# What to Look For When Buying a Used Holden Trax > What to check on a used Trax, what a problem looks like, and when to walk away. Covers: TJ (2013–2016), TJ facelift (2017–2020). Last updated: 13 October 2026. Web page: https://shufti.com.au/checklists/used-holden-trax-inspection-checklist. Printable PDF: https://shufti.com.au/checklists/used-holden-trax-inspection-checklist.pdf. ## Common Problems on a Used Holden Trax The most commonly reported problems on a used Holden Trax are a leaking water pump, a whistle or rough idle from a vacuum leak, and peeling paint on the bonnet and roof. Holden left Australia in 2020, so check where it's been serviced and what parts will cost. ### Water Pump Leaks The water pump circulates coolant to keep the engine cool. A leaking pump lets coolant escape, and an engine that runs low on coolant can overheat and be badly damaged. With the engine cold, check the coolant tank is at the mark, and look around the engine for pink crust or wet patches. On the test drive, watch the temperature gauge stays steady, and afterwards check for a sweet smell or drips. Ask whether the water pump has been replaced, with receipts. A leak is a moderate repair if caught early, so price it into your offer. ### Vacuum Leaks and Rough Idle Owners report a whistling or hissing noise from the engine and a rough or uneven idle, often from a failed valve that vents the engine (PCV valve) or a split hose letting in extra air. With the engine running and the bonnet open, listen for a whistle or hiss. Watch the rev needle at idle: it should sit steady. Check for an engine warning light on the dash. The fix is often not expensive, but it shouldn't be ignored. Ask whether it's been done, and price it in if you hear it. ### Peeling Paint Years of Australian sun break down the clear coat on a car's flat surfaces. On many Traxes, the bonnet and roof fade, go chalky or start peeling, especially on cars parked outside. In daylight, look along the roof and bonnet at a low angle for dull, chalky or peeling patches. Darker colours often show it first. It's cosmetic, but the only proper fix is a respray of each affected panel, which isn't cheap. Price it into your offer. ### Servicing and Parts Since Holden Left Holden stopped selling cars here in 2020. Servicing and warranty work moved to other dealers and independent workshops, and some parts now take longer to get or cost more. Ask where the car has been serviced, and check the history covers the years since. Ring a local workshop or parts supplier and ask about price and availability for anything the inspection turns up. Most mechanical parts are still easy to find, but body panels, trim and electronics can be harder. Price any repair before you make an offer. ## Which Holden Trax Years to Avoid? No Holden Trax year is one to avoid outright. Which problems a particular car has depends on its generation, its engine and how it was used, so judge the one in front of you rather than the year alone, starting with its recalls and reported faults (Shufti looks these up from the listing). - **TJ (2013–2016).** Every one is now over 10 years old, so condition and history count for more than the year: look hard for rust, worn suspension and leaks, and check whether a timing belt (if it has one) has been replaced. - **TJ facelift (2017–2020).** Most have done enough kilometres for wear items to come due: check the service history for regular servicing, and whether tyres, brakes and the battery need replacing. ## Holden Trax Inspection Checklist Tick it if it's fine. Cross it if it isn't, and note what you found so you can price it into your offer. - Safety critical: Affects how safely it drives or protects you in a crash. Best to have a mechanic check it before you buy. - Negotiate: Costs money to fix, from wear to major repairs. Get a quote and take it off the price. ### Before You Go - [ ] **Get the VIN and rego** before you travel. A seller who won't share them is a red flag on its own. - [ ] **Know what you're looking at:** regular or turbo petrol; manual or auto. Turbo checks below are marked. - [ ] **Ask how it was used:** private, ex-rental or fleet; short trips or long country runs? - [ ] **Ask for the engine to be cold,** go in daylight, and bring a torch, paper towel and a friend. ### Exterior - [ ] **Panels and paint.** Uneven gaps, mismatched colour or overspray on seals and trim mean crash repair. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Hail and dents.** Look along the roof, bonnet and tailgate at a low angle to the light. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Bumpers and wheels.** Parking scrapes and kerbed alloys. A badly kerbed wheel can be bent, causing vibration. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rust** on older cars: wheel arches, sills and the bottom of the tailgate. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Lights and glass.** All lights work, no condensation inside; windscreen free of chips in the driver's view. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Doors and tailgate** open, shut and lock cleanly, with the remote and the key. (Negotiate) - [ ] **VIN plate** (in a door frame or under the bonnet) is there, untouched, and matches the papers. ### Under the Bonnet - [ ] **Engine oil** between the dipstick marks, brown not black. Turbo engines don't forgive low or old oil. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Coolant** at the mark and brightly coloured. A low tank, a sweet smell or regular top-ups need a mechanic. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brake fluid** (small tank at the back of the engine bay) is clear to light amber, not dark. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Belts, hoses and battery.** No cracked belts or swollen hoses; clean battery terminals and a date sticker. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Leaks.** Wet oil on the engine or turbo pipes is a leak. A freshly degreased engine on an older car can be hiding one. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Timing belt.** Ask if it has one and when it was last replaced; look for a sticker in the engine bay. An overdue belt that snaps can wreck the engine. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Cold start.** Starts easily and settles to a smooth idle. A rattle for the first few seconds, or smoke, needs a mechanic. (Negotiate) ### Underbody and Wheels - [ ] **Tyre tread** above the wear bars, worn evenly. Wear on one edge only means the wheels are out of line, often from hitting kerbs. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Tyre age.** The 4-digit code on the side is the week and year made (2319 = week 23, 2019). Over ~6 years: budget for new ones. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rust and crash repairs.** Rust on the floor or around the suspension; bent metal, fresh welds or new black coating in one spot. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Scrapes and drips.** Dents underneath; drips where it's normally parked. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Suspension.** Push down on each corner: it should bounce back once and settle. Oily shock absorbers leak. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brakes.** Deep grooves or a raised edge on the discs mean they're due. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Exhaust.** Heavy rust, holes or loose heat shields that rattle. (Negotiate) ### Interior and Electrics - [ ] **Warning lights.** Key to "on": every dash light comes on, then goes out once running. An airbag, brake or engine light that stays on needs explaining. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Water leaks.** Damp carpet, a wet boot floor or a stained headlining. Lift the boot floor. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Wear matches the kilometres.** Steering wheel, gear selector, pedals and driver's seat bolster. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Seatbelts** pull out fully, retract and latch, with no fraying. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Air con** blows cold within a minute or two, without a musty smell; heater gets hot. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Electrics.** Screen, Bluetooth/CarPlay, reversing camera, windows and mirrors. Count the keys. (Negotiate) ### Test Drive - [ ] **Automatic.** Smooth changes with no slipping, flare, shudder or thump into Drive or Reverse. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Manual.** In 4th at 50 km/h, floor it: if revs rise faster than speed, the clutch is slipping. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Engine.** Pulls smoothly with no stutter, hesitation or smoke. Turbo: a sudden loss of power needs a mechanic. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brakes.** Firm pedal; stops straight with no pulling, pulsing or grinding. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Steering and suspension.** Drives straight; no knocks over bumps or clunks through the wheel. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Noises at speed.** A hum that grows with speed is often a worn wheel bearing. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Afterwards,** check for new drips, a steady temperature gauge and no hot or sweet smells. (Negotiate) ### Documentation - [ ] **Seller's ID** matches the rego papers, and the VIN matches on the papers and VIN plate. - [ ] **Service history.** Logbook stamped on time, with receipts. Ask about any timing-belt or cooling-system work. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Fleet or rental records.** Ex-fleet cars are often well maintained; ask for the log. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Parts and servicing.** Holden stopped selling cars in 2020. Ask where it's been serviced, and check parts prices for any repair you'd need. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rego and roadworthy.** Rego checked online; roadworthy supplied if your state requires one on sale. (Negotiate) ## Stay Safe Never go under a car held up only by a jack, and never open the radiator or coolant cap on a hot engine. Keep hands, hair and loose clothing clear of fans and belts when the engine is running, and do checks under the bonnet with it switched off where you can. On the test drive, hold a current licence, confirm the car is registered and insured, obey road rules, and only brake hard when the road behind is clear. Meet in a safe, public-facing place, take someone with you, and don't carry large amounts of cash to a viewing. ## Disclaimer Shufti is not affiliated with or endorsed by Holden or General Motors; Holden and Trax are trademarks of General Motors LLC. Figures are counts from Shufti's analysis of official records and published reports, not a statement that any particular vehicle is affected. This checklist is general information only and is not professional, mechanical, legal or financial advice. It covers common checks, not every possible fault, and a car can pass every item here and still have problems. It is not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection by a qualified mechanic, which is worth considering before you buy, especially if anything tagged Safety critical turns up. Repair costs vary widely; get your own quotes. Roadworthy, registration and transfer rules differ by state, so check with your state road authority. Private sales generally don't come with the consumer guarantees that apply when you buy from a dealer. You use this checklist at your own risk and, to the extent permitted by law, Shufti accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from its use. ## Buying a Used Holden Trax: Questions Answered ### Is a used Holden Trax reliable? It depends more on the particular car than the badge: how it was driven, loaded and serviced. Work through the commonly reported problems above, read the service history for servicing done on time, and run a PPSR check. ### Which Holden Trax years should I avoid? No Holden Trax year is one to avoid outright. Which problems a particular car has depends on its generation, its engine and how it was used, so judge the one in front of you rather than the year alone, starting with its recalls and reported faults (Shufti looks these up from the listing). This checklist covers the TJ (2013–2016) and TJ facelift (2017–2020) Holden Trax. Problems reported across them include water pump leaks, vacuum leaks and rough idle and peeling paint. ### How many kilometres is too many for a used Holden Trax? Kilometres matter less than how the car was driven and serviced. A high-kilometre SUV with a full service history can be a better buy than a low-kilometre one that's missed services, done short trips or been used for rideshare. Check the history for regular servicing, and on a hybrid ask for a battery health check. ### Should I get a pre-purchase inspection on a used Holden Trax? It's worth it if you can. All-wheel-drive and hybrid systems can hide faults that only a mechanic's tools will show. Most buyers don't book one, though, so whatever you decide, check the car thoroughly yourself with this checklist first. See Is a pre-purchase inspection worth it? (https://shufti.com.au/guides/is-a-pre-purchase-inspection-worth-it) ### How do I check a used Holden Trax for money owing or a write-off? Run a PPSR check with the car's VIN. It shows whether there's finance owing and whether the car has been reported stolen or written off, and costs $2. Run it on the day you pay. See What a PPSR check covers and what it doesn't (https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check) --- Shufti is an Australian used car inspection app for iPhone and Android that tailors the inspection to the exact car you're looking at. It is not affiliated with Shufti Pro, the identity verification (KYC) company. From the listing link, it builds every check around that car's make, model and year, odometer reading and the seller's description. It runs PPSR and government recall checks, crosschecks a database of more than 3 million recalls and owner complaints, flags problems from your photos and audio, plans a test drive, produces a shareable report with repair cost estimates, and coaches you through the negotiation. A check costs $24.99, or $49.99 for three, including PPSR and recall checks. A mechanic's pre-purchase inspection costs $250–350. Made by Frontpoint Digital Pty Ltd (ABN 23 669 870 366), Melbourne, Australia. Contact: hello@shufti.com.au. Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/shufti-used-car-inspection/id6795718336?pt=129235165&ct=Website%20guide&mt=8), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.shufti.shufti_app&referrer=utm_source%3Dshufti.com.au%26utm_medium%3Dwebsite%26utm_campaign%3DWebsite%2520guide%26utm_content%3Dllms%26utm_term%3D%252Fllms.txt).