2002 Chevrolet Tracker Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2002 Chevrolet Tracker most often describe rust-related failures of the front suspension crossmember and subframe, which frequently show up as shaking, pulling or wandering at road speed and can fail state inspection. Power window problems and brake concerns (soft or long stops, vibration, leaking lines) also appear repeatedly, generally at higher mileage, while airbag non-deployment appears in crash reports across a wide mileage range.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Rusted-through front suspension crossmember / subframe

   • 20 complaints (34%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 10.7 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2019

   Owners describe the front crossmember or subframe rusting through, in some cases fracturing while driving. Complaints link it to violent shaking or vibration, pulling to one side when braking, wandering steering and, in a few reports, loss of power steering. Several owners say an inspection or a repair shop first identified the corrosion, and some report dealers or the manufacturer declining repair because a coverage period had expired; others say a crossmember replacement was offered under a program. Mostly reported between roughly 50,000 and 150,000 miles, often on older vehicles in rust-prone areas.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the front crossmember and lower control-arm brackets inspected from below for scaling rust, especially before a state inspection; ask whether any crossmember replacement or corrosion program work was ever performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2002 chevy Tracker that has displayed a catastrophic failure of the front crossmember. This is as described in the closed investigation NHTSA action number: ea06018. The failure occurred at highway speed when braking and I was very lucky to maintain control of the vehicle. This is a very serious safety issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10299949, filed 2010-01, 91,353 miles

   “After a year of repairs including muffler system, front sway bar, shifter cable and alternator, I finally got to drive my chevy Tracker and noticed immediately a shake (4/12) that night, the oil pan developed a leak. I finally saved up enough to get that fixed in 1/13, I still noticed a shake, but needed to get the brake lines repaired. I did that and still noticed the shake and it was getting worse. Thought the calipers needed to be bled so brought it back to the shop. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10503004, filed 2013-03, 79,325 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brakes pulling, vibrating or needing extra pedal effort

   • 7 complaints (12%)
   • median 110,000 mi at 17.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2019

   Owners describe the vehicle not stopping as expected, the front end pulling or swerving under braking, and vibration or shaking through the pedal or steering. Some complaints mention a leaking rear brake line or repeated rear brake failures and difficulty finding replacement parts; others say a dealer found nothing wrong or attributed the behavior to the vehicle not having ABS. Spread from low mileage up to about 145,000 miles; several reports come in above 80,000 miles.

   What to check: Test braking from highway speed on a clear road, noting any pull, pulse or long pedal; have the brake lines, hoses and rear brakes inspected for leaks and corrosion.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Purchased a 2002 chevy Tracker on 4/30/2002. We've had some minor and some major repairs made, it's never been in any accidents and has been up-kept. Coming home from work my husband noticed the year old brakes were not working properly, was pulling, and started vibrating and shaking at about 40 MPH. We later noticed the back brake line was leaking. Two weeks to fix by our mechanic. On the test drive noticed vibration much worse- violent-abrupt shaking! Later our mechanic noticed the front suspension cross member is almost rusted out! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10574122, filed 2014-03, 110,000 miles

   “Rear brakes keep failing, they failed yesterday for the third time in about 8,000 miles. They also discontinued a part for the rear brakes. Cannot find the part anywhere. Was driving and heard a noise coming from the left rear, pulled over and it was the brakes. Have to pump the brakes to stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #11161236, filed 2018-12, 86,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a collision

   • 6 complaints (10%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2024

   Several owners report frontal or side impacts in which the airbags did not deploy, including a T-bone-type collision and a tree strike, and one report describes airbag inflation with burns. Complaints also describe a recurring airbag warning light tied to the clock spring and horn wiring, with repeated steering-column or clock-spring replacements. Crash reports range from about 49,000 to 150,000 miles; warning-light complaints appear at lower mileage.

   What to check: Confirm the airbag warning light comes on briefly at start-up and then goes out, and ask whether the clock spring or steering column has been replaced; note that a 2002 vehicle's airbag system is well past its original design life.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After a collision where my Tracker hit another vehicle at around 55 MPH on a highway, my vehicle hit dead on to the side of another (t-bone) and my sensor should have triggered my airbags and did not.”

   NHTSA complaint #10970730, filed 2017-04, 150,000 miles

   “While driving at 40 MPH consumer's vehicle collided with the left side of another vehicle running a stop sign. Consumer was wearing seat belts, but air bags did not deploy. Consumer and a passenger sustained various bone fractures and bruises. The police and an ambulance did arrived on the scene.”

   NHTSA complaint #10087309, filed 2004-08, 49,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalling or cutting out while braking or at idle

   Mentioned in 4 of 57 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the engine cutting off at a stoplight or stalling while driving, occasionally with reduced power and multiple warning lights at once. Owners report sensor replacements (map and coolant temperature sensors) without solving it, and one report describes an engine that would not restart right after an oil change and smoked heavily, with sticking valves suspected. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 98,000 miles, with no clear pattern in conditions.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for any stored diagnostic trouble codes and whether the intake or induction system has been checked; drive the vehicle through several stops and a restart to see whether idle stays steady.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our chevy Tracker was purchased new in oct 02. The first time the oil was changed the vehicle would not start back up imediatly. After spinning the motor over for several minutes it did start but smoked severley. This problem has persisted since that date. The repair tech. At Chevrolet agrees that the valves in the cylinder head are sticking open causing the vehicle to not have the compression to start. But after three attempts to repair they have failed and cannot find the problem what do I do?????????????”

   NHTSA complaint #10069881, filed 2004-01, 3,800 miles

   “The engine of my 2002 chevy Tracker would make clicking noises. I first brough in my vehicle for service approx. 2 months ago. Then a week or so after I got my vehicle back, the clicking noise from the engine is back. I then brough teh vehicle back to my GM dealership and they said it was fine, but I don't accept their answer. Eventhough there's no injuries leading from this incident, but I'm afraid it would cause greater harm in the future.”

   NHTSA complaint #10110581, filed 2005-02
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Driver-side power window sticking or off track

   Mentioned in 4 of 57 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the driver-side power window needing two hands to raise or lower, or the glass shifting off its track so it will not close fully, letting air in. Owners report the window being repaired multiple times, with the problem returning, and some say the dealer could not resolve it or declined further work once warranty coverage ended. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 65,000 miles, often recurring after repairs.

   What to check: Run the driver's window fully up and down several times and watch whether the glass stays in the track and seats against the weatherstrip; ask how many times the regulator has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I first bought car(used) driver side window would not roll up all the way. Dealer fixed. Now 3 years later, same problem came back, something wrong w/molding causing window to shift off track and not go roll up straight w/out guidance of my hands. Usually if my husband sprays into the track/molding it will go up a couple times on it's own.”

   NHTSA complaint #10265244, filed 2009-04, 51,000 miles

   “My drivers side window doesnt want to roll up or down unless I pull on it while pressing the button to roll it up. Once up, it doenst close all the way and you can hear the air coming in. In cases that it does go up all the way, the motor sounds as though it is still trying to make the window roll up and I have to crack it open in fear that it is going to shatter! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10125968, filed 2005-06

Buying note. On this model year the most consequential thing to verify is the underside: have the front crossmember and subframe inspected for rust before buying, since that is what most owners write in about. Also budget for older-vehicle wear items such as window regulators and brake components, and check the airbag warning light.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 57 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.