2010 Chevrolet Traverse recalls and problems

The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse has 5 safety recalls and 669 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Chevrolet dealer.

Recalls
5
Complaints
669
Crashes / fires
17 / 6
Injuries / deaths
12 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2010 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2010 Chevrolet Traverse recalls

Recall 21V-246: Air Bags

Reported Apr 8, 2021 · 108 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.

Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.

Recall 15V-415: Structure

Reported Jun 30, 2015 · 691,144 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

Recall 14V-266: Seat Belts

Reported May 20, 2014 · 1,339,355 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

Recall 14V-118: Air Bags

Reported Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

Recall 10V-375: Seat Belts

Reported Aug 12, 2010 · 207,210 vehicles affected · GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat. If the buckle contacts the seat frame, additional effort is required to return the seat to a seating position. If sufficient force is applied, the buckle cover could be pushed down the strap, exposing and partially depressing the red release button.

Risk: The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.

Fix: Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, buick at 1-866-608-8080, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, and saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

2010 Chevrolet Traverse problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Steering334
Engine178
Power Train68
Electrical System60
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)57
Vehicle Speed Control42
Air Bags30
Unknown or Other28
Seat Belts25
Service Brakes16
Fuel/Propulsion System12
Suspension10

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 7
  • Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System — 4
  • Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner — 4
  • Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls — 2
  • Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Pump — 2
  • Steering › Rack and Pinion — 2
  • Air Bags › Frontal — 1
  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 75,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2010 Chevrolet Traverse complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Air Bags · reported Jan 14, 2026
Side airbags deployed when we slid off the road. No impact not even a scratch or dent on the vehicle. We did not hit anything but only slid sideways off the road. The insurance company inspected the vehicle nothing but the airbags were damaged. No other warnings.
Electrical System · at 175,000 miles · reported Dec 11, 2024
The contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the driver's side door, the driver's side seat, and the ceiling had caught on fire and was burned; the windshield was also cracked. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. A Fire Department report was filed the following day and the Fire Department inspected the vehicle and determined that the wiring was hot to the touch and could have possibly caused the fire; the vehicle was deemed totaled. The local dealer was not contacted. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle…
Steering · reported May 27, 2024
No power steering at low speed . Makes it dangerous to turn sharp corners. Almost impossible to park in a parking spot if there’s other vehicles.so I park way out away from vehicles . I have had two power steering pumps and lines replaced . And still have the same issue. .
Air Bags · reported Sep 18, 2023
For several years now, when someone sits on the front passenger seat, the airbag light will intermittently come on. It also comes on if the person gets out of the seat. I took the vehicle to a dealership and they charged me over $100 to diagnose, and said the cable was loose and they fixed it. The next day it started doing this same thing again, but it doesn't happen when the dealer looks at the vehicle to replicate and fix the issue.
Steering · reported Sep 18, 2023
I have now been told that my rack and pinion is leaking by 3-4 different mechanics. In doing a google search, I see that through various years of the chevy traverse, the rack and pinion leaking and needing to be replaced at a high cost (and also being a big safety risk to not replace) is a very common issue in the traverse.

Other Chevrolet Traverse years

Compare all Chevrolet Traverse years · All Chevrolet models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse: 21V-246 (air bags), 15V-415 (structure), 14V-266 (seat belts), 14V-118 (air bags), 10V-375 (seat belts). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners report steering problems most often (334 reports), followed by engine (178). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 75,000 miles.

Are Chevrolet recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Chevrolet dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.