CHEVROLET TRAVERSE · model year

2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

97 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2021CHEVROLETTRAVERSE carries 97 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 0 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2021 TRAVERSE is electrical system with 20 filings, followed by unknown or other (17) and service brakes (9). 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 3 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 2021 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.

97
Complaints
7
Crashes
0
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths
2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

97 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM20
UNKNOWN OR OTHER17
SERVICE BRAKES9
POWER TRAIN8
ENGINE7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL3
STEERING3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING2
Carry Handle, Shell, Base2
SEAT BELTS2
SUSPENSION2
AIR BAGS2

Recalls (3)

22V21000031/03/2022

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.

21V47200024/06/2021

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:FRONTAL IMPACT

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.

21V81700018/10/2021

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Traverse wheelchair accessible vehicles with Power In-floor Ramp conversion. The screw and clip that hold the inner wheel-well plastic shroud in place may chafe against the transmission case, possibly resulting in a transmission flu

Recent Complaints

20260218POWER TRAIN

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.

20260109POWER TRAIN

I was driving 45 mph on a state route when all of a sudden my drive shaft bolt came completely out and split my drive shaft in two causing me to lose control. No damage at all or rust or anything is visible on the drive shaft. Could have caused a serious injury or worse. I just had a Multi Point Inspection done the day before the incident occurred

20260107STEERING

UNKNOWN Steering assist reduced has been issued to the vehicle. Upon inspection we are being told that the steering rack needs to be replaced to resolve the issue.

20251225UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Shift to park message comes on 50% of the time when shutting down the engine, Tapping the shift lever forward sometimes Removes the message, other times restarting the engine and shifting to drive and back to park several times will remove the message

20251201ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the front exhaust pipe made an abnormally loud sound, and there was an odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

Mileage: 74,000

20251110STEERING

The electronic stability control (ESC) system and power steering system malfunctioned. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The power steering warning indicated a potential loss or reduction of steering assist, which could have made it difficult to steer and control the vehicle—especially at higher speeds or in traffic. This posed a potential safety risk to me and others on the road. Yes. The issue was confirmed by my local Chevrolet dealership. They determined that a software update was required to correct the malfunction. The vehicle was inspected and serviced by my local Chevrolet dealership. It has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or others. Yes. Immediately after shifting from reverse into drive while backing down a driveway (at approximately 5–10 mph), two warning messages appeared: “Service ESC” and “Service Power Steering, Drive with Care.” There were no prior warning lights or symptoms before this occurred.

20251104ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 49,000. It was later discovered, after checking the Carfax report, that the mileage was 75,000.

Mileage: 75,000

20251030UNKNOWN OR OTHER

In the first 51,000 on my vehicle I have had 3 issues with the emissions system which has a negative impact on the environment and would prevent my vehicle from passing state inspection. GM covered the first 2 under warranty, but I now have a leak in my muffler which seems that it could be related to other issues involving brackets on the exhaust pipes breaking. This is widely reported by other Traverse owners yet GM has not extended the warranty to cover this.

20251029SERVICE BRAKES

Right Rear upper and lower toe links broke nearly causing a serious accident when brakes were applied, vehicle pulled severely to the right causing it to swerve and narrowly missing another vehicle. The toe link failure on my vehicle which has only 29702 miles put my life and the life of my family members at risk. The vehicle was brought to our local licensed repair shop in Massapequa, NY where the prblem was diagnosed and repaired. No warning lights or symptoms occurred prior to this first incident. I researched this safety item for any recalls on this issue, however there are none currenlty on file for my vehicle but several for other Cheverolet vehicle with same toe link issue.

20251029SUSPENSION

Right Rear upper and lower toe links broke nearly causing a serious accident when brakes were applied, vehicle pulled severely to the right causing it to swerve and narrowly missing another vehicle. The toe link failure on my vehicle which has only 29702 miles put my life and the life of my family members at risk. The vehicle was brought to our local licensed repair shop in Massapequa, NY where the prblem was diagnosed and repaired. No warning lights or symptoms occurred prior to this first incident. I researched this safety item for any recalls on this issue, however there are none currenlty on file for my vehicle but several for other Cheverolet vehicle with same toe link issue.

20251028Carry Handle, Shell, Base

The base does not look in place. The buttons do not look to put in position. The entire car seat slides back and forth on its base.

20251017UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Front exhaust pipe is seperating

20251010ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the engine oil was abnormally low and required 2-quarts of oil to top off the oil level even though the vehicle had recently been serviced. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000.

Mileage: 41,000

20251005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Received a "Service Battery Charging System" dash warning message driving down the highway. Made it home and changed the battery but the issue persists and I can't drive the car. Reading online many complaints/problems with alternator and electrical premature failures. Car is a little more than 4 years old and has only 23,600 miles. Getting the car to the Chevy dealer tomorrow to diagnose problem and fix. If car were to stall out at highway speeds it could be very dangerous. This problem should receive further investigation by NHTSA. Shouldn't have electrical failures on cars with 23,000 miles.

20251002CrashSERVICE BRAKES

While going around 40mph I approached a stopped vehicle and tried to come to a stop. At this time my braking system failed, speeding the car up instead of slowing it down, this resulted in my car rear ending another vehicle. When the car accident occurred my steering wheel air bag came out but did not inflate. There were no warning lamps or messages at the time of the crash. Due to the laws in Mississippi it was declared I was at fault and the insurance company will not inspect or cover the damages.

20251002CrashAIR BAGS

While going around 40mph I approached a stopped vehicle and tried to come to a stop. At this time my braking system failed, speeding the car up instead of slowing it down, this resulted in my car rear ending another vehicle. When the car accident occurred my steering wheel air bag came out but did not inflate. There were no warning lamps or messages at the time of the crash. Due to the laws in Mississippi it was declared I was at fault and the insurance company will not inspect or cover the damages.

20250927UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Radio went blank unable to access screen. Not sure reason. Upon start up couldn’t access any parts of radio. Couldn’t reset and issue still current as of today.

20250927ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Radio went blank unable to access screen. Not sure reason. Upon start up couldn’t access any parts of radio. Couldn’t reset and issue still current as of today.

20250921POWER TRAIN

Shift to park warning comes on every time I put my car into park. I can give the gear shift a hard tap so it can go into park and my car will turn off. I feel like after a period of tapping the great shift it will turn into a bigger problem.

20250921ENGINE

I was driving to work and my car made a loud noise. I was able to drive back home. I took my car to the Chevrolet repair shop. They said my front exhaust and catalytic converter are broken. They replaced my exhaust pipe and not the converter.

Compare 2021CHEVROLETTRAVERSE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE have?
The 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE has 97 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 0 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE?
The 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE?
Yes, the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE?
The most-complained component for the 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 20 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2021 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. The 2021 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. 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.