What are the most common 2017 Trax problems?

Owners' complaints most often involve the engine (32%), the air bags (7%) and the steering (23%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the 2017 Chevrolet Trax been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2017 Chevrolet Trax, the most recent in September 2019 (suspension). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

2017 Chevrolet Trax: Solid

Owners filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Trax in its first five years on the road, about 76 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Trax year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the engine (32% of complaints, median 28,000 miles).

Complaint index: 1.0×; per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Trax year
Rank: 4th of 7; 1st = fewest complaints
Complaints: 60; first five years; 76 per 100,000 sold
Recalls: 3; campaigns

1st generation, 2015–2022 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate

Photo: 2018 Chevrolet Trax LT · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles

Engine32% · 19 complaints · median 28,000 miles
Air bags7% · 4 complaints
Steering23% · 14 complaints · median 38,000 miles
Electrical23% · 14 complaints · median 32,000 miles
Brakes20% · 12 complaints · median 16,000 miles
Body and structure7% · 4 complaints
Suspension13% · 8 complaints · median 5,000 miles
Fuel and propulsion8% · 5 complaints
Powertrain5% · 3 complaints
Speed control5% · 3 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Engine

Owners of this Trax commonly describe turbocharger trouble, particularly in cold weather, that causes sudden power loss, stalling, or limp mode while driving. Repairs range from a quick solenoid or valve swap to, in some cases, a full engine replacement, with several owners noting recall or warranty coverage for turbo parts.

Warning signs:: Many report a check engine or StabiliTrak light, rough idling, shaking or vibration, reduced acceleration, or smoke from under the hood before the failure.
What shops did:: Dealers often replaced a turbo solenoid, valve, or the turbocharger itself, sometimes under warranty or a recall, though some owners say parts were backordered or the problem returned; a few needed a new engine.
Mileage:: most between 10,000 and 60,000 miles, among 18 complaints that give it

“there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11733024 · View complaints on NHTSA

“it in fact was my turbo that was going out”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11637572 · View complaints on NHTSA

Steering

Owners describe losing power steering assist while driving, sometimes with warning lights, stalling, or gauge glitches. Repairs varied widely, from module or steering column replacement to dealers being unable to find or fix the problem.

Warning signs:: Many report a Service Power Steering or Stabilitrak warning light, check engine light, dashboard gauges dropping to zero, and a hard-to-turn or noisy steering wheel before the failure.
What shops did:: Dealers often could not duplicate the issue, replaced the power steering module, steering column, gearbox, or ECM, or found no diagnostic codes.
Mileage:: most between 10,000 and 45,000 miles, among 13 complaints that give it

“There was a message on the dashboard saying to service power steering and the error light was on”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11222890 · View complaints on NHTSA

“while driving 50 mph on a highway, I lost power steering, acceleration, and dashboard instruments( speedometer & tach) failed”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11497129 · View complaints on NHTSA

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (3)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›

NHTSA 19V652000September 201993,722 vehicles
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
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.
Risk: A partial separation of the lower-control arm from the vehicle could cause the attached front wheel to toe outward, impacting the vehicle's handling and steering and increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right front lower-control arms, replacing them as necessary, free of charge.
NHTSA 19V312000April 2019112,958 vehicles
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
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.
Risk: A partial separation of the lower-control arm from the vehicle could cause the attached front wheel to toe outward, impacting the vehicle's handling and steering and increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right front lower-control arms, replacing them as necessary, free of charge.
NHTSA 16V651000September 20163,640,162 vehicles
Seat belts: pretensioner · Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive · Air bags: frontal
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Chevrolet sent NHTSA 1,029 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2017 Trax. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

22-NA-244 · May 2024 · Warranty extensionThis service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.
00-06-01-026R · June 2025This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
23-NA-153 · May 2025The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal…
15-NA-010 · May 2025This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000 miles that may not pass California smog inspection or smog inspection in other states.
25-NA-100 · April 2025This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on vehicles outside of a California Emissions State who move to and register their vehicle in a California Emission State may be…
PI0281L · April 2025This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel that may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers.
13-02-32-001H · April 2025This service bulletin provides a procedure to flush and bleed power steering system to correct a power steering noise or fluid leak concern that is caused during extremely low temperatures.
25-NA-052 · March 2025This bulletin advises the technician to flush the cooling system multiple times if oil has been found in the cooling system and replace the parts that may be contaminated due to oil in system.

All 2017 Trax bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2017 Chevrolet Trax reliable?: Owners filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Trax in its first five years on the road, about 76 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Trax year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Trax years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2017 Trax problems?: Owners' complaints most often involve the engine (32%), the air bags (7%) and the steering (23%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2017 Chevrolet Trax been recalled?: Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2017 Chevrolet Trax, the most recent in September 2019 (suspension). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Chevrolet. The 2017 Chevrolet Trax on NHTSA.gov · How we rate