Table 1 shows one common engine and engine cooling related problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Trax.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems |
The turbo charger failed suddenly without a prior display of a warning light and was replaced by an independent service center in June 2025. I received a letter from gm in November 2025 stating there was a known "condition" that may cause the turbo charger to need replacing but a recall was not issued. On 1/22/26 the vehicle suddenly went into "limp mode" while driving. The throttle body injection unit, engine coolant water outlet, and coolant were replaced. The coolant had been topped off on 1/20/26. On 1/27/26 the vehicle began shuddering and lost power while I was driving on the highway. As I attempted to get to a gas station off of the next exit, it intermittently lost power and began smoking under the hood. It seemed to be overheating but there is no temperature gauge on the display. I had it towed to my service center again. At that time, four spark plugs and an ignition coil were replaced. After these repairs, I have continued to have significant power issues, the engine warning light has come back on, and the "service brake assist" warning light has come on. Additionally, the instrument panel frequently goes blank or displays what can best be described as "static" and the a/c and heat do not work, making it difficult to defrost and defog the windshield. The wiper fluid will not come out even though the reservoir is full. Due to prohibitive diagnostic fees at the dealership, which I was told would not be waived or reimbursed, I have continued to utilize my independent service center to maintain basic drivability. My service center has advised me that the engine may fail completely within a short time frame. I have reported these issues to the manufacturer and have been assigned a case number. I'm concerned that this may indicate a potential safety defect and/or premature engine failure affecting my vehicle and others of the same model. I'm submitting this complaint for documentation and safety tacking.
The vehicle has 2 permanent codes. One is a communication blackout, the other code means the hardware is melting. Gm is doing a formal inspection in April. The ucode meant that the engine stopped talking to the transmission or visa versa. The vehicle “ran my daughter and I” off the highway into the dirt, on 2 different occasions. They are described as “catastrophic engine failures”. The last one occurred on mlk jr day 2026, before the vehicle was permanently grounded. It could have been fatal. Gm is doing a formal investigation to see what liability the have for it because the vehicle is now considered a “lemon”. There were no external (dashboard) warnings before the events, but, there may have been internal ones that require a professional grade scanner to detect. The permanent ucode, which causes a communication blackout, never appeared in the vehicles memory, on a scanner, until after the local gm franchise conducted “repairs” (unsuccessfully) to fix the vehicle. (it wouldnt start, which is often a symptom of a permanent ucode. The gm investigation will determine if the dealership knew the safety liability, (the permanent ucode) and they tried bypassing or ignoring it, or, if they caused the safety defect. Also, the vehicle is now showing a permanent pcode, which means it is now a potential fire hazard.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, while the roads were clear, dry, and the weather was good, the engine seized, and the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 55 mph. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond and continued driving forward. While driving at 50 mph, the failure reoccurred. The engine and stabili-trak illuminated after the vehicle came to a complete stop. The local dealer was contacted regarding loaner vehicles on two occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was scanned, and dtc: tcm u0101 and p0700 were retrieved. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the local dealer and the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
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.
1/23/25 this is the 3rd time the turbocharger has malfunction within 2 1/2 months and is once again at the dealership service department. Horrible smoke was filling the inside of the car while I was driving and smelled as though something was badly burning. The car had began shaking with minimal driving and loss of power. Electric dashboard not working which should indicate if there is any particular problems going on with my Trax. This is a real safety hazard. My car should be recalled in order to fix this hazardous problem once and for all!.
On 11/25/24 while my daughter was driving my 2021 Trax all of a sudden the engine light came on and my car lost power while lots of smoke began coming out of the exhaust pipe the car started to shake she thankfully made it to the dealership service department where the codes showed a fuel trim problem once that problem was serviced my daughter picked the car up drove my car home and the very next day my Trax engine light came on again and once again it lost power my daughter went back to the dealership service department where the codes showed aturbocharger problem. I have 33,440 miles on my 2021 Trax and purchased it last year from the dealership. My car is still there.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph the ac unit was distributing hot air. The contact detected white smoke emerging from the engine compartment and the vehicle caught fire. The contact was able to pull over and exit the vehicle without injury. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There was deployment of air bags. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 7,800.