Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Chevrolet Tracker owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving on highway had to brake steering wheel violent went left if anyone had of been in other lane I would have hit them head on. I thought the brake caliper was locking up. So I went to part store bought a nw one($92) took it to a garage of a man I knew. He put it on lift to change caliper he noticed control arm complete ly rusted out on cross frame..there was also a hole about 7"long rusted out of frame.bthis wasn't a safety prob. He said not to drive it wads not safe to drive. It was a Sunday no one working on Sunday. Went back Monday. He had to do alot of welding metal plates just to get it home. Home checked on line for a cross member cheapest$300 plus shipping thats not to install it. I have a limited income so cant afford it right now. Chevy has new this prob for a long time according to internet as toyoto did with rusting. Out frames. …
While driving approximately 35 miles per hour on a rural road, there was a loud bang from the front of the car, immediately followed by shaking, rattling and a swerve to the right. The car was driven to a local auto shop where an inspection revealed that the front suspension cross member had snapped in half, due to extensive corrosion damage. The mechanic then told me that Chevy had instituted an internal campaign #06186 in 2007 to address a known issue with cross members that were not correctly protected against corrosion effecting model years 1999-2004. The cross member needs to be replaced.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 40 MPH on a dry city road, the vehicle veered to the right and struck a pole. The driver sustained minor injuries, and the contact was not in the vehicle. There was a police report taken at the scene. The vehicle was towed to the insurance lot. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. Although, the vehicle was not inspected by a mechanic, the insurance company assumes the front passenger axle fractured.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Tracker. While driving at an unknown speed, the front end of the vehicle shook violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. After inspecting the vehicle, the technician diagnosed that the front passenger side cross member was rusted and fractured. As a result, the cross member needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.
Front suspension cross-member of my 2000 Chevrolet Tracker has corroded through the heavy gauge metal adjacent to a support bolt and risks affecting the structural integrity of the vehicle. This is a heavy gauge structural member that should not have rusted through. Severe rust-through is the result of improper metal surface treatment by the manufacturer and needs to be recalled. Please force the manufacturer to address this safety-of-life issue on these vehicles as a catastrophic collapse of this component, if it occurs during driving, results in wheel collapse because this member supports the wheels a-frame. I estimate this rusting has been ongoing since 2009 even though I just saw it in 2012. …
I was backing up down a short lane of 25 feet or less. I heard a loud popping sound. I then pulled out onto a major highway (us-41). I traveled approximately 1 mile, coming upon a stoplight, the light turned red, upon applying my brakes, the vehicle suddenly pulled drastically to the left, at which time the right brakes locked up, the left brakes, did not work at all. I proceeded very cautiously home ( a trip of 15 miles). At which time I took the vehicle to my mechanic, after his evaluation of the vehicle, and a very brief road trip, informed me of "something he has never seen in his 25 years of being a mechanic) the crossmember that supports the upper and lower control arm was rusted thru. This caused the erratic steering, and the loss of ability to control the vehicle during a braking situation.this vehicle does have a recall (06186) but I was never notified! …
Front suspension crossmember corrosion service bulletin #06186 10/17/2007 not being honored by GM. States out of age parameters. Purchased new still owned by original owner. Barnes Chevrolet where purchased, went out of business in 2007 - owner never notified of crossbar issue. Garage kept since new. Now being used by 19 year old college student working her way through college. GM case number 71-1021471764. Oscar at GM states this vehicle was not one of the VIN numbers included in the special bulletin (not a recall). Escalated to [redacted], his supervisor. She stated not included but offered a $1000. Voucher to buy a new car (duh - a college student cannot afford a new car if she cannot afford the $2000. Repair bill - mom & dad cannot help) tried to go above [redacted] but her district manager does not speak to regular customers. (???). …
I was pulling out of driveway and heard a snap pulled it back into driveway called my mechanic I was afraid to drive it found out it was sub frame. Wasn't going to get it fixed and just park it until a week later I got a safety notice is what GM is calling it in the mail that said their was not sufficient corrosion protection on the vehicle and this problem could happen if not inspected and that I should have it checked well I already had it checked prior to the notice. And when I went to have it fixed as per the notice told me to do. The local Chevy garage and GM told me that I was passed the mileage cut off for this. In frustration I gave away the vehicle to my sister. Why is their a cut off for mileage if this is a GM mistake and now they expect me to pay more than $1000.00 to get this repaired.
I recently had my 2000 Chevy Tracker 4dr in for pennsylvanias state inspection and at that time my mechanic told me the suspension bar is rotting away from the frame. I have looked online and have seen many complaints and which states that GM had extended a special warranty program for this issue in the snow/salt states. I bought this vehicle used and feel this problem is a manufacturers defect and which GM seems to admit. My vehicle has 114000 miles on it and cannot afford this repair on my own. I called the local dealership and asked for a recall search, at that time I was told there are none and when I mentioned the special warranty they stated they have never heard of this. I have never received any recall notices for this problem that exists and would like some help with this issue. Thank you
2000 Chevrolet Tracker hard top corroded suspension front cross member, noticed the steering was not right when I would tap the brake-pulled to the left--had it checked and the 2 front cross members were completely rusted out and hanging down! I called GMC and they refused to help saying its not been reported and I had too many miles on my car, 109,000. I researched the internet and GMC has fixed this problem on vehicles over 150,000 miles under special circumstances-safety issue. I also found recalls on same vehicle-but soft top not hard tops. I want them to fix my vehicle because this is a safety issue and this Tracker is barely 10 years old. GMC knows about this, I have saw where this has been investigated in 2007 by you, and if not fixed someone could seriously get hurt!
NHTSA investigations
Crossmember corrosion failure
On September 15th, 2006 general motors (GM) submitted information regarding approximately 128,000 model year (my) 1999 -2001 Chevrolet tracker vehicles.according to GM, these vehicles were manufactured with front crossmembers designed and made by Suzuki that can rust from the inside out because of insufficient corrosion protection.the design of the crossmember limited the coverage of paint on the interior surfaces…
Front suspension crossmember corrosion
In October 2007, GM initiated a special coverage program for all my 1999 through 2004 Chevrolet tracker vehicles sold or currently registered in salt-belt states.the program extends the warranty coverage for front suspension crossmember corrosion to 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first.GM is administering the program in phases due to part availability.the first phase started in October 2007 and covers…
Suspension complaints in other Tracker years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2000 Chevrolet Tracker?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the suspension of the 2000 Chevrolet Tracker, 34% of the model year's 109 complaints. The component named most often is front (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Chevrolet Tracker suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2000 Chevrolet Tracker. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Chevrolet Tracker suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.