Buyer Research

2017 Chevrolet Traverse — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $13,000–$20,000. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 3 Chevrolet Traverse years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

The last year of the first-generation Traverse — enormous inside, and still carrying the wave-plate transmission and the timing-chain-prone 3.6L. It's cheap for a reason. Only buy one with documented transmission and timing work, or the savings evaporate fast.

What we checked

Partly reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11

NHTSA holds 361 owner complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse, across 3 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 73% of them are about one thing — airbags. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

3 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Not written up yet: electrics and electronics (22 complaints). That group is in the public record and is not covered by the issues below. Treat it as something to ask about, not as absent.

Looked at and set aside: airbags (263) — 263 airbag complaints on file, almost always a recall matter rather than a repair bill; have a dealer check this VIN for open airbag campaigns and confirm any were performed.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.

6T75 transmission wave plate failureHigh — wallet impact

A cracked wave plate kills third, fifth, and reverse, usually with no warning. Any transmission not rebuilt with the updated plate is on borrowed time.

Repair cost (estimate): $2,800-$4,500

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (18), steering (11).

Timing chain stretch (3.6L)High — wallet impact

Chain wear on neglected engines; cold-start rattle and correlation codes.

Repair cost (estimate): $2,000-$3,500

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (25).

AC condenser and power steering leaksMedium

Chronic complaints on this platform.

Repair cost (estimate): $700-$2,000

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (11).

Water pump failuresMedium

Common past 100k miles.

Repair cost (estimate): $400-$800

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (25).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Slip or flare between gears
✗Cold-start rattle
✗Oil changes stretched to the monitor limit
✗Rear AC blowing warm

Good Signs

✓Transmission rebuilt with the updated wave plate
✓Timing chain serviced
✓5,000-mile oil changes documented

Found a specific Chevrolet Traverse?

This page covers what goes wrong on the 2017 Chevrolet Traverse in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.

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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.

Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.

Other Chevrolet Traverse years

2018 Chevrolet Traverse

$17,000–$26,000

2014 Chevrolet Traverse

$8,000–$14,000