Driver side windshield wiper does not clear window, blades have been replaced and still not fixed. Appears to be a wiper arm issue. Rear camera blips out, goes black or shows half a screen during use. Happens almost daily and has caused me to nearly hit cars and or people. Front tire sensor will not recalibrate. Brakes make horrible squeaking noises- Dealer advised this is a known issue with the type of brakes installed on these cars and nothing can be done. Taking car in for service for all these issues.
Chevrolet Traverse wipers problems
45 of the 5,527 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Traverse describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 45
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical mileage
- 66,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Power windows 3Headlights 3Airbag light 3Knocking 2Door locks 2Check engine light 2Warning lights 1Stalling 1
What owners say
My 2019 Chevy Traverse prior to "The Storm" when I left work and approached my vehicle someone left a not in my windshield wipers stating that my horn was honking every 15 seconds it was a long shift so by the time I got to my vehicle my battery was dead. I got a jump from a co-worker allowed my alternator to charge my battery, and it was fine (so I thought). Then the day after "The Storm" happened, my Traverse went haywire displaying multiple signs of electronic failures while driving on a major highway: Service ESC, ABS disabled, Traction control disabled, Power steering disabled, Horn honked continuously, windows won't roll down, Key fob unresponsive, Manual lock/ unlock switch unresponsive, A/C on but doesn't blow cold, infotainment system on, Cluster Hazard light indicators on but lights aren't illuminated, Windshield Wipers on max speed unprompted while spraying continuously. I pulled over, placed the vehicle in "park", turned the vehicle off, safely exited to realize my vehicle was still running, got back into the vehicle where I was greeted by a prompt that said to place the vehicle in park to turn it off. I attempted to shift but it was immovable, called a tow truck. Every time after dealership visits/ repairs my vehicle shutoff while moving. It's been to the dealership 3 times (4 to include tomorrow) I've also connected an OBD2 Scanner to run a diagnostic after the last visit and these faults appeared almost instantly. Work done so far: x2 BCM replacements (w/ flashed software) x1 Battery replacement x1 Keyless Entry Module replacement x1 Driver door lock/unlock switch replacement x3-->4 tow trucks Over $3,000 in expenses
Beginning in May 2025, my 2025 Chevrolet Traverse began exhibiting a false “rear liftgate open” condition when the liftgate is fully closed. This defect triggers a continuous audible alarm that occurs before every drive and persists for the entire duration of the drive, stopping only when the vehicle is turned off. As a result of this defect, the rear windshield wiper and washer are disabled, eliminating rear visibility during rain and snow. The vehicle alarm system also cannot be armed, creating a security risk. The continuous alarm causes significant driver distraction, and the loss of rear visibility impairs safe operation of the vehicle, particularly in adverse weather. Minor children are frequent passengers, and the defect has occurred while they were in the vehicle. The vehicle has been presented to an authorized Chevrolet dealership on four separate occasions for the same issue. Multiple repair attempts, including diagnostics, software updates, component replacement, and latch assembly replacement, have failed to correct the defect. Because the alarm cannot be armed, the vehicle was left unsecured and was subsequently broken into, resulting in theft of personal property. General Motors has been notified and declined repurchase, directing me back to repeated diagnostics despite the unresolved safety-related defect. Problem Category: ☑ Electrical System ☑ Visibility / Wipers ☑ Warning Systems ☑ Vehicle Safet
The second major safety issue with this vehicle occurred on 5/15/2025 when we lost control of the vehicle while traveling on the highway. During this time, the windshield wipers went halfway up and stayed up. The radio randomly turned on and off. The horn randomly honked. The air didn’t work. There was no ability to turn on hazard lights to warn other drivers. We had no ability to brake as the brakes felt hard and didn’t slow the vehicle. Steering was nearly impossible as the wheel felt locked in place and barely moved to either side. At the time we got several warning lights including theft protection and brake service. The vehicle had 27,965 miles on it at the time.
The contact own a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while the vehicle was turned off and parked in the garage, the exterior and interior lights started flashing, the horn started honking continuously, and the windshield wipers activated. Additionally, the doors locked and unlocked inadvertently and stopped when the vehicle was in drive(D). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the computer module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17.
Following an overnight snow storm, I completely cleared the vehicle of snow and ice including the windshield and hood while running the vehicle to get it to operating temperature. During my morning commute, snow, slush, and water began accumulating on the windshield and froze to the outer four to six inches on both sides. The wiper edges were clear from the night before, as I had raised them off the windshield. They were able to maintain a clear view in the middle of the windshield. I ran the defroster at full temperature, the "HI" setting, with the fan speed at 6 out of 8. The external temperature was 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Driving speeds varied from 30mph on county roads and 65mph on the interstate. The front defroster vent does not run the full width of the vehicle, so there is no way to apply warm/hot air to the outer edges to keep it from refreezing and maintain full visibility. This creates unsafe driving conditions by narrowing the forward view.
My windshield wipers started intermittently not working then completely stopped working while driving in the rain.
Driver side window stopped working , then passenger window is glitchy, driver side door buttons are not working along with windshield wipers. Replaced battery and did testing to make sure power was getting to components . No check engine lights , no codes or warning issues.
On Thursday 9/9/21, I found my car's alarm going off while parked in a parking lot. I was able to silence the alarm and enter the vehicle and turn it on. As I was driving toward the exit of the parking lot the windshield wipers went on, on their own and I was unable to turn them off. Then I lost control of my steering, several warnings and alerts went off on the dashboard and the car powered off in the middle of the road without any warning. Shortly after was able to turn the car on again and reverse and get it into a spot in the parking lot where again I lost steering, several alerts came on the dashboard and the car powered down again. I had my two young children in the car and we could have been hit, if this occurred on a highway this could have been deadly! I was able to start the car again, drove it around the parking lot safely for a few minutes and then the incident occurred a third time in the exit lane of the parking lot. We called for a tow truck. The car would not turn on again for several hours. When it did turn on it was moved to a safe location where it powered off spontaneously a 4th time. When the car was picked up by the tow truck the following morning the car alarm was going off again and the doors were locking and unlocking spontaneously on their own. Onstar sent a diagnostic report indicating an issue with the Engine and Transmission System. The vehicle was towed to Millenium Chevrolet in Hempstead. They were not able to check the car until Monday 9/13/21. They replaced the battery, but were unable to identify the source of the problem. After the battery was replaced, we were alerted that the horn was not working and the doors were locking and unlocking spontaneously.
The airbag connector piece under the passenger seat comes apart triggering. Airbag light on. Dealer charges over $100 for a problem that keeps happening. This issue is also listed on every forum so t's a common issue. Wiper fluid doesn't extract clogged nozzles.
Related recalls
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used.
- Risk
- A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780.
Recall number 15V609000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, and gmc acadia vehicles currently registered in alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming and the district of columbia. Snow or ice buildup on the windshield or on the wiper may restrict the movement of the wiper arm, causing the wiper arm to loosen and cause the wiper to become inoperative.
- Risk
- If this occurs, driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Gm will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper arm nuts, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 20, 2012.
Recall number 12V151000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Traverse wipers
Which Chevrolet Traverse years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (14 complaints), 2011 (11 complaints) and 2010 (3 complaints).
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