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Chevrolet TraverseModel year report

2011 Chevrolet Traverse Problems

Compared with other Chevrolet Traverse years

More complaints than typical for this model

77/100 1.9× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2013

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
608filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,636miles, 496 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe two big-ticket problems: internal engine damage tied to the timing chain, often ending in engine replacement, and a loss of power steering assist that makes low-speed turns hard. A third recurring theme is the StabiliTrak/traction-control warning combined with reduced engine power, which owners link to the throttle body. Most reports arrive between roughly 50,000 and 130,000 miles, and many describe sudden failures while driving rather than gradual decline.

  1. Engine

    Timing chain wear and engine failure

    • 130 complaints (21%)
    • median 90,525 mi at 6.8 yrs old (110 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $2,750 (median of 18 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2024

    Complaints describe a loud knocking or banging from the engine, loss of power, stalling, and in some cases the engine seizing or a rod letting go, after which the vehicle will not restart. Owners frequently say a mechanic diagnosed a stretched or jumped timing chain, and several report the repair escalated to a full engine replacement. Many stress that oil changes were kept up and that the failure came without warning; dealers and the manufacturer are described as declining cost assistance once the vehicle was out of warranty. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 140,000 miles, often as a sudden event while driving rather than a gradual symptom.

    5 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for service records and whether the timing chain has been inspected or replaced; have a pre-purchase inspection listen for chain rattle or a cold-start knock and scan for timing-related codes. A service bulletin covers engine oil consumption diagnostics and another describes engine wear guidelines for technicians, so ask whether either was applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Driving the vehicle down the road it starts making a noise. I pull the vehicle over off the street. There is no power, the vehicle still starts but does nothing but makes a loud noise. The timing chain is the issue. I have saw multiple complaints about the timing chains in these vehicles being defected. Please make this right!”

    NHTSA complaint #11343902, filed 2020-08, 11,500 miles

    “My mechanic said my timing chain is loose & there should be a recall. Also my radio goes real low in a high pitch tone & I can't hear it so that means my turn singnals are low & everything else that makes a sound is very low. Also my window controls are all starting to not work one by one. I only have 89000 miles on my car. My mechanic is telling me I should get rid of my car but I always thought chevy was a good car.”

    NHTSA complaint #11301187, filed 2020-01, 85,000 miles
  2. Electronic stability control

    StabiliTrak warning with reduced engine power

    • 160 complaints (26%)
    • median 73,500 mi at 4.4 yrs old (152 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 22 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2022

    Complaints describe a chime followed by messages for service StabiliTrak, traction control off, and reduced engine power, after which the vehicle slows sharply and will not accelerate normally. Owners often say the fix was to pull over and restart, and some report the same sequence recurring several times in one trip or returning a short time after a throttle body replacement. Several complaints state a dealer replaced the throttle body or its sensor. Reported from about 50,000 to 110,000 miles, at both highway and city speeds, and some owners note it appears more in cold weather.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: During the test drive, watch for the StabiliTrak or traction-control message and any hesitation under acceleration, and ask whether the throttle body has been replaced. A service bulletin advises technicians that a brief throttle-response delay can be a normal characteristic, so ask what was actually diagnosed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving on a state highway with nowhere to pull safely off the road when the throttle body failed. This failure caused the engine control computer to set the engine to reduced power mode where I could not drive the car past 20 MPH with the engine barely running. I had to drive the vehicle for about 1/2 mile in this condition before I could get the car off the road. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10554182, filed 2013-11, 61,334 miles

    “While driving in town (no more than 30 MPH), a beep occurs and an error - no traction control - service stabilitrack - engine power reduced. I am then unable to go over 10 MPH. The check engine light also comes on at the end of this. I have to pull over, stop my car and restart in order to assume regular speed, however, it did happen twice in a drive that was only 10 miles long.”

    NHTSA complaint #10935661, filed 2016-12, 106,000 miles
  3. Steering

    Power steering assist loss and whining

    • 134 complaints (22%)
    • median 67,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (115 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,600 (median of 29 quotes)
    • filed 2012–2024

    Owners describe the steering suddenly becoming very heavy, most often at low speed while turning or parking, sometimes with a whine or grinding noise from the front. Some say the assist returns after shutting the car off and restarting, then happens more often over time. Complaints mention dealers replacing the power steering pump, the steering rack, or the steering column, and some report the symptom returning afterwards; a few say the dealer called the noise normal. Reported from very low mileage up past 100,000 miles, typically during slow turns, parking maneuvers, or stops.

    What to check: Test drive at parking-lot speeds with the wheel turned fully both ways and listen for whining or grinding; check power steering fluid level and look for leaks around the pump and lines. Ask whether the pump, rack, or column has already been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When driving my Traverse at low speeds around 5 MPH while trying to park, my steering gets very tight and it is extremely difficult to make the turn into a parking spot. In addition the vehicle is making a whining noise. We checked the power steering fluid and it is at the correct levels. I took it to my local repair man and they stated that the power steering pump was bad and needed to be replaced. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10682380, filed 2015-02, 86,247 miles

    “It became very hard to steer as we slowed down to turn into a parking space. It felt like manual steering and not power. The dealership said we need a steering rack and steering pump. Is there a recall on this vehicle?”

    NHTSA complaint #11387191, filed 2021-01, 175,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Air bag and seat belt warning or non-deployment

    • 55 complaints (9%)
    • median 63,500 mi at 4.2 yrs old (37 state mileage)
    • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2012–2024

    Complaints describe the air bag warning light coming on intermittently, the passenger air bag indicator staying off with someone seated, and in one reported crash the front air bags not deploying while the side air bags did. Others report the driver-side seat belt restraint cable fraying or exposed wires at the door opening. Owners frequently ask whether the air bag and seat belt recall work was ever done on their vehicle. Reported from roughly 60,000 to 150,000 miles, though the crash report involved about 63,500 miles; the belt wear appeared without any driving event.

    Recall 21V246000Recall 14V118000Recall 14V266000

    What to check: Check that both air bag and seat belt recalls were completed for the VIN, and watch the air bag light with the engine running and a passenger in the front seat. Inspect the driver and passenger seat belt webbing and cables near the door opening for fraying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2011 Chevrolet Traverse drivers side seat belt restraint cable started to frey like over night was not driving car (one day not there next day all exposed and most wires broke) open driver side door and sticks right out before you did not notice, passenger side feels frayed but srink wrap not torn I believe both were on a previous recall in 2014 for seat belts, but did not have problem according to betten dealer ship in muskegon mi.”

    NHTSA complaint #11390875, filed 2021-01, 111,729 miles

    “Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was to be taken to the dealer for inspection and diagnostic testing. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 14v266000 (seat belts) and 14v118000 (air bags), but the contact was not notified of the two recall repairs. The manufacturer was to be notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”

    NHTSA complaint #10809283, filed 2015-12, 75,000 miles

Buying note. This model year is one where a pre-purchase inspection is worth the cost: have a mechanic scan for timing and misfire codes and check the steering and throttle body history, and confirm all open recalls were completed for the VIN. Records showing timing chain work or a replaced steering pump or rack are useful information either way.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 608 consumer complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. 496 of the complaints include a mileage, and 27% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,636 miles. Of all complaints, 16 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 30 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 1,461 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 14 Chevrolet Traverse model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 77 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seat belts (21), Body and structure (21), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (21), Suspension (14), Engine cooling (9), Exterior lighting (7), Wheels (7), Seats (5), Tires (3), Forward collision avoidance (1), Lane departure (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “Sitting in the parking lot waiting for my daughter to get out of school all of a sudden it smells hot then start to drive off and traction control lights and ABS go wild then I pull over turn off the engine open the hood and there's smoke letting it cool the key won't reverse out of the ignition and there's no power at all”

NHTSA complaint #11278521, filed 2019-11, 167,000 miles

Steering: “**power steering recall*** I was driving my vehicle and in the mist of driving my vehicle steering became hard. As I went to make a turn my steering locked up and I could not make a turn without the use of force. When I had the vehicle towed to the mechanic I was told the power steering pump went out and power steering racket pinon needed to be replaced.”

NHTSA complaint #11184299, filed 2019-03, 113,000 miles

Electronic stability control: “Bought a 2011 Traverse a month ago with 93705 miles on it. On the drive home the lights of the dash came on and said traction control off, service stabilitrak, reduced engine power. It wouldn't go past 20 MPH (mind you I'm on a busy street with my four kids). Was able to get it home and called the dealership I got it from and am waiting for a call back.”

NHTSA complaint #11154485, filed 2018-11, 93,705 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “The engine time chain is bad. If the time chain finishes braking it will kill off all the engine making the repair over $5,000 it seems like is a very common problem on these cars with the 3.6 vvt v6 engine, as I have seen people go thru this also online many people were talking about how unrelaible these cars are on that way. I have different quotes from different mechanic shops the lowest been $2,500.”

NHTSA complaint #11279076, filed 2019-11, 109,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

27% of the 496 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 46,700 and 100,800 miles.

7%0–106%10–2514%25–5027%50–7519%75–10023%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (496 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,636 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’13’15121’17’19’21’23’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Traverse · SUV AWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 15.5% risk
Traverse · SUV FWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 16.9% risk

Neighbouring years: 2012: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Chevrolet Traverse version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Traverse AWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162319$3,550
Traverse FWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172419$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,461 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 1,461 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chevrolet Traverse

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026263,0001522Too new to compareToo new
202518511,0000523Too new to compareToo new
20241439,01004–523Too new to compareToo new
20239438,50024–52124 · FewerToo new
202210150,15014–5217 · FewerRising
20219257,500352111 · FewerRising
202023452,000852160 · TypicalRising
201941242,000352258 · TypicalRising
201846432,000252265 · MoreRising
201736138,000351840 · TypicalRising
201629247,750551850 · TypicalRising
201531352,000551945 · TypicalRising
201454865,323751970 · MoreRising
201316271,000451916 · FewerFalling
201235485,000551941 · TypicalFalling
201160870,636551977 · MoreFalling
201066975,0005—1964 · TypicalFalling
200944880,0008—1963 · TypicalFalling

All Chevrolet Traverse model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners of this model year most often describe two big-ticket problems: internal engine damage tied to the timing chain, often ending in engine replacement, and a loss of power steering assist that makes low-speed turns hard. The issues reported most often: Timing chain wear and engine failure; StabiliTrak warning with reduced engine power; Power steering assist loss and whining.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse have?

NHTSA recorded 608 consumer complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 204 complaints (34% of the total), followed by steering with 165.

Has the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse (Traverse FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse reported?

Among the 496 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,636 miles and the middle half falls between 46,700 and 100,800 miles; 27% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.