Chevrolet Trax Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Chevrolet Trax drew the most (56; most-reported area: engine) and the 2021 the fewest (7).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 30 mpg combined, arrived in 2024 and has held since.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2019 Trax Most reported: engine	56	134	2
2018 Trax Most reported: suspension	40	101	2
2017 Trax Most reported: engine	39	113	3
2016 Trax Most reported: engine	26	117	5
2020 Trax Most reported: electrical system	26	94	0
2021 Trax Most reported: electrical system	7	24	0

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	0	16	Not rated
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	1	86
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	1	169
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	0	9
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	0	24
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	0	94
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	2	134
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	2	101
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	3	113
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	5	117

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2019: 134 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Trax
Model year	Complaints
2016	117
2017	113
2018	101
2019	134
2020	94
2021	24
2022	9
2024	169
2025	86
2026	16

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 27 to 30 mpg (2016 to 2022, 2024 to 2026); 30 since 2024.

2026: gas 30 mpg

Show as a table

Chevrolet Trax best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	29
2017	28
2018	28
2019	28
2020	28
2021	28
2022	27
2024	30
2025	30
2026	30

Questions

Which Chevrolet Trax years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2019 (56) drew the most, then the 2018 (40). Most-reported area for the 2019: engine.

Which Chevrolet Trax years have the fewest problems?

The 2021 (7) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road. The 2022 is left out as a partial model year with few sold.

Which Chevrolet Trax years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2019, against 32 complaints in a typical Chevrolet Trax year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.

Which Chevrolet Trax years have the most recalls?

The 2016 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (5), then the 2017 (3). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Chevrolet Trax problems?

Of the 863 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are engine (28%), electrical system (25%), and suspension (10%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Chevrolet Trax year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 30 mpg combined, first reached by the 2024 gas version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.