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2013 Chevrolet Cruze

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Cruze years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze are substantially higher than the model-year median of 250.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

417 reports with mileage · 169 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 211 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 121 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 112 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

54 crash reports8 fire reports25 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

24 reports
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103,212 miles · Jun 13, 2025
Engine And Engine CoolingSteering

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle also lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic c…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle also lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic control unit module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,212. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11666837

139,000 miles · Feb 26, 2025
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the Engine Control Module (ECM) …

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the Engine Control Module (ECM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.

NHTSA ODI #11645065

130,000 miles · Sep 11, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingSteering

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact coasted to the side of the road and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated restarted the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated there w…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact coasted to the side of the road and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated restarted the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the water pump failed again and was replaced; however, recently the water pump failed again. Additionally, the contact stated that there were electrical failures with the vehicle and the doors failed to lock as needed. The contact also stated that the steering wheel had locked up on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI #11543816

150,000 miles · May 11, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle started shaking and the engine overheated. The contact veered to the side of the road and antifreeze was added to the reservoir. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking antifreeze wh…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle started shaking and the engine overheated. The contact veered to the side of the road and antifreeze was added to the reservoir. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking antifreeze while parked or while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated and cleared independently when the engine cooled down. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI #11521540

60,000 miles · Apr 11, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact leased a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an alert appeared on the instrument panel indicating that the engine had overheated and to stop the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and waited for approximately 10 minutes; however, after starting to drive, the warn…

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The contact leased a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an alert appeared on the instrument panel indicating that the engine had overheated and to stop the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and waited for approximately 10 minutes; however, after starting to drive, the warning light returned. The contact stated that smoke started coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the thermostat housing and coolant hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11516491

105,000 miles · Nov 8, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. A message indicating that coolant was overheating was displayed. The contact veered to side of the road. The contact stated that her friend's father, an independent mechanic, met…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. A message indicating that coolant was overheating was displayed. The contact veered to side of the road. The contact stated that her friend's father, an independent mechanic, met her on the side of the road and upon inspecting under the hood, he noticed that coolant was leaking, and the coolant hoses were fractured. The contact was able to drive to her residence, where the coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred three months later. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI #11492810

144,813 miles · Sep 28, 2022
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated the vehicle was overheating and suddenly stalling. The contact had to wait a while for the vehicle to cool down before being able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the overheating alarm and idle engine chime was audible. The contact sta…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated the vehicle was overheating and suddenly stalling. The contact had to wait a while for the vehicle to cool down before being able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the overheating alarm and idle engine chime was audible. The contact stated that the message to turn off the A/C was displayed even though the A/C was not activated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the thermostat and 3 coolant temperature sensors and the housing. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,813.

NHTSA ODI #11486877

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling

Thermostat housing has been replaced 4 times, it is still over heating and wont allow ac to work. That keeps the fan running nonstop. As soon as its replaced it burns out in 1 day.

NHTSA ODI #11464586

80,000 miles · Aug 2, 2018
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE FAN UNDERNEATH THE HOOD CONTINUOUSLY RAN AND THE "AIR CONDITIONER OFF TO HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE" INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE THERMOSTAT AND THE COOLING SENSOR WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED S…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE FAN UNDERNEATH THE HOOD CONTINUOUSLY RAN AND THE "AIR CONDITIONER OFF TO HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE" INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE THERMOSTAT AND THE COOLING SENSOR WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA ODI #11115307

77,000 miles · Jun 15, 2018
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE 'AIR CONDITIONER TURNING OFF DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE' WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE 'AIR CONDITIONER TURNING OFF DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE' WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. CURRIE MOTORS CHEVROLET (8401 ROOSEVELT RD, FOREST PARK, IL 60130, (708) 771-2600) WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

NHTSA ODI #11101996

Official recalls

5

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

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: 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)

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: 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.

14V417000 · Equipment:electrical

Jul 2, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.

14V372000 · Air Bags

Jun 26, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the driver's front air bag inflator may have been manufactured with an incorrect part.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's air bag, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike and potentially seriously injure the vehicle occupants. Additionally, if the air bag does not inflate, the driver is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side air bag, free of charge. The recall began on June 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14305.

14V151000 · Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft

Mar 31, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with a 1.4L turbo engine, and manufactured between November 28, 2012, and March 7, 2014. On the affected vehicles, the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move unexpectedly. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the right half shaft, as needed, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. GM will send an interim letter to owners in May 2014. A second owner letter will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-866-694-6546. GM's number for this recall is 14079. This is an expansion of recall 13V-452. NOTE: Some vehicles subject to this recall were subject to the recall campaign initiated in 2013. Some of those vehicles were repaired using defective parts. Those owners will be advised that they must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign and that having the earlier recall completed did not remedy their vehicles.

13V452000 · Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft

Sep 23, 2013

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with manual transmissions (MF3/MR5) and manufactured January 24, 2013, through August 1, 2013. On the affected vehicles, the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move unexpectedly. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: General Motors has notified owners. Dealers will replace the half shaft assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 15, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300. This is General Motors campaign number 13276.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.