The transmission failed at 80,735 miles. The vehicle will not reverse.
2019 Chevrolet Traverse: complete transmission failure
12 of the 412 complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse describe complete transmission failure.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 1
Complete transmission failure by model year
What owners say
I bought my traverse in 2024 it’s now two year later and my entire transmission needs replaced no longer shifting between 1000& 2000rpms this is a known issue with these vehicles and there hasn’t been a recall yet. Also the button in my shift knob tells me it is not in park (shift to park) even though it’s clearly in park. Along with the transmission issue the stabilitrack warning comes on every time the car comes out of auto shut off and jumps forward. How is this safe?
Infotainment electrical issues, purge valve failure regardless of replacement, transmission failure regardless of replacement, exhaust bracket break regardless of replacement.
Complete transmission failure while driving approximately 60 MPH. Transmission started shifting irregularly while driving at a steady speed on a 55 MPH paved county road and locked into 3rd gear slowing me down quite suddenly. I turned on my emergency flashers and pulled into a parking lot. If traffic had been heavy I could easily have been hit from behind for unexpected deceleration with no brakes applied and no brake lights to warn a following vehicle. There were no dash warning on even after stopping. The vehicle has 111,000 miles on it and has been used to tow loads rarely, and the loads were far below the 5000 lb rating of the vehicle. Because it is well past the 75,000 mile power-train warranty (I bought it used) I am having to pay nearly $9,000 for a remanufactured transmission replacement at my local dealership. This is a major financial burden to me for a repair something that should last well beyond 200,000 miles as transmission typically do. I have owned several vehicles that have.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. Additionally, while shifted into drive and the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and it stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road, and her husband picked her up from the scene. Neither the dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P) and while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact drove around and attempted to park the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The shift to park warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument panel was flashing on and off unexpectedly. The transmission was replaced once; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.
To the federal safety agency, I am submitting this letter as a **formal safety complaint** regarding repeated transmission failure in my **2019 Chevrolet Traverse**, which poses a potential risk to vehicle safety. In **December 2024**, while the vehicle was still covered under General Motors’ factory powertrain warranty, an authorized GM dealership diagnosed a serious transmission defect. Due to parts being on national backorder, the repair was delayed. When the repair was eventually performed, only partial components (torque converter and valve body) were replaced rather than the full transmission. Despite this repair, the transmission **failed again less than one year later**. In **November 2025**, a second authorized GM dealership confirmed that the transmission now requires **full replacement** and that the prior repair did not correct the underlying defect. The transmission failure has resulted in **slipping, hesitation, and loss of proper power delivery**, which creates a **potential safety hazard**, particularly during acceleration, merging, and highway driving. A loss of propulsion or delayed response in traffic significantly increases the risk of an accident. This issue was identified while the vehicle was under warranty and was not properly resolved. The repeat failure suggests a **systemic defect** rather than normal wear. General Motors has declined further assistance. I am requesting that the federal safety agency review this complaint as part of its monitoring of potential **powertrain defects** affecting vehicle safety. Vehicle Information: * Make/Model: 2019 Chevrolet Traverse * Manufacturer: General Motors * Component: Transmission / Powertrain Thank you for your attention
Transmission went out does not move at all with only 49,000 miles on the car the car always had sifting problems. Brought the car brand new off the lot. One owner. Before the Transmission went out when I will stop at the red lights or stop signs the car would just take off for no reason. With my foot still on the brakes or the car would just stall when I am driving it right in the middle of traffic. GMC needs to held accountable before some one gets killed.😤😡🤬
We bought a 2019 Chevy Traverse High Country in 2018. Oct 2021-Jan 2022 Chevy held the car to put a new transmission in, at no cost to us, with no explanation, no paperwork. Now we are in September 2025 and the car needs another transmission. In Oct 2021 I was accelerating through an intersection and the car stopped in the middle of the intersection, it was TERRIFYING. Luckily people around me realized the situation and help me get the car to safety. I had my two children in the car under 3. Fast forward to Sept 2025, I am merging on the highway accelerating and my car is SLOWING DOWN. I had the car towed to a dealership and the transmission has gone into self protect mode, identifying a gear shift problem between gears 3-4. Three transmissions in a car from end 2018-sept 2025.
On [XXX], my 2019 Chevrolet Traverse (VIN [XXX] ) experienced a complete transmission failure. The vehicle began to hesitate, jerk during acceleration, and then completely lost the ability to shift or drive. It had to be towed, and the dealership confirmed that the transmission must be replaced. This is extremely concerning because GM previously issued Recall 20V668000 involving missing bolts in the start-stop accumulator of the transmission, which can cause fluid leaks and loss of propulsion—a potential safety hazard. Although my VIN does not show this recall as active, the symptoms and failure seem directly related to this known defect. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate whether this recall should be expanded or reopened to include more affected vehicles. In addition to the transmission failure, I have had to replace the purge solenoid valve three times due to persistent check engine lights and fuel system issues, which suggests deeper reliability issues with emissions and vapor management. Lastly, there is now a hole in the exhaust pipe, which is affecting performance and may pose a safety or environmental concern due to potential carbon monoxide exposure. These multiple powertrain and emissions-related failures within the same vehicle raise serious concerns about the long-term safety, reliability, and manufacturing quality of the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency investigate this model year and VIN range further. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Torque converter is bad. Codes will not come up when test ran. Mechanics mis diagnose the issue until it’s too late. Mechanic now doesn’t think it’s worth it to replace- wants whole new transmission.
My vehicle has been displaying a ''shift to park" message. The message appears when I put the vehicle in park. When I go to turn off the car the vehicle will not turn off. Sometimes If I giggle the gear shifter violently enough the car will turn off. I have had leave my car running on multiple occasions. Woken up to dead battery's because my car WILL NOT TURN OFF. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership on 3 occasions to be looked at. The first time it was noted and I was told they couldn't look at it. The second time My vehicle needed all new transmission work ( on a 2019 model car) but was told since they couldn't recreate the shift to park message they couldn't do anything about it. The 3rd time they were able to recreate the issue but wanted me to pay $1k+ for ''fix'' the problem. But the fix was just to turn off the display message. My vehicle will not turn off.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This service bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
- This service bulletin provides a procedure to correct a customer concern of Shudders or Shakes at Low Speeds.
- This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or...
- GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities
- This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is...
- This bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of water or ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
- This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of seeing an intermittent...
- This Warranty Admin service bulletin provides guidelines for Dealers Not Required and for Dealers Required...
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
- Risk
- Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
- 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. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Buick Customer service at 1‑866‑608‑8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Recall number 20V668000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse transmission failure
Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?
12 of 412 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse (3%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2018.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse?
There is 1 recall and 71 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse
Check engine light 29Shudder 15Jerking 14Stalling 13Battery drain 10Seat belt 8Ball joint 7Hesitation 6
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