Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Chevrolet Traverse owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle would stall. The contact mentioned that the vehicle required to be revved in order to prevent it from stalling. The contact stated that when the failure occurred a previous time, there was a lot of smoke, and she noticed that the driver's side air filter had caught fire, however, extinguished itself. The contact stated that she did not have to contact the fire department, nor did she sustain any injuries. The contact stated that she contacted the dealer, and she was advised that there were no recalls on her vehicle at the time. The failure mileage was 100,000.
My check engine light started coming on and found out from mechanic there was an issue with the stretching of the timing chain (P0008) . Car started making clanging noises and now needing a $3000 repair . After researching the problem, I have found out that there was an ongoing problem with belts and had recalls for 2009 , which was covered. Gm knowing there was a faulty design tried to reprogram the oil life monitor as a corrective action for the population of vehicles meaning THEY recognized the sensitivity of system. It wasn't effective enough because now people are having issues at higher mileage and outside their warranty. GM knew this would happen and are now pushing the cost onto their loyal customers. GM needs to show loyalty to their customers and own up to the poor design. …
It happened 2 yrs ago in May. My kids and I were waiting in the vehicle and it cut off all of a sudden. My boyfriend checked it out and wasn't sure what the problem was. The vehicle got towed. Mechanic said it was a bad ECM. Whomever sold me the vehicle had an Arcadia ECM. The mechanic from the dealership I took it to said it's on back order. 6 months later he said there's nothing they can do for my vehicle. So it stayed in my yard for so long. We bought a used ECM from a used auto part. Today my boyfriend had to go on YouTube just to figure out what's wrong. He was under the hood almost the whole day and now it's fixed. The only problem is the check engine light is on.
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??
I was driving and it it lost power when I started it it did a terrible noise like clicking. Mechanic looked at it and showed me the timing chain is 3 links loose. It was slipping and missing. My children were in the vehicle when this happened. Consumer stated car died it jumped back, jerked hard like it was in reverse then restarted it and got it to the house.
Vehicle started having a rattling noise when it was started, coming from the passenger side of the motor at just under 86k miles on the odometer. I have been advised by a Certified Mechanic that the timing chain has stretched, receiving a stored code of P0008 with no Check Engine Light being active. The entire timing chain assembly now has to be replaced.
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). …
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! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, flames were present coming from under the hood of the vehicle. Moments after exiting the vehicle an explosion occurred under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. A fire report and police report were taken at the scene. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.
My 2010 Traverse experienced a severe safety issue this morning. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the traction control warning light illuminated and the engine speed was immediately reduced to approximately 15 MPH. This occurred without warning and in heavy freeway traffic nearly causing my vehicle to be rear ended by several other cars. I turned on my hazard signal and managed to reach the road shoulder after traffic had cleared. After stopping for 10 minutes I restarted the vehicle in an attempt to drive to the closest dealer for service. After covering about 6 miles the same warning lights appeared and the vehicle speed was reduced again, but I manage to reach the dealership. At the Chevrolet dealer the vehicle was diagnosed that the throttle body had failed & needed to be replaced. The dealer service department stated that this was not a warranty item. …
Engine complaints in other Traverse years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse?
NHTSA has 186 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse, 28% of the model year's 669 complaints. The component named most often is engine (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Chevrolet Traverse engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Chevrolet Traverse engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.