Engine. Review the 268 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 196 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

62 crash reports18 fire reports21 injury reports

Engine complaints

268 reports

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99,000 miles · Aug 12, 2018

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

MY TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING HARD THEN I PARKED IT GOT BACK IN PUT IN REVERSE AND IT WON'T MOVE,IT MOVED IN DRIVE SO MANY FEET MAKING HORRIBLE NOISE AND THEN WENT OUT OF GEAR...NOW WON'T MOVE AT ALL

NHTSA ODI #11119477

Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2018

Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes

BELT TENSIONER BOLT CAME OUT AND IS NOW STUCK IN A SPRING IN THE ENGINE..THE LIGHT ON MY RADIO FADES IN AND OUT.. ROTOR ON DRIVERS SIDE HAD DEFORMITY TO IT .STILL HAVE THE ROTOR AND THE SPRING IS STILL STUCK IN ENGINE I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED

NHTSA ODI #11114036

79,887 miles · Jul 13, 2018

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

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DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THIS CAR 2012 CHEVY CRUZ. MY CC 12 DECIDED TO JERK, SHAKE, ALL PANELS STARTING FLASHING, SHAKE, MAKE NOISE AND INCREASE SPEED AND THEN SUDDENLY BRAKES KICK IN AND IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF I95. BECUS POWERTRAN IS OVER BY 1 YEAR, CHEVROLET WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY SAID TO TAKE TO OFFICIAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP. WHICH NOW INCURRED A COST OF 370 WITH DISCOUNT. THEIR REP TOLD ME A EACH TIME I CALL THA THE POWERTRAIN IS OVER HOWEVER CONSIDERING THE TROUBLE WITH THE VEHICLE, YOU ARE ON THE PERIMETERS OF THIS. WE GET THE DIAGNOSTICS AND WORK WITH YOU POSSIBLE PICKING UP SOME IF NOT ALL OF THE COST. NO SUCH THING, INSTEAD THEIR SENIOR ADVISOR ADVISED ME I AM [XXX] OUT OF LUCK ON A 6 YRS OLD CAR WITH APPROX. 79 THOUSAND MILES. THAT'S THEIR RESPONSE. OUT OF CAR NOW 11 DAYS, HANDED A BILL FOR 370.00 TO TELL ME THE SAME THING MY MECHANIC TOLD ME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #11111180

80,000 miles · Jun 12, 2018

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

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WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS DAY.. MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH ONLY 80,000 MILES ON JUNE 7, 2018. BEING ON A BUSY 2 LANE, CURVY HIGHWAY, MY CAR JUST COMPLETELY WENT OUT OF GEAR AND THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE CRUISE OFF TO THE SIDE. A FEW MINUTES LATER AN ALERT THAN CAME UP ON MY DASH AND SAID "TRANSMISSION HOT, IDLE ENGINE". I HAD BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2014 WITH ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT TOOK REALLY GOOD CARE OF IT. IT IS RIDICULOUS FOR MY TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND TO HAVE TO PAY $5,000 FOR A NEW ONE AND PLUS THE CAR PAYMENTS I STILL HAVE ON IT. UNFORTUNATELY, I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS. JUST BECAUSE THEY LOOK NICE DOESN'T MEAN IT WILL LAST LONG.

NHTSA ODI #11101358

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2018

Electrical SystemEnginePower TrainCrash

MY CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS! SHUTS OFF WHILE ON FREEWAY! JERKS FORWARD WHILE ON BRAKES, CAUSED AN ACCIDENT! CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK! ELECTRICAL THINGS FLASHING ALL THE TIME! JERKS AND LOCKS UP ALL 4 WHEELS WHILE DRIVING! JUST TODAY IS SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY I STRUGGLED TO GET IT HOME WHILE THE RPM'S WERE UP ABOVE 6! Y…

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NHTSA ODI #11101210

118,000 miles · Apr 13, 2018

EngineUnknown Or Other

BURNING OIL SMELL STARTED AFTER AN OIL CHANGE. I HAVE REPLACED THE INTAKE TUBING THAT LEADS IN THE TURBO BECAUSE WHEN I REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR IN THE TURBO AREA, THERE WAS OIL IN THE TURBO INTAKE. IT HAS LOST SOME POWER SINCE I STARTED EXPERIENCING THE BURNING SMELL. IT NOW SMELLS LIKE PLASTIC BURNING SINCE REP…

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NHTSA ODI #11084971

83,000 miles · Apr 11, 2018

Engine

EVEN AFTER FREE REPAIR DUE TO BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE NEW PCV VALVE AND COVER ARE LEAKING AGAIN. ENGINE IDLES ROUGHLY, BOTH IN PARK AND IN DRIVE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET CRUZE, BUT MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. MAIN ERROR CODE P0171- BANK 1 SYSTEM TOO LEAN- IS BEING PICKED UP (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME …

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NHTSA ODI #11084536

30,000 miles · Apr 10, 2018

Engine

WHEN EXITING THE FREEWAY COMING TO A STOP MY CAR COMPLETLY SHUTS OFF. HAVING TO PUT IT IN PARK TO RESTART

NHTSA ODI #11084435

45,640 miles · Apr 5, 2018

Engine

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ENGINE COOLANT STENCH AND LOSS OF COOLANT SINCE DAY ONE! I NOW HAVE JUST OVER 45,600 MILES AND PER THE DEALER A NEED A TEMP SENSOR HOUSING AND THERMOSTAT. WHILE DRIVING I GOT A MESSAGE ON THE DASH READING "AC OFF DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMP" AND THE COOLANT TEMP READ - - - AND THE NEEDLE ON THE TEMP GAUGE DROPPED TO LOW FROM A PRIOR MIDWAY POINT AND COOLANT TEMP OF 218 DEGREES. BACK IN 2014 I SUDDENLY HAD BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM TAILPIPE AND THE "DEALER REPLACED THE WATER PUMP ASSEMBLY WITH NEW BASE AND THERMOSTAT." I ALSO HAD A "SERVICE STABILITRAC" NOTICE AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING BACK IN 2015 AND THE DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE BUT THAT I NEEDED A NEW COIL PACK WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR AND REPAIR ON MY OWN EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY!! THIS VEHICLE HAS SMELLED LIKE ANTIFREEZE SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT, BRAND NEW, FROM THE DEALER THAT WAS PERFORMING ALL THE SERVICES. IN ADDITION, THE BACK WINDOW LEAKED FROM DAY ONE AND I HAD 2" OF STANDING WATER IN MY TRUNK AND I HAD TO PAY, OUT OF MY OWN POCKET!!, TO REPLACE THE REAR WINDOW = TWICE!!! THIS CAR IS A PIECE OF JUNK AND HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AND THE DEALER HAS FORCED ME TO DO REPAIRS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE STENCH OF ANTIFREEZE AND THE FACT THAT I NOW HAVE TO REPAIR THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING AND THERMOSTAT DUE TO ENGINE OVERHEATING!!!

NHTSA ODI #11083452

76,000 miles · Apr 1, 2018

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

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AS I WAS DRIVING MY RADIO STARTED GOING ON AND OFF THEN CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF STEERING WHILE WENT STIFF TO THE LEFT AND LOCKED AS I WAS ON THE ROAD SCARED THE LIVING SPIRIT OUT OF ME WAS THE SCARIEST EXPERIENCES LUCKLY I WAS ALONE WITHOUT MY KIDS BECAUSE THAT COULD OF BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT. IN WAS VERY LUCKY IT WAS NOT A BUSY MORNING THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPEN AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP TO LEFT UNTIL CAR CAME TO A STOP AT THE CURVE. THIS HAS HAPPEN TO ME MORE THAN ONCE THAT I STOPPED DRIVING CAR STOPPED PAYING IT BECAUSE IT WAS A LEMON SO MANY THINGS WENT WRONG 3MNTHS AFTER BUYING CAR AT USED DEALERS I FELT CHEATED AND STUCK I EVEN LOST MY JOB BECAUSE I WASNT ABLE TO GET TO WORK ON TIME OR AT ALL AT TIMES BECAUSE OF CAR PROBLEMS

NHTSA ODI #11082338

Official recalls

16V502000 · Electrical System:ignition; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Jul 5, 2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:ignition

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

14V300000 · Air Bags

Jun 6, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.

13V360000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

Aug 15, 2013

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engines and 6T40 front wheel drive automatic transmissions and equipped with an electric vacuum pump to provide supplemental vacuum for brake assist, when needed. In the affected vehicles, the pump may not activate, resulting in an intermittent reduction or loss of brake assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of braking assistance will require extra pedal force and/or distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace a microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GM's recall number is 12213.

13V023000 · Air Bags

Jan 24, 2013

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

Consequence & remedy

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

12V522000 · Air Bags

Oct 31, 2012

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

12V288000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Jun 22, 2012

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 31, 2012. SPILLED OR DRIPPING OIL (SUCH AS AFTER AN OIL CHANGE) MAY COLLECT IN THE ENGINE SHIELD (BELLYPAN) NEAR HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST SYSTEM SURFACES. AS A RESULT, THE OIL AND THE ENGINE SHIELD MAY IGNITE AND BURN.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ENGINE SHIELD TO PREVENT FLUID FROM CONTACTING THE SHIELD. ALSO, ON VEHICLES WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, DEALERS WILL APPLY A PROTECTIVE TAPE TO THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WIRE HARNESS. REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE TO THE OWNER. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 10, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE CHEVROLET OWNER CENTER AT 1-866-694-6546.

12V289000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:mounting

Jun 22, 2012

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 14, 2012. ATTACHMENT WELDS FOR THE FUEL TANK STRAP SECONDARY BRACKETS MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE FUEL TANK COULD COME LOOSE IN A CRASH, POSSIBLY ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE TANK. A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE FOR MISSING WELDS. IF THE VEHICLE IS MISSING WELDS, DEALERS WILL SECURE THE BRACKET ATTACHMENTS WITH FASTENERS. REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 9, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE CHEVROLET OWNER CENTER AT 1-866-694-6546.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

RQ13002 · Air Bag Non-deployment

Opened May 31, 2013 · Closed Jul 9, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

General Motors (GM) has initiated a safety recall of 31,520 model year (MY) 2012 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic vehicles to address a defect condition that could result in the primary or secondary stage air bag not deploying.These vehicles are a small percentage of all MY 2012 vehicles and were built on several specific production dates broadly ranging from December 1, 2011 to August 2, 2012 (see NHTSA recall 14V-300 for more information).Also, see attached additional report for more information.This investigation was opened to evaluate the scope of two uninfluenced safety recalls (NHTSA recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023) of certain MY 2012 Verano, Camaro, Cruze and Sonic vehicles.These recalls involved the same defect issue as the new recall mentioned above.Accordingly, this investigation is closed based on the recall actions GM is undertaking.

Additional source detail variants (6)

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Air Bags:frontal

Air Bags

AQ12002 · Chapman Chevrolet / Cruze Engine Recall

Opened Oct 15, 2012 · Closed Oct 20, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline

NHTSA opened AQ12-002 to determine whether Chapman Chevrolet of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C.Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations.The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and, in turn, that a dealer not sell a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed (49 U.S.C. ? 30120(i)). NHTSA issued an information request (IR) letter to Chapman Chevrolet on October 16, 2012.Chapman Chevrolet responded to this request on November 8, 2012.To gather additional information, NHTSA mailed an IR letter to General Motors LLC (GM) on February 25, 2013.GM responded to this request on April 1, 2013.NHTSA then issued a second IR letter to Chapman Chevrolet on July 2, 2013.Chapman Chevrolet supplied their response on July 30, 2013. NHTSA?s investigation indicated that Chapman Chevrolet sold and delivered 23 recalled vehicles that did not have the recall remedy completed at the time the vehicles were delivered to the customers.NHTSA therefore concluded that Chapman Chevrolet was liable for civil penalties for violations of the Safety Act, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. ? 30165.Under a Settlement Agreement dated October 1, 2014, Chapman Chevrolet paid compromised civil penalties in the amount of $50,000.This Audit Query is closed.

PE12010 · Engine Compartment Fire

Opened Mar 28, 2012 · Closed Jul 19, 2012

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

In a June 21, 2012 letter to NHTSA, General Motors LLC. (GM) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in approximately 413,148 model year (MY) 2011 through 2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured from October 2, 2009 through May 31, 2012 (Recall 12V-288). According to GM, engine oil change procedures can result in spilling or dripping of oil on the engine shield.Also, manual transmission vehicles with a completely worn clutch may cause hydraulic fluid to be expelled from the clutch housing vent hole.If oil, debris or the burning hydraulic fluid contacts hot engine or exhaust system surfaces, and the engine shield, the shield may ignite and burn, leading to a possible engine compartment or vehicle fire.GM and its engine shield supplier, Hanwha, modified the engine shield to address factors that may contribute to engine compartment fire. The redesigned shields were completely implemented in production vehicles by June 2012.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by GM as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 25 unique Chevrolet Cruze reports indicating hot surface ignition due to engine oil or hydraulic fluid contacting hot manifold, exhaust surfaces and the engine shield.Four additional fires were identified that resulted from other or unknown causes, including 1 attributed to a missing oil filler cap.Three fires of unknown cause all involved vehicles equipped with 1.4L L4 turbocharged engines.ODI will continue to monitor field experience in Cruze vehicles equipped with that engine.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a GM dealer, who will modify the engine shield to prevent oil fluids from contacting the shield.Also, on vehicles with a manual transmission, dealers are to apply a protective tape to the electronic power steering wire harness to prevent any incidents related to this issue. This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10456338, 10453754, 10450556, 10446718.