Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Chevrolet Traverse owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the engine was still running independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that water was entering the hood of the vehicle causing the vehicle to have electrical issues and the fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000.
This vehicle is notorious for multiple electrical failures. The alternator fried the battery fried, both of which were replaced. This vehicle still wouldn't start. The wiring harness to the PCM is notorious for having shorts. The pcm itself is notorious for going out really early. This vehicle is almost undrivable and it dies while you're in the middle of driving where you can't stop. I do not know how this vehicle has been kept on the market without being recalled. I do not know how more people haven't been in accidents because of it. And even worse, it's notorious for the airbags messing up. I think I would be more understanding if it weren't for the fact that this vehicle has been well maintained. It has regular maintenance. It's never overdue for an oil change or a fluid top up. I have children that ride in this vehicle and now I have to worry about their safety.
The first time this happened, I was driving a hilly back road from school the service stabilitrac and traction control warning lights came on then the engine power is being reduced warning light came on and the car immediately slowed to a crawl with very little steering control. I was able to drive it on the shoulder to my mechanic at no more than 20 MPH and he said that 4 of the 6 coils needed to be replaced. A $700 repair. Second time it happened (12/3/14) I was driving on I-95 doing 65 and all the same lights came on again but this time the car instantly reduced the speed and I was crawling at 10mph. I had several near misses with other cars as we were all traveling at the posted speed in rush hour traffic. I struggled to get the car to the shoulder. I stopped the car and restarted and everything reset and I was able to drive for about a mile or two and it recurred. …
Stability traction control system problems. I have a 2011 Chevy Traverse. Problems erupted after I finished paying it off. I had this car for 7 years now and 100K miles now. For the past year the traction control system has failed multiple times. At first I took it to the dealer and spent over $3500 to fix it. A few months after the problem came back. The dealer was asking for almost $4000 stating that it was something else not fixed before. Even a mechanic from the dealership told me to get rid of it because lots of people were complaining with same issues. At first the "traction control system off" comes on the screen every time I drive for a long period of time. Followed by "service stability traction control system". Now as soon as I turn the car on the same messages appear. Just a week ago I was in the highway and "power loss warning" came out in the screen. …
So far I have had nothing but issues with my SUV, bought a 2009 for 6,000 and had to pt 7,200 in it to get it running right. I traded it in at the dealership it was being diagnosed at thankfully. Now I have a 2011 and starting to have many issues unfortunately. First it started 3700 miles after I got my 2011 by leaving me with no power steering while trying to make a turn and almost wrecked 3 times going to the hospital. I was able to put power steering fluid in and got my power steering back but immediately took it back to the dealer. They said if I came in at 3500 miles they would have replaced the pump and whole rack under warrenty, but they didnt. So I gotta top it off every few months, no big deal. Suspension has been replaced twice, rough idle, tuned up 3 times in 42,373 miles. …
As described by hundreds, if not thousands, of other owners...obdii codes p0008 and p0017, in conjunction with "service stabilitrack, AWD disabled, traction control off". We have replaced multiple sensors, replaced throttle body(and sensor), replaced driver front wheel hub assembly (magnet that has to do with sensor came off). The above two codes persist. Purchased used vehicle with 118xxx miles and within a year these codes appeared. Took vehicle to dealer, who insisted it was timing chain, with estimate of $2300. However, second and third opinions disagreed...suggesting sensor issues, throttle body issues, etc. Why has the timing chain or tensioner not been recalled, if this is the issue? Fortunately, our vehicle does not go into limp mode...however, we've been told this could happen in the future. Would greatly appreciate it if the NHTSA would do a deeper dive and generate a recall. …
While driving home from my mother's house, my 2011 Chevy Traverse suddenly, and without warning lost power. The warning "engine power reduced" came up. This made my car go from 45mph to 25 MPH at an extremely alarming rate while on a busy highway. This is not the first instance of this happening with this particular year model. I have read many forums today, all filled with people having the same problem. Apparently GM is doing nothing to correct the problem. It seems they are waiting for multiple injuries or god forbid deaths before they react. I just bought this car 2 months ago, and have put a little over 10,000 miles on it. Have had the oil changed, and yet, just from reading some of the other complaints listed on the forums I have read I feel like I May be at a loss on this vehicle. I implore you to do something about this. …
I was on my way home from dinner when the engine started revving on it's own and the car began jerking. I pulled to the side of the road and the engine killed. I restarted the vehicle and noted that the battery was suppling enough power and the temperature gage was normal. At this time, the lights started to flicker, the rpms were going up and down fairly quickly and the windows and locks were clicking. I was able to get the vehicle home (5 miles), but the problems persisted the entire drive. The second I would let me foot off the gas pedal, the engine would kill. I took it to the mechanic and he said when he hooked it up to the machine to see what the problem was, there was so much wrong he couldn't actually tell what was causing what. The computer and engine both were recommended to be replaced. …
My car never cooled well. There would be bursts of cool air and then warmer. It was never as cold as other cars I rode in. We began noticing a strange noise on acceleration. I took it in a couple times and they had a mechanic just come listen, but never had a reason to send it in for servicing. I took it in to the dealership in formally on 6-25-13 to the dealership in missouri who fixed the car after it was hit by a distracted driver and curtain airbags failed! Nothing was found, although the bodyshop man wrote up the work order wrong as a surging. It was a strange surging clicking on acceleration, but sounded like it was under the dash. We then would notice the air would warm significantly for a few minutes. I also took it into hamilton where I bought the vehicle, they found nothing. …
While driving my Traverse my traction control will turn off, service stabilitrak will come on and it will say engine power reduced and will slowly start to slow down. If you come to a complete stop and try to hit the gas again it will shake and kind of studder. This has happened both on a city street and on the highway. The city street was on a curvy road and the highway was a straightaway. This has only happened while in motion. In order for it to stop we would have to turn the car off for 10-15 seconds and restart in which sometimes it would stop for a while and others it would only stop for a mile or less. This is the second year it has done it and both years it has done it in the cold. Last year we cleaned the wheel sensors and it stopped but this year we have tried multiple things and nothing is working. …
Electrical complaints in other Traverse years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse?
NHTSA has 67 complaints about the electrical system of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse, 11% of the model year's 608 complaints. The component named most often is alternator/generator/regulator (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Traverse electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2011 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 2011 Chevrolet Traverse electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.