Chevrolet Trax Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Chevrolet Trax model year from 2015 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 1,440 federal complaints, 10 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
No standout lemon years. Complaint volume for the Trax is fairly even across the range.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Trax's own worst year — full methodology.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Engine tops the Chevrolet Trax file with 281 complaints, concentrated in the 2016–2019, 2024 model years, most often reported around 64,338 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Few reports | 22 | 0 | — | 15 |
| 2025 | Early warning signs | 129 | 0 | Electrical | 77 |
| 2024 | Early warning signs | 227 | 1 | Electrical | 100 |
| 2022 | Few reports | 13 | 0 | — | 5 |
| 2021 | Typical | 38 | 0 | — | 24 |
| 2020 | Below average | 155 | 0 | Electrical | 66 |
| 2019 | Below average | 191 | 2 | Engine | 84 |
| 2018 | Below average | 152 | 2 | Suspension | 59 |
| 2017 | Below average | 183 | 3 | Engine | 79 |
| 2016 | Below average | 185 | 5 | Engine | 77 |
| 2015 | Below average | 145 | 7 | Engine | 71 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 7,345 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Chevrolet Trax. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Chevrolet Trax TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Chevrolet Trax years should I avoid?
No Chevrolet Trax year stands out as a lemon in federal complaint records; complaint volume is fairly even across the range.
What is the most common Chevrolet Trax problem?
Engine tops the Chevrolet Trax file with 281 complaints, concentrated in the 2016–2019, 2024 model years, most often reported around 64,338 miles.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Chevrolet Trax only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.