Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and airbags. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/8 checked
2021 Chevrolet Trax: inspection sheet
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2021's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2021 Chevrolet Trax. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4L 4-cyl | AWD, FWD | 26–28 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Chevrolet Trax, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The digital instrument panel flickers, goes black, and sometimes stays dark for hours. That hides the speedometer, fuel range, tire pressure, and oil life. One report traces it from early CarPlay dropouts near 20,000 miles to a panel that glitches from about 60,000 miles and is now off more than on. Other filings in this category describe a battery that keeps dying because the alternator does not charge, a failed AC compressor, and a corroded exhaust flex pipe that leaked carbon monoxide into the cabin and caused stalling in traffic.
Under hard braking the car pulls sharply to the right, then the pedal turns spongy and sinks to the floor. In one case the dealer traced this to the master cylinder within the first 6,253 miles. Two of the filings are the same report submitted twice. A separate complaint describes a brake pedal that sticks down and has to be pulled back by hand. A brake positioner replacement did not fix it, and it came back after three dealer visits. Another filing, at highway speed, is really an engine and transmission power loss.
In both crash reports, the air bags do not deploy. One is a rear-end collision at a stop light. Both seat belts also failed to hold the occupants, and the two people in the car were later treated for herniated and bulging spinal discs. The other is a hard side hit that pushed the vehicle into the next lane and left it undrivable, with no side air bag deployment. Both complaints raise questions about occupant protection in moderate collisions.
The check engine light comes on, the engine loses power and shakes, and heavy smoke pours from the exhaust. In one case a fuel trim fault was repaired, then the same symptoms returned the next day with a turbocharger code, at 33,440 miles. Another complaint describes a check engine light that keeps returning and a reduced power warning. The code pointed to the crankshaft sensor while the dealer blamed the catalytic converter. Sudden power loss in traffic is the main safety risk.
The turbocharger fails repeatedly, filling the cabin with smoke and a burning smell while the car shakes and loses power. One complaint describes three turbo failures within 2 1/2 months and a dashboard display that stopped working during the episodes. A separate filing reports an EVAP purge pump fault at 45,349 miles. That owner notes a related recall covered the 2020 model year but not the 2021. Cabin smoke and power loss while driving are the main hazards.
Excerpts from complaints Trax owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
My car is only at around 37,7000 miles. My I have only had it since it was around 15,000 miles. My battery has died at least 4 times due to my alternator having problems charging. My brakes have also gone out on me at one point in the beginning. My battery is now trash and so is my alternator.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
UNKNOWN I’ve had my car for 11 months. When I first got the car I got it fully inspected and there were minor issues like tires and brakes. However, now the ac compressor is completely damaged and there may be contamination in my lines. This is not an owner issue. I take really good care of my car. I just don’t know how this could’ve happened if this wasn’t a manufacturer related issue.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
Check engine light keeps coming on. Crankshaft sensor is the problem according to the code but the dealership says it’s the catalyst converter. Also my low power engine light came on.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 7 Trax years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2021 is the seventh model year of the Trax's first generation (2015–2022).
It includes the 2017 update.
What changed for 2017
Cars shoppers compare with the Chevrolet Trax, with their own 2021 checklists.
2021 owner complaints, side by side
