2021 Chevrolet TraxRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

“The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle and while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel glitched and then displayed a blank screen. The approximate failure mileage was 50,312.”

“The vehicle has 2 permanent codes. One is a communication blackout, the other code means the hardware is melting. GM is doing a formal inspection in April. The Ucode meant that the engine stopped talking to the transmission or visa versa. The vehicle “ran my daughter and I” off the highway into the dirt, on 2 different occasions. They are described as “catastrophic engine failures”. The last one occurred on MLK Jr Day 2026, before the vehicle was permanently grounded. It could have been fatal. GM is doing a formal investigation to see what liability the have for it because the vehicle is now considered a “lemon”. There were no external (dashboard) warnings before the events, but, there may have been internal ones that require a professional grade scanner to detect. The permanent Ucode, which causes a communication blackout, never appeared in the vehicles memory, on a scanner, until AFTER the local GM franchise conducted “repairs” (unsuccessfully) to fix the vehicle. (It wouldnt start, which is often a symptom of a Permanent UCode. The GM investigation will determine if the dealership knew the safety liability, (the permanent Ucode) and they tried bypassing or…”

“The Turbo Charger failed suddenly without a prior display of a warning light and was replaced by an independent service center in June 2025. I received a letter from GM in November 2025 stating there was a known "condition" that may cause the Turbo Charger to need replacing but a recall was not issued. On 1/22/26 the vehicle suddenly went into "Limp Mode" while driving. The Throttle Body Injection Unit, Engine Coolant Water Outlet, and Coolant were replaced. The coolant had been topped off on 1/20/26. On 1/27/26 the vehicle began shuddering and lost power while I was driving on the highway. As I attempted to get to a gas station off of the next exit, it intermittently lost power and began smoking under the hood. It seemed to be overheating but there is no temperature gauge on the display. I had it towed to my service center again. At that time, four spark plugs and an ignition coil were replaced. After these repairs, I have continued to have significant power issues, the engine warning light has come back on, and the "Service Brake Assist" warning light has come on. Additionally, the instrument panel frequently goes blank or displays what can best be described…”