2015-2026 Chevrolet Trax Problems: 16 Known Issues

A small number of 2019 Chevrolet Trax vehicles left the factory with the Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) - the module that decides when the air bags fire - still set to "manufacturing mode" instead of being switched to its normal operating mode. On an affected Trax, the air bags may not deploy at all in a crash. NHTSA lists 12 vehicles for the entire campaign, which also covers the 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet Traverse; that figure is campaign-wide and is not a count for the Trax specifically. GM's internal number for this recall is 18365.

Multiple owners have reported the rearview camera failing to display when shifting into reverse, showing a blank/blue/black screen, or appearing only after a long delay. 2025 Trax built April 1 - December 31, 2024 are covered by GM safety recall 26V539; other reports come from owner complaints. The problem overlaps with infotainment/display faults, but the safety impact is distinct because the camera is federally required equipment. In some cases the problem is intermittent, making it difficult to reproduce at the dealer.

Some 2024-2025 Trax owners have reported forward collision warnings triggering unexpectedly, emergency braking intervening without an obvious obstacle, or driver-assistance warnings appearing intermittently. These complaints are significant because they can startle the driver or create a rear-impact risk if the vehicle brakes unexpectedly. Reports point to camera calibration, sensor visibility, or software logic issues rather than a single mechanical failure.

GM issued urgent dealer message DCS6982 on August 14, 2024 - a revision of voluntary emission recall A242435780 - covering 2024 vehicles with the 1.2L gasoline engine - Chevrolet Trax and Trailblazer, Buick Encore GX and Envista. The engine control module may fail to properly control ignition timing following certain Auto Engine Stop/Start restart events. When that happens the malfunction indicator lamp comes on and the engine runs rough or audibly knocks; GM's own bulletin warns that continuing to drive with the knock present can cause engine damage. The matching service bulletin, 24-NA-064, directs technicians to reprogram the ECM when the MIL is set with DTC P0324 (knock control system error) and/or P0116 (engine coolant temperature sensor performance). Because detonation on a small-displacement turbo three is exactly the loading that hurts rod bearings, this is worth chasing promptly rather than living with.

Unlike the old 1.4L turbo, the 1.2L three-cylinder in the 2024+ Trax drives its camshafts with a rubber timing belt that runs submerged in engine oil. GM acknowledges the design's shedding behavior in preliminary information bulletin PIP5938, which tells technicians that dark fine particles found in the oil pan or suspended in the engine oil of these engines are generated by wet-belt system wear-in, are considered normal, and require no further action. The concern for owners is what that debris does over time: shed belt material collects in the sump, can partially block the oil pickup screen and the small lubrication passages that feed the main and rod bearings, and is a leading suspected contributor to the low-mileage rod bearing failures now the subject of a class action. Extended oil-change intervals, low oil level, or cheap non-dexos oil accelerate belt degradation dramatically.

The 1.4L turbocharged engine burns oil at an excessive rate, often consuming a quart every 1,000-2,000 miles. GM preliminary information PIP5197 attributes excessive oil consumption and blue exhaust smoke on this engine to a potential failure of the PCV orifice diaphragm, which can cause abnormal crankcase pressure. GM considers up to 1 quart per 2,000 miles "normal" but many owners find this unacceptable.

GM PIP5947C addresses North American 2024 Trax 1.2L LIH vehicles below 2,000 miles with excess oil consumption, blue exhaust smoke or idle surge. It identifies an internal camshaft-cover failure as the cause.

GM preliminary information PIP5495G covers 2015–2019 U.S. Trax with the 1.4L turbo (LUV/LUJ) setting P0299 or P0234, and was issued because many returned turbochargers had no fault found. It lists wastegate-related conditions that are repaired without replacing the turbo — a broken wastegate solenoid port, bent actuator port, deposit-obstructed solenoid or hoses, or a missing actuator clip — and conditions that do warrant turbo replacement, such as a disconnected wastegate lever arm or pin, or a seized wastegate valve/linkage.

Software in the Virtual Cockpit Unit Module (VCU) that drives the digital instrument panel can leave the cluster completely blank at startup or drop it out while driving. With the cluster dark the driver loses speedometer, fuel level, and every telltale and warning lamp. GM recalled the 2024 Chevrolet Trax along with the 2024 Buick Encore GX and Envista on November 6, 2023 under NHTSA campaign 23V744000 (GM number A232424320), with owner letters mailed December 4, 2023. This is separate from the center-stack infotainment freezing complaints - it is the driver's cluster display, and it is by far the most-reported electrical failure on the 2024 Trax, with 2024 Trax electrical-system complaints on CarComplaints averaging around 2,300 miles at the time of failure. Some owners report the blackout continuing or the cluster failing outright after the software remedy was applied.

Owners of the redesigned 2024-2025 Trax have reported the center infotainment display freezing, going black, losing touch response, or repeatedly rebooting. Because HVAC controls, backup camera display, audio, and vehicle settings are integrated into the screen, the failure is more than a convenience issue. GM issued service guidance addressing intermittent blank or inoperative radio/display behavior on vehicles using the newer infotainment architecture.

A number of owners have reported dead batteries, slow cranking, or complete no-start conditions after the vehicle sits overnight or for a few days. On new vehicles this often traces to software modules not going to sleep properly, telematics/infotainment wake-up issues, or a weak original battery rather than a traditional charging-system failure. The problem tends to appear early in ownership and can be intermittent.

After the instrument cluster, flickering exterior lighting is the single most-reported electrical complaint on the 2024 Trax. Two related behaviours show up in NHTSA complaints: the daytime running lights and low beams flicker or blink on and off at idle and while driving, and with the switch in AUTO the ambient light sensor mis-reads conditions so the headlamps snap on in bright sun and cycle on-and-off every time the car passes under a tree line, which reads to oncoming drivers as deliberate flashing. GM addresses the behaviour in service bulletin 24-NA-001 (headlamp/DRL/taillight flashing) and preliminary bulletin PIC6530 (headlamp and DRL flashing in shaded areas), which is confirmation the pattern is real rather than a handful of one-off modules. This is a lighting-module and body-control-module software concern, not the LED assemblies themselves in most cases.

The plastic water outlet housing on the 1.4L turbo engine is prone to cracking and leaking coolant. The housing sits on the back of the engine block and deteriorates from heat cycling. Coolant loss can lead to overheating if not addressed.

The 2024+ Trax uses a compact HVAC case with electric actuators for temperature blend, and the temperature control can stick so that the cabin no longer follows the setpoint - the vents blow hot with the dial on cold, or refuse to warm up, often on one side only. GM covers the correction in service bulletin 24-NA-033 (HVAC temperature control switch sticking). A separate but related pattern seen on early cars is A/C going warm within the first 12-18 months from a refrigerant leak that traces to the evaporator inside the dash - the expensive one, since the whole instrument panel has to come out. Bulletin 23-NA-198 additionally documents HVAC cooling behaviour during remote start, which explains some 'A/C doesn't work on remote start' reports that are actually normal operation.

Owners of the current-generation Trax have reported front brake squeal, scraping, or grinding noises at surprisingly low mileage, sometimes accompanied by rotor scoring or vibration. While some brake noise can be normal, repeated complaints at low mileage suggest pad material, hardware fitment, or rotor surface issues on some vehicles. The concern is usually more annoying than dangerous at first, but it can become a safety issue if wear is ignored.

GM opened customer satisfaction/field action N232432960 covering replacement of the fuel rail pressure sensor on affected 2024 vehicles because the sensor's output can shift out of specification over time. On the direct-injected 1.2L turbo the ECM trims high-pressure fuel delivery directly from this sensor, so a drifting signal shows up as a hard or extended crank, a rough or surging idle, a stumble under load, and a check engine light for fuel rail pressure performance. Because the symptom set overlaps the far more serious rod-knock complaints, it is worth ruling in or out first: a pressure-sensor fault produces a stumble and a stored fuel code, not a mechanical bang. Early 1.2L builds have also drawn complaints about injectors that clog or stick, which produces a similar rough idle and a misfire code on a single cylinder.