2019 Chevrolet Traverse Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
When placing the vehicle in park, whether it’s on a flat surface or an incline, the SHIFT TO PARK notification displays. In addition, the nonfiction chime rings consistently until the gear shift is realigned or until it stops on its own. During this ringing period the headlights won’t go off and the ringing last anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. The longest time recorded was 20 minutes. Once the ringing finalizes, there is still a possibility that the start/stop button has to be pressed manually so the headlights will completely turn off.
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.
. That’s not even an effect. I need someone to contact me. My email is [XXX] . My phone number is [XXX] . I would like to put in a claim. There is no way that this transmission should have went out on me now I can’t afford to pay for It. I need your help please thank you [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to exceed 23 MPH. Additionally, the message “Shift to Park” was displayed upon parking the vehicle. The contact shifted out and in park (P) several times, and the vehicle responded as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, who discovered that the transmission fluid was leaking. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,449.
faulty transmission shudder
To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 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 NHTSA 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
I noticed that there was oil on the bottom of the transmission. I took it to a mechanic and he said that it was the rear crankshaft oil seal. He replaced it and a month later, it seems to be doing it again. I have instances where it will be in drive and I will hit the gas but it doesn't go anywhere.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the stabili-trak warning light was previously intermittently illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that upon coming to a stop, the vehicle jolted back and forth. The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D), the vehicle jerked while responding. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was advised that there was an oil leak, but the source of the leak was undetermined. Additionally, the mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there would be a charge for the transmission disassembly and replacement. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the powertrain had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to reverse(R), the vehicle made an abnormal, loud clunking sound. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear, and the engine was revving. The vehicle was towed to T&T Automotive, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. Additionally, the contact stated that upon shifting to park(P) and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where the failure was related to an unknown TSB. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P) and attempting to turn off the vehicle, an alarm sounded and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that upon shifting out of park(P) and shifting back to park(P) several times, the vehicle responded as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was informed that the vehicle could only be diagnosed if the vehicle was taken to the dealer while experiencing the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,300.
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.
My 2019 Traverse has approximately 27k miles. I have taken the car in to a Chevy dealership for repair. The car is shuddering at around 20 mph. The dealer told me this is a common issue and after review of hundreds of complaints it appears it is. It is out of warranty by a year. Apparently the issue is likely the torque converter. However GM, requires I do a transmission flush and reprogram followed by driving 500 miles. If it does not work then I have to replace the torque converter. The transmission flush is $980 dollars and a torque converter is quoted at $3,400. If this is a known issue and no fault of the driver it should be covered by GM. Why would I pay 1,000 dollars to then pay another 3,400 for a total of $4,400 dollars for a repair for a car with 27k miles. I feel like this should be a recall based on the number of complaints and cost to buyer. This seems ridiculous. I have agreed that the initial 980 dollars as I have no choice. I am requesting someone look into the GM transmission issues from the 2017 to 2020 year vehicles.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon arriving at his destination and moving the column shift lever into park(P), the message "Please Shift to Park" was displayed. After several attempts and turning the vehicle on and off, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.
When turning off the vehicle, a message appears on the console 'shift to park' even though the vehicle is already in park. This happens many times over and restarting and shifting again doesn't seem to help alleviate the issue. An increase in the frequency of these events has caused concern. According to research, it's happened to many people who own our make and model.
2019 Chevy Traverse. The vehicle suddenly began not shifting properly while traveling on the freeway. Check engine light came on. Took vehicle to a transmission repair shop in the area we were in. The vehicle had 57,833 miles at the time of drop off to repair shop. Upon inspection by shop, stated the transmission needed to be replaced and cannot be repaired.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that occasionally while shifting to park(P), the vehicle failed to recognize that that the transmission was in park(P). During the failure the contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that the "Shift to Park" message was displayed; however, there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the switch on the shift mechanism and wiring harness were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
In 2020 or 2021 my car started annoying not recording that is was shifted into park. I got it fixed in Spring, Tx. Recently, my vehicle has started saying it needs to be shifted into park every single time I try to park. This really should be covered under power train warranty. Actually it should be recalled because it is all over the message boards.
The Shifter Control Assembly keeps malfunctioning 3 times in the last 4 years on our 2019 Chevy Traverse. When my wife puts the shifter in Park and proceeds to shut down the vehicle, the Traverse will not recognizes that she is in park already, and will not let her shut off the vehicle. She must then reverse and forward the care several times until the sensor or solenoid engages and recognizes it is in park. This creates a dangerous and frustrating situaiton. The dealership has confirmed this is an ongoing inssue with the Traverse, and Chevy Customer service also confirmed on the phone that this is a weel known issue and she was not sure why they did not recall or take care of this issue already. Official problem is "Internal Failure to Shifter/Solenoid Assembly". This has caused issues 3 times and our vehicle is not even at 90K miles. This is not a wear ant tear part, but a core functional item that should not go bad repeatedly in such a short period of time on a newer vehicle. Chevy Customer care has encouraged me to file this complaint and get this on record and have the NHTSA begin to work with the manufacturer.
When I shift into park and try to turn car off, I get a warning message saying shift into park. It takes several retry attempts of up to 1 hour to get car computer to register it is in park. I can't leave car until it stops this for fear of it rolling as this did start rolling once already.
Transmission continually failing. Judders under acceleration. Metal in transmission fluid and leak in transmission
Periodically over the last 2 weeks my 2019 Chevrolet Traverse AWD has shown the "Shift to Park" message on the display. I took it to my local Chevy dealer about a week ago, after I was in the Walmart parking lot and it happened again. The dealer scheduled an appointment to check the part number yesterday. When I went to leave my car at the dealer's lot on New Year's Day for the scheduled appointment, I couldn't get the vehicle to shut down at all. I tried driving around the building and lot for about 10 minutes and tried to park in different level spots. I finally gave up and left it in a position that I figured they would be able to charge the vehicle, because a warning buzzer goes off as long as the "Shift to Park" message displays. I worried leaving the vehicle in the dealer's lot, not knowing for sure if the car would roll away into their new cars, because it might not be in park. There are numerous similar complaints on your website about the "Shift to Park" problem. Not sure why no one thinks this problem is bad enough for a recall. (Of course, my vehicle is under 36,000 miles, but over the 3 year warranty.) I am a 72 year-old woman and our area is in the midst of a frigid winter storm...not the time that I want to worry about whether my battery has been drained or whether I can safely park my vehicle, when I go to the grocery store.
When I shift the car to park and press button to turn car off, I am alerted "Shift to Park". The shift lever or gear control is not recognizing that I have already put the car in park. I have to repeatedly push on the gear shifter until the alert clears and the car engages in park. This issue happens quite often and is an inconvenience.
The transmission shutters and malfunctions at various times during driving. This puts not only the driver and passengers at risk but other vehicles and drivers on the road because it’s an abrupt malfunction. At one point it failed In the middle of traffic and we couldn’t move. I have had the issue diagnosed by a transmission shop. They diagnosed it as a failing transmission, which is common. They told us with these nine speed transmissions, and Chevy traverse. They also advised that it the cost is $10-$15,000 to repair. And they say they have a lot of experience with these failing. Which is why we believe it should qualify for a recall. My vehicle is available for inspection at any time. I was told over the phone by a Chevy dealership that that was the likely caused by just hearing the symptoms over the phone because they’ve had experience with so many failures like this. During the failure in traffic my check engine light showed up and there was an error shown but it disappeared when I restarted the vehicle and failed to take Note of what it was.
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Quick Summary
The 2019 Chevrolet Traverse has 95 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.