Reliable Auto DB

2018 Chevrolet Trax reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Trax over 9 years — 13 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Trax years here — over the median of the other years, which is 9. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front lower ball joint.

2013 Chevrolet Trax
Photo by L.Willms, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

101

Per year

13

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Suspension (34 of 101), then Engine (29) and Electrical system (18). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Trax has 113 complaints, 13 per year, and the 2019 has 134 complaints, 19 per year. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Chevrolet Trax. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Front lower ball joint 2019-09-12 · NHTSA campaign 19V652000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Chevrolet Trax vehicles. A joint in one or both of the front lower control arms may have been improperly welded. An improperly welded joint may break, resulting in the partial separation of the lower control arm from the vehicle.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right front lower-control arms, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A192261870.
Recall Front lower ball joint 2019-04-18 · NHTSA campaign 19V312000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Trax vehicles. A joint in one or both of the front lower-control arms may have been improperly welded. An improperly welded joint may break, resulting in the partial separation of the lower-control arm from the vehicle.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right front lower-control arms, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 14, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A182202370.

Complaints by component (101 total)

Suspension
34
Engine
29
Electrical system
18
Powertrain
11
Steering
9
Service brakes
7
Speed control
6
Wheels
6
Fuel and propulsion system
4
Air bags
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Back-over prevention
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Tires
1
Traction control
1
Show 10 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12018342019520201020219202211202312202482025112026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The diver side fuse box started a fire in the vehicle. The tracking control system light was flashing on and the vehicle lost power. Filed claim with insurance company. Insurance company issued a total loss and took…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-06-27
  • "There are known issues with the control arms on these vehicles and I have had a clunk any time I hit the slightest bump or crack and it is especially bad when my wheels are turned. There is no recall linked to my vin…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-06-18
  • "Both my control arms are loose and wheel baring is bad, plus a cracked catalytic converter. All of these are causing my car to be loud and burning smell, causing unsafe driving conditions for me and my children. Online…"
    Suspension, Wheels, Engine · filed 2026-06-03
  • "Power steering isn’t working"
    Steering · filed 2026-05-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Chevrolet Trax SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Chevrolet Trax SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Trax 1.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 25 33 28 MPG $2300
Trax all-wheel drive 1.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 24 30 27 MPG $2400

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2013–2023
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30 (1.4L turbo); 0W-30 alternative where listed , 4.2 qt capacity
Tire size 195/70R16 to 215/55R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 19V-652 covers certain 2015-2018 Chevrolet Trax vehicles: a joint in one or both front lower control arms may have been improperly welded and can break, partially separating the control arm so the front wheel toes outward and raising crash risk. Dealers inspect and replace the arms as needed. This expands an earlier population under 19V-312. Campaign 16V-422 covers certain 2015-2016 Trax vehicles with Bring Your Own Media radios that may fail to chime for an unfastened seat belt; dealers update radio software. Campaign 15V-146 also names certain early-2015 Trax builds for steering-column wear that can cause sudden loss of electric power steering assist.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Chevrolet Trax Next year 2019 Chevrolet Trax See every Chevrolet Trax model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Trax reliable?

Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Trax over 9 years — 13 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Trax years here — over the median of the other years, which is 9. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front lower ball joint.

What are common problems with a 2018 Chevrolet Trax?

The complaints owners file most often name Suspension (34 of 101), then Engine (29) and Electrical system (18). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Trax more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Trax has 113 complaints, 13 per year, and the 2019 has 134 complaints, 19 per year. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Chevrolet Trax been recalled?

The 2018 Chevrolet Trax has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Chevrolet Trax?

Owners have filed 101 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Trax with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Chevrolet Trax get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Chevrolet Trax is 27.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What model years use the second-generation Chevrolet Trax?

The redesigned Trax returns for the 2024 model year in the US catalog.

What oil does a first-generation Chevrolet Trax take?

US notes list 5W-30 for the 1.4L turbo, with 0W-30 as an alternative where listed; 2024-on 1.2L turbo notes list 0W-20.

What tire sizes does a Chevrolet Trax use?

First-gen fits often run 195/70R16 to 215/55R18; second-gen trims commonly use 225/55R18 to 245/45R19.