2013 Chevrolet Cruze

I RENTED A CHEVY CRUZ FROM AVIS FOR A VACATION TRIP. I NOTICED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE CAR PULLED TO THE LEFT AND AS I APPLIED PRESSURE TO CORRECT FOR THE DRIFT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD RELEASE SUDDENLY AND THE CAR WOULD TRACK NORMALLY FOR A SHORT TIME THEY REPEAT. ONLY AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 60 MPH DID I NOTICE THE PROBLEM. I WAS CALLED BY AVIS TELLING ME THE CAR WAS BEING RECALLED BUT THE RECALL DIDN'T DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE RETURN. *JS

THE STEERING WHEEL/RACK HAS KNOWN ISSUES ALREADY DOCUMENTED BY THE NHTSA. WHEN DRIVING, ESPECIALLY AT SPEEDS > 50MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL "LOCK UP" OR FEEL "NOTCHY" WITHOUT CONSTANT DRIVER INPUT. WHEN PERFORMING INTERSTATE DRIVING YOU WILL EXPERIENCE THE STEERING CONSTANTLY FEELING LIKE ITS LOCKING UP UNTIL EXCESSIVE FORCE IS USED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL (MORE THEN A FEW FINGERS WORTH OF STRENGTH). DEFINITELY UNNATURAL AND DEFINITELY AN ISSUE FOR A BRAND NEW CAR. STARTED SINCE 5K MILES, VEHICLE HAS APPRXOIMATELY 15K MILES NOW AND THE ISSUE IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. DOCUMENTED ONLINE IS THAT THE STEERING RACK HAS A DESIGN FLAW WHICH ALLOWS AIR INSIDE THE STEERING RACK, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO FEEL NOTCHY OR LIKE IT IS LOCKING UP. BEING THAT THE ISSUE IS GETTING WORSE, I EXPECT THERE TO BE A MAJOR FAILURE AT SOME POINT AND WANTED THIS DOCUMENTED. ONLINE ON CHEVROLET CRUZE FORUMS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF ISSUES SIMILAR TO MY OWN AND I BELIEVE A TSB IN CHEVROLET'S DATABASE. I AM GOING TO ATTEMPT TO BRING THE ISSUE TO LIGHT AT THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP NOW THAT I HAVE THE TIME TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION (DUE TO MILITARY/GOVERNMENT WORK CONFLICTS). I PURCHASED A FULL PREMIUM WARRANTY WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN I BOUGHT IT THAT COVERS EVERYTHING FOR 100K MILES/7 YEARS, SO THERE SHOULD BE NO ISSUES WITH THIS REQUEST OF FIXING/REPLACING THE ISSUE.

THE STEERING DOES NOT FEEL STABLE. AT VARIOUS TIMES MOSTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING FEELS AS THOUGH THERE IS NO CONNECTION FOR A SPLIT SECOND WITH THE TIE ROD THAT CONTROLS THE STEERING. THE CAR WILL ACTUALLY PULL SLIGHTLY AND REQUIRE CORRECTION FROM TIME TO TIME. THE PULL CAN BE EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT AND NOT RELATED TO ANY POSSIBLE WIND. THE CAR HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER MARCH 14, 2013, WITH NO CHANGE IN THIS SITUATION. THE FEELING IS SIMILAR TO DRIVING SOME OF THE OLD JUNKS FROM DAYS GONE BY BACK IN THE 60'S WHERE THE STEERING WAS LOOSE AND REQUIRED BOTH HANDS FIRMLY ON THE WHEEL AND CONSTANT CORRECTION GOING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

IN APRIL OF 2013 MY 2013 CHEVY CRUZE SHUT OFF WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE OFF FROM A RED LIGHT THAT JUST TURNED GREEN, AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES BEHIND ME SO I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TURNING THE CAR ON BUT I HAD TO PUT IT PARK THEN START IT AGAIN AND CONTINUED EN ROUTE AND DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. THE FOURTH INCIDENT I HAD A CAR FULL OF FAMILY MEMBER AND WE WERE GETTING ON THE FREEWAY ON RAMP SLOWING TO COME TO A STOP WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN SO AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR SHUT DOWN AND I HAD NO CONTROL AND WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CAR IN THE LANE OVER SO THE TRUCK BEHIND ME SWERVED INTO THE NEXT LANE AND I ONCE AGAIN PUT THE CAR IN PARK STARTED AGAIN AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT A FEW WEEKS LATER THAT THEY FIGURED THE PROBLEM WAS A LOW OCTANE GAS AND I JUST NEEDED TO START USING CHEVRON ONLY AND THEY WOULD GIVE ME $250 IN CHEVRON GAS CARDS. I REFUSED TO PICK UP THE CAR BECAUSE I ALREADY ONLY USED CHEVRON GAS IN THE VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN DECEMBER 2012 WITH ONLY 3 MILES. AFTER 2 MONTHS OF ARGUING BACK IN FORTH ABOUT THEM NOT HAVING A FIX FOR THE CAR I RETURNED THE RENTAL AND PURCHASED A DIFFERENT VEHICLE ELSEWHERE AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GM WHICH ALSO GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND ABOUT THE VEHICLE BEING FIXED WHEN IT WASN'T EVER WORKED ON TO THIS DAY THEY HAVE THE CAR AND I AM NOW IN COLLECTIONS AND CONTINUING THIS HEADACHE WITH GM. THEY SAID ITS NOT A RECALL BUT I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE INCLUDING THE RENTAL COMPANY THAT HAS HAD THE CHEVY CRUZE SHUT OFF ON THEM AS WELL. *TR

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP, FELT THE VEHICLE LOSE POWER AND HEARD LOUD NOISES COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR. CAME TO A FULL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. TURNED OFF THE CAR. TURNED IT BACK ON AND ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE CAR TO NO AVAIL. PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. CAR HAD TO GET TOWED. CHEVY DEALERSHIP STATES THE FRONT RIGHT AXLE SNAPPED. IN PROCESS OF BEING REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TRAVEL IN THE DIRECTION BEING STEERED. THERE WAS FORCE APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GEARS AND LUNGED FORWARD INTERMITTENTLY WHEN AT A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,500.

STEERING BECOMES "NOTCHY/STICKY" WHILE DRIVING, MORE NOTICEABLE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I DRIVE 40 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK AND NOTICE THIS ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME. WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS THE STEERING SEEMS TO BE FINE. DEALERSHIP CANNOT REPRODUCE THE SYMPTOMS. THEY NEED TO DRIVE IT FOR MORE THAN A MILE. PLENTY OF DISCUSSIONS ON OTHER WEB SITES WITH THE SAME ISSUES. (CRUZETALK.COM). *TR

2013 CHEVY CRUZE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS SEEMS TO HAVE THE STEERING LOCK OR BECOME "STICKY". PROBLEM IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MAKE MINOR CHANGES IN DIRECTION WHEN TRYING TO KEEP THE CAR IN THE LANE OF TRAFFIC. THE "LOCK UP" SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN CORRECTING TO THE LEFT COMPARED TO CORRECTING TO THE RIGHT. THIS BECOMES A REAL CONCERN WHEN DRIVING ON ICY OR SNOW PACKED ROADS AS I FEAR A LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN OVERCORRECTION DUE TO THE "STICKY" STEERING. *TR