2017 Chevrolet Trax Engine Problems

Vehicle engine light came on XXX and was driven immediately to Auto Zone to check the code. The code showed P0299. The vehicle was then taken 2 miles home and parked. It was towed to Lake Chevrolet in [XXX] on XXX to prevent any engine damage from occurring due to the failed turbo. Upon Lake's inspection they claim the manifold and valve cover gasket must be replaced. We agreed to that, and asked about an oil change as everything we read said that was mandatory with work like this. Was told the technician didn't suggest it but they would do it at our request for an additional charge. After they confirmed the turbo was bad and well as the items above we agreed to the repairs and they said the vehicle would be ready the next day. We called again at the end of the next day and they said the repairs were made and they were going to drive the vehicle to make sure all was well. The next call we received was the service advisor stating we need a new engine as after they drove it white smoke was coming from the exhaust and they now found a cracked piston. The vehicle was not blowing out white smoke when they received, it also passed emissions on 4/14/26. We also asked for all technician notes, diagnostics, etc. which they will not provide us unless we come in and get the non running vehicle and pay the 983.00 invoice. We would have to have the vehicle towed from their lot as it can't be driven since their repairs. We contacted GM and spoke with "Tamar" multiple times with no resolution. Service manager claims GM will pay 1,500.00 towards a 9,000.00 new engine. This engine damage is consequential damage of the turbo failure which the dealership is denying. GM and Lake Chevrolet are refusing to honor special coverage XXX for the resulting catastrophic damage. Dealership also refusing to provide documentation requested in attached letter. We seem to be expected to take their word for all of this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11743806

Incident

Apr 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that after the vehicle sat for a while on several occasions and was then driven, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. While driving on those occasions, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and DTC: P0171 was retrieved. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred approximately six months later. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer where DTC: P0300, US669T, 41121, and P0301 were retrieved. The ignition coil and spark plugs were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that four months later, after the vehicle sat for a while, while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was determined that there was an oil leak coming from the turbocharger return line and a fractured tube inside the engine. The oil connector and line were replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,641.

NHTSA ID

11733024

Incident

Jan 3, 2024

Mileage

80,641 mi

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request reimbursement or goodwill assistance for the repair of the turbocharger on my Chevrolet Trax, which failed unexpectedly and caused my vehicle to stall in the middle of the freeway, creating a serious safety hazard. I had previously reported concerns related to the turbo, and after the failure occurred, I learned that General Motors issued a Special Coverage Adjustment for turbocharger malfunction on certain Chevrolet Trax vehicles. Unfortunately, I never received any notification or letter informing me of this coverage. Had I been made aware, I would have taken appropriate action prior to the failure. Because this vehicle was my only means of transportation, I had no choice but to immediately repair it at my own expense. I later contacted GM Customer Assistance to inquire about reimbursement and was informed that my request was denied solely due to the vehicle exceeding 120,000 miles, despite the fact that: This is a known defect The failure resulted in a dangerous loss of power while driving I was never notified of the special coverage I was also advised that the notification was sent by a government department, yet no department could be identified, and despite multiple requests, I have not received a call back from a manager. Given the seriousness of the safety risk, the lack of notice, and the documented nature of this defect, I am respectfully requesting that GM reconsider my case for reimbursement or goodwill assistance for the turbocharger repair. I have attached copies of my repair invoice, proof of payment, and vehicle documentation for your review. I would appreciate escalation of this matter to a Senior Advisor or District Manager for further consideration. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] 2017, Chevy Trax [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11711127

Incident

Nov 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact was able to pull over. The vehicle was towed to a nearby hotel. The contact resumed driving, but the amount of smoke coming from underneath the hood increased. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed. Additionally, the contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to remain upwards on snowy days. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was advised that it was a design failure. Additionally, upon taking the vehicle to several independent mechanics for service, the contact was informed that the brake sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11702716

Incident

Feb 2, 2025

Mileage

60,000 mi

The catalytic converter is failing and there is an oil leak somewhere within the engine system that is producing a burning smell from the heating vents.

NHTSA ID

11700357

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

On my two thousand seventeen, chevrolet tracks is not listed under the recalls.But what the recall has listed, those are the exact problems wrong with my car.What can I do about it

NHTSA ID

11686392

Incident

Aug 14, 2025

1) Component - Evaporative Emissions Purge Valve 2) Car temporarily stalling on freeway in traffic 3) Independent Service Center, yes 4) Others, yes, Independent Service Center. 5) No warning lamps appeared until after many incidents

NHTSA ID

11684167

Incident

May 5, 2025

Had to have the turbobooster on a 2017 chevy trax ls replaced under 120,000 miles $3722 was the cost of repair

NHTSA ID

11676159

Incident

Jul 18, 2025

Engine failed after turbo recall replacement- was told I would now need to replace the engine at $10,000. It will no longer run. Drove onto the lot could not drive it away after replacement of turbo which was replaced under recall.

NHTSA ID

11674894

Incident

Oct 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed again that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,981.

NHTSA ID

11649600

Incident

Mar 20, 2023

Mileage

83,981 mi

Loss of heat due to radiator leak. I found A192219310 out on the NHTSA site for Chevy TRAX used as Maven vehicles, but nothing about radiator issues on my GM account in the warranty section. .My car is a 2017 with 49251 miles. Light driving. The dealer was not aware of any issues with radiators. If I had known of the issues I would have had a pressure test sooner.

NHTSA ID

11641483

Incident

Feb 5, 2025

For the air conditioning I've had the blower I've had to replace the pigtail and resistor but now it's going into limp mode and saying service stabilitrak and I was on a paved road doing 20 mph at a stop light. I don't know what the hell this is going to cost me

NHTSA ID

11641406

Incident

Feb 7, 2025

Coolant is leaking and causing engine to overheat.

NHTSA ID

11640557

Incident

Feb 3, 2025

Where to begin. I bought the vehicle brand new with 29 miles on it in April of 2017, January of 2019 I started having issues. My check engine light kept coming on and it affected my gas mileage and speed. I had stopped at a chevy dealership in Forest Lake Minnesota and had them scan the vehicle to see what was going on and made an appointment to bring it back in for a full diagnostics. I get there and they asked me if I had another vehicle with me because it would take about a week of it being there. First off, I hadn't agreed to anything yet, I still did not even know what was wrong with it yet. They ended up doing what they said was a full diagnostic on the vehicle (which cost me almost $200) came back to me and started off by telling me that I bought a "warm weather" vehicle and it in fact was my turbo that was going out. They stated that what was happening was it would freeze and what needed to be done was some sort of heating element needed to be installed, and this was going to cost me $2500 plus labor. I was out of warranty but still had my drivetrain warranty ( at this time I had forgotten I had purchased the extended warranty) I was told it wouldn't cover it. I was irate and left, was contacted a few days later by my normal dealership to replace a valve (special service) had that done, found out that the real issue was an oil and air leak. Now to fast forward to 2021- I fixed the oil and air leak 3 more times before replacing the intake cover from plastic to aluminum. Engine is still leaking oil like crazy though. That is only one piece of my issues, I keep getting a code (since 2021) P0420 which reads that it's my catalysts- since I was out of warranty I needed to wait until I could afford to do this, plus we needed to figure out which or both.. then I received the letter stating that there are issues with the turbo. Of course, I am out of warranty, now over 120k and the POS is costing me a fortune! If I had more space I could go on with my issues.

NHTSA ID

11637572

Incident

Jan 11, 2021

Around early Feb the engine started having issues. The vehicle would jerk and stall while driving and stopped in the middle of a busy street at a red light. And another time when going around a high traffic uphill turn. Around February 14 the car stopped on me and I had to have it towed to my mechanic and rent a vehicle so that everyone in the household could get to work and not lose our jobs. My mechanic confirmed that the turbo engine was failing just like it did in April of 2022. That time it was still covered under the manufacturer's warranty. In March I received a letter from GMC announcing issues with their Turbo Gas engine, stating all the issues I had experienced both times. I was directed to a GMC dealer near me, but they refused to fix the issue and instead told me they can "break my car down for $560 and then when they find the issue they would quote me a price for repairs." They refused to only order the turbo engine and repair it for free like the GMC letter stated. I have not been able to get the issue addressed.

NHTSA ID

11626307

Incident

Feb 13, 2024

Check engine light comes on. The car jerks or lunges when speeding up or slowing down. As if in the wrong geer. 104,000 miles

NHTSA ID

11578726

Incident

Mar 7, 2024

This car consumes oil no matter what you replace. Replaced the pcv valve. Oil cooler and various other parts and still consumes one quart of oil per 100 miles. Now the engine needs replacing due to this issue. Gm was sued for oil consumption on other Chevy cars. This should be included. I have also have every receipt. Oil change and expense from the dealer if needed

NHTSA ID

11571549

Incident

Jan 4, 2024

turbo charger on all small engine for chevy have been giving people a lot of headaches during the winter months. Chevy is aware thar their turbo chargers are affected by cold weather but still put the turbo into new vehicles. I have fixed my turbocharger three times on my 2017 Trax with no success.

NHTSA ID

11565909

Incident

Jan 17, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated the A/C, and the heater were inoperable, and there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to a faulty wiring. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the vehicle was overheating while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump, the radiator, the lifters, the thermostat, and unknown hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,956.

NHTSA ID

11563511

Incident

Nov 23, 2023

Mileage

43,956 mi

Engine started to have problems while driving. After parking, would not restart. Mechanic just reported that timing chain broke and caused other damage in engine. Needs new engine. Only has less than 85,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11547099

Incident

Sep 21, 2023

While driving git a warning light and after a few days there was a loud noise coming from the motor , took it to the dealer told me the motor is broken , car only has 71000 miles on it .

NHTSA ID

11534788

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

The pcv valve is damaged sucking the out right out my engine

NHTSA ID

11515000

Incident

Mar 26, 2023

Because of the recall I believe my 2017 Chevy trax has had more wear and tear than normal It's makes it harder to drive the freeway my breaks are going out quicker than normal and there's a screeching sound coming from beneath my car

NHTSA ID

11511876

Incident

Mar 14, 2023

12/30/2022 - Check engine light came on. Vehicle struggled to accelerate. No openings available at the mechanics due to holiday. This vehicle is being used for business and travels frequently. 01/03/2023 - Mechanic diagnosed during my scheduled oil change. Check engine light - PO299 popped up (lack of power to turbo charge) check all vacuum lines and clamps all good. If check engine light comes on recommend taking to dealer. 01/05/2023 - Check engine light and StabiliTrax light came on, vehicle wobbled/shook a lot while driving at an intersection. I attempted to drive safely in traffic as the car shook. Returned to the mechanic and it was diagnosed. Valve cover removed and replaced. 01/08/2023 - Check engine light came on while I was getting ready for a long trip. I pulled my car on the side of the road and called for a ride. At the end of the day, I picked up my car and safely drove home on Sunday evening. 01/09/2023 - Contacted Chevrolet dealer (175 Wiwoole St, Hilo, HI 96720) direct. The next diagnostic testing available is two months out: 03/06/2023.

NHTSA ID

11500871

Incident

Dec 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and the vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of an oil leak in the engine compartment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11457669

Incident

Mar 19, 2022

Mileage

96,000 mi