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9.1

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,200
Average Mileage:
87,600 miles
Total Complaints:
9 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. chevrolet to take this vehicle back and get it off the road (4 reports)
  2. replace wave clutch plate (3 reports)
  3. rebuild transmission (2 reports)
2009 Chevrolet Traverse transmission problems

transmission problem

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2009 Chevrolet Traverse Owner Comments

problem #9

Aug 072020

Traverse LX 3.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 81,653 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Owned vehicle for 1 year, serviced as needed. At 81,653 the transmission needs to be replaced, per mechanic. This is outrageous and supposedly no recalls or help with expense. Purchased at a local used good representative who is wiling to give money toward expense. Many complaints with transmission but they claim my vin number does qualify for help. Really pissed and due to covid-19 hours short and only one working at my home and this definitely a hard shift.

- Crystal T., Burlington, NC, US

problem #8

Mar 102018

Traverse LS 3.6lV6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 121,176 miles

I began to have trouble with my 2009 Chevy Traverse 3 months ago as it had trouble reversing/feeling as if there was something behind the car preventing it from backing up. Then shortly after it began losing power, as going down the road it would go down to less than 15 mph. The display says something about power loss. It then would not go after stopping such as at a stop sign and then trying to speed up to go, it takes a long time. These things progressively got worse so took it to the GM certified Chevy dealer in Watertown, Holz Chevrolet. They ran a diagnostic on it and test drove it they said and said it was the wave plate 35R that needed to be replaced. In order to do this they would need to "tear the transmission down" and would require a deposit of $1200 to begin. I asked did they know what the total cost would be and was told "at least $5000 or more" depending on other parts needed and so forth. I asked if they were sure that that was the problem and not something else and I was told there was "metal shavings, a lot of metal" in the transmission fluid that was tested. I was also told that GM had issued this "extended warranty" to cover the replacement of the 35R wave plate in 2009 Chevy Traverses and that my vehicles VIN # qualified it in this warranty. HOWEVER, it only covered for 10 years/until March of 2019 OR 120,000, whichever came sooner. My vehicle has 121,176 on taking it to the dealer for repair, so it does not qualify. I asked is this 120,000mi not an arbitrary number someone picked out of the sky? No maam, the diagnostic fee is $110 plus parts and tax. Did you wish to pay this over the phone? So now I sit here with a car that I can't drive that I am still paying for that I cannot use, 62 years old, partially disabled, 2.5 mi out in the country with no way of getting anywhere unless I beg on the mercy of friends. I inquired as to the possibility of trading the vehicle in on another and keeping the payments the same or less than I had been paying on the Traverse and I was told that my credit was not good enough. Well of course not. I live on my widows social security and a small pension from my late husband and sometimes my payments are late but they get there. I have a slew of medical bills ,some left from before my husband passed, but if I paid on each of those, I think there is 4 left, I could not eat because I MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY to qualify for any kind of assistance. I even had to pay in on my Federal income tax this year! So, my anger is that when I called the Chevrolet customer service # and filed my case I again was told that this had not been called a recall due to the fact the Federal Government had not required it as it was not considered a safety problem. If I was going down the highway and doing 65 and all of a sudden lost power to cut me down to 15 mph and there was a semi behind me/or 2, I would think that would be a safety issue. The other thing that makes me REALLY angry is that GM knew about this problem and it is my understanding that this transmission is in thousands of vehicles. How many were involved in accidents and not able to tell what happened as they didn't live through it? It seems only fair that if my mileage is at some arbitrary number they could at least offer to help me in SOME way given my circumstances and the fact that I have always been a loyal Chevy customer from day 1, I even owned a Corvette at one time! I have gotten no response from them with my case # of 8-4142986777, but I will keep calling them.

- Wendy W., Watertown, WI, US

problem #7

Nov 122016

Traverse LT1 FWD V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

I have never done this before but I have a rant I need to get off my chest. I have never been treated so poorly as I have at Brads Chevy in Cottage Grove. We just bought our car in March from them and already had transmission issues. I researched online how our car was acting and there was a ton of people that had the same issue so I found a bulletin from GM that this was a known issue and to take it to a Chevy dealership and they will fix the issue no charge per the warranty. I took it to Brads and they ran a scan and the issue code led to a input sensor however, when I searched the codes online it also led to the same thing that I found the bulletin on. So after 500 dollars to replace an input sensor 1 week after the first repair we were in worse shape than we were before. Called them back and said you didn't fix the car. Ma'am we had to go by the document that told us what part to replace. I replied with I asked and asked you to fix the car by the GM warranty but you wouldn't even consider what I said was wrong with the car. The way they talked to me made me feel because I am a girl I couldn't possible know anything. So when we took the car back they finally agreed to repairing per the GM bulletin but said they doubt it will fix the issue but, because I was so insistent they would do it. They held on to our car for 3 weeks just stalling as long as possible to make sure to inconvenience us much as they could because I asked and asked for a loaner car but they refused to give me one said I could go to Enterprise and get one at their discounted rate and pay for it out of pocket. After finally fixing what I asked them to fix the car runs great. They warned us that per their repair there was a lot of debris left in the transmission and we will need to do a flush soon and that is $160 dollars. Honestly they did the damage they should have done the flush. I will never do business with Brad's again. I saw how much people had to pay to get their transmission fixed and really didn't want that to be me and so it is good to know other people have had this same issue. End of Rant. Thank you.

- Annette A., Springfield, OR, US

problem #6

Dec 312016

Traverse LT 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 59,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2009 Traverse, purchased in 2012 from a single owner, has been the worst car purchase I've ever made. Since buying the car for approx. $24,000 I've spent nearly an additional $10,000 in repair costs, including a few repairs that GM shared the cost (only because I complained.) Thankfully, GM has a bulletin on this problem and is paying 100% for this transmission rebuild. They are also extending my drivetrain warranty to 120K miles or 2019, whichever comes first. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TRAVERSE ... EVER !!!

- Caleb K., Appleton, WI, US

problem #5

Dec 282015

Traverse LS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 61,000 miles

This was SO sad right after Xmas in the snow here! I was out of a car for 8 days and then it cost me $4000 to replace the whole thing. I bought this used 7 mos ago with 52,000 and I drive my vehicles very conservatively. This is the worst car issue I have ever had. Did I mention this car only has 61000 miles?

- Lyndee T., hood river, OR, US

problem #4

Sep 072015

Traverse LTZ 3.6L Sidi V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,476 miles

Driving along then a sudden jerk, check engine light comes on, engine racing over 6000 rpm, car limping along at 40 mph on the Parkway. Made it home with God's grace. I checked transmission oil. I discovered that the oil was a black color and smelled burnt. I also discovered that it won't shift into reverse gear. Called mechanic. Code 717 on the diagnostic and some other 700 code. bottom line SHOT TRANNY. So far shopping for cheaper repair cost. Estimates range between $3500 and $4500.

My free advice to anyone who would listen. Stay away from this car. If you have one get rid of it before its to late! It will cost you money.Piece of Chevy junk!

- aminkhan, Brooklytn, NY, US

problem #3

Aug 252014

Traverse LT

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have shelled out so much money on this vehicle already and then had to pay $2300 for a rebuilt transmission which only gives you a one year warranty. A new one would have cost $4000! Not even a year after and now they are telling me I need $4400 to fix the problems I'm having now!!! Now I have 3 broken catalytic converters and the front two control arms are broken. My husband was driving my three kids home when the car just shut down to 10 miles per hour and he lost power steering! He was lucky no one hit him.

- Amanda B., Lafayette, LA, US

problem #2

Apr 032015

Traverse V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 102,690 miles

The transmission died on our way home from vacation to Orlando, FL. We managed to limp the vehicle to S.C. where we had family so we wouldn't have to spend Easter weekend in a strange hotel in the middle of nowhere. The dealership couldn't work on it till Tuesday (Since it WAS EASTER weekend) and we had to be back to work/school so we had to rent a vehicle to drive home.

When the dealership fixed it, my sister picked up the vehicle and it is sitting in her driveway. Chevy SHOULD ship the car home to us, but won't, so I now have to take time off to drive all the way back to S,C. to pick up my car and bring it home, costing me time AND gas!

Since this is the fault of a poorly manufactured vehicle, Chevy should "Man-Up" and toss my car on a carrier and bring it home! What a fiasco!

- Katherine M., Beaver Falls, PA, US

problem #1

Jan 272015

Traverse LT 3.6L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 104,000 miles

Since the transmission went out a few days ago, it has become more apparent to me that every time I got behind the wheel of my vehicle, for the last four years, I put my life at risk! Surely

God was watching over me when the power steering failed and I WASN'T on the freeway, but in my driveway.

God was watching over me when the fuel injection system failed and the engine did NOT catch on fire AND He was watching over me when the transmission went out and I WASN'T on the freeway! AND it's still under 2 recalls for safety issues! Had I got into an accident, the cable for the seats would have dislodged and injured me!!!

This is NOT A SAFE vehicle!

All I want is for Chevrolet to take it back! No damages, no refunds-Just Get Rid of It!!!!

- John A., Albuquerque, NM, US

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