog, we’ll look at this question in great detail but first, let’s start with a quick answer:

On average, a Chevy Traverse lasts between 230.000 – 250.000 miles. A Traverse needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs about 0.43 times per year, with an 18% chance of the problem being severe. Furthermore, Chevy Traverse owners spend an average of $656 per year on repair costs which is very comparable to other Chevy vehicles.

Having said that, we’re certainly not done. Below, we’ll explain in more detail how many miles a Chevy Traverse can last. After that, we’ll also show you how much a Traverse costs annually and which production years are the most and least expensive. Furthermore, we also discuss the common problems that the car can have. Read on!

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Also read: The Types Of Gas A Chevy Traverse Uses (Explained)

How Many Miles Can A Chevy Traverse Last?

To know this, we have to do a little research on this. First, we went to autotrader.com and searched how many Chevy Traverse were on sale in the US.  We found a total of 10.876 Traverses, so we divided the database into four categories and calculated how many cars were on sale in a specific mileage range.

After going through all the data, we can declare our final verdict. When we analyzed the number of Chevy Traverses that crossed the 150k mile mark, we got 564 of them; this makes it 5.18%. Now the question is, Is this a good percentage?

Usually, we expect to see a minimum of 3% crossing the 150k mile mark; However, in the case of SUVs, we expect a percentage between 5 – 8%. Therefore, the Traverse performs as expected from an SUV, which is a good sign.

Amount Of Miles	Percentage Of Cars
Cars With 150.000+	5.18%
Cars With 100.000 – 149.000	21.36%
Cars With 45.000 – 99.999	56,40%
Cars With 0 – 44.999	17.06%

As many Traverse have crossed the 100,000 miles mark, you can expect them to be reasonably reliable, and it’s just a matter of time when they will be able to cross that 150k mile mark in huge numbers before they are put on sale. It’s also good to know that about 17% of the Traverses sold in the used market are still under 45k; these are the ones you should consider; they will last 200,000 miles more, give or take.

How Reliable Is A Chevy Traverse Compared To Its Competitors?

Secondly, we must compare Chevy Traverse to other SUVs within its segment. In the table below, we’ve gathered the necessary data that gives us an understanding of the expected mileage of each model, as well as the highest recorded mileage that we found on Autotrader.com.

Furthermore, it’s valuable to know that we’ve written these kinds of articles for each model mentioned. Therefore, we do have a clear understanding of the potential mileage of each model since we examined them individually.

We’ve gathered the expected mileage (based on our previous research) and the highest recorded mileage (found on autotrader.com). The results are displayed in the table below.

Model	Sample Size	Expected Mileage	Highest Mileage
Chevy Traverse	10.876	240.000	360.000
Toyota Highlander	12.777	270.000	329.000
Ford Explorer	22.876	230.000	397.000
Honda Pilot	10.095	240.000	376.000
GMC Acadia	10.499	230.000	266.000
Chevy Blazer	1.891	210.000	260.000
Mitsubishi Outlander	1.550	210.000	250.000
Chevy Tahoe	11.515	240.000	340.000
Ford Expedition	4.642	250.000	290.000
GMC Yukon	6.311	215.000	280.000
Toyota Sequoia	1.243	275.000	380.000

From these numbers, it’s evident that the Traverse is not the most reliable, but it does put up a good fight. The Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sequoia, and the Ford Expedition are some of the options you can consider. They have shown more promising numbers. However, let it be clear that the difference is marginal in many cases. The Traverse puts up very respectable numbers and beats the GMC Yukon, Mitsubishi Outlander, GMC Acadia, Chevy Blazer, and the Honda Pilot.

How Reliable Is A Chevy Traverse Compared To Other Chevys?

After discussing the Chevy Traverse’s performance in terms of reliability compared to its competitors, it is also necessary to compare its reliability to other Chevy models. This will give a clearer understanding of the brands’ reliability.

To do this, we researched the other Chevy SUVs and compared them with Chevy Traverse. The following image shows us the expected mileage for most Chevy models and ranks them. Again, we’ve written a separate article for each model, so we’re confident in our findings.

We found that the Traverse does a very decent job compared to most other models sold by Chevy. For example, the Traverse has a higher expected mileage than the Blazer and Equinox, which is good for the Traverse, considering these vehicles are also SUVs. In terms of SUVs, only the larger Tahoe and Suburban beat the Traverse. However, with an expected mileage of 240.000, the Traverse has an incredible lifespan.

How Much Does Maintenance Cost Per Year?

Now that we have discussed the comparison of the Chevy Traverse with its competitors and other Chevrolet models, we have to examine its annual maintenance cost. For this, we used Repairpal.com and retrieved the necessary data, shown in the table below.

First, we need to know that the average cost of annual maintenance for the Tahoe is $656, but as we will see in the table below, some years are better than others when discussing cost-effectiveness.

Model Year	Annual Maintenance Cost
2012	$719
2013	$681
2014	$549
2015	$554
2016	$485
2017	$495
2018	$526
2019	$562

What we see in the table above is the fact that the 2012 and 2013 model years are quite a bit more expensive than other model years. Furthermore, we have to say that the average $656 per year for the Traverse is relatively high. Given that the Traverse is a medium-sized SUV, we expect maintenance costs to be around $550 – $600.

Also read: The Complete Cost Of Maintaining A Chevy

Owners’ Reviews Of The Traverse’s Reliability

Besides knowing all the data, it’s, of course, also essential to see how owners experience the Traverse. For this, we went to Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, and Truecar.com. All three platforms have gathered hundreds of reviews from actual car owners. We summarized our findings in the image below.

The ratings above are mainly based on reviews of the second generation of the Traverse. This generation started with the 2018 model year and continues to this day. Overall, we have to say that the 2018 – 2019 model years of this generation don’t have great reviews at all (average score of 3.5 / 5). This is typical for the first model years in a new generation because many problems occur that haven’t been solved yet.

The general sentiment of owners about this generation is described as follows:

Love my traverse. It is so spacious. It can accommodate two car seats plus leave the rest of the passengers ample leg room. Plus it’s loaded with features- blind spot, surround camera, leather heated seats, remote start, life gate. The only negative I can think of is that the brakes aren’t sensitive enough for my liking and the blind spot monitoring does not make an audible sound.

Source

The first generation of the Traverse wasn’t received as well as the second generation. It wasn’t terrible, but reviews are mixed on different platforms. Kelley Blue Book owners’ reviews were 4.2 / 5, Edmund’s reviews averaged out to be 3.6 / 5, and Truecar owners gave this generation a 4.0 / 5. Overall, not terrible, but definitely not great. One 2017 owner gave the car a 3/5 and described it as follows:

An excellent riding and handling vehicle. Gas mileage is poor at best. Suprised it doesn’t come equipped with a glove box light. Instrumentation isn’t user friendly. Accent lights show up as a reflection in mirrors at night. Rear seats are hard to operate. I’m still happy.

Source

Chevy Traverse Common Problems

It’s good to know common problems so that when you search for the right Traverse, you will know what to look for. Furthermore, you can have a good bargaining strategy when you know these problems. Or, you can find a super clean one without any of these problems. We will help you get an idea of all these problems and how much it will cost to repair them.

NOTE: Before buying a used car, I always like to make sure the vehicle isn´t having any problems that you should be aware of. The easiest way to do this is by buying an OBD2 scanner. These scanners can easily be plugged into any car you’re interested in, and they’ll give you a rundown of potential problems.

5 Transmission Problems Throughout The Generations

1. Transmission Shudder

This is the most complained about problem for the new generation of the Traverse. The 2018 model year had a technical service bulletin for the 9-speed 9T65 automatic transmission. The torque converter clutch caused this shuddering when the car was going slower than 40 mph. The solution involved having dealers reprogram the transmission control module. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the 2019 model year also had this problem, but this one never received a TSB.

2. Failing Shift Cable Adjuster

In 2014 model years that were equipped with a 6-speed automatic, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever, which resulted in the transmission not reacting to driver input. The recall (14V092000) involved replacing the defective shift cable adjuster.

3 Stuck Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid

This problem applies explicitly to the 2013 model year of the Traverse equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. This also resulted in a technical service bulletin. The problem was described by Chevy as follows:

The torque converter clutch solenoid in the TECHM can stick due to debris in the transmission. (…) a stuck solenoid will fail to release the torque converter clutch. This keeps the engine directly connected to the driven wheels. As the vehicle stops, the engine speed will be pulled down below normal idle speed and the engine may stall. (…) The reprogramming will install a revised calibration to correct this condition.

Source

4. Hard Shifting In 3rd And 5th Gear

This problem is caused by the notorious 6-speed automatic transmission (6T75) that comes in many of the Traverse model years but was mainly a problem for the 2009 model year. The common fault was that the 35R wave plate would break, and you would no longer have the reverse gear or hard shift during the 3rd and 5th gear shifts. Chevy did issue a warranty extension for ten years of 120,000 miles.

5. Shifter Not In Park

This was again a problem with the 2009 model year that also resulted in a recall (09V073000). The problem was caused by a shift cable adjustment clip that may not have been fully engaged. This meant the shifter could move out of the ‘park’ position while the ignition key was removed by the driving. This resulted in a rollaway risk.

Brake Noises

Specifically, this involves a technical service bulletin for the 2018 – 2020 Traverse. The vehicle owners complained about a squealing noise coming from the rear brakes. This problem was caused by the material used on the rear disc brake pad shim. The affected models had new brake pad shims installed.

Loss Of Power Steering

Loss of power steering is the most complained about problem in the 2009 – 2011 model years of the Traverse. Chevy issued a warranty extension for this problem that extended the warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles. The problem was described by them as follows:

(these models) may develop a power steering pump wear condition that can cause an intermittent drop of power steering hydraulic pressure that will cause reduced or loss of steering assist. The vehicle may revert to manual steering which requires greater driver effort, particularly at low vehicle speeds.

Source

However, the power steering pump continued to be a problem in almost all model years of the first-generation Traverse. The 2015 – 2018 model years had so many issues with them that attorneys are currently looking into starting a class-action lawsuit.

Airconditioning Failure

This was mainly a problem in the 2012 – 2015 model years. The problem was described by Chevy as follows:

Engineering has determined that dust from the blower motor brush on the evaporator may have some copper particles in it, which causes accelerated corrosion to the evaporator. The copper particles are coming from the blower motor during the motor break-in period, so the motor does not need to be replaced.

Source

This accelerated corrosion often led to leaks in the rear evaporator core. This part must be replaced if you’re experiencing air conditioning failure in the 2012 – 2015 model years. Furthermore, the rear blower motor will need to be removed, and the fan and blower cage will need to be cleaned off the copper particles.

Engine Problems

The first generation of the Traverse, especially the 2010 – 2014 models, are notorious for having problems with the engine in one shape or another. Below, we’ve made a rough overview of each model year and the most common problem that’s associated with it:

• 2009 – 2012: complete timing chain failure that would result in engine failure and a total loss of propulsion. Chevy issued this TSB for this problem.
• 2009 – 2017: these model years had a technical service bulletin for debris on the wheel speed magnetic encoder ring. This is a part of the StabiliTrak system that takes care of emergency braking in the Traverse. The debris would mess up the sensor’s input, resulting in a complete loss of power.

Is a Chevy Traverse A Smart Buy?

Let’s take everything we’ve discussed into account to figure out whether or not the Chevy Travers is a smart buy or not.

First, there’s the potential mileage. As we saw before, the Traverse can put up with higher mileage. On average, we expect this SUV to last 240,000 miles which is more than acceptable for an SUV. Certain SUVs perform better (Highlander, Sequoia, Expedition) but not in such a way that we advise you to shy away from the Traverse.

In general, owners seem to be quite satisfied with the Traverse. However, this is where things become tricky. When we combine the common problems of the Traverse with the owner’s reviews, we see that there are some problematic model years and some that are much better.

The 2009 – 2015 model years had several problems that dragged on for way too long, annoyed owners, and cost them a lot of money. Furthermore, the 2018 – 2020 model years certainly aren’t problem-free, and the 2020 model year already has eight recalls.

However, the 2016 – 2017 model year has almost no complaints, only one or two smaller recalls, and these are also the model years that received higher rankings from their owners. For this reason, we feel these two model years of the Traverse are your best decision when you’re in the market for a used Traverse.

Are you in the market for this Chevy? Don’t forget to check out our extensive list of the largest Chevy dealers per state!

Chevy Traverse Maintenance Schedule

It’s essential to know how to maintain your Traverse properly. If you have it regularly maintained, you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars on major repairs. So let’s dive into the maintenance schedule that your Traverse needs.

Before/On Every 7,500 Miles

• Change the engine oil
• Change the oil filter

Before/On Every 15,000 Miles

• Inspects the brake rotors
• Inspect the brake pads
• Check for any leaks
• Inspect the driveshaft boots to see if there is any grease leak or damage

Before/On Every 20,000 Miles

• Check the fuel hoses
• Replace the air cleaner filter
• Relevel the rear axle oil
• Check the transfer oil level
• Check the brake hoses for any leaks
• Inspect the coolant hoses for any leaks
• Check the exhaust system
• Inspect the suspension components for any damage
• Check for any clogs or leaks in the PCV system and the EGR valve

Before/On Every 40,000 Miles

• Check the transmission fluid level
• Check the drive belt condition
• Inspect the rear brakes and the rear wheel
• Inspect the ball joints for any damage
• Check for any oil leaks
• Check the electronics for any short circuits

Before/On Every 60,000 Miles

• Inspect the spark plugs and replace them if necessary
• Inspect the ignition coils and replace them if necessary
• Inspect the fuel injectors and replace them if necessary
• Inspect the fuel line for any leak
• Check the fuel pump
• Have a complete engine diagnosis to check for any misfiring cylinder
• Inspect the wiring harness of the ignition system