The 2014 Traverse with the 3.6L V6 is a spacious family hauler plagued by catastrophic engine timing chain failures and transmission cooling issues. When maintained meticulously it's reliable, but deferred maintenance or bad luck can result in complete engine destruction.
Timing Chain Stretch and Engine Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: rattling noise on cold start that fades after warmup, check engine light with cam/crank correlation codes (P0016, P0017, P0008), sudden loss of power or no-start condition, catastrophic failure with metal shavings in oil
Fix: Early catch requires timing chain replacement (8-12 hours labor), but most cases present after internal damage occurs, requiring complete engine rebuild or replacement (20-30 hours). The 3.6L timing chains stretch over time, allowing cam timing to drift until pistons contact valves. Oil change neglect accelerates this dramatically.
Estimated cost: $3,500-9,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Leaks and Contamination
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: transmission fluid in coolant (strawberry milkshake in reservoir), coolant in transmission (slipping, erratic shifts), visible leaks at radiator connections, transmission overheating warnings
Fix: If caught early before cross-contamination, just replace the cooler lines (2-3 hours). Once fluids mix, you need transmission flush, possibly rebuild, plus cooling system flush and new radiator (12-20 hours total). The internal cooler failures destroy transmissions quickly.
Estimated cost: $400-5,500
AC Evaporator Core Leaks
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: loss of AC refrigerant with no visible external leaks, musty smell from vents, oily residue on passenger floor, AC works intermittently then quits entirely
Fix: Requires complete dash removal to access the evaporator behind the HVAC box (10-14 hours labor). Common corrosion issue on these units. Most shops quote the high end because dash removal on these is extremely labor-intensive with lots of electrical connectors.
Estimated cost: $1,800-2,800
Power Steering Fluid Leaks
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 70,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: power steering fluid puddles under vehicle, whining noise when turning, low fluid warnings, hard steering when cold
Fix: Typically leaking rack and pinion seals or pressure hose connections (3-5 hours for rack replacement, 1-2 hours for hoses). The rack seals fail from corrosion in salt states. Not a safety emergency but needs attention before complete failure.
Estimated cost: $600-1,400
Water Pump Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: coolant leak from front of engine, squealing noise from accessory belt area, overheating, visible coolant weeping from weep hole
Fix: Water pump replacement on the 3.6L requires removing the timing cover for access (6-8 hours). Smart owners do timing chains at the same time since you're already in there, turning it into a 10-14 hour job. Pump bearing failures can contaminate coolant with metal particles.
Estimated cost: $800-1,600
Catalytic Converter Failure
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 100,000-160,000 mi
Symptoms: check engine light with P0420/P0430 codes, rattling noise from exhaust on startup, reduced fuel economy, failed emissions test
Fix: Bank 1 and Bank 2 converters fail due to oil consumption issues or misfires damaging substrate. Replacement requires 3-4 hours per side. Use quality aftermarket or OEM cats; cheap ones trigger codes immediately on these. Address any underlying oil consumption before replacing.
Estimated cost: $1,200-2,800
Instrument Cluster Failures
Occasional · low severity
Symptoms: gauges reading erratically or stuck, complete cluster blackout, flickering displays, warning lights staying on incorrectly
Fix: Stepper motor failures or circuit board issues require cluster removal and either repair or replacement (2-3 hours). Some units can be repaired for $200-400, but GM dealer replacement is expensive. There was a recall for some cluster issues; verify recall completion.
Estimated cost: $300-900
Owner tips
Change oil every 5,000 miles maximum with quality synthetic — this engine is unforgiving of extended intervals and the timing chains depend on good oil
Inspect transmission cooler lines and check for coolant/ATF cross-contamination every service; catching this early saves the transmission
Budget $2,000-3,000 for timing chain service around 100k if you plan to keep it long-term; it's cheaper than an engine
Verify all GM recalls completed, especially airbag and transmission-related ones
Buy one only if it has impeccable maintenance records and recent timing chain service; otherwise the engine grenade risk makes sub-100k mile examples a gamble at any price.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
Be the first to unlock repairs for the 2014 Chevrolet Traverse
Procedures haven't been generated for this vehicle yet. Become the founding sponsor and we'll generate expert-grade, step-by-step repair walkthroughs for every common job on it — free for every mechanic and DIYer who looks it up after, forever.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 23V334000
2023-05-10 · EA16003
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 21V782000
2021-10-07 · EA16003
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS · 21V246000
2021-04-08
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.
Consequence: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · 14V614000
2014-10-01
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Consequence: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515.
SEAT BELTS · 14V266000
2014-05-20
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured March 26, 2013, through August 15, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the engine control module (ECM) software may cause the fuel gauge to read inaccurately.
Consequence: An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM to correct the fuel gauge reading, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14007.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · 14V092000
2014-02-21
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
Building an app?
Free API access to all this data — 50 requests/day, no card required.