Chevrolet Trax Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age, so 48.2% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine, with 276 complaints, typically at 4 years.

Chevrolet Trax years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Chevrolet Trax — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2026	1.2	12	10	too new
2025	2.1	88	42	too new
2024	3.28	174	53	too new
2022	1.5	9	6	too new
2021	1.41	24	17	too new
2020	2.06	97	47	yes
2019	2.33	128	55	yes
2018	1.6	99	62	yes
2017	1.75	112	64	yes
2016	1.68	111	66	yes
2015	1.63	88	54	yes

ROWS 11·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2019 Trax asks a median $7,995, against $8,995 for a 2020, the next model year: about 11% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 6 Chevrolet Trax years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2019, 2020, 2017; the three worth hunting are 2018, 2015, 2016.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Chevrolet Trax — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	167	18.8%	covered
1 year	177	38.7%	covered
2 years	116	51.8%	covered
3 years	83	61.1%	you pay
4 years	95	71.8%	you pay
5 years	80	80.9%	you pay
6 years	71	88.9%	you pay
7 years	39	93.2%	you pay
8 years	33	97%	you pay
9 years	12	98.3%	you pay
10 years	12	99.7%	you pay
11 years	3	100%	you pay

ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 51.8% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 48.2% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 40% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Chevrolet Trax, the early trouble is Engine and Electrical System — reported at around 4 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.

FIG.03·Chevrolet Trax — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Engine	276	4 yrs	5	17
Electrical System	247	2.9 yrs	6	6
Unknown Or Other	156	2.6 yrs	4	6
Power Train	101	3.6 yrs	2	3
Suspension	85	2.6 yrs	8	—
Service Brakes	84	2.2 yrs	13	—
Steering	82	3.5 yrs	5	—
Air Bags	65	2.3 yrs	37	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Trax's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota RAV4 draws 2.31, the Jeep Wrangler 4.69 and the Honda CR-V 3.7, against 1.98 for the Trax. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Chevrolet Trax — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Trax	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota RAV4	9,332	168	1996–2026
Jeep Wrangler	16,434	285	1986–2026
Honda CR-V	15,948	207	1997–2026
Tesla Model Y	388	100	2020–2026
Mazda CX-5	2,211	33	2013–2026
Nissan Rogue	7,253	94	2008–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Chevrolet Trax

Recalls32 campaigns Fuel economy30 mpg best Common problems967 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space25 cu ft Used prices1,968 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2013–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Chevrolet Trax reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.98 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Trax years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2019, 2020, 2017. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2018, 2015, 2016. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Trax problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age. The most reported system is Engine, typically at 4 years, followed by Electrical System.

Will the warranty cover Trax problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 51.8% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 40% of the complaints here.

Is the Trax more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?

Yes: 1.98 complaints per production run for the Trax against 2.31 for the Toyota RAV4.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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