Hard brake pedal and lost engine power both peak here — but this is the one year GM paid for the power fix.

The 1.5T's charge air cooler outlet duct — the pipe running from the intercooler to the throttle body — can disconnect while the turbo is under boost, which drops the car into limp mode with an "engine power reduced" message on the dash. Unlike the surrounding years, GM formally addressed this on the 2019: emission recall N192271200, which names the 1.5-litre engine by its internal codes LYX and LFV, and customer support program N192266090, which has dealers install a charge air cooler retainer kit. Both are free. Note that an emission recall is filed separately from safety recalls and will not appear in the count of three below. This is the good version of a second-generation problem — there is a documented free repair on record — so the only real question is whether it was done. A recurring reduced-power message means it probably was not.

A related but separate problem, and one that matters in northern states. GM's Service Update covering 2018 through 2022 describes ice or sludge building up in the charge air cooler or the closed crankcase ventilation system when the car is driven below roughly 0°F, with dealers fitting a thermal wrap and reprogramming the engine computer. A companion bulletin, 10231622, covers fault codes P0299 and P0234 caused by moisture freezing inside the turbo wastegate solenoid. A mechanic source describes the practical result: moisture freezes, blocks the airflow, and the car suddenly loses all power and goes into limp mode. If the car has lived somewhere cold, ask whether the thermal wrap and reprogramming were done.

The third-largest block of complaints. Owners describe harsh shifts, hesitation on acceleration, delayed engagement when pulling away and occasional jerking at low speed. A mechanic source assessing this generation reports the same list and notes that a share of it is software rather than hardware, which is why service history matters — GM issued reprogramming for several of these behaviours. Some of what gets reported as a transmission problem is actually the reduced-power condition above, so a scan tool tells you more than a test drive here. Drive it repeatedly from a standstill in traffic, not just on open road, and get a pre-purchase scan.

The button-style gear selector GM calls electronic precision shift — buttons rather than a lever, with no mechanical linkage to the transmission — carries its launch-year trouble into 2019. A GM Service Update covering 2018 to 2020 addresses cars that can be shifted out of park when the system should prevent it, after the driver has ignored repeated dashboard and chime warnings. Related bulletins cover cars that will not come out of park, stick in gear or blink the gear display. Work every button several times, both cold and warmed up, and check that the gear shown on the dash is the gear the car has actually selected.