2018 Chevrolet Traverse Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2018 Traverse most often report a "Shift to Park" message that appears after the shifter is placed in park, which can leave the vehicle running and prevent it from being locked or shut down fully. A second cluster of complaints describes transmission shuddering, harsh or delayed shifts, and in some cases loss of drive, while a smaller group covers exhaust and emissions-related noise, leaks and check-engine lights.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   "Shift to Park" message / shifter not recognized in park

   • 190 complaints (41%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 2.3 yrs old (67 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $777 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report that after placing the shifter in park, the instrument panel displays a "Shift to Park" or "Vehicle Not in Park" message even though the lever is in park. The vehicle may refuse to shut off, keep accessories and lights powered, fail to lock, or run the battery down, and some owners describe having to move the shifter in and out of gear several times before park registers. Complaints say dealers diagnosed a faulty shifter assembly or harness and replaced it, in some cases more than once, with the symptom returning afterward. Reported from very low mileage (about 3,600 miles) up through roughly 80,000 miles, often on vehicles only a year or two old.

   What to check: Before buying, sit in the vehicle, shift to park and switch off, and confirm it shuts down and locks on the first try; repeat in several positions. Ask for service records showing whether the shifter assembly or harness has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “For the past several months we have been having difficulty turning off the engine, with an error warning us to 'shift to park', when it is already in park position. This renders the driver unable to turn off the vehicle and will lead to battery drain. We brought the vehicle once again to lucas Chevrolet service department on december 31st to fix this and were made aware that this is a known problem, not yet at the recall level. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11301925, filed 2020-01, 15,000 miles

   “We experienced issues with being able to shift into park when stationary in various locations (ie grocery store, driveway, garage, parking lot at school/work several locations). We had to repeatedly shift into a gear either reverse or drive several times on each occurrence, as you could not turn the vehicle off. This seems to be a severe safety issue as frustration with not being able to place the vehicle in park and selecting a gear repeatedly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11362439, filed 2020-10, 48,477 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, harsh shifts and loss of drive

   • 117 complaints (25%)
   • median 24,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (49 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,664 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Complaints describe shuddering or jerking during acceleration, rough or delayed shifts, and sudden downshifts while driving at speed. Some owners report the vehicle dropping out of gear or refusing to move, with the check engine light coming on and the vehicle needing a tow; dealers reportedly pointed to the valve body, torque converter or internal transmission repairs. Mostly between roughly 24,000 and 65,000 miles, with a few reports higher up.

   Recall 20V6680001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive at both low and highway speeds and feel for shudder or hesitation on light throttle; ask whether the transmission fluid has been serviced and whether any transmission repairs or software updates were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car would only stop running when at red lights I'd have to shut off and restart.. Jerking transmission all the time then while driving expressway the transmission car stopped while I was going 65 shut down I barely could get over most frightening experience ever. I'm scared to drive this vehicle dealership cannot get me out of lease without paying more money for another car.”

   NHTSA complaint #11318099, filed 2020-03, 24,000 miles

   “Oct 2019 had gear shift harness replaced because shift to park was showing up and vehicle wouldn't turn off or lock. The same thing happened again in dec 2019 and I had to have the shifter replaced. June 10 2020, vehicle stopped crossing a main road and it wouldn't move forwards or backwards. Had to let vehicle roll backwards to a semi safe spot out of traffic. Police had to be called because there is a lot of traffic in this area and I couldn't get the vehicle off the road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11330704, filed 2020-06, 21,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Exhaust noise, exhaust odor and check-engine light

   • 94 complaints (20%)
   • median 45,700 mi at 3.0 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report loud exhaust or engine noise that grows over time, exhaust smell inside the cabin, and an illuminated check engine light. Complaints describe dealers and independent shops diagnosing a cracked or failed exhaust pipe, catalytic converter or related emissions parts, with some repairs repeated after the symptom returned. Spread widely, from about 30,000 miles to over 150,000 miles.

   What to check: Listen for an exhaust rumble or hiss at idle and on start-up, look for a check engine light, and ask whether the exhaust pipe or catalytic converter has been replaced and whether any emissions special coverage applies to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was making an abnormally loud sound that became louder over time. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11688078, filed 2025-09, 151,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was an exhaust odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taking to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11551017, filed 2023-10, 76,600 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake noise, grinding and pedal or assist concerns

   • 20 complaints (4%)
   • median 33,500 mi at 2.6 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report grinding or harsh braking feel through the pedal, and in some cases the pedal going to the floor with fluid loss attributed to a failed master cylinder. Others describe the brake assist activating unexpectedly along with a warning message, which stopped once the forward collision braking feature was turned off. Reported from roughly 33,000 to 95,000 miles.

   What to check: Check brake pedal firmness and fluid level, listen for grinding on a test drive, and ask for brake service records including any master cylinder or booster work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When applying the brakes the vehicle feels like gears are grinding and the car is breaking harder than I am applying pressure on the brake pedal, and I can feel the vehicle shuttering and grinding to a stop through the pedal. The vehicle does stop, but a warning then displays on the dash brake assist activated . This warning displays everytime the brakes are used. Only have disabling the forward collision break assist does the vehicle then drive normal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11378239, filed 2020-12, 46,900 miles

   “Vehicle brake system failed allowing the pedal to travel to the floor. Only a small about of rear brake pressure allowed the vehicle to stop. Issue was discovered to be a failed master cylinder leaking all brake fluid into the brake booster, sucking in air causing brake failure. Had the car not been moving very slow when this occurred, there would have been a serious accident. Vehicle only hs 39k miles. I am being made to pay for repairs out of pocket. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11324956, filed 2020-05, 39,000 miles

Buying note. A 2018 Traverse can be a reasonable used buy, but the "Shift to Park" complaint pattern is common enough that it is worth confirming the vehicle shuts off and locks cleanly on the first try, and reviewing service records for shifter and transmission work. Have a pre-purchase inspection check brakes, exhaust and any stored check-engine codes.

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.