What about the Chevy Trax?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
9,246
Location
FL, USA
I'm sure I will be having on going threads as I help my parents search for a new to them vehicle. My mom brought up the Chevy Trax this evening. I hadn't really considered it since I have read of issues with the 1.4 turbo in Chevy's line up, and I have seen one on the side of the road billowing blue smoke (new Cruze).

I went on Carcomplaints.com to check out the Trax, and actually found very little in the way of wide spread problems. Do any of you have any experience with these? Long term reliability is a priority for their next car. I believe they all have the 1.4 turbo and 6 speed auto, correct me if I am wrong.
 
I rarely see them, so that explains the lack of complaints. And just like the Impala, most probably started out as a rental car because no one actually wants to buy a new one. If long term reliability is a priority for them, stay out of it if your silly enough to recommended a Chevy Trax.
 
Had a Buick Encore. Couldn't call it a lemon but much more trouble than my Soul. Ate through PCV valves which required valve cover replacement. EGR valve built into exhaust manifold. Was flashing codes indicating that was ready for replacement when i totaled it. Paid for service on my daughter's 1.8 liter and had two different service writers say "well at least it's not the 1.4" and tell two different family horror stories.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by skyactiv
I rarely see them, so that explains the lack of complaints. And just like the Impala, most probably started out as a rental car because no one actually wants to buy a new one. If long term reliability is a priority for them, stay out of it if your silly enough to recommended a Chevy Trax.


I didn't say I was recommending the Chevy Trax. I am simply doing some digging to see if might be worth a look as my mother said she was interested.
 
Originally Posted by 2010Civic
Long term reliability and Chevy don't go together.


I used to make statements like this, I am more open minded now. All brands have some issues, some more than others. None are perfect.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
I rarely see them, so that explains the lack of complaints. And just like the Impala, most probably started out as a rental car because no one actually wants to buy a new one. If long term reliability is a priority for them, stay out of it if your silly enough to recommended a Chevy Trax.


I have to say that my Cruze was much more reliable than my last VW......
 
We have a 2017 that we bought new So far with 38000 miles no problems Factory Contis are about due for replacement
 
There's great deals on new Chevy Trax. In my area there's one for $16,000 that's about 8 or 9 grand off MSRP. They are actually pretty nice inside. I hear they have a good smooth and quiet ride. If she's buying new or almost new she's always got a warranty and odds are it would be good for at least 100k anyway imo. I recently got a Chevy spark and am quite happy with it.
 
Will your Mom be buying or leasing?
If she's buying then, she may want to be a bit more picky with her choice.
If leasing, get anything!

Although the TRAX is one of the lower scoring subcompact CUVs in its particular category, I actually liked driving it(had one for several days) better in the everydayness of life, than some of the higher scoring CUVs in the same category. It felt peppier and sounded quieter than many in the category(I've driven many). I see lots of TRAX on the road in my area.
 
Last edited:
Have one that I bought new. Korean made. Just hit 60,000 trouble free miles. AWD version, lifetime average of 29 mpg. With studded snows in the winter it is a great, and safe vehicle year round. My wife's daily driver. Having a daughter that lives on the other side of the Rockies, will pull the passes at 75MPH with ease. And because we are on Bitog, easy oil/filter changes, OLM hits 20-25% at around 7000 miles where I change it with whatever dexos 5w-30 I have on hand.

And to the blanket statement people..... it's a ton more reliable than my Honda's ever will be.
 
I have a Buick Encore, the Trax's sister vehicle, in the fleet of vehicles I maintain. It is my godmother's vehicle. I believe it's a 2013 and currently has nearly 90,000 miles.

It has been back to the dealer exactly once for a warranty repair. She was getting a "Reduced Engine Power" message on the driver display on really cold days. Dealer replaced the throttle body. Never another issue.

Other than that, it's just been regular maintenance. OLM goes about 8,000 miles between changes. I've never noted any oil consumption. It has had the battery replaced, it is on it's second set of tires, and it's needed wiper blades twice. I did put in a splash of coolant at the last oil change. No visible leaks, but I would probably suspect the water pump will end up being the culprit, a well known issue with the 1.4 L. I'll keep an eye on it.

It's not the type of vehicle I'd drive, but it's been trouble free and she's not in any hurry to get rid of it, so I guess she enjoys it well enough.
 
I thought about getting a trax or encore for second vehicle(to replace the 2010 accent), but the price is so high they priced themselves out of the market.. too many other better vehicles in that price range.
 
The 1.4 turbo is just about the last engine I would buy for long term reliability. Too many issues with the PCV, turbos (and all the plumbing), intake manifolds, and the fragile cooling system.

Definitely stay on top of oil changes and monitor coolant level with the 1.4. Neglecting oil changes is a big no no on these.
 
Last edited:
I cannot add much, except that "better" is in the eye of the beholder. Some people actually prefer a Chevy name plate over Hyundai/Kia badge, even if all are made in Korea. I don't put much emphasis in the portions of the reviews that talk about interior finish, infotainment capabilities, driving dynamics (fun-ness). Anyone buying a car today needs to really study the reliability and issues of the engine and transmission. There are just so many drive train issues cropping up recently.

Good luck greg24. Be helpful without getting into that "no good deed goes unpunished" catagory. FYI, my adult son's 2014 Soul has been extremely rock solid,except now it has that engine recall/warranty thing going on.

Also, kudos to your comment of becoming more open minded about brands.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top