Chevrolet Trax: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Chevrolet Trax fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 9.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,491 individual Chevrolet Trax tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 67.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 33 in every 100 Chevrolet Trax presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Chevrolet Trax tested had covered 79,553 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Chevrolet Trax sits 9.2 points below the national average, ranked 1,816 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Chevrolet Trax rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Chevrolet Trax at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Chevrolet Trax

1. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 13% of tests (7.08x the national rate for this defect)
2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.8% of tests (6.49x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 1.3% of tests (4.66x the national rate for this defect)
4. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.8% of tests (2.88x the national rate for this defect)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.8% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this defect)
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4% of tests (1.84x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 9% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.2% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this defect)
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 3.6% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this defect)
10. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.5% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,490 DVSA-tracked Chevrolet Trax tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.68% of these flagged Chevrolet Trax defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Chevrolet Trax

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Chevrolet Trax before it actually fails on it.

1. A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn, 4% of tests (6.18x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 15.2% of tests (2.74x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 5% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.3% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 4.8% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this advisory)
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 19.6% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6.2% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 19.9% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25% of tests
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 12.9% of tests

From 1,490 DVSA-tracked Chevrolet Trax tests, 2024.

Chevrolet Trax pass rate by model year

From its 2013 to its 2014 model year, the Chevrolet Trax's first-time pass rate has risen 6.5 points, from 65.7% to 72.2%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Chevrolet Trax year:

• 2013 Chevrolet Trax - 65.7% first-time pass, 974 tests
• 2014 Chevrolet Trax - 72.2% first-time pass, 500 tests

Chevrolet Trax by fuel type

The Chevrolet Trax's two most-tested fuel types split by 5.8 points: petrol passes first time 70.4% of the time (830 tests) against 64.6% for diesel (652 tests).

• Petrol Chevrolet Trax - 70.4% first-time pass, 830 tests
• Diesel Chevrolet Trax - 64.6% first-time pass, 652 tests

Other Chevrolet models

• Chevrolet Spark - 64.7%
• Chevrolet Matiz - 57.7%
• Chevrolet Aveo - 56.6%
• Chevrolet Captiva - 58.3%
• Chevrolet Cruze - 69%
• Chevrolet Orlando - 68.5%
• Chevrolet Kalos - 54.5%
• Chevrolet Lacetti - 56.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Volvo 240 - 67.7%
• Ford Transit - 67.6%
• Mercedes-Benz Clk - 67.5%
• Chrysler-Jeep Wrangler - 67.5%
• Smart City Passion 61 Auto - 67.5%
• Volvo 900 Series - 67.4%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate