When attempting to turn off my 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, the engine shuts off, but the vehicle remains in the ON position. The vehicle does not recognize that the transmission is in Park, preventing the electrical system from shutting off completely as intended. This issue is concerning because the vehicle does not properly complete the shutdown process even though the gear selector is in Park. The vehicle's electrical systems remain on, which may result in the battery draining and could affect the vehicle's normal operation. I am concerned that this may be a defect involving the transmission Park recognition system, gear selector, or ignition and shutdown system. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this issue to determine whether it affects other 2022 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and whether a safety-related defect exists that requires corrective action. A vehicle should properly recognize when it is in Park and allow the driver to shut it off completely. This malfunction needs to be investigated and addressed to help prevent further problems for vehicle owners.
Chevrolet Traverse battery drain problems
38 of the 5,528 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Traverse describe battery drain or dead battery, most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 38
- worst model year
- 2019
- typical repair cost reported
- $800
- typical mileage
- 27,326
By model year
Often reported together
Knocking 2Check engine light 2Won't start 1Warning lights 1Transmission failure 1Stalling 1
Trouble codes mentioned
U0073 1
What owners say
I am filing a complaint regarding a persistent safety defect widely known as the "Shift to Park" issue. For over a year, my 2020 Chevrolet Traverse, VIN [XXX] has repeatedly displayed a "Shift to Park" warning message on the instrument cluster when the vehicle is placed in Park and the engine shutoff button is pressed. This occurs multiple times weekly. Despite the vehicle physically being in Park, the internal shifter sensor fails to recognize the gear position. This defect prevents the vehicle from shutting down properly, leaving the electrical system active and causing severe battery drain. Furthermore, because the vehicle does not recognize it is in Park, it creates a roll away risk if the driver exits assuming the vehicle is fully secured. General Motors is aware of this widespread component failure across this vehicle platform but refuses to issue a safety recall or cover the repair costs out of warranty. This is a systemic manufacturing defect that presents a clear financial and safety hazard to consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am reporting a serious safety incident involving my 2024 Chevrolet Traverse RS AWD, with approximately 34,378 miles. On or about [XXX], while the vehicle was being driven near Sarasota Florida at approximately 25 mph, it suddenly lost propulsion and all electrical power. The instrument panel, displays and vehicle electrical systems went completely dark. The vehicle was completely dead and would not restart. Police subsequently jump-started it, but the vehicle’s systems did not initially operate normally. This vehicle previously experienced another complete electrical-power failure while parked overnight, and the dealership has a record of that incident. Following the in-motion shutdown, the dealership performed a complete software flash using USB and stated that a software problem may have caused a parasitic battery draw. I understand how a parasitic draw could discharge the battery while the vehicle is parked. However, I have not received an adequate explanation of why the vehicle lost all electrical power while the engine was running and the charging system should have been supplying power. I am requesting that General Motors open a formal product-safety case, review the dealership’s diagnostic and programming records, determine the complete cause of the in-motion shutdown, and provide written confirmation of the tests and repairs performed. Please provide me with the GM case number and escalate the matter for appropriate technical or field review. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My car WILL not register that it is in park even though the dash says it’s in P and my gear shift is pushed all the way up in the park gear. It has taken hours some days for it to finally acknowledge that it is indeed in the park gear. I do NOT have time for that! And if it gets to the point where I have a dead battery because I didn’t “shift to park”, Chevrolet WILL be paying for it. This is insane and apparently has been an ongoing issue for a decade! FIX IT!
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle with the Push-To-Start feature, the vehicle failed to start as intended, and the battery was drained. In addition, AAA Roadside Assistance arrived at the residence to recharge the battery. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the On-Star module was draining the battery, preventing the low power mode from activating. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
"Shift to Park" alarm continues to appear when the car is in park. At times it does not clear for 10 minutes or so. On a couple of occasions I could not get it to go away for 30 minutes. This is an issue that drains the battery and have caused me to remain in the car to start and restart the vehicle until it is no longer present. Which damages the starter.
Onstar Module failed causing battery to drain and no ETA on part -- from Chevy - To drive the vehicle the module is disconnected by the dealer as parasitic battery drain causes all other safety systems to fail - with module disconnected hazard lights will not work - so if situation happens where hazards are necessary to save occupants life they are not working and functioning due to care to able to function.
After shifting from drive or other gear to park, vehicle will not register vehicle is in the "park" gear. Vehicle is in the "park" gear and will not move but is not turning off. "Shift to park" is displayed on the display. Vehicle will not shutdown the display system and keeps beeping. The issues worsens over time and continues to drain the battery. The vehicle is kept on.
When the gear shift is in the park position, the system does not recognize it so the car doesn’t properly shut down; on occasion draining the battery. The shift to park problem has been present for 4 years. It has not drained the battery until this month.
When shifting my vehicle into Park, the message “Shift to Park” appears even though the gear lever is already in the Park position. The vehicle does not always recognize that it is in Park, which prevents it from fully shutting off and poses a potential rollaway or battery drain risk. Often the radio/bluetooth components remain on. This issue creates a safety concern when parking, especially on inclines or in public areas and I live on a dangerous steep driveway. The problem was confirmed by Montgomery Chevrolet on October 28, 2024, after I paid $175 for a diagnostic that is not covered under warranty. They verified the “Shift to Park” malfunction and provided a repair estimate of $1,796.55. The vehicle and component are available for inspection upon request with videos and photos of the "shift to park" error log. This began appearing shortly before the dealer visit and has continued since. Video available upon request* Unable to upload
Related recalls
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
- Risk
- If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), and 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515.
Recall number 14V614000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured March 26, 2013, through August 15, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the engine control module (ECM) software may cause the fuel gauge to read inaccurately.
- Risk
- An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM to correct the fuel gauge reading, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), and 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14007.
Recall number 14V223000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
- Risk
- It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V240000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Traverse battery drain
Which Chevrolet Traverse years have battery drain or dead battery problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (10 complaints), 2018 (9 complaints) and 2021 (4 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix battery drain or dead battery on the Chevrolet Traverse?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $800 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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