What 864 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

IT BEGINS WITH THE RADIO BLINKING ON AND OFF WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS WE NOTICE THAT GOES ON IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SUCH AS SIGNAL LIGHTS NO SOUND, SOMETIMES PUTTING THE WINDOW UP WILL TRIGGER THE WRENCH TO BE DISPLAYED, ALSO LOSS OF THE ABILITY TO TURN THE WHEEL. NO CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE RADIO IS BLINKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560912

ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT INCLUDE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING: WARNING INDICATORS WOULD FLASH ON AND OFF, SUCH AS "SERVICE STABILITRAK", "SERVICE POWER STEERING" AND "SERVICE ABS", WHILE DRIVING.RADIO BEGAN SHUTTING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE DISPLAY & RADIO SHUTS OFF, EVEN THE BLINKER WOULDN'T MAKE A SOUND. WHAT I FIND ALARMING IS DURING THESE EPISODES, THE POWER STEERING ACTUALLY FAILS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. ON A 20 MINUTE DRIVE, I EXPERIENCED 4 FAILURES AND THE ABOVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES HAPPENING NON-STOP FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP. A DAY LATER, AS A TEST, I DROVE MY CAR AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD (LESS THAN A 1 MINUTE DRIVE) AND EXPERIENCED ALL THE SAME ISSUES, INCLUDING LOSS OF POWER STEERING...I HAVE SCHEDULED SERVICE WITH A DEALER...A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS AN ALARMING NUMBER OF CHEVY CRUZE OWNER WITH THIS ISSUE, WHICH POINTS TO MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT AND NOT WEAR & TEAR...LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE IN MOTION WOULD SEEM TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR....UPDATED 07/31/14 *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560745

RECENTLY, CAR RADIO HAS BEEN FLICKERING ON AND OFF, ALONG WITH SERVICE NOTIFICATIONS OF STABILI TRAC, TRACTION CONTROL. CHEVY DEALER NOTIFIED, SERVICED CAR, FOUND NOTHING AND HAS NO EXPLANATION. TODAY, STOPPED AT A CORNER TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN. AS I WAS ACCELERATING AT APPROX 2-3 MPH AROUND THE CORNER, THEN STEERING WAS LOST AND COULD NOT TURN THE CORNER. LOST ALL CONTROL OF CAR. VERY FORTUNATE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE. SCARY INCIDENT THAT COULD OF HAD A WORSE OUTCOME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560073

THE CENTER INFORMATION CENTER WITH THE RADIO BEGAN SHUTTING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE DISPLAY & RADIO SHUTS OFF, EVEN THE BLINKER WOULDN'T MAKE A SOUND. SOMETIMES DURING THIS A NOTIFICATION WOULD COME UP "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND/OR "SERVICE STABILITRACK." I TRIED TROUBLESHOOTING IT MYSELF FOR A FEW DAYS. SOMETIMES THE BLINKER, SEAT WARMER, OR EVEN PLUGGING IN MY PHONE TO THE USB PORT SEEMED TO TRIGGER IT. I NOTICED THE VOLTAGE FLUCTUATING FROM 12.9 - 15.2V WHILE DRIVING OR AT A STOP. THE DAY THAT I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR, ALL THE NOTIFICATION LIGHTS BEGAN TO BLINK AND THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT DURING A LEFT TURN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED BOTH BATTERY CABLES AND MENTIONED THAT THEY'VE HAD MANY OF THESE CARS IN WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. THE ISSUE APPEARED TO BE RESOLVED AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING GREAT, UNTIL YESTERDAY 1/15/14. EVERYTHING MENTIONED ABOVE, EXCEPT FOR THE POWER STEERING LOSS, IS HAPPENING AGAIN. IF YOU SEARCH THE INTERNET AND YOUTUBE, YOU'LL QUICKLY SEE THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AND RECALLED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560169

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL INSIDE MY CAR CUTTING IN AND OUT, ALL ELECTRICAL TURNS OFF. SERVICE CHECKS COME ACROSS DASHBOARD FOR POWER STEERING, STABILITY CHECK CONTROL, AND TRACTION CONTROL. THE POWER STEERING HAS STOPPED WORKING AT TIMES AS WELL. I AM NOT SURE BUT IF YOU ARE TURNING IT APPEARS THAT THE TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. HEADLIGHTS ARE DIMMER THAN NORMAL WHEN IT CUTS IN AND OUT, IT FLICKERS WITH THE SHORTAGES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES NOW. THE FIRST TIME THEY TIGHTENED A GROUND WIRE, THE SECOND TIME THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM, THIRD TIME THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE, AND NOW I'M TAKING IT BACK A FOURTH TIME TO HAVE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10555065

THE RADIO ELECTRICAL PANEL WOULD TURN ON & OFF INTERMITTENTLY, THEN THE DRIVERS GAUGE PANEL WOULD FLICKER. AFTER THE GAUGE PANEL FLICKERED, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE POWER STEERING SHUT OFF. THEN THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TRACTION CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. THEN I WENT TO ROLL UP THE WINDOWS AND THE WHOLE DASH PANEL FLICKERED, THEN THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL UP. THERE APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE VEHICLE SOMEWHERE. IT ACTS AS THOUGH THERE IS A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS SOMEWHERE. I AM TAKING IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10550039

THIS STARTED THIS WEEK, THE ELECTRICAL PARTS (RADIO, SPEAKERS, TURNING SIGNAL CLICKER, AC ETC) WILL CONSTANTLY FLICKER OFF THEN COME BACK ON AFTER ABOUT TEN SECONDS, EVERY TIME I HAVE THE CAR RUNNING. THE STABILITY WARNING WILL SOMETIMES GO ON BUT WILL EVENTUALLY GO OUT. THE SPECIFIC INCIDENT OCCURRED THE THE 27TH OF AUGUST WHEN I WENT TO TAKE A LEFT TURN, ON TO A HIGHWAY. WHEN I WENT TO MAKE A TURN MY POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT A PASSING CAR AND GET REAR ENDED. IT SPECIFICALLY LOCKED UP AT ABOUT TEN MILES AN HOUR WHILE PICKING UP SPEED. AFTER I RETURNED TO MY PARKING LOT IT LOCKED UP AGAIN AND CAUSED ME TO HIT A BARRIER, SLIGHTLY DAMAGING THE FRONT BUMPER. SINCE THEN MY POWER STEERING WILL SOMETIMES LOCK UP MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. *TT

NHTSA ODI 10537751

WHILE DRIVING ON ORTEGA HIGHWAY WHICH IS A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND IS A CONNECTOR ROAD FROM INLAND EMPIRE TO ORANGE COUNTY WITH NARROW LANES RUNNING THRU CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST, I WAS DRIVING WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT OFF, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, VARIOUS COMPUTER PANEL LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND THE CAR BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE TO THE POINT WHERE IT ALMOST WENT OVER CLIFF. THIS WAS THE MOST HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE AND LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I HAVE CONTACTED GM DIRECTLY AND WILL CONTACT THE MEDIA IN THE EVENT I RECEIVE NO RESOLUTION. THE CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD AT THIS POINT AND NOT DRIVABLE. SADLY I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. I REFUSE TO BE STUCK WITH THIS CAR THAT I COMPLETELY LOST TRUST TO DRIVE WITH MYSELF LET ALONE WITH MY CHILDREN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10525270