2021 Chevrolet Traverse Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe electrical problems, chiefly alternator and charging-system failures that can leave the vehicle stalled or hard to steer, and a separate cluster of infotainment, display and OnStar faults. Transmission complaints, mostly shuddering, delayed or hard shifting linked to the torque converter, and exhaust/catalytic converter noise and leaks round out the common themes. Many reports come in between roughly 40,000 and 75,000 miles, with transmission and exhaust complaints tending to appear a bit later.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Alternator / charging system failure and stalling

   • 21 complaints (23%)
   • median 31,500 mi at 2.2 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe a "Service Battery Charging System Vehicle May Stall" or "Battery Saver Active" message, sometimes followed by dimming lights, loss of power steering and the engine quitting, in a few cases on a highway or in an intersection. Several report the alternator was replaced, some more than once, and that a new battery alone did not resolve it. A few note the alternator sits below the oil fill cap, so spilled oil can drip onto it. Often reported between roughly 20,000 and 75,000 miles, sometimes on vehicles only three to four years old.

   What to check: Ask for charging-system and alternator service records, and have a shop load-test the battery and alternator. Watch for repeat charging warnings after a battery replacement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My alternator went out at 40k miles it was replaced and now went out again at 75k. I have gone thru 7 batteries since I bought the car brand new. The car died on me in the middle of in intersection after getting the new alternator and battery replaced 3 weeks ago. This is a huge safety issue!!!!!”

   NHTSA complaint #11684656, filed 2025-09

   “I bought my Chevy traverse car in June 2021 with 0 miles. On 12/25/2023 the alternator went out. I know there any many people who are having this same problem when the car reaches 40k miles. This is not fare to us bc we now have to pay 1700 in repairs. If the alternator goes out when driving, your car will stall and stop and you can end up in a sudden crash. This should not be happening at 40,000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11563091, filed 2024-01
2. 2
   Engine

   Exhaust rattle, cracked pipes and converter codes

   • 20 complaints (22%)
   • median 65,500 mi at 3.6 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe a loud rattling or lawnmower-like noise from underneath, an exhaust odor inside the cabin, and check-engine codes pointing to the catalytic converter. Several owners say the front exhaust pipes cracked at the welded bracket, and some report one side was covered by a special warranty while the other was not. Others mention exhaust repairs that recurred after replacement. Mostly reported from about 33,000 to 74,000 miles, with some failures noted on relatively low-mileage vehicles.

   What to check: Listen for exhaust rattle or a loud tone at cold start, check for exhaust smell in the cabin, and scan for P0420-type codes. Ask whether any exhaust special warranty work was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “the dealership car because the engine lingt Come the fun out the Cadillac converter have to be replaced. Is a 2021 traverse. Come to find out I'm not the only person that has the same problem I need to check the Cadillac converters on these Traverse”

   NHTSA complaint #11675648, filed 2025-07

   “I had my car on the shop I was never told that there was a recall on the exhaust system in these type of cars I have had my car a little over a year they fix one side of the exhaust but stated the other side was not covered they told me I would have to pay I dont have the money to pay for this had they told me when this was under warranty I could have done something different but they never said anything about this being a problem in this SUV I have talk to several persons at the dealership as well as GM now they are telling me it’s nothing …”

   NHTSA complaint #11667020, filed 2025-06
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, delayed or hard shifting

   • 19 complaints (21%)
   • median 95,500 mi at 4.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe shuddering or shaking under acceleration, hard or delayed shifts, hesitation when pulling away, and in some cases the vehicle not exceeding low speed or failing to engage reverse. Some report a torque converter replacement, and a few say the transmission later needed major repair after a fluid leak. Appears across a wide mileage range, with many reports from roughly 54,000 to 115,000 miles.

   Recall 21V817000

   What to check: Test drive at low speed and during light acceleration to feel for shudder, and check for delayed engagement when shifting into drive or reverse. Ask for transmission service and torque converter history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am having a lot of transmission shudder especally when accelerating. Noticed that consumer reports stated in their magazine that this has been a big problem for at least 5 years. I don't understand why NHTSA has not made Chevrolet do something to fix this problem with the torque converter.”

   NHTSA complaint #11718942, filed 2026-02

   “Occasionally when putting the SUV in reverse, the car does not go into gear. I'll hit the gas and nothing and then all of the sudden it goes into gear. It's almost like it's in a delay sometimes I'll have to put into drive and then reverse for it to go into gear.”

   NHTSA complaint #11441316, filed 2021-11
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Infotainment, display and OnStar faults

   • 12 complaints (13%)
   • typically at 4.7 yrs old
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the radio or touchscreen going blank or freezing, the instrument cluster display dropping out for a few drive cycles, a rear camera failing, and OnStar or emergency services not working after remote start. Owners say dealers often could not duplicate the fault, performed resets or software updates, or replaced modules, with mixed results. Reported across a broad range, from low-mileage vehicles to ones several years old; no clear mileage pattern in the sample.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the screen, radio, camera and instrument cluster all work, try a remote start and confirm OnStar shows a normal status, and ask whether infotainment software updates were applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Display Instrument Center on the instrument cluster goes out for a couple of drive cycles and comes back on. I took it in to the dealer at the end of March and had the vehicle updated. There's a history with this issue with the Traverses and the Cadillac XT6. I don't know if it's a glitch when these parts were produced for GM or not but it needs to be investigated”

   NHTSA complaint #11518119, filed 2023-04

   “I have a 2021 Chevy Traverse LT. The stereo touch screen keeps completely freezing. We've brought it to the dealer who told us it was working fine. Its frozen twice. Once we had to pull the fuse out to reset it for it to work. Vehicle has a rattle at startup and suspension squeaks. Captain seats almost seem loose, they rattle at times. The brakes are horrible, they squeak all the time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11449517, filed 2022-01
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake noise and uneven braking

   • 9 complaints (10%)
   • median 1,371 mi at 0.6 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners report squealing or grinding from the brakes and, in some cases, uneven or erratic stopping, with a few describing a brake fluid leak at very low mileage. Several say the dealer told them the pads were within spec or that no bulletin existed, so nothing was repaired. Mostly reported within the first few thousand miles, though some owners note continuing noise at higher mileage.

   What to check: Test the brakes for noise and pull, check the brake fluid level and look for fluid at the wheels, and ask whether pads or rotors were replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We bought a 2021 chevy Traverse and the day after purchase the brakes began making a grinding noise off and on. Three weeks to the day after purchase, may 11, behind the driver side back tire was a puddle of darker fluid. The brakes began grinding worse. I left for work and when I returned home under the carport where the Traverse was parked was fluid where each tire has sat. I drove 15 miles to my next duty spot for the day and brakes were grinding horribly.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11416250, filed 2021-05, 1,496 miles

   “Since I bought this car new the brakes have been squeaking and when I took it to the dealer they said they need about this problem but there was nothing that they could do about it since the manufacture has not given them a bulletin on this model of vehicle yet.”

   NHTSA complaint #11552717, filed 2023-10

Buying note. Check the charging system and exhaust closely, since alternator and exhaust complaints are common and can leave the vehicle stalled or loud; on a test drive, feel for transmission shudder and verify the infotainment, camera and OnStar all work. Service records for batteries, alternators, exhaust and transmission work give the clearest picture of how a specific vehicle has been maintained.

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.