CHEVROLET TRAVERSE · model year

2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

922 NHTSA complaints, 25 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2010CHEVROLETTRAVERSE carries 922 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 25 crashes, 9 fires, 18 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2010 TRAVERSE is steering with 328 filings, followed by engine (178) and power train (66). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2010 TRAVERSE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

922
Complaints
25
Crashes
9
Fires
18
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

922 filings

Crashes Reported

25 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING328
ENGINE178
POWER TRAIN66
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM59
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)57
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL41
AIR BAGS29
UNKNOWN OR OTHER28
SEAT BELTS25
SERVICE BRAKES16
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM12
SUSPENSION10
STRUCTURE:BODY7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING6
SEATS5

Recalls (5)

15V41500030/06/2015

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 2

14V26600020/05/2014

SEAT BELTS

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Satu

14V11800017/03/2014

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses

10V37500012/08/2010

SEAT BELTS

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES. THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELD RESTRICTS THE UPWARD ROTATION OF THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE WHEN THE SEAT BACK IS RETURNED TO A SEATING POSITION AFTER BEING FOLDED F

21V24600008/04/2021

AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.

Recent Complaints

20260114CrashAIR BAGS

Side airbags deployed when we slid off the road. No impact not even a scratch or dent on the vehicle. We did not hit anything but only slid sideways off the road. The insurance company inspected the vehicle nothing but the airbags were damaged. No other warnings.

20250311SEAT BELTS

Seat belts all lock up and back latch falls when opening

20250311UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Seat belts all lock up and back latch falls when opening

20241211FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the driver's side door, the driver's side seat, and the ceiling had caught on fire and was burned; the windshield was also cracked. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. A Fire Department report was filed the following day and the Fire Department inspected the vehicle and determined that the wiring was hot to the touch and could have possibly caused the fire; the vehicle was deemed totaled. The local dealer was not contacted. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

Mileage: 175,000

20240527STEERING

No power steering at low speed . Makes it dangerous to turn sharp corners. Almost impossible to park in a parking spot if there’s other vehicles.so I park way out away from vehicles . I have had two power steering pumps and lines replaced . And still have the same issue. .

20230918AIR BAGS

For several years now, when someone sits on the front passenger seat, the airbag light will intermittently come on. It also comes on if the person gets out of the seat. I took the vehicle to a dealership and they charged me over $100 to diagnose, and said the cable was loose and they fixed it. The next day it started doing this same thing again, but it doesn't happen when the dealer looks at the vehicle to replicate and fix the issue.

20230918SEATS

For several years now, when someone sits on the front passenger seat, the airbag light will intermittently come on. It also comes on if the person gets out of the seat. I took the vehicle to a dealership and they charged me over $100 to diagnose, and said the cable was loose and they fixed it. The next day it started doing this same thing again, but it doesn't happen when the dealer looks at the vehicle to replicate and fix the issue.

20230918STEERING

I have now been told that my rack and pinion is leaking by 3-4 different mechanics. In doing a google search, I see that through various years of the chevy traverse, the rack and pinion leaking and needing to be replaced at a high cost (and also being a big safety risk to not replace) is a very common issue in the traverse.

20230823UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My Traverse doors will lock, unlock, engine will race high then down shift now it will also shut off after it has done this while driving down the road. The safety issue is if it happens to stop running while on the highway or any road with traffic. Right now I am not able to drive it as it won’t start back up after it dies unless you let it cool off. I had to call my insurance for roadside assistance to get it towed. A

20230823STEERING

Power steering is going out. Will only turn when rmps are up. Just bought car a few months ago

20230808ENGINE

This vehicle is dangerous. Looks great on the outside but horrible on the inside under the hood! Since my son bought one for me it’s had problems with engine revving and not shifting gears, and air conditioner continually going out even after repairs, and power steering leaks. I kept taking it to repair and oddly no technician anywhere could help! Read the reviews and watch the youtubes! This vehicle (all years) should be stripped from the market and considered under lemon law no matter the age! The culmination of my problems happened when leaving town, entering highway and accelerating and clicking cruise control! Immediately the car revved past 7 rpms and out of control! I had all I could do to stop it - then it died completely! The tow truck driver was also in an unsafe situation with many cars passing at high speed when he had to put special lifts on the back wheels! Scary! Towed to local Chevy dealer and without giving us the computer codes and no actual written estimate for r

20230808STEERING

This vehicle is dangerous. Looks great on the outside but horrible on the inside under the hood! Since my son bought one for me it’s had problems with engine revving and not shifting gears, and air conditioner continually going out even after repairs, and power steering leaks. I kept taking it to repair and oddly no technician anywhere could help! Read the reviews and watch the youtubes! This vehicle (all years) should be stripped from the market and considered under lemon law no matter the age! The culmination of my problems happened when leaving town, entering highway and accelerating and clicking cruise control! Immediately the car revved past 7 rpms and out of control! I had all I could do to stop it - then it died completely! The tow truck driver was also in an unsafe situation with many cars passing at high speed when he had to put special lifts on the back wheels! Scary! Towed to local Chevy dealer and without giving us the computer codes and no actual written estimate for r

20230808POWER TRAIN

This vehicle is dangerous. Looks great on the outside but horrible on the inside under the hood! Since my son bought one for me it’s had problems with engine revving and not shifting gears, and air conditioner continually going out even after repairs, and power steering leaks. I kept taking it to repair and oddly no technician anywhere could help! Read the reviews and watch the youtubes! This vehicle (all years) should be stripped from the market and considered under lemon law no matter the age! The culmination of my problems happened when leaving town, entering highway and accelerating and clicking cruise control! Immediately the car revved past 7 rpms and out of control! I had all I could do to stop it - then it died completely! The tow truck driver was also in an unsafe situation with many cars passing at high speed when he had to put special lifts on the back wheels! Scary! Towed to local Chevy dealer and without giving us the computer codes and no actual written estimate for r

20230428ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Two items: Item 1. Transmission switched to neutral by itself traveling at 65 mph. At about 5-6 seconds after the incident, transmission resumed with no further problem. This has happened 3 times. First time was mid 2022. Second and third times happened in late 2022. Appeared to be an intermittent problem. Took to dealership. It happened to a mechanic who drove the vehicle. Dealership thought they fixed the problem. A dealership mechanic, while addressing item number 2 below in 3rd week of April 2023, experienced the motor going into neutral. They had replaced the ignition switch to possibly fix item #2, and were test driving the car, when during the test drives, the motor went into neutral by itself two separate test drives. Item 2. While driving at highway speeds on a freeway in mid February 2023, the engine stopped (speedometer and RPM gauges went to zero). The whole dashboard went black. Power steering was lost. Was lucky to be able to pull over to side of road and stop. Turning

20230428ENGINE

Two items: Item 1. Transmission switched to neutral by itself traveling at 65 mph. At about 5-6 seconds after the incident, transmission resumed with no further problem. This has happened 3 times. First time was mid 2022. Second and third times happened in late 2022. Appeared to be an intermittent problem. Took to dealership. It happened to a mechanic who drove the vehicle. Dealership thought they fixed the problem. A dealership mechanic, while addressing item number 2 below in 3rd week of April 2023, experienced the motor going into neutral. They had replaced the ignition switch to possibly fix item #2, and were test driving the car, when during the test drives, the motor went into neutral by itself two separate test drives. Item 2. While driving at highway speeds on a freeway in mid February 2023, the engine stopped (speedometer and RPM gauges went to zero). The whole dashboard went black. Power steering was lost. Was lucky to be able to pull over to side of road and stop. Turning

20230428STEERING

Two items: Item 1. Transmission switched to neutral by itself traveling at 65 mph. At about 5-6 seconds after the incident, transmission resumed with no further problem. This has happened 3 times. First time was mid 2022. Second and third times happened in late 2022. Appeared to be an intermittent problem. Took to dealership. It happened to a mechanic who drove the vehicle. Dealership thought they fixed the problem. A dealership mechanic, while addressing item number 2 below in 3rd week of April 2023, experienced the motor going into neutral. They had replaced the ignition switch to possibly fix item #2, and were test driving the car, when during the test drives, the motor went into neutral by itself two separate test drives. Item 2. While driving at highway speeds on a freeway in mid February 2023, the engine stopped (speedometer and RPM gauges went to zero). The whole dashboard went black. Power steering was lost. Was lucky to be able to pull over to side of road and stop. Turning

20230215AIR BAGS

The airbag light on the dash keeps coming off and on randomly. Stays on for a period of time or goes off after a couple seconds. Also for electrical, I was driving down Hwy and the vehicle died and turned back on within 5 seconds. Had to jiggle battery cables for it to come back on. I had two small children in the vehicle and I don’t feel it’s safe to drive any longer.

20230215ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The airbag light on the dash keeps coming off and on randomly. Stays on for a period of time or goes off after a couple seconds. Also for electrical, I was driving down Hwy and the vehicle died and turned back on within 5 seconds. Had to jiggle battery cables for it to come back on. I had two small children in the vehicle and I don’t feel it’s safe to drive any longer.

20221226VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I was driving at approximately 30mph on a road the traction control/stability track light came on and my car lost almost all power. it went from 30 to about 5mph. thankfully i was on a slower road and close to my house so I was able to get home. If I would have been on a highway I could have been killed. i quick google search showed thousands of other complaints with the same problem, my question is why is nothing being done. are they waiting for a certain number of deaths??

20221226ENGINE

I was driving at approximately 30mph on a road the traction control/stability track light came on and my car lost almost all power. it went from 30 to about 5mph. thankfully i was on a slower road and close to my house so I was able to get home. If I would have been on a highway I could have been killed. i quick google search showed thousands of other complaints with the same problem, my question is why is nothing being done. are they waiting for a certain number of deaths??

Compare 2010CHEVROLETTRAVERSE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE have?
The 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE has 922 NHTSA complaints, 25 crashes, 9 fires, 18 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE?
Yes, the 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE?
The most-complained component for the 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE is STEERING with 328 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.