What 864 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

Driving straight down the road the steering wheel hangs and becomes difficult to steer. There are no warning lights associated with this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11501343

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he smelled a burning odor and saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact then drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the front valve cover gasket and oil pan were leaking. The front valve cover gasket and seals were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Low Power" was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the front valve cover gasket and seals were replaced. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that the thermostat had overheated and had melted the coolant hoses. The thermostat and coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where the front valve cover gasket and seals, the thermostat, five coolant hoses and coolant reservoir were replaced; however, the oil leak persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Curry Center Auto Center, Inc. Chevrolet (2906 E Buick Cadillac Blvd, Bloomington, IN 47401) where the coolant sealant hoses, the front crank seal, the oil cooler, and other unknown repairs were completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle model had been discontinued. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11497120

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating message was displayed. The contact's daughter pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the hose was damaged, and antifreeze was leaking into the engine oil. The contact replaced the hose and added antifreeze; however, the failure recurred with the vehicle making hissing sounds. The contact related the failure to a blown head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11493815

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact initially received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V360000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired. After the vehicle was repaired, the contact stated that upon a cold start, extra brake pedal force was needed to stop the vehicle. Over time, the failure worsened as the contact was forced to use the parking brake to stop the vehicle. Two unknown dealers were notified of the failure and informed her that there was no defect with the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who informed her that the vacuum pump was defective. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was still under warranty; however, the dealer informed her that the warranty was closed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and she was provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11487825

The cars turbo system fails. This causes a loss of power when accelerating. Pulling out into traffic or merging onto the freeway are all unsafe now as the car suddenly doesn't accelerate. This can cause crashes. I have pulled out and assumed I was at a very safe distance only to have the car not pick up as it usually does. I feel very unsafe.

NHTSA ODI 11484649

The car began to shake uncontrollably on the freeway at 55/MPH . The car then marked "Engine Power is Reduced", causing the car to no longer accelerate more than 5-7/MPH. This is a very dangerous situation because it can cause a terrible accident on the road since it's a random inconvenience. I have heard that many of these types of cars "Chevy Cruze" seem to experience the same type of problem. With that being said it's safe to say that as an owner this situation is far out of my control and it's definitely a collective problem with the type of car and make that it is. I ask for this to be immediately looked into.

NHTSA ODI 11482259

When the ac on the brake pad will lock and there no brakes you can't push it down it gets hard but when you turn the ac turns off the brake pad goes back to normal but it's damage to be driving and this happen .. Also the trac control light comes on along with the sailablzie light

NHTSA ODI 11469091

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle started overheating while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the knock control system, the knock sensor, the camshaft, the positive crankcase ventilation system, and the engine intake manifold gasket had failed. The contact received an unknown recall notification from the manufacturer associated with the failure at the beginning of the pandemic. The contact contacted several unknown dealers to schedule an appointment however, the dealers informed the contact that there was no availability to complete the recall repair on the vehicle. The manufacturer was later notified of the failure and assisted the contact in scheduling an appointment with the dealer for repair. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the unknown recall as the recall had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the contact's residence. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11468626

The "service airbag" alert comes up every time the vehicle is turned on. My mechanic told me that this may have been due to a faulty seat belt. This car has never been in a collision, is clean title, and otherwise is in good working conditions. The estimate for this repair was $950 parts and labor.

NHTSA ODI 11465813

Clutch pedal began sinking down to the floor with little to no resistance, car would have trouble shifting took it to the dealer, I don't know what they did but it fixed it temporarily. Went to see another car for purchase a few days after with it and on my way back clutch failed completely, clutch pedal sunken all the way to the floor with no possible way to shift I was stuck. Towed it to have it "fixed" sold it to carvana, don't buy one manual or auto

NHTSA ODI 11465550

Loses power replace the maf sensor new air filter replaced both thermostat sensors, the thing that regulates the gas and 3 oil changes only had the car 2 months. Now a differnt code is showing about a mis fire.. i dnt think any of the recalls were completed on my car

NHTSA ODI 11461937

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she noticed that oil was leaking onto the ground. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was misfiring and making abnormal sounds. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power train, fuel injectors, manifold output pressure, and fuel tank system had failed. Additionally, there was loss of communication with engine control module. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, upon servicing the vehicle at the local Pep Boys, the contact was informed that the engine belt was damaged and the failure could cause engine overheating. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11459735

Hi my name is [XXX] I am calling about the Cruze ,everytime I come to a complete stop and go my car do a jerk. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11458885

The temperature gauge never shows the hand even get to half on the hot cold fail however the car could have no coolant and be 400 degrees the sail will Or reflect so. This has caused many probable s bc I can’t tell when it over hears it’s mezwwzs the comupeter

NHTSA ODI 11456379

It is unknown exactly as to why this is happening but it has happened on more than one occasion. I was at a red light and when the light turned green I pushed the gas but my car wouldn’t drive, I was stuck in the middle of the road. This put me in significant danger as I was on a very busy road with a speed limit of 55. I had to jump out of the car onto the road and run to a side walk as I was afraid someone would crash into me had I stayed in the car. I then had to call the police to block off the lane where my car was so that no one driving on the road would get into an accident. There were NO warning signs at all making this situation even worse because had I been warned I would’ve at least been able to pull over safely. I took it to my mechanic and he thought he fixed the issue I got it back and it did the same exact thing a couple days later. My mechanic says he doesn’t know what else to do. I’m waiting for an appointment at the dealership.This car should seriously be recalled because I looked this issue up and many other people unfortunately have experienced the same exact thing with their 2012 Chevy Cruze shutting off in the middle of the road at a traffic light.

NHTSA ODI 11453014

Cruze has been omitting an odor when the heater is engaged. The fumes create headaches, burning to the eyes, and general sick feeling. This physical reaction has been experienced by both adults and underage passengers. We have taken our cars multiple times to the Chevrolet dealership, but they continual cannot find anything. We have had this car since 2015 and have been in and out of the Chevy dealership regarding this problem; they cannot identify cause.

NHTSA ODI 11452497

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The temperature gauge increased to high and then decreased. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions and was diagnosed that the thermostat housing and thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448963

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the head gasket replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the engine repaired however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 209,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448703

Steering fades , blinkers go out, stability trac goes in and out. Radio goes on and off. Radio sometimes stays on after car is shut off.

NHTSA ODI 11447630

The contact's sister-in-law owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while his sister-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle was still moving forward. The failure nearly caused a collision. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V360000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The parts for the brake assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was 133,000.

NHTSA ODI 11444024

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the windshield defroster would not operate as needed without warning. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11443373

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, multiple oil and coolant repairs have been performed on the vehicle due to leakage. The contact stated that while in stop-and-go traffic, a cloud of white smoke began to emit from the vehicle as a warning message stating "turn off the heater, high engine heat" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled the vehicle over and upon inspection discovered that there was no coolant in the reservoir. A service vehicle pulled over to help. The service attendant reattached an unknown hose that had disconnected and added coolant. Soon after restarting of the vehicle, the white smoke and the warning message returned; the contact had the vehicle towed to her daughter's home. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

NHTSA ODI 11440706

It keeps running pot. And it also needs any houses now and I have done replaced the thermostat and the thermostat housing I'm going to voicemail

NHTSA ODI 11440428

The problem I have is a very, very common problem and a huge safety issue to my life or anyone with the same car within around 2011 to 2015. The cheap plastic levers for the mode actuator for my defrost and vents do not work. They have broken and this I barely have any heat coming out of the front vents and absolutely none coming from the defrost. This is a huge issue and highly affects my driving in the cold and snowy, or even rainy, weather. I’m so upset there has not been a recall thus far. No one wants to spend 1000 dollars for a five dollar part when it’s not their fault that the levers are faulty! This is Chevrolets and thus, GMCs problem. My safety is highly threatened when I can’t defrost the ice nor the fog over my windshield meaning I cannot see!! I scrape it and as soon as I drive it gets worse I had to pull over today because I couldn’t see at all! It’s scary and not okay! Please admit to the mistake and fix the problem. Please!

NHTSA ODI 11439256

The vehicle will start to smoke, filling the cab with smoke with a strong smell of antifreeze causing occupants to become sick to the stomach and dizzy. This will occur unrelated to speed and operating temperature, and has happened multiple times.

NHTSA ODI 11438762