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

1.4 turbo water pump, thermostat housing and header tank coolant leaks is a common cooling fault on the Holden Trax on the 2013–2020 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $350 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 7 documented faults on the Holden Trax.

Vehicle
Holden Trax
Engine
1.4L
Years
2013–2020
Fuel
petrol
System
Cooling

This page covers the Holden Trax as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Holden Trax faults7 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

An annotated photograph of an automotive engine thermostat identifying the wax capsule and both disc valves.Example of the part — not this vehicle

A double-valve engine thermostat, labelled: the wax capsule is what sticks.

Dougsim · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

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

How to check it

Where to look. Water pump, thermostat housing and header tank at the front of the engine

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

  2. Check the reservoir level and its plastic for cracks.

  3. On the test drive watch the temperature gauge.

  4. Ask whether the water pump has been replaced.

Parts involved: Thermostat, Coolant expansion tank, Water pump.

What it costs to put right

$350 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the water pump or header tank ever been replaced?”
  • “Does the coolant ever need topping up?”

Now check the Holden Trax you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

  • CarsGuide 'Holden Trax problems & reliability'
  • ProductReview.com.au 'Holden Trax TJ questions' coolant threads
  • AutoGuru 'Holden Trax water pump replacement'

Holden Trax buyer questions

Is 1.4 turbo water pump, thermostat housing and header tank coolant leaks serious on a Holden Trax?

We rate it major and common on the Holden Trax. 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.

How much does it cost to fix on a Holden Trax?

$350 to $1,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Holden Trax years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2013–2020 Holden Trax. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Look under the front of the car and around the water pump, thermostat housing and plastic header tank for coolant staining or damp. Check the reservoir level and its plastic for cracks. On the test drive watch the temperature gauge. Ask whether the water pump has been replaced. Look here: Water pump, thermostat housing and header tank at the front of the engine