What 131 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Chevrolet Trax

The issues with the car happen when attempting to go over 40mph. After maybe 10-15min of driving, if attempting to go over 40mph, the car starts making a clinking sound, a lot of exhaust smoke comes out the back and there is a general inability to accelerate without the engine sputtering which even happened at lower speeds once it has already started to happen. The check engine light come on when this occurs. Our safety does seem to be at risk as we cannot seem to keep up with traffic speeds and would likely cause an accident if we remain on the road while the car is exhibiting these conditions. After I told the dealership about how long in driving it takes to recreate the problem, the dealership that currently holds the car(Jennings Chevrolet in Glenview, IL) were able to reproduce the problem. My parents and I went on Feb 16th, 2023 to Napleton Hyundai in Glenview and bought the car used and after 2 days of driving, my parents were having issues with the car and being able to accelerate. At the time it was diagnosed as a catalytic converter and flex pipe problem. Those items were backordered and were not able to be replaced until 2 months after our original complaint. During those 2 months of waiting, my parents were instructed not to take the highway and not to exceed 40mph. Upon getting the car back on April 26th, it took merely 4-5 more days for the problems to come back again. We also found that on Dec 17th, 2022, the previous owner took the car in with the same problems and after getting an estimate, declined service and took the car back Dec 28th, 2022. The vehicle has been looked at by Napleton Hyundai in Glenview, Jennings Chevy in Glenview and prior to our ownership, Anderson Chevy in Chicago. Anytime the vehicle exhibits the above mentioned problems, the check engine light does come on and usually in addition to the issues listed above, the car seems to be low/out of oil. At this time, we are told the cars issue is the turbo.

NHTSA ODI 11522522

The contact rented a 2019 Chevrolet Trax equipped with Uniroyal Tires, Tire Line: Tiger Paw, Tire Size: 205/70/R16, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The contact pulled off the roadway. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that 9 -inches of tread had detached from the front passenger’s side tire. The vehicle was towed to Hertz Rental where the contact was provided another vehicle. The contact was unsure if the dealer or manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,800. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11520324

I have already said what happened and when and outcome it for some reason kicked it out made me start over. I'm attaching a report. I previously last month reported this vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11517287

Just financed this car on the 18th of February the engine light is constantly coming on and staying on now also the stable light keeps popping on the car is sputtering and shaking and can barely get up speed when driving it's making a funny noise

NHTSA ODI 11513900

Upon acceleration above 40 mph, the car starts studdering with little power on acceleration. Releasing and pressing the accelerator until it starts picking up speed. This behavior worsened as the day went on. I had to put my emergency flashers on, while entering the highway ramp. Then it will pick up speed, just not rapidly as normal behavior on the accelerator. The stabletrax light came on, the engine light, tread lights. Then it drives normal until the next time.

NHTSA ODI 11511236

When it gets very cold and I go to start it in the morning for work the steering wheel won't move or sometimes it will but it's like trying to turn a cork screw out of a bottle when tring to steer, but when it warms up it's fine

NHTSA ODI 11510971

The stable link light came on with the engine light and showed the car symbol with tread lines. This is the second time the stable link came on since my ownership. On accelerating the gas pedal, the car starts to studder, and the engine will not pick up speed on the highway. So cars are held up behind you, until it accelerates slowly to the highway speed limit. Between 44mph it starts studdering of power. It feels like a safety issue. It has started studdering at 35mph. I checked for recalls and found a lot of Chevys have this issue, but a different make and model.

NHTSA ODI 11511111

Car lost power and ran rough to the point of shaking even after dealer repairs were attempted and reported as finished.

NHTSA ODI 11508639

The instrument cluster failed at approximately 21,100 miles in September of 2022. Every indicator lights up but doesn't function. The radio and reverse camera work sometimes but not for long. The part is on back order. The dealer has no idea when it will arrive. When I drive, I don't know my speed and I don't know if my safety systems are working.

NHTSA ODI 11499428

Ball joint on front drivers side apparently broke...vehicle at a dealership now to determine if the weld is bad or what the issue is. I was simply turning into the driveway when the car came to a sudden stop due to wheel rotating 80*. Tow truck driver stated he had seen this happen with this exact yr and model of Trax. He mentioned a man had his vehicle 1 week and this very same issue had occurred. I did find recalls concerning this make and model however my vehicle did not apply...i would very much like this issue to be investigated to be sure the recall does not need to be amended for additional vehicles. This incident could have been catastrophic if it would have occurred just a few minutes before at regular speed.

NHTSA ODI 11496413

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated while driving at various speeds over bumps, the vehicle emitted squeaky sounds. The contact stated that as she depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle pulled towards to the right and hesitated to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side tire tread was lower causing the failure. The dealer replaced the front driver's side tire however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and to an unknown dealer who informed the contact that the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V312000 (Suspension) was previously completed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 11491998

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, he stopped at his mailbox and inadvertently left his key fob and keys at the mailbox. The contact stated he was able to drive to run several errands however, after stopping and turning off the vehicle, he realized that he had no key fob. The contact attempted to start the vehicle and saw the message that the key fob was not detected. The contact made a second attempt to start the vehicle, and the vehicle started up. The contact was able to drive the vehicle with no key fob to his residence. The contact retrieved the key fob from his mailbox. The contact stopped and turned off the vehicle and was able to restart normally. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,853.

NHTSA ODI 11490182

I went to my mailbox in the trailer park where I live and I got my mail and I left my key in the mailbox drove all the way to the gas station without my remote shut my car off pumped gas it said I could not detect remote and it still let me start the car and I was able to drive home and get my key from the mailbox that I left it at

NHTSA ODI 11487478

A/C stopped working suddenly; instrument panel cluster not showing anything- looks like something is shorted out; usb ports hot to touch Diagnosed at Chevy Dealership: A/C hose from condenser to compressor has melted completely, as the hose was lying ON the transmission. Clips to hold hose away from engine parts is missing Instrument panel cluster needs a new circuit board and new USB ports Safety: PA has had the hottest days and I had no A/C Odomoter/tire pressure/oil percentage not readable as instrument panel cluster is not on. Ever

NHTSA ODI 11483293

I'm having a problem with my catalyst converter in my vechiclw the dealership is on back order and the parts departments at the muffler shops here in Atlanta,ga won't order them because they said it's an consistent problem with these cars! So I'm stuck paying a car note on a car I can't even get an emissions for because of this issue! My radio also blanks out and I'm unable to turn the volume up or down even sometimes I'm unable to listen to my radio in my car when will this matter be recalled and took care of?

NHTSA ODI 11476186

I was driving on 95 N and out of the clear blue, my car began to smoke. There was no warning lights on the dashboard that indicated that I needed to check the oil or engine, etc. I pulled over, taking the nearest exit to a gas station.As I turned into the gas station, I heard a loud popping sound. My husband and I looked under the hood and discovered the engine was on fire. My husband and gas station attendant helped get rid of the fire by using a fire extinguisher. My mother and stepdaughter were in the car at the time. While the fire was being extinguished, we ran away from the car and called 911. An auto mechanic discovered the transfer case was broken and thus, empty.

NHTSA ODI 11475158

Air conditioning compressor failed, took to a GM dealership service center and was informed that the AC compressor failed at a weld joint, most likely due to an improper weld. This happened during the intense heat wave this summer (Tennessee Summer 2022) and my air conditioning failed, causing incredibly hot climate conditions in the car, which I had no substitute that I could drive during 100 degree weather. Symptoms had occurred previously, beginning as soon as I purchased the vehicle (but did not realize it was a symptom until the unit went out.) I smelled a chemical smell anytime the air conditioner was running and just believed it to be a normal occurrence, as well as any time I went a long distance using the ac, it would stop working. I brought this to a dealership but they were unable to recreate the problem due to the length of time that it took for the problem to occur while driving, so was never completely investigated. The air conditioning completely failed on a long distance drive from Memphis, TN, to Houston, TX.

NHTSA ODI 11473739

The digital information center goes off and on randomly. This has been reported in forums but no resolution

NHTSA ODI 11470777

I was driving and all of a sudden my touch screen went black and i couldn't turn my stereo down or off. I even pulled over, shut the car off and opened the door to cut the power and it still would not go off. It was very distracting while driving because i didn't know what was wrong. I was panicking that it may be an electrical issue and was afraid my car would catch fire. It has gone out on me once in awhile for a few seconds since 2020 but i didn't think much of it. The backup camera still worked and the reception would cut out in dead spots but i could do absolutely nothing with the volume or power to it.

NHTSA ODI 11470118

Ac Delco manual rack and pinion this is the second time it’s been replaced in 3 months these are all the part numbers that are on it A118338053, 2110200000000x, 812563302, 4250 8252 the steering wheel knuckle that connects to the steering shaft from the rack is breaking down with every bump it gets worse it’s going to eventually cause an accident this is the 4th time I’ve tried to make contact about this issue as the first 3 times GM has completely ignored my messages and I don’t want this to get any worse it’s at the point I can’t drive the car right now and I already paid to have a new one put in plus the part and I’m out all that money and still paying on a broke down car I don’t think that’s very fair If we can get to this as soon as possible much appreciated thank you

NHTSA ODI 11451828

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly came to a complete stop and lost motive power, causing the contact to suffer whiplash. The "Service StabiliTrak" and "ABS Service Soon" warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with brake booster failure. The dealer replaced the brake booster. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11451896

Had issues with a burning plastic smell when initially turning on blower fan to distribute heat in vehicle for about 8-10 weeks. Had vehicle in for service 3 weeks after issue began. Mileage approximately 48,000 miles. Nothing found by service techs. Paid for oil change and vehicle returned to me. Advisor recommended returning vehicle anytime I smelled the odor however I live 30 minutes from dealership and smell would only last momentarily for approximately 1 minute and smell would dissipate. Yesterday at the 10 week mark of the odor occurring on a daily basis of using the heater blower fan it stopped working leaving no option to get any heat in the vehicle cabin. Took to dealership, they indicated today heater fan was pulling too much amperage and caused other heating components to burn out/ melt. This could have caused a vehicle fire and I was lucky it did not happen. Don’t feel lucky.!Had to pay $600 for repair out of my pocket that I feel not my fault. Uncovered repair under 3 yr 36000 mile Chevrolet warranty. VERY DISAPPOINTED!!

NHTSA ODI 11451152

2weeks after purchasing this car with aprox. 350 miles on the car the tires were bald . The dealer replaced the tires and said they saw no reason for this to have happened. Now with about 26,000 miles on the car I am being told the tires are bad again and I need to replace them. I am not understanding why the tires are wearing so quickly.

NHTSA ODI 11450477

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing a blanket for the front of the vehicle but was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11447093

I got qcletter that my car is,indeed on a RECALL LIST and it did not show up on this site. it was a very dangerous repair too. how could you make a mistake of not knowing.

NHTSA ODI 11445789