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What 731 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (731)Crash / fire / injury (69)Engine (257)Transmission & drivetrain (193)Electrical system (96)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (75)Brakes (74)Speed control (69)Steering (48)Fuel system (43)Airbags (40)Engine & cooling (39)

8 of 731 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 10, 2020Electrical systemCrash

ALSO FROM THE OTHER COMPLAINT I'VE MADE ON MY 20011 CHEVY CRUZE ECO IS THAT WHEN I'VE TRIED STARTING MY CAR IT SKIPPED THEN WAS HAVING TROUBLE STARTING SO I TOOK MY KEY OUT AND GOT ANOTHER CAR AND HOOKED THE JUMPER CABLES UP TO IT AND LET IT CHARGE FOR A LITTLE WHILE THEN I PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND HAD TROUBLE STARTING IT UP IT STARTED UP FIRST TRY JUST NOT AS USUAL IT TOOK ABOUT A COUPLE SECOND INSTEAD OF INSTANTLY STARTING UP THIS MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS IS A FAULTY IGNITION OR ALTERNATOR THE ONLY DAMAGED CAUSED FROM THE ACCIDENT WAS THE HEADLIGHT AND PASSENGER FENDER AND BUMPER BODY THE ONLY DAMAGED PART ON THE UNDER THE HOOD WAS THE AIR BOX INTAKE AND A HOSE MOVED AROUND BUT NOT DAMAGED

NHTSA ODI 11363712

May 2, 2019Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)EngineFire

ME AND MY KIDS WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY 2011 CHEVY CRUISE JUST LOST POWER AND MY ENGINE STOPPED WORKING... IT WILL NOT START UP AT ALL. MECHANIC CANT FIGURE OUT WHY. I'VE GOT TONS OF SENSORS GOING OUT EVERYTIME I TURN AROUND AND I AM A MOTHER OF A DISABLED SON. WE WERE ON AT PARKWAY GOING 65 TO 60 MPH. IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD. IT HAPPENED ED IN MADISON VILLE KY

NHTSA ODI 11205148

Jan 27, 2017Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemCrash

I WAS DRIVING ON MY WAY TO WORK IN MY 2011 CHEVY CRUZE WITH MY PRECIOUS 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ON THE HIGHWAY GOING THE SPEED LIMIT (60MPH) WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRANSMISSION GOES OUT JUST OUT OF NO WHERE LUCKILY IM A GOOD DRIVER AND KNOW HOW TO DRIVE OTHERWISE ME AND MY DAUGHTER WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY DEAD RIGHT NOW! I CONTACTED CHEVY AND THE DEALERSHIP THEY DIDN'T CARE THEY SEEM TO THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY NORMAL FOR 2011 CHEVY CRUZE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN WITH ONLY 66,107 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN 2011 AND I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR FOR OIL CHANGES SERVICES ETC EVERY 3 MONTHS THEIR IS NO NEGLECT ON THIS CAR IT WAS PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF. THEY HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR THE SITUATION. FAULTY ELECTRICAL PARTS WERE PUT IN MY TRANSMISSION WHEN IT WAS ASSEMBLED IN THEIR FACTORY BUT THIS IS SOMEHOW MY PROBLEM NOW LOL WHAT A JOKE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10948039

Nov 29, 2016Electrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A BURNING ODOR EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER SEVERAL TIMES; HOWEVER, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10928563

Nov 24, 2014SteeringElectrical systemLightsEngineCrash

VEHICLE SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, SEVERAL TIMES. THE CAR ELECTRIC TURNS OFF AND OR FLASHES, STABILTRAK LIGHTS COME ON AND FLASHES, CHECK ENGINE FLASHING, CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN, STEERING IS ELECTRONIC OR MOTOR POWERED AND IS HARD TO USE, TRANSMISSION JERKS BEFORE SHUTDOWN AND BREAKS DON'T WORK VERY WELL. RAN OVER CURB AND OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH OTHER VEHICLES. PICTURE, IM DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT NIGHT DOING 65 OR SO, ALL POWER GOES OUT, ITS DARK, OTHER CARS CAN NOT SEE ME WELL, THEY ARE SWERVING AND IM SWERVING. THIS HAPPENED FIRST AROUND 20K AND HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AFTER. NO CORRECTIONS OFFERED BY GM UNDER WARRANTY, COMPLAINTS WERE COMPLETELY IGNORED, UNTIL MURDOCK CHEVY IN MANHATTAN KS. THEY ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO GET IT FIXED AND GAVE ME A LONER CAR, ALL OTHER SERVICING DEALERS REFUSED A LOANER CAR, AND TOLD ME ITS FIXED EACH TIME. CAR STILL HAS THE PROBLEMS LISTED AND NO SOLUTION IS GIVEN FROM GM OR CHEVY TO FIX THIS DEADLY SITUATION. ALSO DAMAGE TO THE CAR FROM AN ENGINE OVERHEAT OR DASHBOARD OVERHEAT AT THE SAME TIME DAMAGING ELECTRIC, WINDSHIELD, RADIO, GAUGES AND DASH COMPARTMENT LEVER. EXTREME HEAT, BURNING SMELL INSIDE. FLOORBOARD BY THE FEET MELTS CARPET AND BURNS FEET, ALL AT THE SAME TIME, ON DRIVES OF 30 MINUTES OR MORE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10660533

Jun 26, 2014Electrical systemAirbagsCrash

IN SEPT OF 2013 AFTER JUST A FEW MONTHS OF OWNING THE CAR I WAS REAR-ENDED AT A SPEED OF 25-30 MPH. THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AND MY HEAD BOUNCED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE HEADREST WHERE I SUFFERED A SEVERE CONCUSSION LEAVING ME OUT OF WORK FOR A MONTH. ALSO MY RADIO CONSOLE LIGHTS FLASH ON AT RANDOM TIMES, I EXPERIENCE THE TURBO LAG CRAP THE DEALERSHIP GIVES AS AND EXCUSE (ESPECIALLY AFTER TELLING ME DURING A SERVICE TEST DRIVE THAT MY CAR DIDN'T HAVE A TURBO!) AND AFTER OWNING IT FOR 1 MONTH A PART OF THE ENGINE FAN SHEERED OFF AND DESTROYED MY A/C UNIT LEAVING ME WITH A $2500 BILL TO REDO THAT. I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY SETTLEMENT FROM THE ACCIDENT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS CAR. THIS IS MY FIRST AND LAST CHEVY EVER! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10606194

Apr 10, 2012Engine & coolingElectrical systemFire

THE 2011 CHEVY CRUZE WAS DRIVEN BY OUR DAUGHTER, SHE WAS DRIVING 35 MPH, WHEN SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. SHE PULLED OVER AND IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE CAR WAS IN FLAMES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10454786

Apr 2, 2012Electrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AFTER SHE EXIT THE VEHICLE IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REFERRED HIM TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

NHTSA ODI 10453754

Working with the data? Download all 731 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Chevrolet Cruze verdict →