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Chevrolet Traverse ball joint problems

18 of the 5,528 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Traverse describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2019 model year.

owner complaints
18
worst model year
2019
typical mileage
58,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.

By model year

  • 2024
    1
  • 2021
    1
  • 2019
    7
  • 2018
    1
  • 2017
    1
  • 2013
    1
  • 2011
    2
  • 2010
    2
  • 2009
    2

What owners say

Filed Oct 24, 2026 · Suspension · VA

The suspension issue was discovered when I took the vehicle to National Tire and Battery on 10/9/26 they discovered a bolt that is attached to the control arm was not bolted down down correctly and all threads seemed to be damaged as well as the knuckle assembly. There were no warning lights or messages to let me know there was something wrong. Just some shaking and jingling. The car fax shows the dealership replaced the control arm early July and I bought the vehicle late July.

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Tires · OH

I bought 4 new General Grabber HT tires 255/65 R 18 I have only driven on them for 13,000 miles and the tires shake and have wear on them. The shaking through my car out of alignment, caused my rear suspension Toe links to need replaced and my passenger front tie rod to fail. I had to pay Johns Tires of Eaton Ohio wanted to charge me over $500 to have my SUV aligned, replace rear suspension toe links and balance the tires. This is absurd after I paid 1000 for these tires at Johns tires. They wanted me to wait another 3 weeks because they did not have an opening, yet they claim to do Walkins. For my safety, I had to contact another dealer who had to replace the suspension toe links, right front tie rod end, balance my tires and perform a certified alignment. Due to tire vibration of the General Grabber HT Tires 255/65 R 18's my tires already have signs of excessive wear, and I had to pay another $725 for parts and labor. If I had not gone to another service center, I could have been driving, and my suspension toe links given way or my tie rod could have broken due to the tire vibration. The car dealer confirmed the tire vibration and wear on the suspension toe links and tie rod as well as the tires due to tire vibration.

Filed Aug 27, 2026 · Steering, Transmission · NY · crash · 3 injuries

When driving at about 50 mph on a highway, there was a loud noise from the rear of the vehicle (something breaking) and the vehicle immediately veered into the oncoming lane (thankfully there was no traffic coming towards us, it is typically a busy road). While braking, I was able to steer it back towards the right, but soon after lost complete control of the vehicle and could not steer. The traverse went into a ditch and rolled with myself and two young passengers. Two vehicles that were behind us stopped to aid. The driver immediately behind me said there was nothing unusual (no smoke, sparks, etc) until we lost control. He checked the roadway where it happened and found a sheered off bolt. When we got the traverse to the wreckers, they lifted it up and within a minute or two found the location the bolt came from. It was the rear passenger side upper control arm knuckle bolt. I didn't see any recalls on something like this, but I do not believe something like this should have happened in a vehicle that has just 49,510 miles and barely any rust on it. I need answers. My family and friends could have been attending a funeral this week had circumstances been slightly different. I can provide pictures, but the upload link would not work for photos even after converting to proper size and file type. I have the collision report number but not the actual report on hand just yet.

Filed Aug 27, 2026 · Steering, Transmission · NY

When driving at about 50 mph on a highway, there was a loud noise from the rear of the vehicle (something breaking) and the vehicle immediately veered into the oncoming lane (thankfully there was no traffic coming towards us, it is typically a busy road). While braking, I was able to steer it back towards the right, but soon after lost complete control of the vehicle and could not steer. The traverse went into a ditch and rolled with myself and two young passengers. Two vehicles that were behind us stopped to aid. The driver immediately behind me said there was nothing unusual (no smoke, sparks, etc) until we lost control. He checked the roadway where it happened and found a sheered off bolt. When we got the traverse to the wreckers, they lifted it up and within a minute or two found the location the bolt came from. It was the rear passenger side upper control arm knuckle bolt. I didn't see any recalls on something like this, but I do not believe something like this should have happened in a vehicle that has just 49,510 miles and barely any rust on it. I need answers. My family and friends could have been attending a funeral this week had circumstances been slightly different. I have the collision report number but not the actual police report on hand just yet.

Filed Apr 16, 2026 · Airbags · TX · crash · 1 injury

Driver's side airbag. A car crashed into the driver's side at a 90 degree angle that caused damage starting right behind the driver's door and continued all the way to the rear of the vehicle. The damage was severe enough that the driver's side passenger door, the rear wheel, hub, hub assembly, linkage, lower control arm, and tire, rear fender, the pillar and hingers between the front and rear door, steering gear and linkage. In spite the of violence of the accident, none of the airbags deployed, especially the driver's side airbag which allowed the driver's head to contact the driver's door window.

Filed Apr 15, 2026 · Suspension · 58,000 miles · WV

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over a bumpy road, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. The contact stated that the sound became louder over time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer determined that the front lower control arms and the front suspension sway bar links needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Filed Mar 7, 2026 · Steering · GA

Recall number N192211320 ( Left Front Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Not Seated ) Chevrolet is refusing to fix this issue, saying that it's not a safety recall. This issue can effect the steering control and its very evident thats its a safety issue. They're saying this recall expires with the base warranty. This is a clear attempt to circumvent the law, by not classifying this as a safety issue.

Filed Oct 3, 2024 · Suspension · OH

Incident Description: On 10/2/2024, I discovered a critical failure in the rear suspension of my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The rear left control arm had completely rusted through and detached from the vehicle frame. This occurred unexpectedly while my family was backing the vehicle into the driveway from my garage. Had this failure happened while driving, it could have resulted in a catastrophic loss of control, leading to a severe accident with potential for serious injury or fatality to my family and others. This incident raises serious concerns about the safety of 2018 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The premature and sudden failure of a critical suspension component due to rust suggests a potential defect in the materials, anti-corrosion treatment, or design of the control arm. This could pose a significant safety risk to all owners of this vehicle model. I have taken detailed photographs of the failed control arm and the affected area of the vehicle frame, clearly showing the extent of the rust and corrosion. General Motors has issued a safety recall (N212346640) for certain vehicles due to a defect in the rear suspension toe links. These vehicles may have received improper electrocoating corrosion protection, making the toe links susceptible to premature rust and fracture. This could lead to a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash. The similarity of this recall to the failure I experienced with the rear left control arm onmy 2018 Chevrolet Traverse suggests a potential pattern of corrosion-related suspension component failures in General Motors vehicles. Â This recall demonstrates that General Motors has acknowledged and addressed similar corrosion-related defects in other vehicles. It supports my concern that the control arm failure on my Traverse may also stem from a manufacturing defect and warrants a thorough investigation by the federal safety agency.

Filed Apr 8, 2022 · Suspension · 90,000 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the weight of the vehicle placed on the suspension caused the steering wheel and four wheels to not align. Due to the failure, the contact stated that the steering wheel would align 50% percent to the right causing the vehicle to be undriveable. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for multiple repairs including the control bushing, lower control arm, rack and pinion, and several other vehicle parts; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed her that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Filed Mar 21, 2022 · Steering, Suspension · NC

The Sway bar/Control Arm broke up near the engine without cause. It appears metal fatigue or manufacture defect caused same. It's failure led to CV Joint and other damage. This was discovered during a changing of tires. I don't know how long it had been broken as no obvious signs were readily apparent and my wife said it drove normal. There was no accident or other impact that would have caused same.

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the Chevrolet Traverse ball joint

Which Chevrolet Traverse years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2019 (7 complaints), 2009 (2 complaints) and 2010 (2 complaints).

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