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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)

4 of 731 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 2, 2020BrakesEngineFuel systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SON WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN THE BRAKES BEGAN TO LOCK. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER OF THE VEHICLE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BY KICKING THE DOORS TO FORCE THEM TO OPEN. ONCE THE PASSENGER WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NEEDED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH FORT DODGE FORD TOYOTA LINCOLN (2723 5TH AVE S, FORT DODGE, IA 50501 PHONE: (515) 576-7505) WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT OF A RECALL FOR THE BRAKES AND LOW OIL LEAKING CAUSING A FIRE. THE VEHICLE'S VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V36000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICS) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 188,000.

NHTSA ODI 11320017

May 2, 2018EngineFuel systemFire

IT'S BEEN GOING OFF AND ON EVERY SINCE I FIRST GOT THE CAR I SMELL A BURNING SMELL AND IT LOSES POWER IS STALLS AND THE DEALERSHIP KEEP TELLING ME IT'S JUST AIR GETTING INTO IT BUT I KNOW IT'S MY TURBO BECAUSE MY NEIGHBOR HAS ONE HER TURBO WENT OUT AND I HAVE TWO OTHER FRIENDS THAT HAS ONE AND BOTH THEIR TURBO WENT OUT AND NOW IT'S MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE AND EVERYONE THAT I HAVE LOOK AT IT SAY IT'S THE TURBO IT'S THE WASTEGATE I DON'T DRIVE MY CAR MUCH AND ONLY HAS 26,000 MILES ON IT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT I'VE HAD IT FIXED MORE THAN 10 TIMES IT HAD A OIL LEAK WHERE WOULD CATCH ON FIRE BUT THE DEALERSHIP PUT TURBO FANS IN INSTEAD OF GIVING ME A NEW MOTOR SO IT'S STILL FLAMES UP FROM THE OIL PAN BUT THEY SAY THE TURBO FANS IS GOING TO BLOW THE FIRE OUT SO IT'S NOT GOING TO HURT ME BUT I DON'T DRIVE IT FAR BECAUSE I'M SCARED WHEN IT GETS HOT THAT'S GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE AND NOBODY WOULD GIVE ME ANYTHING FOR IT THAT'S WHY I STILL HAVE THE CAR BUT I'M WILLING TO JUST TAKE A BIG LOSS AND JUST LET THEM HAVE IT BACK THE DOORS OPEN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE CAR WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THE LIGHTS ARE JUST GO OUT IN THE DASH JUST RANDOM SO I CAN'T DRIVE IT AT NIGHT I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THE OIL ON THE PICTURES IT JUST SHOOTS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND WHEN I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAY THE RECALL IS NOT ON MY CAR THEY HAVE A RECALL ON THE TURBO AND THE VACUUM SYSTEM BUT THEY RUN MY VIN NUMBER AND SAY IT'S NOT ON MY CAR WHEN I FIRST GOT THIS CAR IT WAS QUIET IT CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM AN OIL LEAK THEY FIXED IT NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A TRUCK YOU CAN HEAR IT THREE BLOCKS AWAY IS STALLS ALL THE TIME AND THEY TELL ME IT'S THE GAS I'M USING I SWITCH TO PREMIUM GAS AND IT STILL DOES IT THIS CAR IS JUNK I HOPE NOBODY EVER BUYS IT CHEVY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN

NHTSA ODI 11091428

Mar 12, 2015Engine & coolingFuel system1 injury

I'VE HAD NUMEROUS OF MANIACAL ISSUES WITH THE CHEVROLET CRUZE 2011. THE MOST SERIOUS AND DEADLIEST IS THE COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUES THE CHEVROLET CRUZE 2011 HAS. I WAS EXPERIENCING A COUGH ALONG WITH MIGRAINES ONCE ENGAGING THE AIR-CONDITION NUBS FROM HEAT TO AC AND SOME SLEEPING CONDITION WHERE I'D FIND MYSELF SPEAKING WHILE ASLEEP MOMENTARILY AWAKING. I'D WIND MY WINDOWS DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND I'D SEE THAT THE MIGRAINES, COUGHING ALONG WITH SLEEPING EXPERIENCES WOULD STOP. I VISITED MY CHEVROLET CRUZE 2011 DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE ODOR THAT WAS COMING FROM MY AIR COOLING SYSTEM. THEY CLEANED MY AIR COOLING SYSTEM AND REPLACED MY CABIN FILTER FEELING THAT THIS MAINTENANCE SOLVED THE ISSUES I WAS HAVING I FELT I COULD USE THE COOLING SYSTEM WITH NO PROBLEM. I WAS WRONG. THE MIGRAINES RETURN ALONG WITH THE COUGHING AND THE ODOR WHEN ADJUSTING THE COOLING SYSTEM NUBS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO EXPLAIN THE ONGOING MANIACAL PROBLEM. AFTER A WEEK OF HAVING MY WINDOWS DOWN MY CAR RAN HOT AND COME TO MY DISMAY IT WAS OUT OF COOLANT. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHEVROLET RECALL DEPARTMENT THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUE WERE COOLANT LEAKS AND THAT WAS THE ODOR. THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING ONTO THE MOTOR AND BURNING OFF RETURNING THE ODOR INTO THE CAB OF THE CAR. I HAD IT TESTED FOR REPAIRS AND HAD A WATER PUMP REPAIRED FOR THE VEHICLE, THIS DID NOT STOP THE PROBLEM, THE HOSE FROM THE MOTOR AND COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS REPLACED, DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE LEAKING OF COOLANT CONTINUES. THE RECALL STATED THAT THE ONLY MAINTENANCE FOR THIS PROBLEM IS REFILLING THE RESERVOIR WITH COOLANT INTL THE PROBLEM IS FOUND AND FIXED. THAT MEANS I'LL HAVE EXPERIENCE EACH CONDITION I MENTION ABOVE WHICH HAS WORSENED. NOW IT'S CLOSE RELATED TO SEIZURE LIKE ENCOUNTERS SEE OBJECTS MOVE, FEEL WEAK, BLURRED VISION AND BODY JERKS. I'VE ASKED FOR A RENTAL INTL THE PROBLEM IS FOUND. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693944

Mar 6, 2012Engine & coolingFuel systemFire

WHILE DRIVING A 2011 CRUZE ECO WITH APPROXIMATELY 11,000 MILES THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE. THE CAR WAS LAST SERVICED BY THE DEAL APPROXIMATELY 4,000 MILES AGO (3 MONTHS). THE CAR WAS 30 MILES INTO A 43 MILE TRIP WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE, AND PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS SLIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY, AND THEN AS SOON AS THE CAR WAS STOPPED A FLAME CAME OUT BETWEEN THE HOOD AND THE COWL AREA. THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF STOPPING, AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE FIRST SIGN OF FIRE WAS VISIBLE THAT THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BOAR ILLUMINATED. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, AND CHEVROLET HAS STATED THEY WILL HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME IN 7 TO 10 DAYS TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT. FROM RESEARCH ONLINE IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND I AM CONCERNED AS I WAS NEVER WARNED VIA A TECHNICAL BULLETIN OR RECALL OF ANY POTENTIAL ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. CHEVROLET HAS NOT SEEMED TO BE VERY CONCERNED OVER THIS ISSUE THUS FAR, BUT I AM PUSHING FOR ACTION FROM CHEVROLET. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10450556

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 →