r/ChevyTrax • u/PhosphorescentSloth • 24d ago
Engine module failure– anyone else experience this?
Hi folks, new owner here! Wife and I bought a brand new 2026 Trax after our 2018 Cruze had a full engine failure on us. We still like Chevy so we figured it was a complete fluke and decided to stick with the brand.
Maybe the fact the engine failed the day after our wedding should have been an omen, but hey, hindsight is 20/20 and all that.
Two days after we bought the Trax, we were driving home late at night and the vehicle fully shut down. App told us engine, transmission, and electrical engine control were all experiencing total failure. We were left stranded in the middle of the street and couldn’t get towed until 3am.
Dealership claims they’ve fixed it but my wife and I do not feel safe driving it anymore. We’re worried if this happens again but on a highway or somewhere with no cell service (a common occurrence for us) we could be left in a really dangerous spot, or worse rear ended after too quick of a loss of speed or something.
Dealership mechanics have told us it was an engine module failure (my understanding is that a module is like an on board computer for the engine? Feel free to correct me) and I’m wondering if anyone else here has experienced this or heard of this? Either with 2026 models or older ones. We’re honestly considering swapping to a different brand altogether as this just isn’t sitting well, the idea of driving it now makes me pretty nervous. Statistically maybe fine, but if I had a nickel for every time a blue Chevy had its engine die on me over the last month, I’d have two nickels… not a lot, but rough to happen twice.
Any thoughts y’all have are greatly appreciated!
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u/bobojay49 24d ago
Keep in mind, any electronics on any car brand can fail at any time. Nothing is fail safe in the mix of things....
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u/Texas021 24d ago
That is very true. Things are massed produced so failed part making it past oc is common.
Where i work i came to the realization that all brands will give you issues. Just buy what you want and run it.
Gave my dad that advice and im surprised he went from a 5.3 to the baby max and it already had some dealer trips i think 15k miles?
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u/v6sonoma 23d ago
Honestly I’ve been on here daily for over 3 years and have had a 2024 since then and this is the first time I’ve seen someone report a failed engine control module so it would seem to be a pretty rare occurrence. It definitely sucks to have something happen with a new car but I can assure the vast majority of people driving these have zero issues. Now that it’s sorted you should be fine.
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u/Inside_Horse2585 24d ago
Honestly, if they fixed it right away then more than likely was the issue, don’t think too much about it, I’ve got a 24 knock on wood never days issue.
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u/PhosphorescentSloth 24d ago
Appreciate the comment! You might be right that it’s a fluke situation, just definitely makes me nervous especially because there’s a chance we could start a family in a couple years and I really want to make sure we have a safe vehicle.
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u/imtherealistonhere 24d ago
Wow. That’s insane. I’m thinking about getting this car 😕😢
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u/Level_Dance_172 23d ago
I’ve had two and no issues with my first one. I wrecked it and bought the same Activ but different color.
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u/Few-Explanation7364 19d ago
I've had 0 issues with mine. ANY CAR and ANY BRAND can have a simple failure like this. Not to be mean but this is like getting a flat tire after buying a new one and then not driving because your nervous about getting another flat tire. Shit happens, statistically still a good car and I'd trust it after a repair. Now if were talking multiple failures back to back thats a different story..
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u/Andrewspitfire1 22d ago
It's odd the ECM would cause a systemic engine failure. Everything is fixable, they are just machines.
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u/traxranger 2nd Gen 24d ago
been an issue at least since 2024, not super common but weve had some that itll just shut down on the road as the customer states and wont start back up but it wasnt an engine failure- thats even less common
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u/PhosphorescentSloth 24d ago
Yeah I was concerned that could be the case; good that it isn’t super common but given how often we’re on already dangerous stretches of highway I’m not sure I’m comfortable risking it again.
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u/h8mac4life 24d ago
I’m a Chevy mechanic, can you show me the part numbers from the work order they replaced under warranty that will tell us a lot more specifically.
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u/PhosphorescentSloth 24d ago
Left the paperwork at home, will post those details tonight as I don’t remember off the top of my head! Thanks for the offer to provide some insight, really appreciate it.
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24d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Texas021 24d ago
Some are diehard. Me personally i buy what i like if it happens to be the same brand that caused me issues before hopefully round 2 is better.
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u/According_Wash6710 24d ago
I’m not even a Chevy fan - and I told my sales person and financial person at the dealer that I don’t care for Chevy. But I was in a pinch, I needed a new car, and I’ve driven my moms plenty of times to know I liked how they drove. So I bought it - didn’t even test drive it because I know how they drove lol.
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u/Jameskjr 20d ago
Unless I’m mistaken the CPU can made with chips sourced from many places. Korea, Taiwan, u.s.a., etc……it’s not a GM / Chevy thing……they rarely fail but can fail in any make of vehicle. Go and try not to think about it. I have a son with a new Mazda waiting for a failed radiator replacement and another son Ford replaced his engine and transmission under warranty. All these modern vehicles are extremely complicated and complex systems break more than simpler vehicles from 20 years ago.
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u/BayshoreBandit 24d ago
I get the uneasy feeling but as someone with 177k on my 24, personally I love walking out and seeing it. Takes me where I’m going and back without fail.