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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)

5 of 731 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 4, 2018Transmission & drivetrainElectronic Stability Control (esc)EngineCrash

MY 2011 CHEVY CRUZ THE TURBO WENT OUT ON IT REPLACE THE TURBO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD REPLACED THE LINE THAT GOES INTO THE OIL PAN I HAVE A VACUUM LEAK SOMEWHERE I CAN'T FIND A VACUUM LEAK THERE SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING UNDERNEATH THE SEATS AND SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO SHIFT IT DOESN'T SHIFT RIGHT.ALSO THE LIGHTS ON THE FRONT THEY FLICKER AND BLANK THE SEATBELTS DON'T LIKE TO COME OUT WHEN YOU CLICKI WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT ON THE EXPRESSWAY COMING OFF OF THE RAMP TRYING TO GET SPAYED AND THERE WAS NO POWER AND DIDN'T WANT TO GO ANY FASTER BY THE TIME I GOT HOME IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS WHISTLING AND NO POWER AT ALL THE TURBOS FIX BRAND NEW THE MANIFOLD BRAND NEW IT'S ALL BRAND NEW WHITE NEXT TO HIS CAR IS GIVING ME A PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM

NHTSA ODI 11091722

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

Jan 9, 2013Transmission & drivetrain1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH THE GEAR SHIFTED IN PARK AND THE ENGINE IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT WAS STANDING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND WITHIN SEVERAL MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RE-ENTER THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRAG HER UP AGAINST A CONCRETE POLE. THE CONTACT LANDED ON THE GROUND WHERE THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS AND THE VEHICLE THEN DROVE OVER HER LEFT FOOT. THE CONTACT'S LEFT ARM SUSTAINED A SEVERE FRACTURE TO THE RADIUS AND HUMERUS. THE CONTACT ALSO SUSTAINED NERVE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FOOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER WHERE THE EXTERIOR BODY DAMAGES WERE REPAIRED. SOME TIME LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V273000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: GEAR POSITION INDICATION-PRNDL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10491995

Nov 2, 2011BrakesTransmission & drivetrainCrash1 injury

VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION, WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE OFF POSITION THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARD DOWN A HILL DRAGGING MY CHILD WITH IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10433924

May 25, 2011BrakesTransmission & drivetrainCrash

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPROGRAMMED, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE ACCELERATING AT ANY SPEED. THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE MOVED BACKWARDS WHILE THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DID NOT REPLACE ANY PARTS AND ADVISED THE CONTACT HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 752,000.

NHTSA ODI 10402733

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 →