2011 Chevrolet Traverse Buying used Chevy Traverse

You'll get all kinds of different opinions from different people. I'm not aware of any common or unusual problems with the fit and finish, ride quality, comfort, or handling. What you will have to prepare yourself for is the huge list of things GM has designed into their vehicles to cost you money after the purchase. Your warranty may help with some of that, but if that is an aftermarket service agreement, it is very common to hear, "what you need isn't covered". Even if it's a manufacturer's warranty, there are often deductibles for every repair, not every visit to the dealer.

The dealers are having a hard time getting paid by aftermarket service agreement companies, so now a lot of them make you pay the bill, then submit it to the company. Those companies tend to reimburse the car owners faster.

Also be aware that often you lose when a repair is covered under an aftermarket agreement. Wiring harness problems, which are fairly common, almost always require replacement of the entire harness, meaning that's their rule, and not simply repairing a broken wire. That can mean removing the dash board and interior, leading to future squeaks and rattles. Those repairs always take a lot longer than the companies pay, so the mechanic knows he's going to lose and he has a tendency to cut corners. Some of those wiring harnesses can cost over $500.00, and the warranty companies know that when they calculate the cost of the policy. That means you already paid for an expensive repair, even if it was never needed. To repair broken wires between the door hinges takes a lot less time than replacing an entire harness, it costs a whole lot less, and the mechanic isn't working for free part of the time. In the long run, everyone wins when you have to pay for that repair yourself.

Most warranties don't cover everything, so be sure to know exactly what it does cover. Most refer to "internally-lubricated parts" when they refer to a power train warranty. That involves pretty serious engine or transmission problems, which are not common. If they can say you caused the problem due to lack of maintenance or ignoring a developing problem, that will be their loophole to get out of paying for that repair. Rather than engine and transmission problems, you want to be sure the warranty or agreement covers computers. There are dozens of them now, and GM has cleverly designed theirs to have to be purchased from the dealer and programmed to your vehicle by that dealer. Some other manufacturers are starting to do that too, but GM is one of the few manufacturers that won't let independent shops do that. You will be tied to the dealership.

You'll want to know the dealer's reputation too, because you'll be going there a lot. In my city we have extremely reputable Chrysler, GMC, Subaru, and Cadillac dealerships. Our Chevy dealer is one of the biggest crooks in the county, if not the state. The same fellow owns five other brands, and all of them can't keep any experienced mechanics, and repeat customers are hard to find. A lot of die-hard Chevy fans drive 20 miles to a different dealership.

I forgot to mention that if this vehicle is included in the ignition switch recall, I wouldn't be too concerned with that. They'll come up with a solution, ... After all, we've had ignition switches in cars for a pretty long time with no problems. What every driver has to understand is that any engine can stall while you're driving for a number of reasons besides the ignition switch, and in every single case, you will not lose steering or brakes. A lot of uninformed drivers think there will be no brakes and they can't steer, so they don't even try, and they crash! You will lose the power assist for the steering and brakes, but that just means you have to push harder on the brake pedal and put the phone down and use both hands to turn the steering wheel. Without power steering assist, the steering actually gets easier the faster the vehicle is going.

If you are skeptical about the steering and brakes, you can practice in an empty parking lot.