1,397 of the
5,775 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Cruze
are about the engine —
24% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2012.
For the first question, I’d strengthen it to: The vehicle has experienced repeated engine and engine-cooling system failures, including recurring overheating and coolant loss. Over approximately the past year, I have had to replace or repair numerous components, including the radiator, thermostat housing, temperature sensor, water outlet, turbocharger/turbocharger components, O-rings, multiple oil seals, and the head gasket. I have also had other cooling and engine components repaired, although I no longer have a complete list of every component that has been replaced. Despite these repairs, the vehicle continues to experience overheating and coolant loss. The vehicle has also experienced loss of power while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed an overheating warning. Other symptoms have included coolant loss, shaking and vibration, rough or uneven acceleration, loss of engine power while driving, and a check-engine light. The check-engine light has previously flashed during operation. The vehicle has also experienced unexplained engine-oil loss. These problems have continued despite extensive repairs over approximately the past year, including replacement of the radiator, thermostat housing, temperature sensor, water outlet, turbocharger/turbocharger components, O-rings, oil seals, and head gasket. The repeated failures have created a significant safety risk because the vehicle has overheated while being driven and has previously lost power while traveling on the highway. I have been forced to stop on the side of the road, where I was almost struck by another vehicle. The possibility of sudden loss of power or overheating while traveling in traffic creates a serious risk to both myself and other motorists.
NHTSA complaint #11758553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
i’m unsure if the person i bought this vehicle from had the codes wiped before selling to me, but there were NO lights on dash for 3 days after minimal driving only to work and back, then all of a sudden the check engine light came on, and in the info box it would pop up saying “service stability system” - i took to o’reiley’s to see what it was for, apparently it was the ECM (electronic computer module) which essentially controls like everything. days go by i don’t do anything more about it and drive as usual to work, and it starts overheating, and smoking like crazy, but doesn’t say it’s hot on my dash, so i had no idea how hot it got or anything. i got to work, worked my shift, and went to put coolant in before returning home- just to find that it was full and i didn’t need to put any in. weird, right? ok well on my way home i’m going about 55mph on the highway and it suddenly just wouldn’t let me accelerate anymore and behaved as if i ran out of gas but i had over half a tank. when i came to a stop i turned the car off, and tried to turn it back on when it wouldn’t even turn over. i sat about 15 mins on the side of the highway before it actually started and i drove home. a week goes by, and now this ecm is effecting more and more- driving on the highway/streets it’s shifting really hard, immediately following that, my speedometer and rpm meter fall to “0” on the dash but the vehicle is still driving and the message pops up about the service stability system. i replaced my tire and now it’s telling me to service airbag system and the abs light is stuck on, as well as traction control and it’s just so weird. i just don’t feel safe in this car and after looking it up, apparently everyone with the make and model have very similar problems, but specifically searching by my VIN- apparently there’s no recalls and it’s just extremely frustrating and i don’t know what to do. if i fix the ECM will all these issues be resolved or will i waste $600-$800 replacing it?
NHTSA complaint #11745175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Engine replaced turbo charger. Purchased the vehicle on 5/16 and a week later the engine light came on. Took the vehicle to AutoZone and received a code of P0299. Call the dealership and got no response from the salesperson so I made an appointment for 5/27. Problem was dismissed as the engine light was no longer displayed. Told to return when the light reappeared. The car stalls and the acceleration was an issue, especially for a 19 year old inexperienced driver. This put her life and those around her in danger. Took the vehicle back on 6/5 and had to leave it. No vehicles available or offered while the car was in the shop. This time they scanned the vehicle and came up with the same P0299 code. Left the vehicle for a week and the cost for the engine replaced turbocharger and all single use parts related for the repair was $3010.38 Yes, the vehicle was presented as "as as." However, the vehicle was also presented as if the maintenance and repairs were all completed and the vehicle was road ready and safe and this was not the case at all.
NHTSA complaint #11744804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have replaced my whole engine and the cars fuel system.. my gas was backing into my oil along with the engine failing .. has happened again. This car has been a nightmare and just keeps failing. Strong gas and oil burning smell then car starts smoking. Had to shut it off in the middle of the road.
NHTSA complaint #11743926 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased my car in 2020 and have had this issue recently come up. I have coolant that is vanishing from my car but not dripping to the floor. I've learned since then that there was a recall on my car for my water pump which causes this exact issue which has caused a related check engine light to appear. It seems unfair to me that there's a recall on my car that was taken away after one year despite it still not being replaced, and purchasing my car not knowing of this recall not being done and the window closing I feel should be rectified. I will be notifying GM about this matter as well. Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter
NHTSA complaint #11740259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On May 25, 2026, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Central Time, after the vehicle had been operated under normal conditions and subsequently parked, a fire originated within the vehicle’s engine compartment and/or under-hood area. Personnel from the Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. An official fire investigation report is pending and is expected to be available within the coming week. The incident has been documented through photographs and video recordings, all of which have been preserved. The vehicle itself remains in its post-fire condition and has been retained for inspection. At this time, the precise cause and origin of the fire have not been determined, of which no warning lamps nor other symptoms of a problem prior to incident.
NHTSA complaint #11740155 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle began jerking motions and misfiring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a cam shaft failure and diagnostic codes P0016, P0101. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000
NHTSA complaint #11739364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE ENGINE HAS EXCESSIVE BLOW BY FROM THE OIL FILLER CAP. HAVING A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER NUMBER 1 AND IDLING ROUGH. THERE ARE SEVERAL THREADS ONLINE CONCERNING THIS ISSUE BEING CAUSED BY WORN PISTONS AND PISTON RINGS.
NHTSA complaint #11739100 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Recently my car's check engine light and the message "Service Stabilitrak" started coming up on my car, then my car started shaking while idling. I quickly took the car to my mechanic who assessed it, replaced my spark plugs, which did not solve the issue, and recommended I go to the dealership. In between these appointments my car was consistently shaking while idling and I would have difficulties accelerating especially after coming to a complete stop and often while making turns, this worsened after adding fuel to my car. The nearest Chevrolet dealership did a compression test and found that the psi in cylinder 1 was only 85, while the rest of the cylinders are 180 psi. They reported "internal engine damage causing misfire on cylinder 1" and quoted the repairs and replacement engine at $9500, almost double the value of the car if the engine was working. The codes P0300 "Engine Misfire Detected" and P0301 "Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected" were the two relevant codes in the report. However the car only has 49,860 miles on it. I see that other people have reported this issue as well and it continues to happen. Additionally, if the manufacturing issue or defect has not been rectified what are the chances of this happening again down the line with the same issue? This is a clear manufacturing defect in the engine of these cars that make them a safety hazard on the road. There is no telling when and where my engine may completely give out despite the car being low mileage and well taken care of. GM and Chevrolet should and must rectify this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11737526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My engine needed oil I checked the dip stick added the oil the next day my engine started leaking and over heating come to find out there’s a pcv issue the valve cover gasket along with multiple other seals need replaced I was unaware of anything wrong no indication of over heating I just smelled the heat and was able to see after popping the hood the radiator fan is now not working and gas is coming through the valves
NHTSA complaint #11736714 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Coming to a stop sign or red light the car won’t accelerate or will go in traction control making it difficult to move or not accelerate. Had 2-3 fuel leaks this year also having problems to keep the car going sometimes the max speed it will go is 20-40 miles n won’t go up unless u keep letting it slow down slowly n then accelerating n even after that it won’t make it above 60-70 miles it usually goes with no problem if its down hill since ur not pressing the gas or anything. Turning the air on also makes the car slow down other problems also is the gas running fast could just fill the tank n by the second day it will almost be over. Today the transmission gave up on me now I have no car to move around making it hard for me to go anywhere especially work since that’s how I make my money for living but with no car it’s a big problem.
NHTSA complaint #11736759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Both catalytic converters and O2 Sensor's have been replaced and I’m still getting a check engine light. Along with a multitude of other parts that I’ve had to replace. Like the turbo, gaskets, sensors multiple times…
NHTSA complaint #11735547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11734134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
For a year I have had my car to the shop multiple times due to a musty smell inside my car. I have never been able to find any fluids or moisture inside the car, however, the inside of my windshield tends to get a weird film on it, I am constantly cleaning to keep visibility especially at night. None of the mechanics that I have taken it to were able to figure it out, and most of them could not smell The musky smell that I smelled. The car had approximately 40,000 mi on it when this started about a year ago, Maybe 8 months. Recently I have noticed that the coolant in my car is disappearing, I have kept a constant check on it and about once a week have had to add fluids to keep it from getting too low. I have had the coolant system checked out. I've had it flushed. They pressure tested the coolant tank and all tests passed and they could find no issues. However, when my father came to town he checked it out and there is coolant fluid leaking inside my car under the dash and it is dripping slowly on to the underpad of the carpeting and I assume drying up before it gets to a point where it is making a wet spot in the floor. Obviously after more research my father has told me that this has been a known issue with this model of car, however, there is not a recall that I can find with my VIN number. Obviously being stuck in a hot car in Florida, breathing in the fumes from a poisonous liquid is not healthy for me or anyone in my car. This is a safety issue not only for the fumes that I have been breathing, but foggy residue that collects on my windshield creates visual issues especially at night. This could cause me to have a major accident and possibly lose my life. I should not be struggling with a car that I treat like my baby. I have read that this is a design flaw due to the plastic connectors on the hoses, I would like Chevy to stand behind their vehicle and fix this issue for me. I never use the heater, because I live in Florida!
NHTSA complaint #11730583 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The check engine warning light illuminated shortly after the vehicle was purchased. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking erratically, and the engine was abnormally loud. In addition, the RPM was elevated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and the engine seized. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that there was electrical power to the vehicle; however, the engine failed to crank. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was purchased, and diagnosed with a computer system failure. The contact was informed that the computer system needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact was informed that the computer system was being replaced with a used computer system. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
NHTSA complaint #11728916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The primary failure is a total loss of engine power and electrical systems while the vehicle is in motion. The dealership (Ray Skillman Southside Mitsubishi) has diagnosed this as a failed engine/body control computer system. The vehicle is currently located at the dealership's service center and is available for inspection. The vehicle has stalled/shut off completely while driving on four separate occasions. This resulted in an immediate loss of power steering and motive power, nearly causing collisions in traffic. A vehicle that loses all power without warning is a severe safety hazard to the driver, passengers, and other motorists on the road. Yes. The problem has been confirmed by the Ray Skillman service department. They have attempted to repair the issue 3 times without success and currently state that the vehicle is inoperable while they search for a used replacement computer component. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the Ray Skillman dealership technicians. To date, no representative from the manufacturer (General Motors) or insurance has performed an independent inspection, though a formal complaint has been initiated with the dealership's corporate management. There were no consistent warning lamps or symptoms prior to the failures. The vehicle would unexpectedly lose all power and shut down. These symptoms first appeared within the first 100 miles of ownership (purchased at 11,000 miles; current mileage approximately 11,800 The dealership has refused to provide a loaner vehicle and is currently attempting to resolve a recurring safety failure using a used/salvage electronic component rather than a certified new part, which I believe further compromises the safety of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11728928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11728123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.