2020 Chevrolet Traverse Review: Reliable & Affordable Full-Size SUV With Average Ownership Costs

Taishan Li on August 7, 2024

Started burning oil at 40,000 miles. GM states this engine can use 2.5 quarts of oil in between oil changes. That is horrible. I read that is due to design of piston. Pay more and go Japanese.

gwejack on December 18, 2023

The car just turn three years December 1st. The moonroof that I never use is rattling like crazy. I took the car in three times the first year I owned it for issues with the moonroof. Chevrolet doesn’t care. They told me the rattling was from a rusted flex pipe and charged me almost $300 to change replace the pipe. After the rattle was still there, that’s when they said it was the moonroof.

Igbonnem on February 4, 2023

3 brand new batteries in 3 years. only 33,000 miles and still under warranty, yet GM and the dealership refused to troubleshoot the actual cause, which goes beyond changing the battery. The car is frying the battery, but they deliberately declined to look in that direction. Just kicking the can down the road with the hope of kicking out of the 3-year warranty window. Intermittent camera failure and stiff steering. Not always starting, especially in the morning. The entire dashboard light comes on and goes off after about 20 seconds. Then starts on the next attempt. It failed to start completely twice, even with the intervention of an OnStar roadside assistant. The junk had to be towed to the dealership. My overall assessment, it is full of bugs, just a junk that deserves a recall.

Debbie Barnett on February 2, 2023

I have issues with my 2020 Traverse. I have owned this vehicle for over 2 years and a month ago I started having issues Every time the road is wet my brakes makes a grinding noise and throws me to the windshield. I have taking it to the place I bought it in Hazard Ky they say they can not find anything wrong. I told them to drive it in wet weather.i ask if a sensor could be getting wet in my anti lock break system. I am very terrified for myself and my family safety I have never drove a vehicle that acted this way. I would not recommend anyone to buy this vehicle

Nicole on January 23, 2023

Writing this since I see others have had similar problems.. but the DAY my warranty expired (only have 30K miles but hit the three year mark) my alternator went bad. Alternators should last 7 years or over 100K miles... so how mine went out at 3 years with only 30K miles is beyond me. But now I'm out $1200 for a part that should've lasted far longer. And the fact that I was just a few days outside the warranty and it didn't matter is incredibly frustrating.

Taronda Montgomery on January 4, 2023

I am soooo disappointed in my purchase, and performance 2021 chevy traverse LT. Purchased from serpentine Tallmadge ohio new. One problem after the next 2 weeks in dash information board went completely out. Got a call the same week that I was scheduled to bring it in to get that fixed and was told that there was a recall regarding brakes pads making a a growling noise. They screwed that up. Was made aware that they did not replace it the first time, so bring it back. Beginning of year 2 first winter dash board lit up engine light, reduce engine speed, transmission, stabilike. I could not go pass 25 mph. I was scheduled for my routine oil change. Not to mention im probably going to be out of money. I buy new cars for a reason..No used car problems. Let's be clear I have purchased 2 brand new traverses prior- different dealer NO PROBLEMS. I left ford and became a Chevy person for the reason of fux on repair daily reality. However, I'm Done! I will most likely go foreign with my next purchase. Awaiting the tragic news regarding a car that has 30000 highway miles on it. Thanks Chevy disappointed in Ohio!

Phyllis G on November 22, 2022

I purchased my 2020 Chevrolet Traverse from Vandergrift Chevrolet in Arlington, TX on December 12, 2020. Last week my alternator and battery went out on this vehicle. I haven't even had it 2 years. The vehicle warranty is 3 years or 36,000 miles. Now I have to pay between $1400 - $1800 to have it fixed because it has over 36,000 miles. The alternator should not have gone out this quickly and the battery should have also had a better warranty. Here I am at the start of the Holiday season having to pay this much money to get my truck ruining my holidays. I have been a dedicated GM customer for 30 years. I have purchased 9 GM vehicles and this is the most disappointing experience.

Amanda on October 7, 2022

I purchased the 2020 Traverse Premier Redline Edition brand new with only 50 miles and have no qualms about it. I did knock it down to four stars on performance due to its hesitation at yield signs when I accelerate after slowing down. If not at the perfect timing when in the yield, the vehicle will jerk or hesitate to go when I push the accelerator. Once the engine gets beyond that hesitation point, there is a decent amount of power in the acceleration. The hesitation is not a dealbreaker for me, however. Just annoying and can be dangerous if you are in a situation where you have minimal reaction time. Car and Driver said it best: "When parking or maneuvering at low speed, the Traverse feels every bit its size. Pick up the pace, however, and the big Chevy feels smaller than it is—poised, if not overtly athletic." If you're looking for a third-row seating option with second-row captain's chairs but are not the minivan type, much like myself, the Traverse is a great option. Rear cargo space is small, but if you think about it, you will lack impressive cargo space in a mid-size SUV if it has third-row seating. There's always the roof rack/cargo carrier option for storage. It's not bad, especially if a clutter-free interior on long road trips with the family is your forte. On the plus side, the lack of cargo space allows adults and teenagers to sit comfortably in the third row, and second-row passengers have an impressive amount of legroom. Other great interior options are the heated and cooled first and second-row seats. Backseat passengers can control their climate, from changing the temperature and fan speed to turning the entire system on or off, without changing the Driver's and front seat passenger's preferred climate. The Bose system is impressive. The clear audio quality, with the subwoofer under the front console, makes it sound like you're in a concert. If blasting the new age of music isn't your thing, that's cool. Classical music sounds just as impressive in this ride. Overall, I am pleased with this ride. I love getting in it every day. I receive a lot of compliments and looks. The sleek and sporty design of the Redline Edition with the black-on-white color is a head-turner! If you take care of your vehicles, they will last. The Traverse is no different. Never stretch out an oil change due date, and never turn down factory-recommended services. Avoid the quick lube places at all costs. No offense to them, many of them do great, but they work within parameters outside the scope of routine vehicle maintenance, such as tire rotations, factory-recommended inspections, and factory-recommended maintenance, depending on your vehicle mileage.

Randy on March 26, 2022

At 46,000 (out of warranty) the alternator had to be replaced. $1,200. Most alternators on most cars last 70,000 to 100,000 miles. To change out the main battery (it also has a secondary battery under the driver's floorboard) you must maintain power to the computer or it has to be reprogramed. Not something the average owner can just go to an auto parts store and replace the battery.

Zerfman99 on March 9, 2022

Looks and drives amazing got a good deal on it thanks to Big John at Piehls in princeton il If your wanting an SUV this is a great one