When I shift my car into park and turn off the engine, an error message appears-"Shift to Park." Although the dashboard displays that the vehicle is in park, the radio and lights remain active & I am unable to turn off my car. To resolve this issue, I must restart the car and cycle through park, reverse, or neutral before attempting to shift back into park again. It often takes multiple attempts…
2022 Chevrolet Traverse powertrain problems
severe 38 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
38
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
1crash
4injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 38 powertrain complaints filed for the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Powertrain accounts for 42% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 5 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 38 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2022 Traverse has a widespread, persistent shift-to-park sensor or shifter control defect that affects many owners—some facing $275 to $1,800 repairs outside warranty after their coverage ends—plus separate but serious transmission power-loss and shuddering issues that can strand you on the highway. Check a pre-purchase inspection closely for these failure modes and ask for service records of any prior repairs.
The 2022 Chevrolet Traverse shows a dominant pattern of shift-to-park failures: the dashboard repeatedly claims "Shift to Park" despite the shifter being in park, preventing engine shutdown and draining the battery. Owners cycle through gears multiple times or restart the engine repeatedly to clear the error; it recurs days or weeks later. Dealership fixes involve shifter control assembly or harness replacement ($275–$1,800), but many owners find the repair is not covered under their 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. GM has issued Technical Service Bulletin 19-NA-206 but no recall despite acknowledging the issue spans multiple vehicle years and model lines.
Separately, transmission power-loss failures strike across the mileage spectrum. Some Traverses lose acceleration above 40–50 mph with check engine lights (P2715, P0700 codes), refusing to shift or revving in neutral; others experience burned internal parts or enter limp mode. A few owners report their transmissions failing a second time within weeks of initial repair or flush. Severe shuddering during 20–40 mph acceleration also appears, sometimes worsening until the vehicle is hard to drive.
Neither dealership nor manufacturer has issued a recall for these powertrain issues despite owners reporting the faults are "known" GM problems. Repair costs and repeated failures make this a serious ownership risk, especially for those relying on warranty coverage that often excludes the parts that fail.
Same Chevrolet Traverse powertrain reports on nearby years: 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2023 · 2024
Failure modes owners describe
Shift to Park Error / Gear Shifter Control Malfunction
The instrument panel displays 'Shift to Park' message even though the gear shifter is physically in park position. Vehicle refuses to turn off, radio/lights remain active, alarm sounds, and dashboard chimes continue. Owners must restart the engine and cycle through multiple gears repeatedly before the system recognizes park. In some cases the issue resolves temporarily but recurs days or weeks later.
When: Occurs across mileage range from 22,000 to 122,000 miles; often appears intermittently on a weekly or recurring basis, sometimes shortly after purchase or repair attempts
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard displays 'Shift to Park' message despite shifter in park position; Vehicle will not turn off or shut down completely; Radio, lights, and other auxiliary features remain active; Alarm or chiming sounds continuously; Interior bells sound upon exiting vehicle; Battery drain risk from prolonged inability to power off; Requires multiple restarts and gear cycling (park to drive to reverse to park) to clear message; Message clears temporarily but recurs days or weeks later
Codes mentioned: Gear shifter control assembly failure, Position switch internally shorting out in shifter control assembly, Failed gear shift control unit
Repairs/costs cited: Shifter control assembly replacement: $543.44 (parts and labor). Shift control and harness replacement performed. Repair estimates range $275 to $1,796.55 depending on dealer. One owner reports part not covered under powertrain warranty despite 100,000-mile warranty coverage; another notes repair lasting only 1-2 years before failure recurs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Technical Service Bulletin 19-NA-206 referenced by one owner. Manufacturer aware of failures and cases filed in multiple complaints. No recall issued despite recognized pattern across multiple 2022 Traverse units and related GM vehicles (Acadia). Owners report GM acknowledging issue is known but declining to mandate recall or cover repairs outside warranty.
Transmission Loss of Power / Acceleration Failure / Limp Mode
Vehicle loses power, refuses to accelerate past 40-50 mph, or enters limp mode. Check engine light illuminates. Transmission behaves as if disengaged despite being in gear. Vehicle may refuse to move or revs as if in neutral. Some owners report inability to accelerate above 10 mph after initial failure.
When: Failures reported at 13,000 miles, 44,000 miles, and 80,000 miles; in one case occurring after transmission flush and upgrade performed days prior
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle loses power and cannot accelerate or exceed 40-50 mph; Check engine light illuminates; Transmission revs as if in neutral despite being in gear; Vehicle refuses to shift past certain speed or will not move; Enters limp mode, limiting speed to 10 mph or less; Transmission shudders and makes abnormal sounds; Rear wheels lock up momentarily after shifting to drive
Codes mentioned: P2715 Pressure control solenoid D stuck on, P0700 Transmission control system, Burned transmission parts (internal diagnosis), Transmission failure (requiring replacement)
Repairs/costs cited: Transmission rebuilt with burned parts replaced in one case; complete transmission replacement required in another (at 80,000 miles, repair not completed as of complaint date). Valve body replaced after failure at 13,000 miles; transmission replacement recommended after second failure 334 miles later. One owner reports dealership unwilling to sign off on completion due to ongoing failures.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware in multiple complaints and cases assigned. Dealerships declined to accept owner's personal code reader data (P2715, P0700) even with extended 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty. One owner reports transmission flush/upgrade performed by dealership prior to failure.
Transmission Shuddering / Shaking
Vehicle shudders, shakes, or vibrates during acceleration, especially between 20-40 mph range. Owners describe it as severe enough to make the vehicle difficult or unsafe to drive. Shuddering worsens over time and occurs almost every gear in some cases.
When: Reported at mileage before 100,000 miles; one owner describes severe shuddering occurring at 40+ mph and worsening over time
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle shudders during acceleration; Shaking intensifies between 20-40 mph; Shuddering occurs almost every gear at higher mileages; Reverberation felt through steering wheel and pedal when idling; Minor shaking and unusual sounds from transmission
Repairs/costs cited: Transmission flush recommended and performed in one case without resolving issue. Torque converter replacement suggested by dealership but not confirmed as completed. Dealership quoted $10,000 for transmission replacement when vehicle exceeded warranty mileage, claiming warranty did not cover issue.
Manifold / Exhaust Grinding and Noise
Grinding sound heard from vehicle, particularly during deceleration or slowdown. In one complaint, manifold was already replaced but grinding persists. Another complaint reports reverberation through steering wheel and pedal with puttering sounds, suggesting possible torque converter or related drivetrain issue.
When: Occurring during normal driving, especially when slowing down
Symptoms owners cite: Grinding sound when slowing down; Puttering sounds heard; Reverberation through steering wheel and pedal when idling
Repairs/costs cited: Manifold replaced in one case but grinding persists. Dealership unable to find cause and states nothing visible upon inspection.
Transmission Fluid / Valve Body Issues
Transmission fails or requires service related to fluid contamination or valve body malfunction. One vehicle required valve body replacement, followed by complete transmission replacement 334 miles later. Another experienced burned transmission parts.
When: Early in vehicle ownership; one failure at approximately 1 year old with under 14,000 miles, second failure 334 miles later
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission failure; Burned transmission parts (internal); Shuddering, loss of power, abnormal sounds
Repairs/costs cited: Valve body replacement performed 06/28/2023. Dealership claimed complete transmission replacement necessary 08/07/2023 after second failure (mileage gap of 334 miles). Transmission had been flushed and upgraded days prior to one failure.
Synthesized from 38 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 11 most recent
Vechicle shudders during acceleration. Especially between 20 - 40 mph's. Checy dealership recommended transmission flush. Problem persists after transmission flush. Torque converter replacement suggested.
Wife was driving my kids to school this am. Driving up a slight hill on a speed limit 55 road vehicle started slowing down and wouldn’t accelerate. Stopped for a traffic light and it very slowly accelerated like a manual transmission stuck in a higher gear. Check engine light went on. I Was able to drive the traverse to the local gmc/Buick dealer which mentioned they were able to download some…
When I shift the vehicle to park to turn it off, I keep getting a warning / error message that I need to "shift to park"; even thought the gear shift is in park. I have to keep repeating the process multiple times in order to exit the vehicle. Most times I have to shift to park, sit and wait upwards of 5 minutes before turning the car off and it registering that it's in park.
When slowing down there is a grinding sound. Everytime i take it to the dealership they say they don't see anything.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, an alarm that indicated that the vehicle was not parked sounded, while the gear shifter was in park(P) and the engine was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had been persisting. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer…
When shifting my vehicle into Park, the message “Shift to Park” appears even though the gear lever is already in the Park position. The vehicle does not always recognize that it is in Park, which prevents it from fully shutting off and poses a potential rollaway or battery drain risk. Often the radio/bluetooth components remain on. This issue creates a safety concern when parking, especially on…
Vehicle will frequently state "Shift To Park" on dashboard when shifter is set to Park. Restarting engine and resetting to Park does not help. Horn and interior bells sound upon exiting the vehicle due to Shift To Park error. Safety issue concern, because I'm use to seeing the error message and ignore it, and what would happen if the shifter was not actually in Park. I took to GMC dealership.…
I have a shift to park issue and GM wants $800 to repair the problem.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after reversing out of the driveway and shifting into drive(D), the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle made an abnormal sound, as if the transmission and engine had detached and fell onto the road. The contact had only driven forward approximately 30-feet when the rear wheels locked up. The contact shifted to park(P) and…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2022 Chevrolet Traverse?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse?
It's a meaningful issue. 38 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $2,500.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 10 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 27,000 and 80,000 miles, with the median around 50,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 27,000; a quarter make it past 80,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2022/Chevrolet/Traverse.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.