Chevrolet Trax MOT pass rate & common failures
9,503 MOT tests on the Chevrolet Trax (2013–2024) give it a 78.4% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 19.4% of the time, so this is 2.1pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 12.1% of all tests — 4.6 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint dust cover, headlamp aim and coil spring — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 734 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 35.6% versus 8.9%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.4pp more often than petrol ones (22.9% vs 20.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 17.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 24.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Trax model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 6,342 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 3,100 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.1% | 1,152 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 714 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.0% | 470 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.9% | 464 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.0% | 377 |
| 6 | Steering | 3.3% | 311 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 250 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.5% | 146 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint dust cover | 734 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 461 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 458 |
| 4 | Track rod end | 373 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 273 |
| 6 | Wipers | 269 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 265 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 219 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.5% | 2,519 |
| 2 | Suspension | 21.5% | 2,040 |
| 3 | Brakes | 19.6% | 1,861 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 13.2% | 1,254 |
| 5 | Other defects | 10.1% | 960 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.4% | 513 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 395 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 2,699 | 16.5% |
| 60-90k | 3,833 | 22.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,947 | 26.8% |
| 120-150k | 480 | 30.0% |
| 150k+ | 135 | 35.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,219 | 20.5% |
| Diesel | 4,276 | 22.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,889 | 17.5% |
| 2022 | 1,942 | 20.2% |
| 2023 | 1,910 | 21.3% |
| 2024 | 1,935 | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 1,827 | 24.3% |
What to check before buying a Chevrolet Trax
- Suspension (12.1% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (7.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.0% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Chevrolet Trax?
78.4% of the 9,503 Chevrolet Trax MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.6% fail rate, across model years 2013–2024.
What does the Chevrolet Trax most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 12.1% of tests, then lighting & signalling (7.5%).
How much does mileage affect Trax MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.6% for 150k+, a 26.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Trax more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 20.5% of the time against 22.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 9,503 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.