Chevrolet Traverse vs Ford Flex: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Traverse is ahead of the Ford Flex on the federal record, 71/100 against 67/100 — 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 Flex
- 9 model years scored
- 1,582 owner complaints on record
- about 19 complaints per year on the road
- 32 recall campaigns, 12 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (91/100) · worst 2013 (34/100)
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 Flex
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.
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Traverse
- Air Bags — 921 complaints
- Engine — 876 complaints
- Power Train — 738 complaints
Ford Flex
- Electrical System — 348 complaints
- Steering — 315 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 220 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Traverse's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Flex'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.
Ford Flex — avoid: 2013, 2019.
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 Flex at about $37,500 — the Ford Flex is roughly $25,600 less, and they return 21.0 against 18.0 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 Flex more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Traverse scores 71/100 against the Ford Flex's 67/100, 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 Flex years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Traverse: 2025. Ford Flex: 2013, 2019. 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 Flex?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Traverse is Air Bags (921 complaints); on the Ford Flex it is Electrical System (348).
Is the Chevrolet Traverse or the Ford Flex cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Traverse prices at about $63,100 and a Ford Flex at about $37,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.