Chevrolet Traverse vs Dodge Durango: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Traverse and the Dodge Durango are level on the federal record — 71/100 against 74/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
The record, side by side
Chevrolet Traverse
- 15 model years scored
- 4,296 owner complaints on record
- about 48 complaints per year on the road
- 53 recall campaigns, 35 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (88/100) · worst 2025 (46/100)
Dodge Durango
- 12 model years scored
- 3,018 owner complaints on record
- about 21 complaints per year on the road
- 59 recall campaigns, 40 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (92/100) · worst 2011 (29/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Traverse against Durango
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Traverse | Durango | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 AVOID | 90 BUY | -44 |
| 2024 | 64 CAUTION | 92 BUY | -28 |
| 2023 | 86 BUY | 90 BUY | -4 |
| 2022 | 88 BUY | 80 BUY | +8 |
| 2021 | 85 BUY | 50 CAUTION | +35 |
| 2020 | 69 CAUTION | 89 BUY | -20 |
| 2019 | 61 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -17 |
| 2018 | 65 CAUTION | 63 CAUTION | +2 |
| 2017 | 72 BUY | 79 BUY | -7 |
| 2016 | 78 BUY | — | — |
| 2015 | 76 BUY | — | — |
| 2014 | 58 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2013 | 81 BUY | 31 AVOID | +50 |
| 2012 | 80 BUY | 35 AVOID | +45 |
| 2011 | 69 CAUTION | 29 AVOID | +40 |
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Traverse
- Air Bags — 921 complaints
- Engine — 876 complaints
- Power Train — 738 complaints
Dodge Durango
- Electrical System — 1,410 complaints
- Engine — 562 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 328 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Traverse's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Durango's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Traverse — avoid: 2025.
Dodge Durango — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2013.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chevrolet Traverse prices at about $63,100 and a Dodge Durango at about $63,100 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 21.0 against 20.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Traverse or the Dodge Durango more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Durango scores 74/100 against the Chevrolet Traverse's 71/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chevrolet Traverse and Dodge Durango years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Traverse: 2025. Dodge Durango: 2011, 2012, 2013. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Traverse and the Dodge Durango?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Traverse is Air Bags (921 complaints); on the Dodge Durango it is Electrical System (1,410).
Is the Chevrolet Traverse or the Dodge Durango cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Traverse prices at about $63,100 and a Dodge Durango at about $63,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.