What 864 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

The contact owned a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal failed to respond causing another vehicle to crash into the rear of the vehicle. The contact did not recall whether there were warning lights illuminated. The contact was unsure whether the air bags deployed. The contact stated that she was unconscious for a moment. The contact also sustained back injuries and sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123, 000.

NHTSA ODI 11436439

I just recently had an accident, a deer ran out and hit me and I was going 60 mph. Once we impacted the airbag sensor came on and said airbags deployed. Then the sensor went off but you could smell the powder of the airbags but the airbags did not deploy.

NHTSA ODI 11434609

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge was fluctuating on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle for several minutes while waiting for the vehicle engine to cool down before restarting the vehicle and continuing to drive to his residence. The next day the contact took the vehicle to be diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. Additionally, the mechanic performed temporary repairs on the thermostat housing and replaced the manifold and oil gasket however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11432521

I had no heat for a long time, as well as the engine light constantly being on and never knowing why. There was a lag to accelerate. Also it would suddenly overheat and say turn off ac due to overheating, as well as suddenly fluctuate to cold and back to normal. I change the throttle body inlet heater hose to see if that would get it working. It did for a day. Then all over a sudden the same issues started happening. From what I can tell it is an extremely common issue that has not been address yet or had a recall yet....the thermostat. That is the only thing it could be at this point. I am going to try and bleed out the coolant for air again. But other than that it is the thermostat, it is the only thing that covers every symptom and it is an extremely, well documented problem with these types of cars.

NHTSA ODI 11431594

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact had to pump the brake pedal several times before the vehicle stopped. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V360000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11428881

I have filed a complaint 2 other times on my car from the power train to the electrical and now my radiator. Because of the date of my car, which is one week off, my car doesn't fall under all the recalls that have been made. Everything wrong with my car is a recall including the head gasket! I have paid to fix my car out of pocket every time and now the repair isn't worth fixing because i never know whats going to happen next! Just like every other government agency NHTSA is controlled by the big corporations while the little guy gets screwed over! Times are hard as is now throw in this plandemic and car problems life becomes unmanageable at times.

NHTSA ODI 11428042

The transmission is a known issue, so much so they issued a service bulletin. The transmission will give out or shift very abruptly or shift in to neutral without warning and at various speeds. Our specific case was sudden downshift while travelling about 65 mph, then shifted into neutral which turned the engine off causing an abrupt stop then eventual release and had to coast to a stop. We then got a code for transmission code that a mechanic inspected and tried to replace a part they said the code was most likely related to. The mechanic then stated that if this did not fix it, it would require complete replacement of transmission. The independent service provider confirmed that it was indeed related to an internal service notice for GM. They did not give us the related number. We also received a notice to bring the car in for related notice if the car was under certain mileage however they knew our vehicle was over since they do all the service. In research, this is a common problem where Chevrolet is not able to accurately detect, troubleshoot and repair. It is a known issue however we are on the hook for the repair when this is clearly a design issue and a severe safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11428065

I've had this car for less than 2 months I've already spent $3,500 I've had to replace the thermostat the resvoir tank most oxygen sensors lower stream and upper stream now has a blown head gasket and a possible fuel pump

NHTSA ODI 11427813

The o2 sensor blew out of the catalytic converter and the sensor can't be replaced. The threads were basically gone! Took it to a professional and he said he wouldn't even put on a new one(aftermarket) because the Cruze and Sonic's are notorious for having this issue and it would do it again. He said they need to recall these immediately! I only have around 65,000 miles on this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11427456

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle, extra effort was needed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer nor independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 13V360000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,250.

NHTSA ODI 11425197

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle intermittently stalled. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road; then drove the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not determine the cause of the failure since the unknown warning lights were no longer illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis once the warning lights were again illuminated. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

NHTSA ODI 11424106

Service Bulletin Number: 14311B, Date: June 2015, Service Bulletin: SB-10057574-8899 CONDITION On certain 2011–2015 model year Chevrolet Cruze vehicles, the negative battery cable terminal clamp may have an insufficient crimp at the battery negative terminal. Over time, the internal resistance increases and vehicle electrical systems do not receive adequate power. With this condition, the following effects are possible: the Radio/HVAC Display may turn off and on; the Antilock Brake System, Service Traction System, Service Stabilitrac and Steering vehicle messages may come on and off; the turn signal sound may not be heard; “Battery Saver Active” and “Service Steering” may display in the Driver Information Center (DIC); and the interior and exterior lighting may flicker. Power steering assist may also be lost, and greater effort may be needed to turn the steering wheel at low speeds or while the vehicle is stopped. It's in the Service Bulletin Provided below. I am not sure if my 2012 Chevy Cruze Eco is included in this Service Bulletin (Below), but this Service Bulletin is the closest thing I could find that describes what is going on with my Vehicle. Lights blinking, steering hard to turn, steering warning light coming on (Stabilitrac), and other things as well described in the Service Bulletin. Again, I am not sure if my car's VIN Number, is included in the Service Bulletin, I would like to know if it is? or not?, before taking it in to the Dealer Ship, for repairs/service, because it is unsafe to drive at this point forward.

NHTSA ODI 11422081

Brake assist, no brakes when backing up. This was recalled on almost 300,000 Chevy cruzes but not all. Recall number 12213. My vehicle being one that was not included. I believe Chevy needs to recall more than the 300,000. Brakes work fine driving forward, but again no brakes in reverse. This is not ok! Could definitely cause vehicle to crash. Not safe at all!

NHTSA ODI 11421382

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WAS LEAKED OIL ONTO THE DRIVEWAY, WHEN CAR WAS PARKED. THE NEXT DAY, CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO BE SERVICED."UPON VEHICLE INSPECTION, TECHNICIAN(TECH) FOUND, OIL FILTER ADAPTER LEAKING OIL." "NEED GASKET TO BLOCK. "RESEALED OIL COOLER AND OIL FILTER ADAPTER SEALS." "TECH ALSO FOUND VALVE COVER LEAKING. REPLACE COVER LEAKING OIL. REPLACED VALVE COVER. TECH FOUND TRANS OIL COOLER LINES BOTH LEAKING LINES- REPLACED. CUSTOMER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. REPLACED PURGE VALVE. TECH FOUND BATTERY NEGATIVE CABLE HIGH RESISTANCE. REPLACED NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE. AFTER 8 DAYS WITHOUT HER CAR AND AFTER PAYING FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED SERVICES, WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, IT CONTINUED TO LEAK OIL! TECH INFORMED HER THAT IT WAS A NEW PROBLEM AND THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN EXTRA $700! THE FACT THE TECH HAD THE AUDACITY TO THINK IT WAS OK TO SAY THAT TO HER OR ANYONE ELSE, IS APPALLING, TO SAY THE LEAST. I'M SURE SOMEONE HAS HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE ND MODEL.

NHTSA ODI 11413467

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WOULD COME ON ENGINE WOULD START TO JERK AND THEN LOST POWER

NHTSA ODI 11407139

ON MY WAY TO WORK FEBRUARY 22 I HAD NOTICE A STRONG BURNING SMELL AND JUST ASSUMED IT WAS FROM SOMETHING OUTSIDE. SO I JUST IGNORED IT AND CONTINUED MY DRIVE. ONCE I GOT TO WORK I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD SO I LIFTED IT AND CHECKED TO SEE IF ANYTHING LOOKED STRANGE BUT I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING. SO I CONTINUE TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MORE DAYS BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO THE SMELL AND SMOKE. MIND YOU I CHECK ALL MY FLUIDS ONCE A WEEK BECAUSE I DO ALOT OF LONG DISTANCE DRIVING. AFTER ABOUT 6-8 DAYS OF DRIVING TO MY NEW JOB THE SMOKE STARTED GETTING THICKER AND MORE WHITE AND I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT MY OIL LEVEL WAS DROPPING. SO I BOUGHT SOME TO KEEP IN MY CAR SO I DIDN'T RUN IT DRY. BUT I HAD TO KEEP DRIVING IT TO WORK BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE A PAYCHECK COMING IN. I HAD BEEN OFF WORK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND COULDN'T AFFORD TO BRING IT TO A MECHANIC UNTIL MY FIRST PAY DAY. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY AS I PULLED UP TO MY HOUSE ON THE 8TH (TWO DAYS BEFORE MY VISIT TO THE MECHANIC) I NOTICED THE SMOKE WAS MUCX MORE INTENSE THEN IT WAS BEFORE SO I LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES. SO I CLOSED THE HOOD AND GRABBED SOME BAKING SODA FROM MY HOUSE AND POURED IT OVER THE FLAMES. MY NEIGHBOR SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND CAME OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND NOTICED WHERE THE OIL WAS COMING FROM AND SAID HE COULD PATCH IT TEMPORARILY SO I CAN MAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC. BUT I AM NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK. ALSO ABOUT A MONTH AGO I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM MY FRONT WHEELS AS I WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE.

NHTSA ODI 11404827

LOSE OF COOLANT. ENGINE HOT. NOT IN MOTION

NHTSA ODI 11402780

IT KEEP SAYING A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMP BUT IT STAY IN COLD N I GOT COOLANT SENSOR RADIATOR SENSOR ALL FIXED N IT KEEP SAYIN THE SAME STUFF IT'S GIVING ME A HEAD ACHE WEN I GO FOR LONG DRIVES TO MALL OR STORE IT POPS ON

NHTSA ODI 11402534

MY STEERING FEELS NOTCHED. AT HIGHWAY SPEED I FEEL LIKE WE ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. YOU CAN NOT TURN BC THE WHEEL BC HARD AT CENTER CAUSING YOU TO VIOLENTLY OVERSTEER. MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE OVER THE YEARS.

NHTSA ODI 11396029

MULTIPLE OILS LEAKS (MAINLY FROM THE TURBO AREA) CAUSING SMOKING AND BURNING SMELL. THE LATEST RESULTED IN OIL LEAKING ON THE MANIFOLD, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11394475

MY CAR HAS BEEN FITTING THE DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC RECALL ON THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL. (I.E.: RECALL #12V288000 - DATE: 6/22/2012 - COMPONENT ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) I PURCHASED MY CAR THROUGH CARMAX LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES INCLUDING, AIRBAG SENOR PROBLEMS, RMP ISSUES, ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT, ETC. I'VE DEALT WITH AN OIL LEAK FROM THE VALVE COVER MOST RECENTLY. I TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A LEAK WHICH WAS SO BAD IT SATURATED EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE AREA COLLECTING NEAR THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. THIS LEAD TO AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL. THE VALVE COVER WAS REPLACED AND NOW TWO WEEKS LATER THERE IS STILL AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL COMING FROM BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. THE VALVE COVER DOESN'T SEEM TO BE LEAKING OIL, AND I DON'T SEE ANY WEIRD OBJECTS OR DEBRIS IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE RECALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED FITS MY CURRENT PROBLEM TO A T - BUT ACCORDING TO MY VIN THERE HAVE BEEN 0 RECALLS. THE CAR IS NOT DEPENDABLE AT THIS POINT DUE TO RISK OF FUME INHALATION AND POTENTIAL FIRE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND I HAVE BARELY PUT 6,000 MILES ON IT SINCE PURCHASE.

NHTSA ODI 11390512

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT ANAHEIM AUTO HUB LAST JUNE 6, 2020 FOR MY DAUGHTER. COUPLE MONTHS LATER IT STARTED LEAKING AND SMELLS LIKE BURNING OIL. AND THE STABILI TRACK SENSOR AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SENSORS CAME ON. AND, AS WELL AS THE KEY GOT STUCK INSIDE THE IGNITION COUPLE OF TIMES. SO I TOOK IT THE MECHANIC TO GET THE LEAKS FIX. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET LEAK AND VALVE TIMING SOLENOID. SO THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE VALVE GASKET COVER AND THE VALVE TIMING SOLENOID LEAK, AND RIGHT AFTER THAT BEING SAID, ONE WEEK LATER WE FOUND LEAKING SO, I TOOK IT BACK TO MECHANIC AGAIN, NOW THEY FOUND 3 DIFFERENT LEAK, FROM THE OIL COOLER LEAK, ENGINE OIL PAN GASKET AND LEAKING ON ENGINE TIMING COVER GASKET. AND I FOUND 7 RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE THAT HAS NEVER FIX. AND I AM THE NEW OWNER AND I JUST FINING THIS OUT. HERE ARE THE RECALLS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVE ON 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE ECO: RECALL SUBJECT: AIR BAGS/ CAMPAIGN# 13V23000 RECALL SUBJECT: AIR BAGS / CAMPAIGN# 12V522000 RECALL SUBJECT: ENGINE & ENGINE COOLING / CAMPAIGN# 12V288000 RECALL SUBJECT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE STORAGE TANK, ASSEMBLY MOUNTING / CAMPAIGN# 12V289000 RECALL SUBJECT: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, POWER ASSIST / CAMPAIGN# 13V360000 RECALL SUBJECT: POWER TRAIN, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM,PCM)

NHTSA ODI 11389702

THE OIL COOLER NEEDS REPLACED. IT IS SOMEHOW LEAKING. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CARS, THAT ARE THE SAME AS MINE, THAT HAVE COME INTO THE SAME DEALERSHIPS THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. IN THE LAST WEEK, ONE OF THE DEALERSHIPS SAID 14 PEOPLE CAME IN BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11388722

BRAKE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SHOWS ON THE DASH BOARD DISPLAY AND WHEN I CHECKED IT WITH SERVICE THEY FOUND NO ODB2 OR ANY SERVICE ISSUE?

NHTSA ODI 11387764

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING GEAR OUT OF PARK TO DRIVE, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. THE STABILITY TRAC CONTROL AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOWED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CODE# P0700 TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CRAIN BUICK GMC (710 S AMITY RD, CONWAY, AR 72032, (501)329-6825) WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V502000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN PROVIDED WAS INCORRECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 109,000.

NHTSA ODI 11387224