Used 2011 Chevrolet Traverse SUV Consumer Reviews

Auto Transmission a potential death trap

I have been subjected to a unexpected scare in my Traverse and wonder if anyone had the same fate. On accelerating to overtake there was a multiple shift of the gears (at least 2 back) which caused the motor to hesitate and put me in a precarious position of slowing down instead of speeding up to pass other vehicles. I have possessed a Cadillac SRX 2011 that had the same problem so I assume the the problem is in the transmission as both vehicles have the 6 speed auto tranny. I would be interested in hearing from other owners with same or similar problem

Power Steering rack out with less than 50,000 mile

We purchased this 2011 Traverse in June of 2015. It was a one owner vehicle and we felt it was a good buy. Less than a year later we are learning it's a major flop! We have already had the water pump replaced, the power steering system, and now the whole power steering rack is out. The dealership says this is a $1,800 Fix. I could see if this was a high mileage vehicle, but it has less than 50,000 miles! From what we have read this is a HUGE problem with this vehicle. Chevrolet really needs to look into this, as I feel the amount of other people with this exact problem may warrant a recall on this system. Buyer beware!

Looks good, spacious interior. Not real impressed overall.

I've had my Traverse for less than a year & I'm dying to trade it in for something else. I love the look of the Traverse, but after owning one for a while now, the disappointments keep adding up. For one, it's horrible to drive in cold weather. It handles great, but the front defrost is the most useless thing ever made. The vent is like a foot wide & doesn't seem to blow outward at all. I can let the car warm up for a half hour & still have to scrape the sides of the windshield. Also, the heating system is flawed. When I change the temperature, it doesn't actually change, sometimes taking as long as 20 minutes to go from cold to hot. And now the check engine light is on because of a sensor.

Buyer beware!!!!

I've had my 2011 traverse for 3 years. Once the vehicle hit 50k miles it was downhill from there. I had to invest in a $1400 powering steering rack. I took the vehicle In for what I thought was a minor leak and $1400 later the car still doesn't handle/drive well. I am now starting to have suspension problems. I do not understand how GM can get away with having these vehicles on The road with known problems. I've read hundreds of reviews with people experiencing the same type of issues. Do not waste your money on GM vehicles. What I thought to be a good crossover for my family of 6 turned out to be a nightmare.

Built for safety!

We were involved in an accident. The other car was totaled and very little damage to my right front bumper area. My vehicle drives like a dream, performs fantastically, and is built like a tank for safety. The front end folded like it should have for optimal protection and safety. I love this car and it is so worth the money we paid for it.

Please do not buy!!!!

After 2 months of owning the car which I purchased used with 60,000 miles on it the engine blew due to timing chain issues. I've had the car for 2 years and have had the catalytic converter go out, the hood latch now I have the accuator for the heating and cooling out. I paid $10000. For the car and have that much in repairs. After reading and joining Traverse Forums these problems happen all the time and it doesn't matter of the year, even the new ones. This is also the same engine that the Acadia and the Buick have and they are also having the same problems.

Look elsewhere....

We purchased our Traverse with several upgrades including captain chairs in the rear, DVD, 20" wheels, nice looking Diamond White paint, in addition to other things. New, this vehicle was great, quiet, comfortable to ride in. Then the problems....The car quit on my wife twice while on the highway. It went into a reduced power mode and had to be towed. The first time, we paid for repairs at the dealer. The second time, they told us it was a warranty item and replaced something in the intake/fuel system. Then the water pump went out (another warranty item). Then three more recall items. Now the air conditioner has gone out! Several law firms are now contacting us regarding lemon laws. Now two of the a/c-heater vent actuators have failed. About a $1500 repair!

Extremely Disappointed!`

Our 2011 Chevy Traverse has been nothing but trouble. As others in this forum have stated, the front defrost does not work correctly. We live in a cold climate and the heater quit working. The first time we had a problem with the Stabilitrak, we took it to the dealer who said "they could find nothing wrong". After two more times of experiencing "reduced power", we took it in again. I experienced reduced power from 70 MPH to 40 MPH on the freeway it was extremely dangerous since I was accelerating in the left lane and had to try to work my way through traffic to exit the freeway, missed an important meeting and now the vehicle has been at the dealer for repairs, needing a new throttle body. This car continues to be problematic. None of the dealers who have worked on the car have been able to fix the Stabilitrak problem. We have spent quite a lot of money, but the problem continues. As soon as we decide what type of vehicle we want, we are getting rid of this car.

Great Bang for the Buck

Traded in 2004 Saturn VUE AWD to make room for 3rd carseat and needed 3rd row. Also test drove Acadia,Enclave,Explorer,Pilot, and Highlander. Narrowed our choice between Highlander and Traverse. Both had very good ride and comfort, but Traverse won out primarily on room behind 3rd row (could not fit golf bag or stroller in Highlander if 3rd row up). Insisted on 2nd row captain's chairs for easier access to 3rd row (Pilot does not have this option). Would recommend captain's chairs if you plan on puting carseats in 2nd row, otherwise access to third row difficult. Almost have 1K miles on it and love it. Great get up & go when I need to pass someone. Very Happy so far.

Good for the family of 5

I have had mine since June, I bought it used with 33k miles on it. Its been amazing, we replaced our Chevy Equinox for the 3rd row and I have to say that I am really happy with it. No problems other than the dealer not fixing the breaks before the car was given to me like they said but I got it from AutoNation so I just took it to another dealer and they did it for free... I think they could have added a few more perks for the car, made the cup holders about an inch back from the AC plug and maybe put a few extra ones in the 2nd and third row but overall its a great car!!!!

Nice and roomy, poor running

Where to start...steering wheel makes squeeky sound, clacking sound with hard left turns, ac compressor growls when it comes on, had leak in upper and lower ac lines and replaced, had ticking in engine and had timing chain replaced(at least dealership agreed on that), transmission slips, transmission whines under load of 4 normal sized adults in vehicle, starter sluggish, electronic wiring harness was corroded and had to be replaced after being left with no lights, upholstery poor and wearing prematurely, and on and on. Dealership tries to charge me a $91 fee for every time they have to look at it or try to diagnose something. Still under WRAP warranty until September. This was my 2nd traverse because the style works for our family. The 1st was a 2009 and had all 3 timing chains replaced x 3. Had several coils replaced and finally was able to get GM to agree there was a problem. Traded with their help for a 2011 and it did good until 50k miles. Falling apart fast! Can anyone recommend a reliable alternative??

Great car but for the Noxious Fumes that enter when stopping

Love the vehicle. Very Comfortable. Mileage well its so so. 15 city and 19 Hwy (OK 20 going downhill on a long mountain highway). Nice amenities. Like it a heck of a lot better than my Honda Pilot that it replaced. Now for the negative. For some strange reason that the dealer can't figure out, when the AC is on Fresh Air coming in, and you come to a stop, you get noxious Sulfer like, or propane like smells coming into the passenger compartment. Doesn't happen when AC is on Recirculate. I've seen similar complaints on the Chevrolet Traverse Forum.

2011 Chevrolet Traverse, Super SUV!

I have owned several SUVs in the past from different manufacturers foreign and domestic, and my New 2011 Chevy Traverse 1LT AWD is the best SUV/Crossover I have ever owned. This vehicle accelerates very well from a dead start, to passing slower vehicles in highway traffic easily. The interior space and ride are exceptional. The driving, cornering, and overall handling in this vehicle. The instrumentation is situated very nicely. The Bluetooth, OnStar, and automatic starting features make this vehicle the perfect fit for our needs. Great for tailgating too!

Just OK

Very disappointed with the MPG. We get 17 MPG combined. Quality is very good. Utility is not as good as our minivan was.

Been a great car for 8 years

I've had my Traverse for 7 years and just upgrading. It's been a great car. Very dependable and no major problem. I actually hated to get rid of it. I had the LTZ so it was fully loaded. Now I'm having trouble finding another suv that has everything that one did without paying $50,000. Only got rid of it because I get scared when cars get over 100k miles!

Back to the Drawing Board

I purchased my "Brand New" 2011 Traverse in July 2011. Between 2013 & 2014, I have had the radio replaced, the back windshield replaced (2X), a back signal bulb, a front bulb, all the switches that control the electric windows, complete set of new tires, and in May of this year, 2015, I had to have a new engine along with a new coil and these items are not part of the number of recalls that have been issued. Now my breaks are squealing when I apply them and my gas needle isn't registering correctly and of course another recall on the automatic lift for the trunk area. I'm so sick of this vehicle and all its issues. Before I purchased my Traverse, I had a used 2002 Dodge Caravan that didn't give me any problems. Had I know buying "NEW" would put me in this predicament, I would have kept my van. At least if something on it needing fixing/replaced, it wouldn't matter so much because it was used. Who would have thought with all this technology that you have so much problems with a supposedly New Vehicle?

Poor Fuel Mileage

I'm a Certified Energy Conservation Driving Instructor and only able to coax out 20.1 mpg on a 600+ mile highway trip on a vehicle that is rated at 23MPG and should get upwards if 24-25 with good driving practices... Calling GM and taking to the dealer provided no relief or answers.

Always needs someone repaired

Bought this car with about 45,000 miles. It currently has 86,000. Below is a summary of maintenance problems since we purchased the Traverse. Had newer tires when I purchased. Within 10,000 miles all kinds of front suspension/tires/driving problems started. In and out of the dealerships 7 times to fix the following problems: Power steering pump was failed and then the rack and pinon failed. Next they replaced both front wheel bearings and I needed to put on new tires! That fixed the power steering issue and terrible tire vibration. Since then I've put brakes and rotors on (no big deal) and had the engine coolant and transmission system flushed. No leaks prior but the next day I had a pile of engine coolant under the Traverse. I assumed the tech's didn't put something back on right or created a new issue. Apparently my water pump failed the next day after the engine coolant was replaced (76,000 miles). Bizarre coincidence since there wasn't a problem before. Parts and labor = another $730. The list goes on and on but I would NEVER recommend a Traverse. I have a chevy truck and love it but this Traverse is a POS.

This car is a road hazard

This car is an accident waiting to happen!! I'm going down the highway at 70 mph and all of a sudden loose power. Warnings come on...Engine power reduced, traction control off, stabilizer off!!! And of course the service messages come with that. We live in North Dakota and there is snow for at least 6 months so the traction control is a priority for us, but not this car. As I said before going down the highway and all of a sudden you are down to 25mph at the most. This car has been in the shop more than in our driveway....a money pit!!!!

Great For an expanding family

When I found out I was going too have another child, I needed to upgrade my ride. After 2 months of research, the Traverse won. (I went through all of makes/models from BMW to Cadillac.) I bought the 2LT with dual sunroof/dvd/nav combo. I love the ride and the feel of the truck. My family loves the roominess of the interior. After driving it a month, the fuel economy is lower than advertised BUT thats the only negative thing I have to say about the truck. You will love this Chevy.

Best family Christmas trip ever!!

Just a great vehicle all around! We bought it for the 3rd row seating for extended family road trips. It surpassed our expectations, comfortable, quiet and not too hard on the wallet.

Worst car ever

Complete engine failure at 66,000 miles - perfect maintenance with records to verify and I spent 2 months arguing with GM before they gave me a $2,500 voucher for a new vehicle. If GM is the heartbeat of America - we’ve flatlined. I’m going back to Toyota - better built, better value, better customer service.

Very good vehicle

I bought a 2011 FWD LTZ Traverse - traded in an '07 Escalade for better MPG and interior design. I love being able to go from cargo hauling to 6 or 7 passengers without picking up 50 lb seats (like I had to in the Escalade). Power is good, LTZ has all the comforts (DVD, heated/cooled seats, bluetooth, ipod integration, etc.). Recently got 22 mpg on a 600 mile trip with 5 passengers and luggage. This is a very good vehicle.

Engine failure at 56,000 miles

So many problems cheap interior, power .steering, stability trac, air conditioning failure when 2 yrs old.. Piece of crap.. Totally avoid.. I still own a 2000 power stoke f350. At 15 yrs old 170,000 miles still driven very often AC IS COLD still never refilled.. Only fix alternator and can positioning sensor... Total $ 250 cost.. In 15 yrs.. Going back to ford trucks.. Dependability and trade in value is important.. Shame on me for betraying Ford..

rides great

Have 2011 Traverse LS. 103000 miles. Great ride on highway in particular. We have had no major mechanical problems. Had a control switch on AC that went bad which cost 450. Have not had major engine or transmission problems that some have reported. I do not think it is cheaply made as some report. FM radio just went out although AM and sirius radio still work. Don't regret purchase. Wonderful interior space. Poor rear visibility when backing out.

Worst suv ever

Do not buy a Chevy traverse, we own a 2009 ltz and it’s been problems after problems and only have had it for a year

Great car - for 75,000 miles only

piece of garbage - engine totally failed at 75,000 miles. Dealer says “sometimes it just happens.” Never had it happen before with any other car. Cannot get GM to return my call but dealer says maybe I can sell it for scrap metal. So many options I never considered. Car looks great -no dents, dings or damage so I guess it’ll be the best looking car in the junk yard! GM -you need to stand behind you product - the best part of your product shouldn’t be the salesman. Waiting 7 days for a call -crickets!

Traversing the 2011 Traverse

Best car I ever owned. My habit is to keep a car about 7 years, so I am looking to trade this in soon, but I fear that I will not get as good a car, as comfortable a car, will get something with more gadgets and less actual car (performance, ride, comfort).

Cheaply assembled, Money Pit.

Bought in July of 2010. We're at 50K miles now. Problems we've had that aren't normal wear-and-tear include: Interior and exterior parts snapping out of place too easily. "Service Stabilitrak" malfunction. Car stalls and reduces engine power unexpectly, Has happened numerous times even after being serviced. Very frustating issue. Cracked engine mount. Bearing failure with the steering column. AC non-funcitioning two springs in a row. Gas mileage has been unwhelming, that's was expected as we do mostly city driving. Car is decent when things are working, but overall, it's just bee a money pit with too many headaches for what was a brand new car when we purchased.

Do Not Buy 2011 Traverse

2011 Traverse 2LT FWD has gone from bad to worse... Engine was replaced at 55,000 miles under warranty, then Air Conditioner was replaced not under warranty. Now at 70,000 miles dealer service says Fuel Injector #5 needs replacing not under warranty but Fuel Injector System was serviced by same dealer 4 days ago. Traverse is worst GM vehicle I have ever owned and I have owned lots over the past 50 years. I will never buy another Traverse and recommend you do not buy either.

Broken Down for the 3rd time with 4 kids

I have a 2011 chevy traverse it has went for the stability traction control . The first time they fix it but 2 months later it did the same thing. I took it back and the dealership stated it was the throttled tried to charged me full price but i was under warranty. so as of 3/2018 when they fixed it last night me and kids were leaving church and 2 mins later the tracker went off lost power and died in the middle of the road and started smoking. No oil , no radiator fluid, battery is fine. So not only were we scared for our safety but I am a single mom just moved to a new city. we finally got home and i had to wait to call dealership to get my car come to find out it was towed and so not only am i stranded i had to pay 200.00 to get my car out of jail to have the dealership tow it. This is sad. GM needs to recall this and fix the whole thing because they also changed sensors and its obviously not fixing the real issue. And when they fix it this time and my warranty is out what happens next ??? PLEASE HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS GM!!!!! CONCERNED MOTHER AND CUSTOMER EMAIL---REESEORSINO@YMAIL.COM

Full of Tears and Regrets.

Please learn from my lesson. I am a patriot. Eight years ago, when the time came for me to buy a SUV as my family grew big , I decided to buy an America made one to support US car industry. That is why I bought Chevy Traverse, instead of Honda Pilot. Below are what happened in 8 years. I was warned of the oil leakage at the 2nd year after buying this car. The leakage became so serious that it had to be fixed at the 4th year after buying this car. I called and complaint about it to get it fixed without charge. The shop had to remove the whole engine to find the problem. I had a big shadow in my mind since this problem. In the recent 2 years, which are 7 and 8 years after I bought this car, the shadow became real nightmare. Here are the list of what happened: the seats buckles were broken twice, AC was broken once, windows control stopped function once, engine mount was broken once. All of these had cost me about $2400. All of these happened with less than 100,000 miles. I still need to use this car for another 2 or 3 years at least. I am really worried about how much more I need to burn in the coming years. I love this country, but I was an idiot to show my patriotism to buy this crap.

Reliable

This has been a very good car in all areas with very little unscheduled maintenance needed with 1360000 miles.

Worst used vehicle I ever purchased

Bought used private seller body in great shape. Engine terrible. Didn’t have but. 1 week engine light came on. Diagnosed Timing chains had in shop to get fixed bill was over $2500 ran worse after I got back. Following week engine blew up and Englehardt ne caught on fire..on freeway total loss thank God I had insurance recouped most of my monies. Screw GM never again especially a Chevy product. Stay away from 2009 10 11 Traverses. Acadia and Enclaves . All have the V6 with problems. I would stay far away from these vehicles. If it’s cheap you will know why.. they can’t sell them

2011 traverse

I have had for 8 months and put 20K miles in it. When I drive out of town for trips sometimes I have problems with the stability track light going off and it will say engine power reduced. I have to pull over and let it sit for awhile then I can drive again, but it continues to come back on, I have to pull over numerous times. Have had it looked at, which it was not under warranty for this problem, computer was reset. And yes it keeps happening. Also, second row seating is not comfortable for adults. I am a previous owner of a Dodge Durango and never had any problems. I am currently looking for a Dodge. Good luck with the Traverse. I will never own one again!

Love the Interior

Just picked up a 2011 Traverse (FWD) and love it. Thought that sizing down from a full-size Tahoe would be harder but it really isn't. The interior design is great, we actually prefer the cloth. Cup holders everywhere, tons of storage in dash, console, glove box, etc and the seat configuration is the best. 3rd row that folds truly flat and the 2nd even folds down pretty flat too. TONS of space, great V6 performance. Really a good deal for the money. Sharp looking body style too. Good job America and Chevrolet. I knew you have it in you!

Traverse........What a piece of

If you are looking for a good dependable vehicle, don't think about a Traverse. Bought a brand new off the lot 2011 Traverse in the fall of 2010. Right of the beginning there were problems. The on-star had a broken wire that had to go back to the dealer. Then, two different computers went out in the first 20K, then at 30K the transfer case went out. Now it is out of warranty and the front wheel bearing has gone out, and the radio buttons are going bad. Gas mileage? Don't even think you are going to get close to what they advertise. We average right at 17mpg, with lots of hwy driving. Just about to 60K miles, and we are due to replace the second set of tires. don't buy!

Seat belt trouble

Has anyone else had problems with the seat belt in the middle row breaking. After only 63,000 miles on my 2009 traverse, the seat belt broke. Chevy won't fix cause it is out of warranty. what kind of seat belt breaks with only 63,000 miles on a car. Glad I was not in a wreck!!!

Suite

This is a suite ride. Not a misspelling, the interior is larger then some motels. I moved out of a Toyota and I am amazed at the quality of this vehicle. Solid ride, excellent handling, fun to drive, easy to maneuver. My job puts me in dozens of rental cars in a year. I drove a Traverse and immediately started looking to buy. It is the nicest overall vehicle I have been exposed to in the last 5 years. GM got this one right!

Turd of the year.2011

Would sell as junk if haven't put more money in it than it's worth!!!

Needed room

Traded in 05 malibu maxx for awd traverse ls. Best move ever with growing family and needed a tow vehicle for our pop up camper. Lots of room, especially 3rd. row to cart kids to and from school. Have not found anything I do not like so far. Awd great in rain, have not had snow yet but looking forward to it. Great vehicle so far.

Highly recommend

14mpg is scary I admit but really love everything about the vehicle.

It's great but ...

I love my new Traverse, it snowed the day I bought it so I got to test it out right away and so far no slipping on the ice. My only complaint is that when I come to a stop the cabin fills up with very strong fumes that smell exactly like natural gas, I read about this in the older model reviews, so I will have to go back and research any solutions. This happens 100% of the time, so it's not like I was in an area of town that had a gas leak or anything. Otherwise I love this car, the storage is awesome and it handles really well. It's just as easy to drive as my Ford Escape and I do a lot of tight parking lots and u turns in my line of work.

Kid hauler

A great buy so far. 3rd. row seat has helped with the kids tremendously. Will be towing a 3500 lb. camper come next spring and looking to see how it performs. Lots of room, quiet, drives nice. Best pricing out of 4 lambda platforms and get a lot for your money even in ls trim, which i purchased. Awd drive feels great on wet roads, no snow yet.

surprised

have a LT1 awd with the red pearl package. Comfortable ride, though can be a bit too firm if you have 20 inch wheels. Spacious, well thought out layout by GM on this one. Like the ability to lay 2 and 3 rows completely flat. Rear DVD was a surprise...great picture quality. Bose audio is very sharp and concert like. Gas mileage is expectedly not as great as a full size car. I get about 20 miles on average. The six speed transmission is good, though hesitant at times and tends to stay in the higher gears longer than it should, but great at relatively brisk starts. Overall, a serious contender for the import crossover market.

BEST CROSSOVER

very smooth ride, quiet tried many others like ford, Toyota and nothing was compared to the value i was receiving from the traverse

Not as good as everyone says it is...Lacks Reliability

I have less than 5000 miles in less than 3 months and the car has been into the shop at least 10 times already. The actuator motor was replaced in under 1000 miles, the entire computer went out in less than 2000 miles, which left me stranded in the middle of the night away from home, and there has continued to be one thing after another going wrong with this vehicle. Too bad GM won't stand behind their vehicles cause all I have gotten from them is the run around and a "maintenance package". I just want a reliable vehicle and I didn't think that was too much to ask for when I purchased it.

If You Have 3 or More Children, Read On ....

Very few choices when looking for 3 rows AND reasonable cargo room and you can't/don't want to own an Expedition/Escalade/Armada, etc. The Traverse is your best choice for ride comfort, roominess, good looks, and features that come close to being worth the price. Choose your options carefully and don't be fooled into paying more than 500-600 over invoice max. If you do your homework and want to spend $35K or less, this is the vehicle for you and you have 3+ kids. Great for the car pool, tailgating, long rides (although mileage kind of sucks), and trips to Lowes. Best options are on LT1 are Bluetooth, sunroof, and heated seats if you can find one that has it. Overall, very well-plsd w/T1 trim

Very unhappy

I purchased my first brand new car two months ago. First the dealer pushed me into this vehicle by lieing that it is like the tahoe. I am only getting 11 miles per gallon and filling up every 175 miles. The traverse in my eye is junk. I read about all the good things but i am a real person and hate every part of it. I am now stuck with it. I am very unhappy with GM. I think they need back the customer 60 day money back they would if they are selling the best.

Nice SUV