Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota Highlander
Two three-row SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Chevrolet Traverse if its specific features or size suit your needs better.
Buy the Toyota Highlander — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Chevrolet Traverse | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $656 | $489winner |
| 5-year total cost | $3,280 | $2,445winner |
| Reliability score | 6 / 10 | 8 / 10winner |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 18% | 13%winner |
| Cargo space | 97.6 cu ft | — |
| Starting price (new) | $42,300winner | $45,870 |
| Best years to buy | 2013, 2021 | — |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Chevrolet Traverse | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 6 / 10 | 8 / 10winner |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 257.3 | 0winner |
| Years to avoid | 2018, 2019, 2025 | None identified |
| Value retained · 3 yr | 73.5% | 83.6%winner |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 51.7% | 63.7%winner |
| Value retained · 7 yr | 37.6% | 51.5%winner |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Chevrolet Traverse | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 19.9% | —winner |
| Electrical | 8.1% | —winner |
| ADAS | 8.3% | —winner |
| Brakes | 4.5% | —winner |
| Steering | 11.9% | —winner |
| Fuel system | 2.0% | —winner |
| Tires/Wheels | 1.4% | —winner |
| Glass/Windows | 1.1% | —winner |
| Airbags | 20.3% | —winner |
| Seatbelt | 2.4% | —winner |
One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.
// INSURANCE
Which is cheaper to insure?
| Chevrolet Traverse | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,393winner | $2,401 |
// FULL MODEL PAGES
// FAQ
Common questions
The Traverse costs $656/year to maintain — $83 above the three-row segment average of $573. Repair frequency of 43% is slightly above the class average of 40%. Reliability score of 6 is below the segment average of 7, and major repair probability of 18% is well above the 13% norm. It trails the three-row class average on most ownership-cost metrics.
How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →