YearToAvoid

2016 Chevrolet Trax Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

45/100

#7 most-complained of 12 Trax years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2016 Chevrolet Trax ranks 7th of 12 model years with a Complaint Index of 45 and a "Good" verdict. It logged 117 complaints, 5 recalls, 9 crashes and 2 fires, with Engine problems the top category at 39% of complaints.

Complaints
117
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
9 / 2
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28
25 city / 32.5 hwy

Top 2016 Chevy Trax problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine46 (39%)
  2. Electrical System22 (19%)
  3. Airbags19 (16%)
  4. Other17 (15%)
  5. Brakes15 (13%)
  6. Steering14 (12%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain13 (11%)
  8. Structure & Body9 (8%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (8%)
  10. Fuel System7 (6%)

What owners report

  • Airbags failed to deploy in multiple crash scenarios, including side impacts and head-on collisions, sometimes leading to injuries.
  • Brakes reportedly lost functionality suddenly while driving, in one case causing a crash at low speed.
  • Owners describe brakes squeaking or squealing persistently, with dealers unable to find a cause.
  • Transmission difficulty shifting gears was reported at very slow speeds, including trouble moving into or out of reverse.
  • Cruise control set speed was reported as not displaying on the steering wheel panel, described as an unsafe driving condition.
2016 Chevrolet Trax complaints: complaints filed per quarter142016 Q22017 Q32019 Q12020 Q22021 Q32023 Q12024 Q22025 Q4
179 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2016 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q2 (14).

2016 Chevrolet Trax recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V652000Sep 12, 2019Suspension, Wheels & Tires93,722 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.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right front lower-control arms, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A192261870.

  2. NHTSA 17V437000Jul 10, 2017Seat Belts40,683 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, 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.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

  3. NHTSA 16V651000Sep 8, 2016Airbags3,640,162 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    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.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

See all 5 recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Trax →

2016 Chevrolet Trax fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25 MPG
Highway
32.5 MPG
Combined
28 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,325
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2016 compared with other Trax years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100201320142015201620172018201920202021202220242025
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2014No verdict902—
2015Caution5596728
2016Good45117528
2017Caution64113327.5
2018Good36101227.5

All Chevrolet Trax years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Trax reliable?
Compared to other Trax model years, 2016 ranks 7th of 12 with a Complaint Index of 45 and a "Good" verdict. It had 117 NHTSA complaints, fewer than several later years like 2019 and 2024.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Trax?
NHTSA complaints show Engine issues as the top category at 39% of complaints, followed by Electrical System at 19% and Airbags at 16%.
Does the 2016 Chevrolet Trax have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2016 Trax, covering suspension control arms, seat belts, airbags, and two separate electrical/radio software issues.
How does the 2016 Trax compare to other years to avoid?
The 2016 Trax has a lower Complaint Index (45) than years marked "Avoid," such as 2019 (82), 2024 (100), and 2025 (91).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.