Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Chevrolet Trax owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought this car from carvana in late July 2020not knowing that the car had an electrical problem. The check engine light came on in September 2020. I bought the car in and i was told a ground needed to be replaced. I got the car fixed and the check engine light ended up turning off. I ended up getting into a car accident in October 2020 because the car was still giving trouble. After getting the car fixed from the accident the check engine light has not come off no matter what repairs are done on the car.the car has been in the shop ever since and carvana won't take the car back. I have all the documentation (invoices and police reports and insurance claims) since getting the car.
I am an [redacted] living on a remote ranch in northern Montana. Owning a 2017 Chevy Trax that has be in the repair shop 6 times since October 2023 to fix the heater fan blower motor that keeps burning up, leaving me without heat or defrost. Driving home on the evening of [redacted] the fan motor burned up again (6th time since Oct. 23) and left me with out heat or defrost. At night, about 10 miles away from home, I tried to drive home. With no heat or defrost my windows started immediately fogging up . I began to try to wipe the windshield with my hand to be able to see to drive. Frost appeared on the inside of the windshield because of being cold outside. I got to my driveway and went to turn in and missed the approach because I could not see. I ended up going down a steep ditch. …
2017 Chevrolet Trax mileage 35,703 November 20, 2022 ( second incident)while driving 50 mph on a highway, I lost power steering, acceleration, and dashboard instruments( speedometer & tach) failed. Dashboard message advised of loss of power steering. I was able to drive about one mile before I could safely pull to the side of the road and after stopping the issue resolved itself but check engine light came on but turned off within a 24 hour period. Later found out my son had experienced the same issue with my car one month earlier. December 6 th- Took it to dealer who could not replicate the problem and was unable to provide explanation or solution. This was a frightening safety issue- luckily there was not a lot of traffic when the problem occurred. I am very concerned about driving this car and having this happen again.
Multiple warning lights came on. Check engine, stabilatrak among others. Car got hard to steer and lost power. Very dangerous while driving on a highway. Pulled into a local repair shop because vehicle was unsafe to drive. They ran a diagnostic test and couldn't find anything. They said take it to a dealer. Barely Made it to the dealer. Left car. They said it was fixed. Happened again within a week. Took it back. They had the car for about 4 weeks. They fixed it. Ran fine until Sunday June 27 and did the same thing. Got it home. Had to drive very slow. It is now at the dealer again. This seems to be a problem with this vehicle as seen by researching the symptoms. The fact that it is so dangerous should make this a recall,
When driving, speedometer/RPM dial both go to 0. The "Service Stabilitrak" message comes on followed by the "Service Power Steering, Drive With Care" message. The check engine light will also sometimes appear. The transmission is also affected (jerking when changing gears, inability to accelerate properly, revving). Power steering goes in and out. Car doesn't feel safe to drive while it's happening. No triggers or commonalities known. Car goes back to normal when left off and turned back on. Code U0073 "Control Module Communication Bus 'A' Off" appeared with at home OBD2 scanner.
Resistor and resistor harness for HVAC continuously fail. About to be on fourth repair as they continue to short out and begin to melt, almost catching fire. Confirmed by dealer previously that it had shorted it out and melted the wiring harness to the resistor. Only symptom prior to failure is smelling hot and then it abruptly shorts out and shuts off and produces small bit of smoke.
The Blower Motor Resistor and Harness are faulty causing smoking and short circuit instead of blowing a fuse. Im afraid this could cause the car to catch on fire. I opened the area where the resistor is located and the equipment reads "MADE IN JAPAN". This makes me concerned that there may be other areas of the electrical system that have not been tested properly for safety.
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
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. …
I am filing this formal complaint regarding a severe, recurring, and catastrophic electrical and vehicle control system failure in my 2017 Chevrolet Trax. On multiple occasions while driving at highway speeds (70+ mph), the vehicle experienced simultaneous loss of critical safety and control systems-including power steering, traction control, and instrumentation displays-plunging the vehicle into a severe "limp mode." This sudden and unpredictable loss of control at high speeds presents an extreme safety hazard to myself, my passengers, and other drivers. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS & DEFECT PATTERN 1. Initial Intermittent Failures (Past 12 Months): The traction control light began activating intermittently and randomly without cause. A dealership reset temporarily cleared the issue, but it later returned. 2. Sensor System Failures (Approx. …
Electrical complaints in other Trax years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2017 Chevrolet Trax?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 2017 Chevrolet Trax, 22% of the model year's 114 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Chevrolet Trax electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2017 Chevrolet Trax, though it has 3 recalls for other components. 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 2017 Chevrolet Trax electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.