What 585 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

The contact leased a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an alert appeared on the instrument panel indicating that the engine had overheated and to stop the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and waited for approximately 10 minutes; however, after starting to drive, the warning light returned. The contact stated that smoke started coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the thermostat housing and coolant hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11516491

I purchased 2013 chevy cruze in 2021. Starting with steering going out, all electrical power is affected. Radio comes on and off. Light comes on to check stab trak. Engine started while key in ignition but I wasn't in car. I can't afford to get a different car now a days. I'm disabled and need this car to get to my Dr appts But I'm afraid the vehicle will kill me, someone or worse. This vehicle needs a very very serious recall to fix this before someone is killed. That won't work!! FIX IT PLEASE I BEG YOU!!!

NHTSA ODI 11514714

I have a blown gasket which is causing my engine to run hot which i can’t afford because the cost of fixing is very high , Also could cause my transmission to blow , car constantly runs hot, also jerks very hard

NHTSA ODI 11512017

valve cover gasket had to be replaced at about 65,00 miles. Multiple leaks from various locations Water pump leaked engine coolant aat 75,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11510271

My coolant is leaking again. I have been having headache. I didn’t know that it was leaking again. I repaired last before this incident. Nov 2021. Something is wrong.

NHTSA ODI 11507931

I have replaced the pvc valve cover 3times and the engine coolant housing 4 times with in 2years. The vehicle still leaks coolant even though all hoses connections and reservoir has been replaced. The ground cable has been replaced twice. The car warning dash comes on saying "service traction control" abs? The radio shuts off as well as all stereo lighting. When vehicle is at a stop it sometimes kicks, I thought I got tapped from the back that's how much of a jolt it does but no vehicle behind me. It's also sluggish when taking off.

NHTSA ODI 11504477

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while her daughter was exiting a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, and making a right turn, she heard a sharp cracking sound from the passenger’s front side of the vehicle. The contact stated that her daughter drove only a few feet more when the front-end lowered down to the right. The contact’s daughter stated that the passenger’s side front wheel had detached from the vehicle and was laying on the roadway. The contact stated that her daughter was not aware of any warning light being illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the half shaft had fractured, causing the passenger’s side front wheel to detach from the axle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 14V151000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11504072

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that soon after she purchased the vehicle while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed a white cloud of smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke by the reservoir tank. The contact also noticed a leak coming from engine. The contact then stated that she noticed a burning odor throughout the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that anti-freeze leaked from two separate unknown parts of the hose and at the same time, there was a burning odor at the rear passenger’s side tire. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear passenger’s side brake failed and needed to be replaced. The rear passenger’s side brake was replaced however, the failure recurred three times. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a ticking sound in the engine. The check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. On a separate occasion, the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The contact stated that another vehicle was able to jumpstart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,830.

NHTSA ODI 11502877

First incident. 4 hours into 8 hour road trip. Flashing check engine light. Stabilitrack failure. Misfire codes. Took it to 4 different shops in Las Vegas Nevada. Non would complete repair. Took it to dealer in Utah hour and 45 minutes away, jerking missfires loss of power and power steering, dealer offered to do repair for 1800$ :/. Repair completed. Drove 150 miles, codes popped back up to it into mechanic, reported coolant leak and misfires, replaced ign coil. Replaced spark plugs, fixed leaks. 1400$ 6 weeks later turbo seized, misfires shaking and in ability to drive faster than 35mph loss of power steering. Excessive coolant leak, repair 1170$ 3 weeks later misfire codes, loss of stabilitrack, and tc, replaced spark plugs, car is currently all over the road, pulls left then pulls right, car vibrates terribly when 55mph+ suspension in rear is almost completely defective, I can lift the car 3” with my bare hands… over active abs. 35mph no snow or ice, new brake pads 120 miles ago. Radio will turn on and off whenever it wants while driving. Car consistory idles between 750-1300* rpm. Car clearly has no sway bars. Horrible ticking and rattling noises. Chevy please buy back my car. I am concerned about my safety on a daily. Reach out to “Carvana for invoices, and contact me for the personal repairs cost”

NHTSA ODI 11501287

While driving the light came one engine overheating a/c shut off. There was a leak of coolant. I was stranded on the side of the road. We had it brought to a mechanic. They repaired the problem. Within 3 days it started again, the mechanic thought it was a faulty part so replaced it. After a week it happened again. We had it repaired again. Now 2 months later it is happening again. Once again stranded on the side of the road This has happened 4 times in 2 months and looks to be a very common issue with a simple search online. Multiple parts replaced and still stranded9

NHTSA ODI 11496978

Cracks in the diaphragm may have developed in the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) pressure regulator valve . This has caused my engine to run rough , especially when idle and have the engine trouble code for the fuel trim lean (PO171) displayed . I’ve noticed this recall in other 2013 Chevrolet Cruze but there is none for my VIN.

NHTSA ODI 11496641

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. A message indicating that coolant was overheating was displayed. The contact veered to side of the road. The contact stated that her friend's father, an independent mechanic, met her on the side of the road and upon inspecting under the hood, he noticed that coolant was leaking, and the coolant hoses were fractured. The contact was able to drive to her residence, where the coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred three months later. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492810

•Catalytic Converter and yes •It’s a health safety hazard for me and others to breathe in strong exhaustion •Yes the problem was confirmed by two •Yes the vehicle was inspected by mechanics •Yes the check engine light

NHTSA ODI 11491882

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while her husband was reversing from a parking space with her in the front passenger seat, he depressed the brake pedal but the brake pedal failed to respond, causing the vehicle to continuously reverse. The contact stated that her husband continuously depressed the brake pedal until it responded; however, the vehicle hit the rear passenger side bumper of a parked unoccupied vehicle. The contact stated that it was a fender bender. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained. The contact contacted the police and filed a report. The contact stated that her husband was able to continue driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11491599

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated the vehicle was overheating and suddenly stalling. The contact had to wait a while for the vehicle to cool down before being able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the overheating alarm and idle engine chime was audible. The contact stated that the message to turn off the A/C was displayed even though the A/C was not activated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the thermostat and 3 coolant temperature sensors and the housing. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,813.

NHTSA ODI 11486877

When i turn left or right stereo shuts off all my warning lights come on and steering gos out.and sometimes it shuts down.Almost got hit a cause it did this .This is a serious safety issue.Nobody can pin point the problem.then a code says open and close drivers window.If i get killed cause this car does this .and getting worse .chevy will be sued .can you get chevy to repair this possible faulty .problem.may a recall in electric system.

NHTSA ODI 11485570

My car just shut off by itself while I was driving without any warning. My check engine light isn’t on and I just got my car out of the shop a few weeks ago, so I’m not sure why this happened. It is not safe and was definitely scary, being that I am pregnant and also had daughter with me.

NHTSA ODI 11485045

HVAC blend door lever, which controls the function of properly moving the air from floor to vent to defrost, broken, resulting in inability to properly switch to defrost mode for safe operation of vehicle and driver visibility. Included are pictures of manufacturer original part, and newly designed aftermarket part. While the part has been redesigned to correct the original manufacturing design (new part is GM 13263335), no recall has been issued for this matter. This poses consequences to consumers, and replacing the part requires a complete removal of the dash, at an estimated cost to consumer of $1,000, as quoted by GM dealership in Mankato, MN.

NHTSA ODI 11479467

When switching between drive and reverse, the brakes stop working/lock up. This mainly occurs when parking backward or backing out of parking spot. This has caused a very minor collision with a parked car and the need to use the E-brake on multiple occasions to stop from backing into cars. I have told the dealership about the issue when I first bought the car and they were either not able to reproduce or didn't test it. It has not been inspected that I know of. There was a recall for this exact problem but it is under different VIN numbers. There were no warning lamps or messages when this problem occurs.

NHTSA ODI 11479011

Hi, I have had my car for a total of 8 years so far. It was bought used, in perfect condition in the beginning. Years passed and I have gained many problems down the road. First, the valve had to be replaced, spent a little under $1K, car worked well, until it started leaking coolant. Second, the car started to jerk back if you were passing at least 60mph. You go above 65-70, the car would jerk back to where it felt as if the whole bottom of the car fell off. You could press the gas pedal and it would barely go, it felt as if you were pushing the car with your own hands from the back, as if it lost power to move forward. Third, why does my coolant leak? Why is it that I have to put coolant in it at least every other week? The fan is EXTREMELY loud as well, as if it's overheating.

NHTSA ODI 11472763

Vehicle overheats and cuts off. Vehicle does not retain coolant Vehicle does not accelerate. Throttle body has been changed 2x in 6 months. My daughter has been left in the dark while vehicle sparked while overheating.

NHTSA ODI 11472236

Since June 2021 have had this car in to the mechanic 7 times for engine coolant system. Each time it has been replace. Just 2 weeks ago it started to buck while driving. No matter what speed I am at. There are times where I am at a red light and it acts like it wants to stall out. When I proceed to go from a red light there are times where it takes a few seconds before it actually starts to go while the gas pedal is pressed.

NHTSA ODI 11472063

I just bought the car and it is over heating and the turbo is acting up high RPMs and not shifting correctly and shakes at 60 mph

NHTSA ODI 11471001

ENGINE OVERHEATING, LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, COOLANT LEAKING, CAR WAS REPEATEDLY TRYING TO START ON IT'S OWN WITHOUT PRESSING THE START BUTTON OR HAVING FOOT ON BREAK (I WAS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE), SOUNDS LIKE IT STARTS TO CRANK OVER BUT WON'T START, DRAINED BATTERY COMPLETELY. MANY OTHERS WITH SAME MODEL AND YEAR HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS CAR

NHTSA ODI 11467388

The car overheated constantly and was taken to a mechanic everytime. Mechanic tried a few things and to no avail. Warped head replaced and it continued to do it. Replaced the entire motor and the second motor now wont even start after it overheated. We had many people look at it and no one could figure out what the problem was. The car would turn off at times or lock up and you would have to pull off road https://www.cruzetalk.com/threads/engine-overheating-coolant-engine-not-starting.123329/ https://repairpal.com/have-2013-chevy-cruze-car-overheated-last-night-wont-start-help-please-593 https://www.vehiclehistory.com/questions/what-are-some-of-the-2013-chevy-cruze-overheating-problems-230053 https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/cruze/2013/consumer-reviews/ According to a ranking of 87 Chevrolet generations by their reliability ratings on ChevroletProblems.com, the first-generation Chevy Cruze sedans from 2011 to 2015 ranked dead last. What Chevy Cruze problems make this car the worst Chevrolet model to buy? https://www.motorbiscuit.com/why-the-cruze-is-the-worst-chevy-vehicle-to-buy/ "Coolant leaks related to engine and lower transmission. Found immediately after warranty ran out. Later incident, coolant reservoir emptied resulting from a leak." Anonymous, WI (2013 Chevrolet Cruze LS 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/chevrolet/cruze/2013/reliability/#body_integrity

NHTSA ODI 11464540