Holden Trax: common faults & what to check

Which Holden Trax are you looking at?

2 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Petrol

2 variants documented

2013–2020TJ2013–2020TJ1.4 turbo petrolPetrolDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: OSX via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

2013–2020TJ2013–2020TJ1.8 petrolPetrolDocumented issues3 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: OSX via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Holden Trax

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Holden Trax before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  You have to make it work to find this.

  See why

  Turbocharger failure on the 1.4 turbo

  Turbocharger problems are frequently reported on the turbocharged Trax. A turbo lives on a thin film of oil at very high speed and temperature, so it is punished harder than almost anything else in the engine by long oil intervals, cheap oil, and by being switched off immediately after a hard run before it has had a chance to cool. When it goes, power falls away, the car may drop into a reduced-power mode, and the failing bearing lets oil into the intake — which is why blue smoke and rising oil consumption often arrive together with the loss of pull. It is a substantial repair on a car of this value, so it is worth ten minutes of proper testing rather than a gentle drive around the block.

  What you would notice

  • Noticeable loss of power, or the car feeling flat when you accelerate hard
  • Blue or grey smoke from the exhaust, especially under load or on lift-off
  • Whistling, whining or a siren-like noise that rises with the revs
  • Engine warning light, or the car dropping into a reduced-power mode
  • Oil level falling between services

  Typically $1,200–$3,800 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Cold-start the engine and listen immediately from the cam cover area for chain rattle.

  See why

  A14NET 1.4T Timing Chain Tensioner Wear

  The GM A14NET 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol DOHC engine fitted to the Trax TJ uses a plastic-guided timing chain with a hydraulic tensioner that is documented to wear at higher odometer readings. As plastic chain guides deteriorate and the tensioner loses the ability to maintain chain tension, a cold-start rattle develops from the cam cover area. The fault typically presents beyond 100,000 km. Prolonged neglect allows the chain to jump a tooth, causing incorrect cam-crank correlation, progressive misfires, rough running, and potential valve-to-piston contact. The fault is shared with the Opel Mokka and Chevrolet Trax sold in other markets using the same engine family and has been the subject of technical service bulletin activity.

  What you would notice

  • Rattling or ticking noise from top of engine on cold start
  • Noise may reduce as oil pressure builds after 15-30 seconds
  • Misfires or rough running if chain has jumped a tooth
  • Check engine light with P0008, P0016, or P0017 cam-crank codes

  Typically $850–$3,200 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Do this with the engine cold, before it is started.

  See why

  Thermostat housing weeping and coolant loss on the 1.8

  The thermostat housing on the 1.8 litre Trax is a known weak point: it weeps coolant, and owners find the tell-tale signs as dried coolant residue on the engine or a slow, unexplained drop in the header tank. It rarely lets go all at once, which is exactly why it gets ignored — the car keeps driving and the level keeps needing a top-up. Related leaks show up around the coolant reservoir, which cracks, and around the hoses as they age. None of it is expensive on its own. What makes it worth finding is what happens if the loss is not noticed: an engine run low on coolant overheats, and an overheated engine is a very different repair from a plastic housing.

  What you would notice

  • Coolant level in the reservoir dropping over weeks with no obvious puddle
  • Dried white, pink or orange crusty residue on the engine near the thermostat housing
  • Sweet smell after a drive, or steam from the engine bay
  • Temperature gauge sitting higher than usual, or the heater blowing cool
  • Visible crack or seepage at the coolant reservoir

  Typically $350–$1,200 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Look under the front of the car and around the water pump, thermostat housing and plastic header tank for coolant staining or damp.

  See why

  1.4 turbo water pump, thermostat housing and header tank coolant leaks

  The turbo 1.4 Trax (and its 1.8 sibling) is known for cooling-system leaks - water pumps, plastic thermostat housings and the coolant header/expansion tank crack and weep, sometimes at surprisingly low kilometres. Australian owners have reported water-pump failures well under 60,000km and repeat coolant leaks. If the coolant runs low the small turbo engine can overheat, so it's more than a nuisance.

  What you would notice

  • Coolant smell or drips under the front of the car
  • Coolant reservoir dropping / low-coolant warning
  • Temperature gauge creeping up
  • Crusty coolant residue around the pump or header tank

  Typically $350–$1,200 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Start it from stone cold and listen for a rattle from the timing (front) end that settles after a few seconds.

  See why

  1.8 (F18D4) timing chain rattle and oil consumption

  The naturally aspirated 1.8 Trax uses the F18D4, an engine shared with the Cruze that is known for timing-chain wear and oil consumption as it ages. A stretched chain sets off a rattle - loudest on cold start - and can log a camshaft-timing code, while worn piston rings/valve seals push up oil use. It's a cheaper engine to run than the turbo but the chain and oil-use issues catch out buyers who skip the service history.

  What you would notice

  • Rattle from the front of the engine on cold start
  • Check-engine light for camshaft/crankshaft timing
  • Oil level dropping between services
  • Rough running or loss of power

  Typically $800–$2,500 to put right.

• Common issue

  Listen at idle for a whistle/hiss from the top of the engine and feel for a rough idle.

  See why

  1.4 turbo PCV/valve-cover failure causing lean running and oil use

  The 1.4 turbo (shared with the Holden Cruze) has a PCV (crankcase breather) diaphragm built into the plastic valve cover that tears with age, causing a vacuum leak. This gives a lean-mixture fault (code P0171), rough idle, a whistling/hissing sound and sometimes higher oil consumption or smoke, because the failed diaphragm lets the engine suck oil vapour. The usual fix is a new valve cover. Left alone it runs rough and can foul the turbo and plugs.

  What you would notice

  • Rough or hunting idle
  • Check-engine light with a lean code (P0171)
  • Whistle or hiss from the top of the engine
  • Light blue smoke or rising oil use

  Typically $250–$700 to put right.

Holden Trax service schedule

What falls due, and at what distance, for each generation of the Holden Trax. These are the model’s intervals — the car’s own service book is the only thing that can tell you what has actually been done to it.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Holden Trax’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Cambelt Replacement Cost
• Timing Chain Replacement Cost
• Turbo Repair and Replacement Cost

Other Holden models