Home · 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited · Complaints

What 864 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

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 (864)Crash / fire / injury (85)Engine (267)Electrical system (196)Brakes (150)Transmission & drivetrain (137)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (108)Steering (103)Fuel system (52)Speed control (51)Engine & cooling (44)Visibility & wipers (43)

43 of 864 complaints match · Visibility & wipers · clear filters · page 1 of 2

Dec 10, 2021Visibility & wipers

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

Nov 3, 2021Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

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

Dec 18, 2020Visibility & wipers

THE HVAC BLENDER DOOR MECHANISM ( HEAT MODE DOOR LEVER) BROKE WHICH DISABLES THE DEFROST MODE IN THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED DURING A WINTER STORM AND I COULD NOT SEE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND ONLY PARTIAL VISION OF THE ROAD. VERY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND GOING FORWARD. VERY EXPENSIVE FIX, SO I AM DEBATING WEATHER TO SPEND THE MONEY TO FIX MYSELF.

NHTSA ODI 11384107

Oct 30, 2019Visibility & wipers

VEHICLE FAILS TO TURN ON WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER CAUSING LIMITED TO NO VISIBILITY.

NHTSA ODI 11277208

Oct 24, 2019Visibility & wipers

ON MY WAY HOME, MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY DURING HEAVY RAIN. I WAS SO TERRIFIED DIDNT NOTICE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG TILL I PULLED OVER. THE LEFT WINDSHIELD WIPER HAD STOPPED WORKING. I HAD TO WAIT TILL THE RAIN HAD STOPPED TO GO HOME.

NHTSA ODI 11270662

Jul 11, 2019Visibility & wipersCrash

BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT IN A NON-REGULATED PRIVATELY OWNED PARKING AREA VISION IS IMPAIRED AND ANYONE MOVING IN ANY DIRECTION TOWARD YOU CANNOT BE SEEN OR NOTICED UNTIL IMPACT.

NHTSA ODI 11230942

Jun 15, 2019Visibility & wipers

PASSENGER WIPER BLADE QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD DURING A BLIZZARD.

NHTSA ODI 11220378

Mar 11, 2019Visibility & wipers

THE DEFROST QUIT WORKING WHILE WE HAD -50 DEGREE TEMPERATURES THIS WINTER. MY CAR COULD NOT KEEP THE WINDSHIELD CLEAR TO SEE. IT WAS IN MOTION WHEN IT BEGAN GETTING MORE AND MORE FOGGY. NOW HEAR A GEAR WENT OUT IN THE VENT SYSTEM

NHTSA ODI 11185924

Feb 3, 2019Visibility & wipers

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE WIPER STOPPED WORKING ON THE CENTER

NHTSA ODI 11173851

Dec 31, 2018Visibility & wipers

MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING.I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT A FEW DAYS UNTIL I COULD AFFORD TO FIX MY PASSENGER WIPER AND MY DRIVER SIDE STOPPED WORKING ON MY WAY TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE I WAS IN MOTION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED I HAD TO HANG MY HEAD OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE WHERE I WAS DRIVING UNTIL I COULD GET TO A SAFE LOCATION TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA ODI 11164164

Nov 22, 2018Visibility & wipers

LET ME START BY SAYING THIS ISSUE WAS THE NOT THE FIRST ISSUE THAT'S CAUSE ME TO TOW MY CAR FIRST WAS MY ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO COOLANT LINES RIPPING WHILE DRIVING. AND THIS ISSUES IS ABOUT DEFROST AND HEATING IN THE GENERAL I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH ME HEAT ON THE WINDSHIELD BUT IT DIDN'T HEAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD INSTEAD IS WAS HEATING MY FACE THE WINDOWS WERE ALREADY A LITTLE FOGGY BUT I EXPECTED IT TO BE CLEAR WHILE DRIVING BUT INSTEAD WHILE GOING 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY MY WINDOWS COMPLETELY BECOME FOGGED COMPLETELY WHITE I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING LUCKY FOR ME I WAS ON THE RIGHT LANE SO I PULLED OVER AND WAS SAFE HOWEVER IF IT HAPPENED EVEN 5 SECONDS LATER I WOULD OF MOST LIKELY HIT OR BEEN HIT AS THE HIGHS HAD SOME RENAVATIONS AND THE NEW TURN HAD NO PULL OVER AND HAD A LONG AND TIGHT TURN. ANYWAYS IF YOUR ALSO HAVING THIS ISSUES AND KNOW A FIX PLEASE INFORM ME.

NHTSA ODI 11153222

Oct 31, 2018Visibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11144403

Feb 18, 2018Visibility & wipers

WHEN YOU TURN THE DIAL TO USE THE WIPERS. IT DOES NOT WORK. YOU CAN PUSH IT, TO SPRAY THE WIPER FLUID, BUT THE WIPERS DONT MOVE. MY VECHILE ONLY HAS 51000 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ODI 11073449

Feb 12, 2018Visibility & wipers

HVAC DOOR ACTUATOR DOES NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY. CAR WILL NOT BLOW AIR ON TO THE WINDSHIELD TO DEFROST THE WINDOW. RESULTS IN POOR TO NO VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING DUE TO INTERIOR FOG ON THE WINDOWS AND SPRAY FROM OTHER TRAFFIC FREEZING TO THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ODI 11072444

Feb 5, 2018Visibility & wipers

ALL HVAC FUNCTIONS WORKING EXCEPT DEFROSTER (WINDSHIELD) NOT FUNCTIONING. SNOW AND ICE WON'T THAW

NHTSA ODI 11067081

Jan 14, 2018Visibility & wipers

MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAD STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY NO MOVEMENT AT ALL, THEY WERE MAKING A NOISE WHENEVER YOU TOGGLED THE WIPER CONTROL INSIDE THE CAR. SO I MAD AN APPOINTMENT FOR JAN 5TH, 2018 SO THAT IT COULD BE LOOKED AT AND FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS TRANSMISSION THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN WHICH I KNEW I HAD BEEN RESEARCHING BEFORE HAND NEEDED TO BE SURE . AUTO SHOP TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE $149 FOR THE PART THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE LABOR AND, THEN SHE SAID NO IT WOULD BE $74.00 FOR PART AND I TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD. THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO ORDER THE PART AND IT MAY NOT BE THERE THAT DAY. SO I THEN MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEM MONDAY JANUARY 8,2018 WHEN THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE PART DROPPED MY CAR OFF ON THAT SUNDAY JANUARY 7,2018 AND THEY CALLED ME MONDAY@9:30 TELLING ME MY CAR WAS READY SO I PICKED IT UP AFTER WORK.. SKIP FORWARD TO FRIDAY JANUARY 12,2018 I GET READY TO LEAVE FOR WORK AND GO OUTSIDE I CLEAR MY CAR OFF AND MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS AREN'T WORKING.. I SPRAY DE-ICER ON THEM PUT MY DEFROST ON REMOVE ICE AND ALL AND THEY ARE NOT WORKING... IT HAS ONLY BEEN 3 DAYS THAT I'VE HAD MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS TRANSMISSION REPAIRED AND I'M STILL HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE.... I NEED ANSWERS.

NHTSA ODI 11062665

Jan 10, 2018Visibility & wipers

I WAS DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WINDSHEILD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE!!!

NHTSA ODI 11062053

Aug 21, 2017Visibility & wipers

WIPERS STARTED STOPPING WHEN ON. IF YOU TURN THEM OFF AND THEN ON THEY WORK FOR A VERY SHORT TIME THEN STOP AGAIN. WHEN THE WIPERS ARE IN THE OFF POSITION THEY STOP RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DRIVERS VIEW. TOOK TO DEALER, DEALER STATED THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS GOING OUT AND WOULD AFFECT MORE AND MORE OF THE CAR AND COULD POSE A SAFETY HAZARD.

NHTSA ODI 11018746

May 18, 2017Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION (LINKAGE) FAILED DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE DURING A RAIN STORM, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER TO STOP WORKING AND VISABILITY TO BE COMPROMISED AT HIGH SPEED.

NHTSA ODI 10986306

May 3, 2017Visibility & wipers

I BELIEVE THE GM RECALL 25302 ON CHEVROLET EQUINOX VEHICLES SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE CRUZE MODEL. I OWN EACH OF THESE MODELS AND HAVE NOT HAD AN ISSUE YET ON THE EQUINOX, BUT THE CRUZE HAD TO HAVE WIPER BALL JOINT REPLACEMENT THAT IS EXPLAINED IN THIS EXISTING RECALL. PLEASE CONSIDER EXPANDING THIS RECALL TO INCLUDE ALL MODULES OF CHEVROLET THAT UTILIZE THIS SAME WIPER BALL JOINT BECAUSE THIS DESIGN FAULT EXISTS ON THE CRUZE MODEL AS WELL. MY CRUZE WAS FIXED AT A GARAGE THAT IS NOT CHEVROLET DEALER AFFILIATED, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THE NHTSA TRACKS THESE TYPES OF ISSUES. THE ISSUE WITH THE CRUZE WAS THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER BLADE WAS NO LONGER MOVING, THE BALL JOINT WAS BROKEN AND NO LONGER FUNCTIONING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 10983240

Jan 6, 2017Visibility & wipers

THE MORNING OF 1/5/17 I NOTICED MY PASSENGER WINDSHIELD WIPER WOULD NOT MOVE, BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE STILL WORKED. NO CHANGE ON THE AFTERNOON DRIVE HOME. ON THE MORNING OF 1/6/17, THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER STILL DIDN'T MOVE, BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE WIPER MOVED UP AND THEN WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE DOWN POSITION. I MANUALLY MOVED IT DOWN, AND NOW NEITHER WIPER MOVES. VERY DANGEROUS AT ANY TIME TO NOT BE ABLE TO CLEAR MY WINDSHIELD, BUT WITH THE DIRT AND GRIME OF THE WINTER IN THE MIDWEST ALONG WITH THE CONSTANT FLECKS OF SNOW FROM THE CARS AROUND ME, I WAS STRUGGLING TO MAKE IT TO WORK SAFELY. I'LL HAVE THE ISSUE ADDRESSED WITH MY MECHANIC THIS EVENING/WEEKEND.

NHTSA ODI 10940080

Dec 22, 2016Transmission & drivetrainVisibility & wipers

DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER BECOMES DETACHED FROM WIPER TRANSMISSION WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS POSES SIGNIFICANT DANGER BECAUSE VISIBILITY IS DRASTICALLY REDUCED IN RAINY OR SNOWY CONDITIONS. CAR LURCHES FORWARD WHEN AT A STOP AND TRANSMISSION IS IN DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10936839

Dec 15, 2016Visibility & wipers

DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET. IT MOVED A QUARTER UP THE WINDSHIELD AND STOPPED WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10935496

Oct 31, 2016Visibility & wipers

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES/HOUR, AFTER DARK IN HEAVY RAIN, THE DRIVERS WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM SUDDENLY STOPPED MOVING. THIS FAILURE MAY HAVE RESULTED IN PROPERTY OR PERSONAL INJURY OR BOTH, WHEN MY VIEW WAS OBSTRUCTED DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE WIPER ARM TO CLEAR THE RAIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER ARM CONTINUED NORMALLY. A QUICK SEARCH INDICATED THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN MY VIEW, WHERE THE MANUFACTURER IS CULPABLE AND LIABLE TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIR SO THIS DOESN'T RESULT IN DAMAGE/PERSONAL INJURY. THE DEALER QUICKLY REPLACED THE 'WIPER TRANSMISSION' WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR, AND FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURING SAFETY DEFECT THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ASSESSED FOR RECALL AT NO COST TO THE OWNER (OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE ALREADY REPLACED). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10920401

Oct 20, 2016Engine & coolingVisibility & wipers

IN 2014 MY CAR HAD AN ISSUE WHERE IT STARTED OVER HEATING. THE CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY PART OF A RECALL FOR THE WATER PUMP BREAKING. THIS CAUSED MY CAR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM NOT TO WORK PROPERLY. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS IF DRIVING AND IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I JUST HAD THE SAME ISSUE ON OCTOBER 20 OF 2016. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10917469

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Working with the data? Download all 864 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 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 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Limited verdict →