# 2010 Traverse drifts backwards

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** chevrolet, traverse\
**Created:** [September 19, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320 "2010-09-19T13:26:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![timmytoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@timmytoast](https://community.cartalk.com/u/timmytoast)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320/1 "2010-09-19T13:26:45Z")

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I just purchased a used 2010 Chevy Traverse. On even slight inclines it drifts backwards. It’s like driving a standard shift vehicle, even though it’s an automatic. what’s up?

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320/2 "2010-09-19T13:30:33Z")

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Some automatics are designed to keep you from that, but many don’t (at least in my experience) I doubt if it is a malfunction, but if no one who knows your vehicle better than I can tell you for sure, then I would check with the dealer to make sure.

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**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320/3 "2010-09-19T13:44:41Z")

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I Don’t Know If That’s Your Complaint I See Filed On The NHTSA Web Site Or Not, But If Not Then You Should Add Your’s.

This is how investigations get triggered and helps get to a solution if Chevrolet has none, if this proves to be dangerous, which it sounds like it could be.

What does the dealer say ?

CSA

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**Author:** ![timmytoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@timmytoast](https://community.cartalk.com/u/timmytoast)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320/4 "2010-09-19T13:49:48Z")

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I hav’nt spoken to the dealer yet. just wanted some feed back. I’ll check out NHTSA. thanks for the reply.

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320/5 "2010-09-19T14:46:28Z")

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Unlike transmissions of yesteryear, many modern automatic transmissions do allow for exactly the symptoms that you report. This is not a defect, but rather is just a fact of life with vehicles that are more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.

If you don’t like this effect, you could trade the Traverse in on a new Outback.  
;-))

All Outbacks now come with Hill-Holder as standard equipment–even on automatic transmission models. Subaru extended this feature from the manual trans models to the automatic trans models simply because many people do not like the tendency of modern automatics to allow for “backward drift” on steep inclines.

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**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2010-traverse-drifts-backwards/55320/6 "2010-09-19T15:26:30Z")

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Could be a slipping torque converter.

Twotone