The Chevrolet Trax is the smallest crossover SUV. Its compact size makes the interior less spacious but decent enough and the cargo space is below average in space. The engine's performance is mediocre at best. The SUV has officially 5 recalls 0 investigations and 74 complaints which do not make the SUV unsafe rather people are giving their opinion and complaints about the SUV, which is inevitable for any vehicle. The most common problem so far received for the SUV was for the engine regarding coolant leaks, loss of power while driving, overheating, smoking from the hood, and so on. The rest of the complaints are about the powertrain, steering, and the service brakes. Does the 2016 Chevy Trax perform better or is it more reliable than the Jeep Compass, Ford Escape, and Honda CR-V? Let's see in detail whether the 2016 Trax at the end is a good purchase or not.
2016 Chevrolet Trax User Problems and Complaints
Mechanical problems
- Engine problems: 2016 Chevy Trax engine problems are a very common issue for most users, specifically the loss of power was the most common one. The engine losses power while driving or when the SUV comes to a stop. Certain users received a letter from the manufacturer about this issue and for solving the issue, but, this was not considered a recall for a reason which is unclear. Other Users specified problems like the engine stalling without any reason, spark plug replacement due to premature spark plug failure, leaks from the engine, and overheating issues with no warning lights. Some of these issues were dealt with halfway by the dealership, but some of them had to be fixed at the expense of the owner.
- Powertrain Issues: Some users faced difficulties with the gear not shifting to a certain gear, 1 user stated that when the gear was put in drive, the SUV would go reverse and this problem would occur most of the time until the SUV was restarted. 1 user claimed the transmission would not choose a gear and it would flip between 5th and 6th gear, and when manually changed to the 6th gear the rpm would idle and would not let the SUV accelerate. Whether the dealership was actually of any help is unclear.
- Steering issue: Almost all users had the same complaint about the steering. The Steering of the SUV would seize or lock up while driving, 1 user stated the power steering would lock up while starting the SUV and had to wait 1 hour for the power steering to turn on and work with no issue. This user has faced these issues numerous times and had to replace the entire steering system for a hefty amount. A recall however is made related to the steering, refer to NHTSA ID 19V652000 for more information.
- Service brake noise: A number of users claimed that the brakes would make squeaky annoying noises and sometimes the noise would get worse when braking. 2 users claimed the brakes failed while driving and one of the users was involved in a crash but no injuries took place, however, this is a safety risk but a rare case.
- Suspension noise: The complaint is regarded as noise from the SUV. The SUV would make a pop noise from the ball joint or from the driver's side front when making a turn. The recall was made similar to the suspension, refer to NHTSA ID 19V652000
Electrical problems
- Electrical system failures: The complaints are mostly of different problems which are, faulty A/C switch, failure of front driver side door lock, Electrical issue causing seize of steering, Dim Lights, fault sensors and warning lights turning on for no reason. There are however 2 recalls made regarding the electrical system of the SUV, Refer to NHTSA ID 16V4220000 and 16V257000.
- Vehicle Speed Control issue: 2 User stated that when the cruise control is set to a certain speed limit, the SUV would not display the set speed, which is quite stressful since the user would not know to which speed it was set.
Safety problems
- Seatbelt troubles: 1 user claimed that the seat belt would lock up when the seat is folded and can only be solved by taking the SUV to a dealership, 1 user claimed that the seatbelt will undo itself when a person is sitting, and 1 user claimed the rear driver's middle seat, seatbelt failed to latch, and was taken to a dealership and after the same problem occurred. Recalls are made for airbags and seatbelt related, refer to NHTSA ID 17V437000 and 16V651000.
- Airbag failure: Certain complaints were for, faulty sensors of the airbags, airbag lights going on when a passenger or driver sits, airbag sensors not registering when a passenger sits, and deployment failure of the airbags on the side and front airbags. Recalls made for airbag issues, refer to NHTSA ID 17V437000 and 16V651000.
Exterior problems
- Structure issues of paint peeling: Almost all the issues were the same except for 1 user and that was the side roof molding fractured after a trip. As for the most common issues it was about the painting of the SUV coming off, no specific area was solely problematic, and seems to be an issue of poor-quality paint.
2016 Chevy Trax recalls
|
S.no |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
September 12, 2019 |
19V652000 |
Lower control may separate from the SUV |
Partial separation of the lower control arm from the SUV could cause the attached front wheel to toe outward. |
Owner will be notified and dealers will inspect the lower control arm, and replace them for free of charge |
|
2 |
July 10, 2017 |
17V437000 |
Front side airbags may not deploy |
Failure of front airbags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in an event of a crash necessitating deployments to increase the risk of injury to the user or driver and front passenger. |
Owners will be notified and dealers will reflash the SDM software. SUVs that have had a previous airbag deployment will also have the SDM replaced. |
|
3 |
September 8, 2016 |
16V651000 |
Frontal Airbags may not deploy |
Failure of front airbags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in an event of a crash necessitating deployments increase the risk of injury to the user or driver and front passenger. |
Owners will be notified and dealers will reflash the SDM software. SUVs that have had a previous airbag deployment will also have the SDM replaced. |
|
4 |
June 10, 2016 |
16V422000 |
No warning chime |
No Audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during an event of impact or accident. |
Owners will be notified and dealers will update the software, free of charge |
|
5 |
April 28, 2016 |
16V257000 |
No ‘Key left in ignition’ warning chime |
No Audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft of the SUV. |
Owners will be notified of the issue and the software will be updated, free of charge. |
Should you buy the 2016 Chevrolet Trax
Yes, there is no relatively concerning safety issue for the 2016 Chevy Trax that will make the SUV unsafe considering there are over 79,000 sales. Even if issues are there, recalls are being made for so. Besides the NHTSA has officially given the SUV an overall safety rating of 5 stars, which is excellent. For a compact crossover SUV, the space, and performance is not that bad, rather decent. As for the best out of the competition, even though the vehicle might lack behind in features compared to the others, in terms of problems and safety rating, it is relatively high on the list. Hence, we do not find any other vehicle recommendable, in terms of problems and reliability, to the 2016 Chevrolet Trax.
