Chevrolet Traverse vs Ford Expedition: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Traverse is ahead of the Ford Expedition on the federal record, 71/100 against 66/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
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)
Ford Expedition
- 10 model years scored
- 2,276 owner complaints on record
- about 40 complaints per year on the road
- 86 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2015 (89/100) · worst 2020 (41/100)
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 Expedition
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 | Expedition | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 AVOID | 73 BUY | -27 |
| 2024 | 64 CAUTION | 73 BUY | -9 |
| 2023 | 86 BUY | 79 BUY | +7 |
| 2022 | 88 BUY | 65 CAUTION | +23 |
| 2021 | 85 BUY | 64 CAUTION | +21 |
| 2020 | 69 CAUTION | 41 AVOID | +28 |
| 2019 | 61 CAUTION | 42 AVOID | +19 |
| 2018 | 65 CAUTION | 55 CAUTION | +10 |
| 2017 | 72 BUY | 74 BUY | -2 |
| 2016 | 78 BUY | — | — |
| 2015 | 76 BUY | 89 BUY | -13 |
| 2014 | 58 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2013 | 81 BUY | — | — |
| 2012 | 80 BUY | — | — |
| 2011 | 69 CAUTION | — | — |
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Traverse
- Air Bags — 921 complaints
- Engine — 876 complaints
- Power Train — 738 complaints
Ford Expedition
- Power Train — 822 complaints
- Engine — 394 complaints
- Electrical System — 281 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Traverse's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Expedition's in Power Train. 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.
Ford Expedition — avoid: 2019, 2020.
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 Ford Expedition 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 19.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Traverse or the Ford Expedition more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Traverse scores 71/100 against the Ford Expedition's 66/100, 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 Ford Expedition years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Traverse: 2025. Ford Expedition: 2019, 2020. 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 Ford Expedition?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Traverse is Air Bags (921 complaints); on the Ford Expedition it is Power Train (822).
Is the Chevrolet Traverse or the Ford Expedition cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Traverse prices at about $63,100 and a Ford Expedition at about $63,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.