Service Air Bag light is on and won’t go off. Car was never in an accident or anything done for this light to be on so I’m a bit confused. Car has been inspected and looked over only issue is the service air bag light on the dash which came on after my battery completely died in my car. I bought a new battery car still drives normal and all is good other then the light still being on which I figured would have went away by now.
The worst 2013 Chevrolet Traverse problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical53
- Driver assistance48
- Engine46
- Transmission28
- Airbags27
- Acceleration19
- Fuel system18
- Steering18
- Brakes5
- Seat belts4
- Body2
- Lights2
- Suspension2
- Visibility2
- Seats1
- Tires1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Check engine light 31Loss of power 27Stalling 20Airbag light 15Jerking 7Won't shift 7Engine failure 5Power steering loss 5Won't start 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse mention
P1682 3P2138 2
Recalls 4
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
Recall number 21V782000 · Recall details
Air bags: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
- Risk
- Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
Recall number 21V246000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
- Risk
- If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC), 1‑800‑553‑6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
Recall number 14V266000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Chevrolet owners at 1‑866‑694‑6546, Saturn at 1‑800‑553‑6000, and GMC owners at 1‑866‑996‑9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
Recall number 14V118000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Defect investigations
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V‑266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V‑266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V‑266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driverâs seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to Please see the attached document âEA20-002 Detailed Closing Summaryâ for more a detailed closing resume summary.
EA20002
Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648
RQ19003
Technical service bulletins for the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse 1,670
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- Unknown or other
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced...
- Unknown or other
2013 Chevrolet Traverse fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
What 2013 Chevrolet Traverse owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while she has a passenger with her, she stated her passenger air bag light goes on and off but most of the times states the airbag is off although someone is on the seat, as well as waring on the instrumental panel, that states service air bag. The vehicle was seen by a independent mechanic but could not come to a diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 175,000.
The "Service Airbag" light and notification comes up on the dash. This happened in the past as this vehicle was part of a recall the federal safety agency 14V118. The car was service for that recall already back on 3-18-2014 but the issue came back. This is dangerous because when that light is on, the airbags will not go off in the event of an accident. I need this fixed at no charge. Thank you.
Fuse box
Service Traction Control, Traction Control Off/On/Off, Service All Wheel Drive display on dash. Check Engine Light on at times, When starting vehicle Service All Wheel Drive displays immediately. Codes come up as fuel pressure high, fuel pressure low, no communication with BCM. Driving from a stop the engine has to idle high to switch gears, hard shift when it does. Goes into limp mode sometimes while driving. Been to dealership, can not duplicate problems. But they see display info and no current code, do have stored code of BCM lost communication.
Rain Water is getting into the door connectors and caused some pins on passenger side to corrode. All audio in vehicle has stopped including turn signals, pack up sensor audio, and radio ect. GM/Chevy knows about this and is quite common reading in a lot of forums but GM has done nothing about it. This is a safety hazard.
Vehicle dies while driving in traffic. Has done this since I bought it. Very unsafe. I have had my car since march 2022. While driving it says engine power reduced, traction control, stabli track, and loses power and I have to try to safely make sure I get it off the road. After it dies it won't start. I have to get tow truck to bring it home. Then next day it starts fine sometimes. Very unsafe. I have children . I have barley been able to prevent myself from being in a wreck. When it dies the whole cars jerks. It does it all the time. This last time it was doing it so much I haven't been able to drive it. To afraid of accident.
It happened several times already and couple of times was so dangerous, I had 4 kids in my car. When I drive from Salem, OR to Portland, OR, in the middle of a highway, my car suddenly doesn't drive. On the dashboard signs are traction controll and stability track or something. Please help me. When it happens, car doesn't drive and stops on freeway. It's so dangerous.
There was a recall on the airbag on my vehicle a while back. I took my car to the dealer to have it serviced. They fixed it supposedly but periodically when I start the the car the airbag light would take a while to go out, like a delay. Reported to dealer now airbag light is on continuously and dealer says it's no longer under warranty or recall. Now I have a problem with the Stabilitrak system light comes on and the car sometimes slow down or shuts off. I've taken it to the dealer about the problem but they can't ever seem to find it during a diagnostic my car shut off on me while I was on the interstate driving 70 miles an hour in the left lane good thing I was an experienced driver me and my family could have gotten killed. I researched the internet and found that this has happened to many of these Traverse and there has been no recall are we waiting for someone to die before we look into this. I got no warning the light came on and the car shut off an it coast it didn't lock up which was a good thing. I turned the ignition switch off had to wait about 15 minutes turned it back on and it was fine. I took it to the dealer nothing, month later same thing.. First time it happened was in February 2017 or 2018
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 25-35 MPH, the vehicle jolted and shuddered upon depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while accelerating in 2nd and 3rd gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Numbers: 13120 and 18-NA-358. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Compare the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
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Other model years
2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027
Questions about the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
Owners have filed 162 complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse, fewer than a typical Traverse model year.
What is the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse year score?
The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse scores 83 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Traverse: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse?
Electrical system, with 53 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles. Next is driver assistance (48).
How many recalls does the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse have?
4 recalls, covering air bags and seat belts.
What year does the Chevrolet Traverse have the most electrical problems?
The Chevrolet Traverse model years with the most electrical complaints are 2014 (128 complaints), 2019 (114 complaints) and 2018 (102 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse get?
Official estimates for the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.6L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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