ChevroletTraverse2010Overview/chevrolet/traverse/2010/base/

2010 Chevrolet Traverse

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2010 Traverse.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 6-spd

The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is a midsize SUV equipped with a 5.5‑quart 5W‑30 engine oil system and a six‑speed automatic transmission that delivers EPA ratings of 16 city, 23 highway and 19 combined mpg. Its 2010 model year stands out as the peak of the Traverse’s complaint history, recording 668 owner complaints — the highest across the 2009‑2026 span — with steering issues leading the reports and five recalls issued. Consequently, researchers should treat the 2010 Traverse as the most reliability‑challenged iteration of the nameplate, a benchmark for the model’s early‑generation durability concerns.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192010

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/23/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 660 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 660 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnINNEROEM · verified
Tire sizeP245-70R17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12690386
Engine air filter15278634
Spark plug12681660
Battery88866309
Front wiper blades25941804 alt 25941805
Serpentine belt12608660
Thermostat12689041
Cabin air filter20958479

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 6-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length205.1 in
Overall width78.3 in
Overall height69.7 in
Wheelbase118.9 in
Curb weight4925 lb
Track (front / rear)66.9 / 66.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)55/45

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 23 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainAll-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Traverse of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.30 sec — 2010 2LT
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
20102LT 3.6L V67.30 sec15.80 sec281 hpFWD
20092LT 3.6L V67.60 sec15.90 sec281 hpAWD
2009LTZ 3.6L V67.80 sec16.20 sec281 hpFWD
2009LTZ 3.6L V67.90 sec16.10 sec281 hpAWD
2011LTZ 3.6L V67.70 sec16.00 sec281 hpAWD
2018LT Leather 3.6L V66.30 sec14.90 sec310 hpFWD
2018High Country 3.6L V66.50 sec15.10 sec310 hpAWD
2018Premier 3.6L V66.70 sec15.10 sec310 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, SAE 75W · SYNTHETIC in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 15.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity4.2-6.3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · SYNTHETIC
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.7 qt
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts6.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub173 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub151 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.30 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.50 oz
Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance660 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief20 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature194-225 °F
Injector Primary Resistance1.25-1.75 @ 50-90 degreesF DI ohms
Engine Compression140

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket47.
Torque to Knuckle129 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.14 in / 0.79 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.14 in / 0.79 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.09 in / 0.73 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 miFuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse sits at the peak of a complaint arc for this generation, recording 668 complaints, which is the highest volume across the provided record. This represents a significant increase from the 448 complaints seen in 2009 and remains higher than the 608 complaints reported for 2011. For the 2010 model, steering is the primary area of concern with 278 complaints, followed by the engine with 94, though the data does not specify the root causes of these issues. The year also saw 1,398 TSBs and 5 recalls, fitting into a broader early-generation trend of rising technical service bulletins, alongside 17 crash and 6 fire complaints. Given that this year represents the highest number of complaints in the entire federal record, it is not a recommended year to buy.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1398
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
668
Owner complaints
17 involved a crash · 6 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 668 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering278
Engine94
Power Train22
Electrical System17
Air Bags15
Power Train,Engine15
Unknown Or Other14
Seat Belts13

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V246000Air Bags:Critical FastenersReported 08/04/2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached. Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners…

15V415000Structure:Body:Hatchback/LiftgateReported 30/06/2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1398 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Traverse. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2010 Traverse take?

5.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2010 Traverse have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Traverse get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 23 highway / 19 combined mpg.