What 864 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

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

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

MY SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD LAST WEEK AND DASH FLASHED STABILINK AND HE LOST ALL POWER AND FORCES HIM TO TRY TO PULL OVER WHICH HE COULD BECAUSE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND BRAKES GOT HARD TO PUSH. A WEEK LATER STABILINK FLASHED AGAIN AND THEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD HE HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES FOR A STOPPED VEHICLE AND BRAKES WOULD WORK AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AGAIN RESULTING IN HIM REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11320365

MY SON WAS DRIVING BY HIMSELF WHEN HE HIT A POLE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE SAID HE COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID THE POLE. HE SAID IT STUCK.

NHTSA ODI 11119538

SINCE MARCH 2015, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH AND I HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE WHILE IN FAILURE MODE, OF WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE FAILURES OF THE BODY COMPUTER(S) IN THIS VEHICLE. THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS HAVE BEEN GOING ON AND OFF UNDER A WIDE VARIETY OF DRIVING SITUATIONS, AND WHILE SITTING AT IDLE. THEY FAULT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SIMPLY DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. MORE OFTEN I NOTICE IT WHEN UTILIZING TURN SIGNALS, HAZARD LIGHTS, AND BREAKING. DURING THESE FAULTS, THE CENTER INFORMATION DISPLAY FOR THE HVAC AND ENTERTAINMENT WILL FREQUENTLY TURN OFF. THIS KILLS THE RADIO. IT AT TIMES KILLS THE HVAC SYSTEMS AND THE TURN SIGNALS (AT LEAST THE NOISE FOR THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS). AT TIMES, THE CENTER DISPLAY ABOVE THE STEERING COLUMN WILL GO BLACK AND THEN DISPLAY A MESSAGE ABOUT THE STABILITRAK HAVING FAILED AND REQUIRING IT TO BE CHECKED OR THE ABS NEEDING TO BE SERVICED. THEN IT RETURNS TO NORMAL MODE. THE FREQUENCY HAS INCREASED TO EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. ALSO ON AT LEAST 3 OCCASIONS THE ABS HAS ACTUALLY FAILED. ON ONE OF THOSE OCCASIONS, I HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE PARKING. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE. WHEN CONNECTING THE VEHICLE TO A DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, NO ISSUES ARE INDICATED. I'M IN THE MILITARY IN GERMANY WHERE THE ROADS AND HIGHWAYS ARE EXTREMELY HILLY AND IT SNOWS HEAVILY. I'D RATHER NOT DIE IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE THIS ISSUE IS RECTIFIED.

NHTSA ODI 10733882

WE WERE DRIVING ON RT 206 IN JERSEY AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHEVY STATING THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THE STEERING HAD INCREASED FRICTION AND CAN CAUSE THE STEERING TO LOCK UP. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10664031

ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE THE LIGHTS ON THE RADIO DISPLAY BEGAN TO FLICKER AND THEN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE DASHBOARD. THE ELECTRICAL CAME BACK ON AND THE DASH DISPLAY DEPICTED THE WARNING MESSAGE CHECK STABILITRAK. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND THEY SAID THAT HIGH VOLTAGE CODES C0800, 07 AND HIGH VOLTAGE HISTORY SHOWED UP ON THE SCOPE AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES. THE SECOND TIME THE LIGHTS ON THE RADIO DISPLAY BEGAN TO FLICKER AND THEN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE DASHBOARD, AIRBAGS AND THE ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED POWER STEERING WENT OUT, WHILE ON A VERY STEEP MOUNTAIN ROAD AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. THE ELECTRICAL CAME BACK ON AND THE DASH DISPLAY DEPICTED THE WARNING MESSAGE CHECK STABILITRAK. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND THE DASH FLICKERING OCCURRED WITH THE SERVICE PERSON IN THE CAR DRIVING BUT NOTHING SHOWED UP WHEN THE MECHANIC WAS TRYING TO FIX IT SO THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. TWO DAYS LATER WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING SHE LOST POWER STEERING AND THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE DASH AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THANK GOD HER BABY WAS NOT IN THE CAR. PLEASE HELP!....UPDATED 07/31/14 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10615094

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