Three problems related to gas recirculation valve (egr valve) have been reported for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse based on all problems reported for the 2012 Traverse.
My wife was driving on the highway when it lost significant power and started rattling violently. She was able to pull into a business parking lot. Stabilitrak system, traction control, check engine lights all came on. After sitting for about 10 minutes, it started back up with less violent shaking but still with reduced power, she was able to 'limp' to the pellegrino dealership in williamstown, NJ. It had fault codes p0300 and p0303 for random engine misfire and cylinder 3 misfire. They diagnosed as "minimally needing cylinder #3 fuel injector plus additional diagnostics afterwards to determine full extent of issue" first threshold would be $1500 and possibly several thousand possibly including an engine replacement. They offered $2000 trade-in toward another vehicle there. With hardly any diagnostics, I was surprised of 'possible engine replacement' diagnosis, so I took the vehicle to another shop to do the fuel injector replacement plus check plugs, coils (all good), clean remaining fuel injectors and intake manifold for a fraction of what the dealership quoted. Cylinder compression was good, but the same random misfire p0300 code and p0303 codes still come up and idles very rough with engine noise and significant reduced power. Clearly, the injector was not the root cause of the problem. If fuel is given more aggressively, all the stabilitrak lights come back up. In doing additional research online, it appears to be a common issue. Oil changes were performed routinely at the dealership since we had a "lube for life" contract. Mileage is 116,640.
While driving the car, the traction control turns off. When this message comes on the driver information panel, the following messages appear: the check engine light comes on, engine power reduced, and service stabilitytrac system. At the same time, when you press the gas pedal, the car does not accelerate. Also, the cruise control does not work. This happens whether you're driving 5 miles an hour or 55+ miles per hour. This is a problem that occurs every time I drive the car. I have noticed that if the temperature is under 40 degrees, it happens more times than when the temperature is greater than 40 degrees. I live in pennsylvania and the temperature dips very low. I drive a minimum of 300 miles a day m-f and this is a very dangerous flaw. I am reporting this because I have exhausted all of my resources. The only way I have found to reset the traction control, is to pull over, turn the car off, and wait for 3-5 minutes. This will reset the traction control but it does not turn off the check engine light.
My car has been very well taken care of and still is only at 70,000 miles. Prior to a 1000 mile road time with my husband and two children I went in for a regular maintenance and to prep for the trip. After getting back my struts went out, apparently a chevy defect. After paying upwards of $1,000. 00 to replace and check everything we headed on the road. No less that 60 miles from home, while going 65 on the freeway, my car lost all power. Power steering, ac, the whole thing just shut down! we barely made it to the side of the freeway to be safe from the traffic, again, my children are in this car in 90+ degree weather on the side of a freeway! I am now in the process and finding out that chevy, american made crap, has had this happen before to families, putting them at risk, leaving them stranded and has not done any recalls on this dangerous matter. The car didn't slow down, it lost power, it lost everything and we would have be slammed by multiple other cars if my husband didn't make a fast move off the freeway. How can a long time, again american, car manufacturer produce such a defective vehicle that can't even make it to 100k miles? so now I am paying on a vehicle that I don't even know what will cost because I have to tow it to someone while still making payments. Do not buy chevy!.