Holden Trax TJ (2013-2021)
Verified77 reviews
Worst car EVER – Worst car ever- Please join me for a class action As soon as the 5year warranty ran out, and approx 90.000kms I started having issues. Starter motor went Replaced the reserve tank 3 times. Water pump went Alternator went Cooling hosing all starter to split Literally replaced the whole cooling system. Then….. Find and oil leak and the head… Read more
gasket is gone. Sold the piece of a junk for $2k to a mechanic.
I had the car serviced every 6 months, used the best fuel possible, spent over $6k in the last year. I would like to start a class action, I’m part of a Facebook group called Holden Trax issues.
Great little SUV. Pity about Holden Service – Bought new in May 2020. Build date was Jan 2020. The very last of the TRAX to make it to Oz. It is an LT Turbo 6 speed Automatic with semi-leather seats, sunroof, Android auto,18 inch alloys. Think I got it for $21K on road as it was the end of the line. Very happy with Fuel economy. Been on 7.0l/100kms since new. It does better on… Read more
freeways, can almost get 800kms to a tank. For anyone thinking it has to have 95RON Premium, as prices are now well over $2.00 a litre I go with 91RON and it does just the same on fuel economy. The older 1.4 Turbo that was used in the Cruize was never a premium only motor, so I don't know why Holden says this model is. Comfy, good 6 speaker audio with Bass/mids/treble adjustment. I hate the OIL CHANGE warning about a month out from 12 months each and every time you start the car. No problems, as she has only done 22K so might trade her in just before 5 years is up. Roadside Assist is free if you service with Holden - Never had to call on them. The service from my local Holden dealer is getting worse every year. Almost like they don't care anymore. But they still service other makes at the workshop as well. I used to get courtesy bus pickups/drop off, now it's $30 for loan car. Never had the car washed even though they state on the service slip they do.... After sales also used to use hydrogen for air in my tyres and said NEVER fill with air. at a servo, come back to us. 1 year later, they say "We don't do that anymore and you can remove your green tyre caps" If it wasn't for the great car I'm driving, I would not use Holden for servicing.
Need help – So my mum got this car on finance still owing $15,000 she is a single patent however she had only had it for 12 months and it has had nothing but problems. Recently we had to get the oil cooler changed and it was ok then all of a sudden she went to start it and it made a noise . We checked the oil there was none in it and the radiator was… Read more
bubbling. We put more oil in and I decided to get under the car and have a look to see if i could see oil leaking out witch i did any one have any ideas wat it could be oil was dripping near the slump plug ? And why is it bubbling
Reviews with attachments
Purchased 2nd hand really surprised us its awesome! – We purchased this car in a bit of an emergency at the end of covid - prices on 2nd hand vehicles were high and new vehicles hard to get in a hurry. We were not looking for a Holden Trax actually we would have preferred a Toyota like our other car to make servicing easier. This one popped up locally and was priced well so we bought it. We did… Read more
not expect much from a 10 year old car that was relatively scarce on the roads even though it was in good condition with pretty low km's. SO surprised! This is a really great car. Now we have it we are noting there are not many on the roads which is so surprising now we have experienced it. This car is a super comfortable ride - soft and quiet, a real drivers car. The driver and passenger seats are the most comfortable and body hugging of any car we have owned - they are a great quality fabric that still look like new. Our vehicle is manual by the way... Everything about the car feels like great quality I would compare the interior to a honda or toyota of old (the quality not the styling) it's very solid, nothing feels flimsy. Great gearbox, everything works and feels and presents like you would expect from an expensive european car. For the size and looks it's like a slightly shrunken Captiva and the size for four adults in the car on an outing is fine - my 6'3 husband has plenty of room in both the driver and passenger seat as do the rest of us both front and back. Plenty of room in the boot too. Really cannot find a fault in any way with this car we are so pleased with it.
Exxxy – Had my thermostat replaced in my 2015 holden trax ls today....... mechanic hit me with a $600 bill! Then discover the tyres are a unique size to the trax. Tyres are priced at $195! Costly little car! Show details
Good Value – We have owned our Trax since December 2016 and has now driven 71,000Kms and we are onto our second set of tyres, this car have proved to be very reliable, comfortable and fuel efficient. We have done many long trips of over five hours travelling each and the seats helped make us feel quite good afterwards and I am over 65yo, we have also done a… Read more · 1
longer camping drive of 3000kms with the car loaded to the hilt and fuel consumption was still very good as was the handling with all that load ..... we use the car everyday in a normal way, going to work, shopping etc, and we have it serviced at the correct intervals which have been at reasonable fixed dealer prices (which were reasonable for a dealer at any rate LOL! ) we have never had any issues with this vehicle other than a blown rear brake light ..... the only things I will mention as not so good is the cold cycle air conditioner here in WA as it is not quite up to the job and the software in the console to control radio/stereo/phone and the GPS it should be easier to use, and if you have any sun shining on it that can make it useless to navigate.
Positive reviews
Not too bad – Bought this second hand and it was a pretty good little car. It only had around 28000 ks on it. The good: Really zippy, it goes! No worries about overtaking this. The seats are comfy, with the added bonus of having them heated. The back seats folded down to almost flat which was a bonus. The electric windows also work for a little while after the… Read more
ignition has been turned off Storage is great...little hidey holes like in the dash and a draw under the passenger seat. The not so good: The usb charger port is in the glovebox, which has to stay open if you use your phone as a map. Don't expect a lot of tech or features like lane assist etc... it doesnt have any of that. It had special tyres, you were very limited in tyre choice. The ones I had were about $300 each. However the spare tyre is a full size. The ugly: after owning the car for about 2 years I noticed bubbling paint on the tailgate. It flaked and got worse and worse...it flaked on the bonnet and the pillars. Upon researching, it seems these cars have terrible paint problems! Luckily Holden agreed to fix the flawed areas under warranty. The WORST part about this car is that it has NO temperature gauge!! I was driving along in summer when the aircon went hot, then the car started screaming at me so I pulled over. The engine was sizzling. There had been a slow coolant leak. So the engine almost blows up and you get 0 warning that there's something wrong!! After this episode the car sounded terrible, so I decided to move it on. Much to the delight of my mechanic... they absolutely hate working on Trax cars. Plus, they're not Holden. They're a Chevy motor and Daewoo body. In conclusion, it could have been an awesome car if they had just spent a bit more on those simple small things.
6 years and going Strong – Our Trax does not do a lot of miles but after 6 ears it still has a new car feeling about it. Interior is like new and everything works. Paint is still shinny (Like New). I do not get it serviced at Holden as I have a brilliant mechanic. He advised and I would advise everyone who has one that"s done 50000K to get the automatic transmission fluid… Read more
changed. Mine was filthy at 50000K. Took three changes for the oil to clear up. Rotten sealed units. Cannot service the auto and they die. Expensive fix. Otherwise all goog
Love this car! – I purchased my vehicle for driving to and from work in the Sydney traffic. It's fantastic for a daily commuter. I use it every day and spend $60-80 a fortnight in fuel. Not an issue at all in 2.5 years. Car is perfect. Would recommend. Only gripe I have is the carpet is so thin everything gets stuck in it making it hard to maintain. Show details
Negative reviews
Worse Car I've ever owned – the cooling system, has been replaced twice, the oil cooler replaced, and again now the coolant is leaking everywhere, already cost me over $3,000 this is the most unreliable car I have owned and I would never recommend buying one, and the warranty never covers what goes wrong surprise surprise
Turbo issues – Car has done 30,000km and is 2.5 years old. Took into Holden over 2 months ago and they have told me believe it is an issue with the turbo. Still at Holden waiting for further assessment. Show details
A Daewoo in GM Clothing. Avoid Like The Plague – We bought this 2017 top of the range LTZ new in November 2018 and it has been well maintained and serviced. My wife travels about 450 kms a week in her role doing home care for the aged. The reason we buy her new cars every 5 years for reliability and backup service. All went ok for the first 3 years and then the trouble started. At 70,000kms… Read more
the turbo blew and Holden gave us all sorts of grief for weeks to get them to cover their warranty. Even insisting we get a letter from our mechanic as to what oil was used in the car. The car was serviced as per log book and we actually use better quality oil than the Castrol rubbish Holden had in it. The finally fixed int after knowing they had no leg to stand on trying to blame everything but their car for the issues.
Now at 90,000km the car overheated and became undriveable. At this point when booking it in yet again for warranty work Holden said there was no places could even inspect it for 9 weeks. Note my wife's work and it is her only car. So we took it to get fixed and communicated with Holden customer care to pay for it due to their unreasonable wait times just to even find the problem. $1000 Holden refused to pay even though they couldn't fix it in a reasonable time frame. 7 weeks later we are back to square one again now with the car overheating again. It has had a new water pump, new thermostat, new coolant bottle and cap and a couple of there new parts. But alas. Still overheating. I also discovered they had even left a lot of important parts not even bolted on correctly after the turbo replacement. It is going into tomorrow for assessment by a cooling specialist. Fingers crossed we don't have to throw more thousands at it.
After much research about these lemons I discovered they are Daewoo with GM Badging across their various brands and through American Forums I have heard so many similar horror stories about unreliability and longevity. A very typical Daewoo.
Recent reviews
Dashboard were oil percentage is now says area after I reset it. Does anyone know what this means please – On my Dashboard were oil percentage is displayed is now saying AREA after I reset it TO 100%. Does anyone know what this means or how to fix it please Show details
Find out how Holden Trax TJ compares to other Small / Compact SUVs
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Comfortable and trendy – We have this for nearly a year now. So far so good no major issues except for airbag recall which happened to every other cars. My favourite feature is the cruise control and the reverse camera, other useful one is the auto on/off lighting. The back seat is quite comfortable, the booth is quite spacious. I found the steering wheel to be too small… Read more
and light for my liking. The quality of the paint is not the best, it peels off easily after getting bird/bat feces worse than other cars. This was the cheapest small SUV that we got quoted at that time so it was pretty much due to its price that we bought this. But beware that this car model (1.4 auto) takes 95 octane petrol so yhe running coat is morr expensive. I have not driven many small SUVs before so I can't really compare with other models, but recently I tried Hyundai Kona and I found it more likeable than this trax, except for the head rest which was so uncomfortable.
Excellent SUV. Great size ! – Bought Holden Trax LTZ 2017. Over 40,000 Kims later not 1 problem. Free servicing to 60,000. Then fixed price. Drives very well, great features. Apple car play. Bluetooth. Well appointed and easy to drive. Not overpriced like a lot if small mid SUVs. Plenty of power for city driving and country trips. Serviced regularly by Holden. Daily driver… Read more
city traffic. Exceeded expectations on fuel economy. Highly recommended over many others on the market !
My car baby – My 2018 Holden trax is my world, drives like a dream has turbo when needed , great on fuel I’ve traveled to Gladstone qld and up north qld with it as well , climbs hills with out a hassle ,smooth ride comfy seats , stable ride apple car play, my first brand new car I’ve ever owned roomy inside Show details
Best little SUV on the road! – Love my Holden Trax. It is such fun to drive. Love the bright electric blue....it is such a happy colour. With the seats folded down so easily, can carry lots of things. Was a great help when I was moving house. Great vision with big wide windows all round an the high driving position. Driver's seat and steering wheel can be adjusted up and down… Read more
to get it just right for your individual preference. Trouble is my daughter is always wanting to borrow it!
Good car, has its issues – Good car, nice drive, relatively safe. A few problems though such as smoke coming out of the A/C vents when on, an oil light which won't turn off, and a leak coming from under the steering wheel which can saturate the floor with the drips. Whatever drips out also can be extremely hot, and burn your foot when driving. Have been scolded many times.… Read more
Took it in for a service to find the source. No problems detected, burnt my foot driving home. Have it booked back in, but it's just a hassle when having a busy life. Feels like the servicing is very rushed and it's just getting as many people in and out as quickly as possible.
Good car some issues – I found the car to be very nimble, generally cabin space very good until you want to put the back seats down for extra space. Both my wife and I are tall and like the seats to go back but when you put the seats down you lose that extra length in the front making driving a little bit cramped. I also don't like the positioning of the handbrake being… Read more
so close to the passenger seat it's a bit awkward trying to release the handbrake if there is a large person sitting in the passenger seat.
Happy with our Trax! – So far so good, it’s what we expect from a new car. It’s perfect for Sydney traffic and love all the LTZ has to offer. I read that Trax is one of the most reliable car in the USA, hopefully that’s true! Overall it’s fun car to drive with a punchy engine! Show details
Nice car ...BUT The Takata airbag issue is a problem – Purchased a brand New Trax in 2017 (a 2016) model. Just discovered via 60 minutes that this car among many is a victim of faulty/ dangerous Takata airbags. The holden website clearly states our vehicle has a faulty airbag and they will get back to us re recall when parts arrive???? How can a Manufacturer and Government allow cars to be used with… Read more
essentially a hand grenade in the airbag system, while they wait for parts?
They avoid giving clear answers on the telephone and chat window and it appears everyone in the chain is being evasive and/or lying. When I finally got through on chat they were evasive and condescending. 1st they stated that the vehicle is affected then they stated it (and no other) Holdens are affected. They apparently have a Beta version airbag from Takata as opposed to the dodgy Alpha. ( Both versions use the same gas that should not be used in an airbag).This is pure subterfuge and evasion where holden (and others) are putting off this very dangerous issue as long as convenient.
They also claim to have volunteered to recall and in the same sentence stated the Government ordered them to recall vehicles. In addition they say Holden are confident that the Takata beta airbags are good yet they are more urgently recalling older Vehicles and those in humid areas so clearly the Betas are also at risk.
We are expected to drive these time bombs and Im now sure Holden and the government will sweep any deaths under the rug of misdirection when they occur. Its far easier to manage and skirt a few individual issues at a time than tackle the main issue up front.
31,000 kms and Ready to Trade in **Update** – I purchased this car from Village Motors Petrie (now North Lakes) and when I first purchased this car I loved it, that opinion has now completely disappeared. The car even though it is a small "SUV" has a small lip on the bottom of the front bumper meaning I could not get out of my driveway without scraping, I could not park over most bollards as… Read more
it wouldn't fit and I had to be careful on speed bumps and dips in the road. I removed the cheap piece of silicone and have had no issues since then.
The biggest problem with this car is the fact it doesn't rev properly, it stalls frequently and is absolutely gutless. within a year I was having issues with the engine stalling even after "warming up" for 5-10 minutes, Holden are no help as it's an 'intermittent issue'. it heavily lags when taking off or will splutter and bunny hop (it's an automatic). Your better of putting it in manual and doing it yourself if you actually want to go anywhere.
The infotainment system (MyLink) is a useless piece of rubbish that is now (2.5 yrs old) hardly usable, the maps no longer work (no matter how many times I reset my phone, or do all there troubleshooting tips and you have to pay $85 to use them. The whole system completely freezes nearly every day so I am forced to play music on my phone while it sits in the cup holder or drive in silence listening to the pathetic whine from the engine. I have video footage of all of these issues but because they are 'intermittent' Holden does not wish to help. It also has faulty airbags which I found out in March (2018) it is now August (2018) and they have not sent me a notification for repair (I had to ask at my last service).
The best thing about this car was the 4 years free servicing I received, it will be going back to Holden in 2 weeks (earliest they could get me a loan car) as it has completely stalled at the lights multiple times and has failed to start multiple times (battery is fine). I have had enough.
**UPDATE** Holden looked at the car yesterday and I have been informed that the gearbox is stuffed and needs replacement, a 2yr old car that hit 32 thousand kms 3 days ago needs a new gearbox and complete flushes as there is metal filings all through the oil, all this will be replaced under warranty but no guarantee of a loan car while they're keeping my car for 2 weeks. I had a loaner LTZ 2018 Trax for yesterday and its done 8500kms and the fuel gauge is broken. i do NOT recommend these cars at all.
Find out how Holden Trax TJ compares to other Small / Compact SUVs
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No ongoing issues....yet – Have just clocked over the 65000km mark for LS manual 2015.2 yrs left on warranty and usual capped price servicing.No issues apart from the thermostat replacement at 50000km. Engine ok if not a little asthmatic but i am comparing to Polo so not really fair.Holden dealership have been great. Car was wife's but is now my car after my regretful trade… Read more
in of my Polo..as she now needs auto after injury. Car is ok...but the driver seat would have to be the most uncomfortable i have ever sat in. The rear tapered design of the seat bottom is just plain stupid...unless you are of diminutive proportions. I am 6'3 and while space in the car is not a problem, the silly side wings/supports of the seat bottom are great for digging into the sides of you thighs. Dumb design. I will work out a solution though, most likely some well cut memory foam. Didn't bother with "Bringgo" sat nav..a shame android auto was only included in the 2017 onwards models. I don't really use anyway..but with Galaxy Note 8 in car (6.3 inches) compared to 7 inch car screen.. no big deal. Just means once again have to attach a phone. Holden says no updates available for Mylink. prob be a able to find a work around and download into unit but i am not willing to maybe brick unit for satnav i would rarely use. Fuel consumption is up very ordinary. Not financially viable to get rid of yet bit when the time arises it is gone. Good car apart from above.
July 20th 2019 Update: All still ok.
90000km. No problems still. Paint/electronics/engine and driveline still fine. No leaks or other major issues. I complained about this car, but have done some very long non-stop drives and it did well. I have fitted 225/60/16 Kuhmos to the stock alloy wheels which has lifted the car and a better ride. Seats still prove uncomfortable so i fitted memory foam seat covers which help. Oil change every 10000km,oil filter every 5000. No strange noises and driving as normal.
Waste of money – This is the worst car I’ve ever purchased. In fact it was a lemon. The car was 3 years old and started having major problems like cv joint , coolant leakage and dashboard light comes on stating lean fuel and I had to argue with Holden to fix under warranty. However not went at once, it was one thing after another. In the end the light on the dashboard still comes on claiming lean fuel again. Show details
Great little car – We shopped around for a while, then decided to go with the Trax. Nothing against the other cars in the range, the Trax just suited what we wanted, and we felt that it drove the best. Economy is amazing, we owned an Almera 1.5 prior, and the Trax beats it hands down for economy. Good bit of power, throttle response can take a little while to get… Read more
used to as it can be punchy from take off. We have owned it for around six months, so far it has been reliable.
My wife loves her Trax.
My Trax - Well! – Having owned a Commodore of great quality I decided to go Holden. I signed up for the Cruize but had buyer regret, my bad. I had to choose a Holden so the Trax was next. I was told I did not need a smart phone but I did to used the limited functions. I was horrified that one day I parked my automatic and took the key out and it started rolling… Read more
because it was still in D. Who builds an auto that allows that? The infotainment system leaves a lot to be desired, especially maps. I enjoy long trips as the driving position is very comfortable but really wish I had more test drives with other brands.
Let down by Holden Customer Service – Great Car to drive , arm rest for the driver is great but the seat could probably be a little softer .Good petrol economy on a trip and not bad around town .Unfortunately it only runs on premium unleaded which is 10 -15% dearer , so you don't really get the value. Unfortunately I am having continuous issues with the infotainment unit and holden… Read more
customer service are passing the buck to the app provider.
The issues are 1/ overheating of the phone with consistent use - app developer has admitted this is a problem and there is no fix as yet
2/ "No GPS" signal error comes up on the screen ,when all the other apps on the phone that use the GPS part still work -apple maps google maps , waze etc
3/ GPS screen freezing intermittantly
With the demise of Pandora I was told I could use Spotify - wrong ! - Then the GPS won't work at all
It is not good enough to blame issues on and app provider
Note-The problems have occurred with2 different iPhones so I don't think the phone is the problem .(Also apple can't find fault with phone )
I would just like a bit of help from customer service to resolve the problem
great small suv – our Holden Trax lts is a great small suv the just lacks climate control as you would think it should have for top of the range but other than that i'ts great to drive the 1.4 litre turbo gets it up hills with no trouble and its great on fuel with the prices now going up you have money in ya pocket update to this car don't get a flat tyre you will… Read more
be up crap creek as ltz comes with spare not the tyre repair gas but the jack doesn't get high enough to put spare on really stupid idea so i have 4 stars for the car but for tyre repair i give a zero bad design
Its an ok little car for what it is – The trax is ok to drive but lacks power especially when the aircon is on. Handling is good has a little turning circle. I dislike not having some power for incase there is a situation that may need it. It has plenty of room even with 2 child seats in the back. Show details
Reliable vehicle – We have owned a Red Holden Trax which is a small SUV, from new since January 2015 and have done 45,000 km and found it to be very reliable vehicle for every day use which starts every time, the holden dealer we purchased it from have also been very good even offering to pick our vehicle up and leave a loan car for servicing as we live some… Read more
distance from the dealership in Rockingham WA (yes that was a plug for them) as for the car it is good on fuel consumption is comfortable to drive long distances, handles most bumps quite well (I have a bad back) and cruise control is very handy to be able to stretch your legs while driving, the touch screen console is very hard to see in any amount of sun and hard to use like any touch screen as it is "touchy" and the software could use some tweaking, the GPS is not very good and expensive to boot, there are plenty of storage spots in the front section and while the top glovebox is handy for biro's pads etc the USB port it has should of been partitioned off all by itself for protection of the usb stick, the biggest drawbacks of this vehicle are two, firstly the air conditioner is neither cold enough nor strong enough to get through all the vents properly plus the fan is far too noisy, secondly the wind noise with the windows down is intolerable as the vibrations caused makes my whole family cry out to close the windows at any speed above 80kmh as the volume and vibrations hurts your ears not matter what combination of window openings you try.
Trax brought in March 2015 – I’ve had some problems with the auto gear change!! And the Same problem as someone else, my trax is blue and has peeled paint on the back under window, on right hand side, I also had paint protection done, now I have bat crap eating into roof, , it’s been at smash repairs for 5 days, go to pick it up today the paint job is trash and they never… Read more
touched the roof, so back in it go’s again. I have been told this paint peeling has happened to several 2015 blue Tracey. I have got a courtesy car which is a 2017/18 Trax turbo.. a lot better than the 2015.. grrrrr so mad. I got a lemon.
Perfect little big car – I wanted a bigger car then the one i had, this car is a perfect mix of big and little, not too huge in terms of width but a bit taller and more grunt than most small cars. Great fuel efficiency however, computer states oil life has deteriorated quicker than i would have thought. Show details
Fantastic car! I work as an Uber driver and find the space for passengers is excellent. Ability to f – Very reliable car. Never had a problem and have had mine for three years now. I do reccomend Holdens fixed price servicing option when buying this car as it helps keep the cost down. Fuel mileage is exceptional and it takes the low cost petrol without issue to the engine or performance. Show details
frustrated – When I put the back seats down I can only put one back up because the other side won't go up it keeps locking and now I have to get it fixed again very frustrating. I will not be putting the seats down again. It's not fair that I have to keep getting this problem just wondering if anyone else has this problem Show details
Perfect and great value – Had this car for just over 3 months. Just love it. Its motor is small but has all the zip needed to drive around town or on the highway. many great features that cars of this level don't have. For a small SUV it has a lot of room inside. The head room is more than enough. Compared with other cars of the same size it has more height inside. Show details
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Finally fixed by Dealer 2 years on. Glad we didnt have to find out/validate their statement, that the airbag should be ok, by way of an accident.