Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Chevrolet Traverse owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle, the message Shift to Park was displayed and the instrument cluster displayed that the transmission was in neutral(N). The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The contact was unable to park the vehicle successfully after several attempts. The contact drove back to his residence where he attempted to park the vehicle again. The vehicle registered that the gear shifter was in park(P) after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the shifter assembly was replaced under GMC Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-NA-206. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure occurred a second time. The contact was unable to turn off vehicle. The vehicle remained on until the battery was drained. …
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after his wife had parked the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off as intended. The contact also stated that the vehicle had failed to start while at a gas station. Additionally, the contact stated that upon shifting from reverse(R) to park(P), the vehicle failed to respond and continued reversing. The contact 's wife depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to Main Street Service Station, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the transmission shifter cable; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall, and he had to pay for the repair. …
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated while attempting to reverse, the gear shifter failed to shift into reverse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer offered to assist with a monetary rebate to assist with the cost of the repair. In addition, the contact stated that there was an unknown recall for the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact's daughter stated that when the gear shifter was shifted into park(P), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that several attempts were needed before the computer recognized that the gear shifter was in park(P). The contact was then able to turn off the vehicle. Two unknown warning lights were illuminated. The failure was becoming more frequent; however, after the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact's daughter then took the vehicle to an unknown local dealer where she was made aware that there was currently no remedy available for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed. The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle and left the vehicle running until the battery died. The vehicle needed to be jumpstarted the next day. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: PIT5616 (Vehicle Displays Shift to Park Message On DIC When In Park); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P) and turning off the vehicle, the message "Vehicle Not in Park" was displayed. The contact stated that he had to restart the vehicle and move the gear shifter forward and backward until the transmission moved to the park(P) position. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly. The contact stated that he could not lock the doors of the vehicle during the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gear shift selector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,119.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the shift gear was shifted to park, however, the contact stated that the vehicle did not turn off as intended. The contact stated that when turning the engine off, a warning light illuminated indicating shift to park instead. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle did not turn off. The contact stated that the failure began a year ago, however the failure has become persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then firmly shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shift selector was shifted to park(P), and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, and the contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that after shifting to park several times, the failure self-corrected. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that the vehicle had previously been repaired for the same failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 84,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and shifting to the park position the message "shift to park" had displayed and the vehicle could not be turned off. After wiggling the shifter the engine eventually was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shifter assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The shifter assembly was replaced and the failure was remedied but eventually, the failure reoccurred. the vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020.
Transmission complaints in other Traverse years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?
NHTSA has 196 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, 42% of the model year's 464 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission › lever and linkage › floor shift (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Chevrolet Traverse transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-668 (automatic transmission, Oct 29, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Chevrolet Traverse transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.