The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Trax. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound with white smoke coming from the engine before flames started coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that engine oil was splattered on the rear glass, and the paint on the rear bumper was bubbling up. The contact pulled over and safely exited the vehicle with his son. The fire was self-extinguished. The contact and his son had stress and anxiety but had not sought medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was violently shaking while driving uphill, with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and a burning oil odor. There was no engine oil on the dipstick. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer had previously performed Technical Service Bulletin: 26-NA-014 after discovering that three spark plugs were covered in engine oil. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone and email. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.
Chevrolet Trax fire or smoke problems
38 of the 1,010 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Trax describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2024 model year.
- owner complaints
- 38
- worst model year
- 2024
- typical mileage
- 32,000
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 9Engine failure 4Won't start 2Oil consumption 2Wipers 1Warning lights 1Stalling 1Power steering loss 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P0301 1P0300 1P0171 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH there was a popping sound coming from the engine compartment and the message to shut off the vehicle was displayed. The vehicle was immediately parked, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and discovered flames coming from the engine. The fire department was called to the scene and the fire was extinguished. A Police report was filed at the scene. The vehicle was deemed destroyed and was towed to a nearby storage facility. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contact about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, there was an abnormal sound and smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was oil leaking from the vehicle and the engine seized. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the report from the diagnostic test was not provided. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Saw smoke coming from an under the hood, pulled over opened hood and there were flames all across the top of the engine. Immediately evacuated the vehicle within seconds the vehicle was engulfed in flames and exploded several times. Total loss.
Both my control arms are loose and wheel baring is bad, plus a cracked catalytic converter. All of these are causing my car to be loud and burning smell, causing unsafe driving conditions for me and my children. Online states that the control arms are an issue with this vehicle make and model and have been recalled, however my VIN has not been recalled and I want to report this. improperly welded joints can fatigue and break, causing the lower control arm to partially separate from the vehicle. This can lead to a sudden loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash. I have not gotten in an accident, but was at risk of this happening. My car is being worked on and it will cost me $800 for these repairs for the issues related to the 2018 Chevy traxs. I would like this VIN to be recalled and receive a refund for the work done to my vehicle.
Traveling up I-XXX in [XXX] with my [XXX] daughter, heard a loud bang, pulled over to the side of the road and vehicle caught on fire. Connecting rod broke and blew out the side of the engine block. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that after the vehicle sat for a while on several occasions and was then driven, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. While driving on those occasions, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and DTC: P0171 was retrieved. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred approximately six months later. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer where DTC: P0300, US669T, 41121, and P0301 were retrieved. The ignition coil and spark plugs were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that four months later, after the vehicle sat for a while, while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was determined that there was an oil leak coming from the turbocharger return line and a fractured tube inside the engine. The oil connector and line were replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,641.
I was driving down the highway going with the flow of traffic and my car caught fire. I was told by the mechanic that “the turbo line combusted and put a hole in the engine” I’ve also been told “oil got on the turbo belt and caught fire” I’ve also been told “the software recall actually had nothing to do with the software and it was an issue with turbos and something was mechanically wrong with this car. I was in the car with my 9 month old daughter. In the middle lane in the highway. The car instantly stopped accelerating leaving us going very slow compared to others. We could’ve been killed! I had to figure out how to get over and then get my daughter out of the car safely and wait on the side of the highway with a baby for fire and police to come put the fire out. When I was driving it sounded like pressure popped under the car and then I could almost hear pieces flying out. And then the dash lights came on telling me to turn the engine off. It was extremely unsafe and now I’m afraid to even drive with my baby in any car.
Parked vehicle fire that happened approximately 8-9 hours after parking it. Neighbors woke me up at 4:30am after hearing a loud boom. When i went outside the whole front end was engulfed in flames. Fire investigators said it started in the engine compartment and moved to the inside of the vehicle. No foul play suspected. There were no warning signs leading up to this. I kept up with all maintenance and had no aftermarket additions. Luckily no one was injured but if i had been inside the vehicle when it happened the electric locks likely wouldn't have worked and I'd have little time to evacuate. The heat damaged a neighbors car. I read that recently there was a lawsuit being filed in Delaware involving my type of vehicle. Im currently dealing with GM and trying to get reimbursed because my vehicle was still under warranty. Total loss. Im trying to preserve vehicle for inspection however it is in my apartment complex parking lot and they would like it removed.
The contact's father owns a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left, she observed a noise emanating from under the vehicle that sounded like loose gravel, and she observed smoke outside of the "turn off ignition" message displayed. The contact stated that she observed white/grey smoke coming through the vents in the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was turned off, and when the contact exited the vehicle, she observed fire under the engine compartment, and the fire spread rapidly. The fire department distinguished the fire. The police reported the incident, but there was no report taken. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was deemed inoperable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure was 7,696.
Related recalls
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024 Buick Encore GX, Envista, and Chevrolet Trax vehicles. The software in the Virtual Cockpit Unit Module (VCU) may cause the instrument panel display to intermittently go blank at vehicle startup or while driving.
- Risk
- A blank instrument panel will not show critical information, such as vehicle speed and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The VCU software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is A232424320.
Recall number 23V744000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 16V422000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 16V257000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Trax fire or smoke
Which Chevrolet Trax years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2024 (12 complaints), 2017 (8 complaints) and 2025 (5 complaints).
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