Recalls
5campaigns
2 air bag · 2 electrical · 1 suspension
Source: NHTSA
Complaints
120filed
Owner reports, 2015–2025 shown
Source: NHTSA ODI
Crash tests
5★overall
★★★★★ Frontal 5★ · Side 5★ · Rollover 4★
Source: NHTSA NCAP
Fuel economy
29mpg combined
$2,252/yr at this week's prices
Source: EPA · EIA
Specs
1.4 L 4-cyl· 6-speed automatic
2 engine and transmission configurations
Source: NHTSA vPIC
Recalls (5)
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Listed for 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Not checked against your VIN.
Lower Control Arm May Separate From Vehicle
Suspension · front · control arm · lower ball joint
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
81.9% repairedof 93,722 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 19V652000
Listed for 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Not checked against your VIN.
Frontal Air Bags May Not Deploy
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
84.4% repairedof 40,683 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 17V437000
Listed for 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Not checked against your VIN.
Frontal Air Bags May Not Deploy
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
90.3% repairedof 3,640,162 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V651000
Listed for 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Not checked against your VIN.
No Warning Chime /FMVSS 114
Electrical system · software
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or if the driver leaves the key in the ignition. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protection."
- Consequence
- Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
96.9% repairedof 18,780 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V422000
Listed for 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Not checked against your VIN.
No 'Key Left in Ignition' Warning Chime/FMVSS 114
Electrical system · software
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
- Consequence
- Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
81.2% repairedof 317,572 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V257000
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (120)
120 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The engine is mentioned most often.
9involved a crash
2involved a fire
4injuries reported
0deaths reported
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 120 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 46 | 38.3% |
| Electrical system | 24 | 20% |
| Air bags | 19 | 15.8% |
| Unknown or other | 15 | 12.5% |
| Steering | 14 | 11.7% |
| Power train | 13 | 10.8% |
| Service brakes | 9 | 7.5% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 5.8% |
| Structure | 7 | 5.8% |
| Suspension | 7 | 5.8% |
How 2016 compares with other Trax years
Best and worst Trax years →201596
2016120
2017113
2018101
2019135
202096
202124
20229
2024176
202589
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 96 | 7 |
| 2016 | 120 | 5 |
| 2017 | 113 | 3 |
| 2018 | 101 | 2 |
| 2019 | 135 | 2 |
| 2020 | 96 | 0 |
| 2021 | 24 | 0 |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 176 | 1 |
| 2025 | 89 | 1 |
This year (2016)Other yearsStill collecting reports
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Crash tests: 5 stars overall
Overall★★★★★
Frontal crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 19.8%★★★★☆
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2016 Chevrolet Trax suv fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 29 mpg combined
29
mpg combined
26
city
34
highway
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 310 g/mi
- EPA class
- Small Sport Utility Vehicle
What it costs you to run
$2,252per year
$188per month
517gallons a year
Miles ÷ 29 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 / 34 / 29 | $2,300 | 310 |
| 1.4 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 24 / 31 / 27 | $2,500 | 333 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2016 Trax for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2016 Chevrolet Trax FAQ
How many recalls does the 2016 Chevrolet Trax have?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns: 19V652000 (suspension), 17V437000 (air bag), 16V651000 (air bag), 16V422000 (electrical), 16V257000 (electrical). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2016 Chevrolet Trax problems?
Owners filed 120 complaints with NHTSA. Engine (46), Electrical system (24), Air bags (19) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2016 Chevrolet Trax get?
EPA rates the 1.4 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic version at 26 city, 34 highway and 29 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
What safety rating did the 2016 Chevrolet Trax get?
NHTSA rated the 2016 Chevrolet Trax suv fwd 5 stars overall, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (19.8% rollover risk).
How does the 2016 Trax compare with other years?
Among the 2015–2021 Chevrolet Trax model years at least five years old, the 2021 drew the fewest complaints (24) and the 2019 the most (135). The 2016 drew 120. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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