Chevrolet Cruze Complaints (2012)

865 consumer complaints on file.

#11760905August 31, 2026
ENGINE
I was driving and the engine caught on fire. The flames came from the turbo gasket compartment not sure why or how it ignited. Thankfully the damage was not that extensive the car was towed to my residence and it is not drivable it won't start.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744364June 16, 2026
ENGINE
Was driving and my car literally wouldn't go forward. Prior to I had an oil change and I would smell burning oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741926June 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My breaks do not work in reverse. Pump valve seems to be bad
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734134April 27, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
Have called about this starting 2020. Had 137000. Also previous owner since 99000mi. Drive train & Turbo. Brake assist. Oil leaks, shutting off while driving. Now as of Saturday April 25 2026 Car shut off while driving and has been towed to dealership. Car deemed lemon by GM. In 2020 car to have been replaced I have all service contact numbers as well as my receipts. Car is a death trap. Do better Chevrolet & GM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733293April 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and accelerating over a speed bump, the key slid out of the ignition switch. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, and it was determined that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V502000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 74,522.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728123March 30, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating, and a coolant leak was discovered. During the failure, the check engine warning light was displayed, and the message "A/C Off Due to High Engine Temp" was displayed even though the A/C was not activated. The temperature gauge was elevated, creating a risk that the engine might stall or catch on fire. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 ( ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711132January 15, 2026
ENGINE
Check engine light on Car smoking when driven and smells like burning oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693383October 14, 2025
ENGINE
My son just purchased this car and nearly hit 100,000 miles. It started leaking oil in the engine area the valve cover gasket. It's drips all over the car causing it to smoke and smell.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685443September 6, 2025
ENGINE
Repetitive coolant leak repaired 5+ times over 9 years; incurred costs over $X,XXX. Coolant (toxic) leak causes burn off in the engine compartment and the vapors from this are transferred into the cabin, posing a risk to driver and passenger health.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655044April 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Had a 3-5-R wave plate failure. Symptoms started at around 87,000 miles. Bouncing/jerking when put into reverse. 5th gear slams hard into gear when upshifting and downshifting, making it feel like I have been rear ended. Now 3rd gear is starting to shift hard like 5th. Soon I'll have no gears. Car has been both regular and preventative maintained so should not have such a massive failure at under 100k miles. Other vehicles with the same transmission (6t40) have been recalled due to similar issues, like the 1.4 turbocharged Cruze, but not the 1.8l Cruze for whatever reason. Now I have to pay $4k for a rebuild on something that Chevrolet should be liable to pay.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654069April 11, 2025
ENGINE
I went to take 5 for an oil change , the tech broke my oil cap filter , coolant hose & damage my engine oil cooler . Towed it to progressive Chevrolet . Fleet response is the insurance company for take 5 & they are not taking care of my rental extension while determining if they are at fault with progressive already stated that they were at fault and now they dragging their feet ! Leaving me without a car and I’m in school and so is my son .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650936March 26, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Coolant leaking , engine knock sound , turbo issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11649148March 18, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Car started jerking when put in reverse and slams hard into 5th gear only. Taken to transmission shop and they have no idea what's causing it. They said they've never seen something like this before, and said it doesn't feel like a major transmission failure. Car only had 98,000 miles on it when hard shifting started. Regularly maintained. Motor and trans mounts were checked and fine. More than normal amounts of metal in trans fluid when drain and fill was performed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11627746November 27, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The check engine light keeps coming up after I buy gas in it and when I take it to Autozone for diagnose it keeps saying engine coolant which I just changed. After a while the light disappears but comes back when I fuel it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622788October 30, 2024
ENGINE
To whom it may concern at NHTSA, We are writing to file a formal complaint regarding Chevrolet's refusal to address a serious safety recall on our vehicle related to an engine oil leak, which poses a fire hazard and endangers occupants. The malfunctioning component appears to be the engine shield (belly pan), which collects spilled oil and allows it to accumulate near hot engine or exhaust surfaces. This defect is documented in NHTSA Campaign ID: 12V288000. Our vehicle, which is experiencing the same issue, is available for inspection upon request. Our vehicle has exhibited persistent and severe oil leakage, creating a strong burning odor after driving for a short period. This malfunction presents a significant safety risk, as oil accumulating on or near the engine shield may ignite. This defect endangers not only the vehicle’s occupants but also the safety of others on the road. When we visited Lee Johnson Chevrolet (11845 NE 85th St, Kirkland, WA · (425) 827-0521) on October 26, 2023, we requested that the dealership inspect and repair the defect as outlined in the recall. The dealership acknowledged the issue but declined to proceed with inspection or repair, citing that the recall status was marked "complete." They offered to inspect the issue for a fee of $250, which we believe to be unreasonable given the known manufacturing defect and the related safety recall. We are requesting NHTSA's assistance to have Chevrolet fulfill its obligations under this recall. Citing a "completed" status of the recall as a reason to deny service is an unacceptable means for Chevrolet to avoid addressing a critical safety hazard. The engine shield defect, which continues to pose a fire risk, is an original manufacturing flaw for which Chevrolet should be held accountable. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for any assistance you may provide to resolve this critical safety issue. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11618705October 8, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. However, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking oil, along with several other undisclosed failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer had not yet responded. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11618183October 4, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was able to be restarted on the third attempt; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11613565September 9, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS:CANISTER
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact connected a diagnostic machine to the vehicle and retrieved a DTC code for a failure with the purge valve and the catalytic convertor. The contact replaced the purge valve; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the warning lights blinked on and off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,039.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11612889September 5, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic twice where it was diagnosed that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred after approximately a week. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11611181August 27, 2024
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My car keeps telling me my trunk is open then it dings constantly going back and forth from tire monitor system to the trunk open. Then Everytime I turn the car off I have to wiggle the battery cable to get my car to start and my power steering keeps going out. I'm aware there are recalls.for my car but beings my check engine light is on they r refusing to fix my car. I don't understand. I thought recalls were mandatory and had to be fixed. This car barely has 85,000 miles on it. I shouldn't be having all these issues. It's all electrical it seems like. I need help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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