Selling an old Chevy Tracker

Rust is the Tracker's best-documented problem. Suspension and structure are the two parts owners name most in NHTSA's complaints, and neither led to a recall.

A small 4x4 built in Ontario

General Motors folded the Geo brand into Chevrolet after 1997, and the Tracker wore a Chevy badge from 1998 through 2004. CAMI Automotive, a joint venture of GM of Canada and Suzuki, built it in Ingersoll, Ontario. The last one came off that line on January 27, 2004, and the Equinox took its place.

• 1998: the final year of the original design, with a 1.6-liter four. Fuel economy records show a manual with five gears, a three-speed automatic on the two-wheel-drive convertible and a four-speed automatic on the 4WD hardtop, which the EPA rates at 19 city and 24 highway.
• 1999-2004: the second generation, with a 130-horsepower 2.0-liter four, a 155-horsepower 2.5-liter V6 in the LT and ZR2, and the 1.6 still listed on some 1999 models. The ZR2 V6 with the automatic is rated 16 city and 19 highway for 2001.

NHTSA rated the 2002 four-door at four stars for front crashes, four and five stars for side crashes, and three stars for rollover.

What owners report

Rot under the front end

NHTSA holds 398 complaints filed under the Chevrolet Tracker. Suspension leads with 77 and structure follows with 59. The 2000 has the most, 109, with suspension first at 31.

Reading the complaints themselves makes it plainer. NHTSA's online search returns 112 complaints for the 2000; 52 involve the suspension or structure, and 41 of those mention rust or corrosion. One owner found the front suspension cross-member eaten through beside a support bolt. On the 2001, 15 of the 26 suspension and structure complaints mention rust, and one owner writes that the cross member is rusted to the point it will snap off.

We found no recall or GM warranty extension for it. Rust on a cross-member or frame is a structural repair, not a cosmetic one.

Air bags

Owners filed 40 complaints under air bags. On the 2000, 7 of the 10 air bag complaints in the online search talk about deployment, including one where the front bags stayed shut in a head-on crash at 30-35 mph. These are owner reports, not a confirmed defect.

No Tracker recalls on file

Search NHTSA's recall records for a Chevrolet Tracker and nothing comes back. Recalls filed under Suzuki's related models weren't searched for this page, so check the VIN anyway.

Complaints by model year

From NHTSA's complaints flat file, October 10, 2026. No year has a recall listed under the Tracker name. NHTSA files 4 complaints under a 1997 Chevrolet Tracker, though 1998 was the first year with the Chevrolet badge.

Worth fixing?

Every Tracker is now more than 20 years old, so the question is usually whether one repair is worth it on a small SUV with more problems coming.

1. Rusted frame or cross-member? That's welding or replacement, and in a state with safety inspections it can stop a pass. See failed inspection.
2. Engine or transmission gone? Ask a shop for a price in writing, and check local listings for a running Tracker of the same year.
3. Sat untouched for years? Stale gas, cracked tires and a flat battery pile onto the bill. Our car sitting for years guide covers that case.

If the repair comes close to the Tracker's running value, selling it unrepaired is the simpler choice.

Selling it whole

1. Find the VIN on the dash or door jamb, and note the mileage and what's wrong.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Explain where the Tracker sits, whether it rolls, and how bad the rust is underneath.
4. Leave it complete, top, spare and wheels included.
5. On the day, the Tracker's title, its keys and your ID are all the driver needs from you. After you sell covers plates and insurance by state.

Title lost? See the no-title guide. For other small Chevrolets, see the Equinox, the Metro and the full Chevrolet list.