Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
320–25K
1225–50K
850–75K
575–100K
3100–150K
1150K+
61 reports with mileage · 48 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 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
109 reports
180,000 miles · Jun 12, 2023
Air BagsCrashInjury
The contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle collided with a deer and a guardrail. The vehicle was impacted on the front and rear passenger side and the front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The passenger seat occupant sustained a knee injury but did not rece…
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The contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle collided with a deer and a guardrail. The vehicle was impacted on the front and rear passenger side and the front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The passenger seat occupant sustained a knee injury but did not receive medical treatment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a lot where it was deemed totaled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Car has been having issues with the powertrain since purchased with 0 miles. The car will start flashing warning sensors but when taken into the dealer/mechanic everything is ok.. Car stopped today in the middle of a busy street and started shaking. Car will shake hard when it is stopped at times. It was taken to 2 different ch…
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Car has been having issues with the powertrain since purchased with 0 miles. The car will start flashing warning sensors but when taken into the dealer/mechanic everything is ok.. Car stopped today in the middle of a busy street and started shaking. Car will shake hard when it is stopped at times. It was taken to 2 different chevrolet dealers who said they forgot to check it
NHTSA ODI #11520387
64,900 miles · Mar 20, 2023
Power Train
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the clutch pedal remained on the floorboard and failed to disengage. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pumped the clutch pedal and veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to drive to the resi…
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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the clutch pedal remained on the floorboard and failed to disengage. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pumped the clutch pedal and veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided since the powertrain warranty had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,900.
NHTSA ODI #11512880
Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2023
Engine
About 10 days ago, my check engine light came on. I stopped at O’Reilly Auto Parts to have it diagnosed with a code. It threw a code for the turbo in my 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. It went off later that day. Today, it came back on and sent a message, “Engine power decreased”. I noticed no change in power or anything. Could this just …
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About 10 days ago, my check engine light came on. I stopped at O’Reilly Auto Parts to have it diagnosed with a code. It threw a code for the turbo in my 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. It went off later that day. Today, it came back on and sent a message, “Engine power decreased”. I noticed no change in power or anything. Could this just be a sensor?
NHTSA ODI #11506812
Mileage unknown · Jan 20, 2023
Exterior Lighting
2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ISSUE WITH THE PROJECTOR HEADLIGHT.
NHTSA ODI #11502744
Mileage unknown · Nov 1, 2022
Power TrainCrashInjury
put car in PARK ,got out to check mail box 20 feet away [car door left open]. When retuning to car it began to slowly move backward.I ran around the back and tried to get in but was knocked down by the open door.I rolled away from the approaching wheel with minor scrapes. The car continued backing across the …
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put car in PARK ,got out to check mail box 20 feet away [car door left open]. When retuning to car it began to slowly move backward.I ran around the back and tried to get in but was knocked down by the open door.I rolled away from the approaching wheel with minor scrapes. The car continued backing across the street,hit a pole then toward a group of people.I was able to alert them and all got out of the way. I have been working with GM to find out if this model,this transmission,or only this car has this slip from Park to Reverse problem.
NHTSA ODI #11491731
Mileage unknown · Aug 25, 2022
Unknown Or Other
I was at a stop light and when I hit the gas pedal to go on green light the car stalled and died. I tried turning off and restarting but nothing happened. I was in a busy intersection and could have been hit. A kind stranger helped me push it out of the intersection. Car has to be towed and I am waiting for service department to…
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I was at a stop light and when I hit the gas pedal to go on green light the car stalled and died. I tried turning off and restarting but nothing happened. I was in a busy intersection and could have been hit. A kind stranger helped me push it out of the intersection. Car has to be towed and I am waiting for service department to let me know what the problem is. I have canceled 1 1/2 days of work and will probably have to be out another day. I will also probably have rent a car until problem is fixed.
NHTSA ODI #11481177
45,000 miles · Aug 16, 2022
Power TrainCrashInjury
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the vehicle shifted from park into reverse without warning. While the vehicle was idling, the driver exited the vehicle and the vehicle rolled and crashed into a telephone pole. The driver's side door was ajar and was ripped off during the crash. The contact sustai…
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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the vehicle shifted from park into reverse without warning. While the vehicle was idling, the driver exited the vehicle and the vehicle rolled and crashed into a telephone pole. The driver's side door was ajar and was ripped off during the crash. The contact sustained cuts and bruises but no medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire or air bag deployment. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
NHTSA ODI #11479496
Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2022
Vehicle Speed Control
The Auto Start and Stop feature has malfunctioned multiple times. Safety was put at risk due to car stalling at multiple red lights and shutting off while driving down the road. Problem has been reproduced by dealership. No warnings at all prior to the failure.
NHTSA ODI #11473711
Mileage unknown · May 19, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling
I noticed oil drips on ground and was having to add oil. Took to dealership for diagnosis and it was found that my lower oil pan was Croated and leaking. Replaced under warranty but still should not happen on a 3 1/2 year old vehicle with 62300 miles on it that is well taken care of. I used 3 quarts in a matter of 3 weeks d…
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I noticed oil drips on ground and was having to add oil. Took to dealership for diagnosis and it was found that my lower oil pan was Croated and leaking. Replaced under warranty but still should not happen on a 3 1/2 year old vehicle with 62300 miles on it that is well taken care of. I used 3 quarts in a matter of 3 weeks driving less that 500 miles. 1 quart was used just waiting for repair.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Cruze LS vehicles, equipped with a gasoline engine and a tire inflator kit instead of a spare tire. The vehicles may leak gasoline following a rear-impact crash and a rollover. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a lock-ring on the fuel tank that will shield the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor from damage in a rear-impact crash, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18159.
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.
2018 Chevrolet Cruze Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year