The Chevrolet Trax was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the period covered by the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) motor finance investigation, which spanned from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This investigation uncovered significant issues related to
discretionary commission arrangements that affected many consumers who financed their vehicles through these methods.
How the Chevrolet Trax was Typically Financed
Chevrolet Trax models were frequently offered on finance agreements with typical loan amounts ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. Commonly used terms for Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) agreements ranged from 36 to 48 months. This type of agreement often includes a balloon payment at the end of the term, which is the estimated resale value of the vehicle or a lump sum that must be paid if you choose not to buy or renew your Chevrolet Trax.
Several lenders commonly provided finance for Chevrolet Trax models during this period, including
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. Each lender had different terms and conditions attached to their financing products, which could impact the overall cost of borrowing for consumers.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) conducted an extensive investigation into discretionary commission arrangements in motor finance agreements between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. This investigation found that millions of customers may have been affected by these practices, leading to a total overcharge of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) across 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026). The average compensation amount for those affected was around £829 (FCA estimate).
Discretionary commission arrangements allowed lenders and finance companies to pay sales incentives based on criteria that were not transparent or necessarily in the best interest of consumers. This could have led to higher interest rates, increased loan amounts, or other financial disadvantages for borrowers.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for terms such as "discretionary commissions" or "DCA" (Discretionary Commission Arrangement) in your finance contract. if you noticed unusually high interest rates, unexpected charges, or a lack of transparency regarding the total cost of borrowing, these could be indicative issues.
If you suspect that your Chevrolet Trax financing agreement was affected by discretionary commission arrangements, you can complain directly to your lender without needing to use a
claims management company. Common lenders for Chevrolet include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
When making a complaint, gather all relevant documents such as your finance agreement, payment records, and any correspondence with the dealership or lender. Clearly outline the issues you have encountered and request an investigation into whether discretionary commissions were involved in your financing terms.
You do not need a claims management company to handle this process for you; contacting the lender directly is free and can be more straightforward. If you are unsatisfied with their response, you may escalate your complaint to the
Financial Ombudsman Service (
FOS) for further review at no cost.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (2024)
- FCA Press Releases and Reports (various dates)
- Financial Ombudsman Service Guidelines (various dates)
Based on 1,638 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Chevrolet Trax has a pass rate of 74.4%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Trax has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Trax pass rate is better than the overall Chevrolet average of 69.7%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 80,001 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 74.4%
- MOT failure rate: 25.6%
- Tests analysed: 1,638 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 80,001 miles
- Chevrolet average pass rate: 69.7%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.