What 698 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

The contact stated that the key-fob failed to lock and unlocking of the failed intermittenly. The key fob was the original manufactured key fob. The dealer had been contacted, and the key fob was reprogrammed. The failure persisted. The dealer was contacted again, and it was diagnosed that the circuit board would slip inside the key fob itself, causing the malfunction. The key fob was replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and due to the vehicle no longer being covered under warranty, they opened and then closed a case. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11741219

On May 25, 2026, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Central Time, after the vehicle had been operated under normal conditions and subsequently parked, a fire originated within the vehicle’s engine compartment and/or under-hood area. Personnel from the Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. An official fire investigation report is pending and is expected to be available within the coming week. The incident has been documented through photographs and video recordings, all of which have been preserved. The vehicle itself remains in its post-fire condition and has been retained for inspection. At this time, the precise cause and origin of the fire have not been determined, of which no warning lamps nor other symptoms of a problem prior to incident.

NHTSA ODI 11740155

Service traction control and stabil has repeatedly came on it messes with the car by slowing it down

NHTSA ODI 11734625

I was driving my car and all of a sudden out of nowhere my car speed gage starts to bounce up and down my engine sounds like it’s stuck in first gear and won’t shift and I can’t go any faster then 35 mph and I tried to make it to a spot to pull over and it altogether stoped accelerating so I was stuck pulling over right there because it wouldn’t accelerate. I shut it off and let it sit for a bit and it started right back up like normal and drove fine till I got to a certain length of driving and it was doing it all over again like it was in limp mode and all my electrical stuff was on the Frits as well so I haven’t been able to drive it since because it keeps doing it and I haven’t spent hundreds of dollars putting it in a shop three times already only to have it go back and do it again and my brakes when I press on them make a squishing sound and then some clicking sound before it goes into limp mode i don’t know where to even begins to fix it at and it was all out of nowhere. It was driving fine then all of a sudden this crap starts

NHTSA ODI 11730993

I remote started my car using the factory installed remote starter, and approximately 5 minutes later I heard my car alarm start going off, so I went to investigate and when I opened the drivers side door, my car was filled with smoke and flames were coming up from the front passenger footwell, underneath the dash where the HVAC blower motor is located. I closed the drivers door and rushed inside to grab a fire extinguisher, but within those 10 seconds I was away, the fire has more than tripled in size. So when I opened the passenger door to use the extinguisher, the fire had grown out of control. With the fire put out, I started looking around and noticed that the engine bay for the car still has rubber hoses and pieces of plastic that are fully intact and haven't been burned, yet the interior of the car is completely gone. I have reason to believe the blower motor was the source of the fire. After talking to a few others that own the same car as me, some have said they've been noticing a burning smell and minor traces of smoke coming from that same area

NHTSA ODI 11704174

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 98,000. It was later discovered upon checking the Carfax report that the mileage was 107,000.

NHTSA ODI 11697870

A engine always seems to run hot smells like it's burning constantly leaks coolant even after repairing electrical problems reoccurring smells like weird chemicals inside of the car when you turn on smells like gasoline and coolant this occurs every day

NHTSA ODI 11696240

The steering wheel keeps locking up while driving fast/slow or turning. Everything shuts off, then back on and all codes flash. My car literally locks up, it’s really unsafe when I can’t control the vehicle. Almost hit another car, due to steering wheel locking up. Only thing I was told at the Chevy dealer house was there were no recalls. So they wouldn’t look unless they got to charge me. This issue started happening about five months ago. And I drive like a grandma.

NHTSA ODI 11687475

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the door locks were opening and closing independently. The contact stated that the instrument cluster was also flashing several unknown warning lights. The contact stated that the heater and the A/C were also functioning independently. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but became a constant failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission occasionally slipped out of gear, almost causing the vehicle to stall, making the steering wheel difficult to turn. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact replaced the 12-Volt battery and the fuse box; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.

NHTSA ODI 11663067

My service lights keep popping on and start shaking etc.

NHTSA ODI 11660575

N/A

NHTSA ODI 11643067

ABS pump motor stuck X2 & is available for inspection. Brakes could potentially fail putting mine & other's safety at risk. Warning lamps were illuminated. This is the second time this has happened, pump motor was already replaced. There is a recall issued but not for my vehicle specifically. CAN BUS Communication issues.

NHTSA ODI 11640260

My car caught fire driving down the road

NHTSA ODI 11637979

I am writing to submit a formal complaint regarding serious safety violations and malpractice by SLValley Chevrolet, along with accountability concerns with General Motors (GM). This complaint follows an existing case with the Utah Attorney General Consumer Protection Division (Complaint SR:9-1384660535) and highlights multiple incidents that compromise vehicle safety and public well-being. Summary of Issues: 1. **Electrical Issues and Unsafe Repairs**: I incurred substantial costs, including a recent invoice of **$2,210.72** dated **October 23, 2024**, for a supposed resolution Salt Lake Valley Chevrolet was supposed to have resvoled for an electrical issue. Despite this, the electrical problems remained unresolved, indicating a lack of professional workmanship and charges for servces not rendedered. Also additional time and money wasted. 2. **Damaged Oil Pan**: Salt Lake Valley Chevrolet caused damage to my oil pan, and they attempted to charge me **$866.00** for this damage. I believe this to be an unfair and unjust practice that reflects poorly on the integrity of their service. I authorized an oil change with the electrical issue and after service the car came home leakinig oil. They damaged the components. An oil change would not have been conducted had there been damage. The April invoice with this company will also show a previous oil change and at that time no issue. 3. **Continued Safety Hazards**: I paid **$531.12** on **September 23, 2024**, for a battery cable replacement, oil change, and tire rotation, which resulted in a new leaking oil issue and a flat tire. My vehicle broke down in traffic due to these unresolved problems, creating a potential accident hazard on the road. Tried to charge me for the damage they caused to oil pan and plug. 4. **Carcinogenic Smoke Exposure**: I faced severe health risks due to inhaling carcinogenic smoke following a service in **February 2024**. A leak at the turbo line feed was noted, and d

NHTSA ODI 11622124

Car shut off while driving on highway. Service power steering and service airbag came on. Tried to jump it but that didn’t work. Car shut off while doing 70 mph on the highway. Was almost hit trying to get car to shoulder. I have just read that there are hundreds of complaints regarding the same thing.

NHTSA ODI 11619509

Car dies at 3 rpm’s, mechanic says it’s a faulty computer and that it is a very well known problem with this year of Chevy Cruze. I have to have the computer replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11605725

Faulty ignition switch. Vehicle attempts to start on its own. Could be a very serious issue with car parked in a garage.

NHTSA ODI 11605318

Turned the car off, exited the vehicle. After a few minutes we could hear and see the car trying to start on its own. The headlights came on and even though it was in park it moved slightly.

NHTSA ODI 11601038

Was parked on a slight incline with the car completely off and keys out of ignition. My daughter, her cousin and I exited the car and were walking in front of it. As we got in front of it my car made a sound like it was about to start. The headlights came on and the entire vehicle jerked forward a bit. It almost hit us.

NHTSA ODI 11601042

The car starts smoking upon acceleration and the engine light comes on. It also has a lot of oil on top of the engine. I took the car to an independent dealership and he stated the engine and gaskets are bad and this is a common problem with the 2014 Chevy Cruz. I've been told there was a recall and read online of a recall on the engine. However, I did not see a recall when I entered the VIN number on the national database. I need for a manufacturer representative to contact me as soon as possible to make this situation right.

NHTSA ODI 11596172

The dashboard lights, radio, electronic speedometer turns off occasionally. It does not seem to affect the car's engine. The Radio sound will go off. The electronics will come back on in about a second or two and "Service Stabilitrak" will appear on the center screen in the dashboard. When it does happen, it will happen a few times within about 5 minutes. It then won't happen again for a while. . . Perhaps a month or 2 months. It seems to happen at a random time. . i.e. not during acceleration or hard stopping. It's troubling because 1) it's distracting, 2) it is uncertain if critical components (breaking, steering, engine performance) is affected, 3) perhaps it would cause other car malfunction. I found a few ideas, online, that point to a bad engine to frame ground cable and/or bad negative battery cable. Here's an example: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11590003

Various parts of the cooling system have failed on this vehicle multiple times even after under warranty repair (twice in as many years beginning in 2018) at a licensed dealership; and again several more times since, most recently this week. At no point did a Chevrolet/GM employee/representative alert me of known common issues, and they even incredulously asked me who did prior repairs when it was indeed, their dealership. In all, nearly every hose been replaced at least three times, reservoir tanks replaced, and thousands of dollars outside of warranty repairs have occurred on the same components. The vehicle has completely blown hoses while driving and filled the cabin with burning, noxious, and sweet smells, and fogged up the windshield with vaporized fluids. Coolant certainly leaks and works it way into the cabin. I was not made aware of any known issues though this appears it is a common problem with this vehicle. Issues with the battery/powder have also plagued this vehicle. It results in the "stabilitrak" failing randomly, electrical issues that causing power failures and disruptions to dashboard lights and components, sound system (including from the radio, to the sounds of the blinker and alerts), and engine power getting cut off. These incidents started occurring after about a year of purchasing the vehicle (certified used) in 2017. It appears the previous owner also faced these problems. I do not currently have paperwork of the repairs but they can be obtained. Date given is of the most recent incident with the first instance occurring in 2018. I also believe this vehicle may be a victim of the airbag defect, causing a possibly premature deployment of the side airs bags only during a front tire collision. Plastic pieces broke off and caused injuries to my scalp and shoulder, though the recall would not be issued for at least 2 years.

NHTSA ODI 11583485

Car all of a sudden started to slow down on the highway throwing all kinds of codes like service stabillitrac, throttle body position sensor, pressure intake manifold and lots of other ones

NHTSA ODI 11572218

I have had my 2014 Chevy Cruze for 2 years now and have kept up with regular maintenance. My vehicle rocks back and forth while on the brakes, there’s an constant issue with the traction control system, my automatic lights don’t work (I have to many turn on the light in order for the brake lights to turn on), the vehicle shakes side to side when braked, and so much more. When I take the vehicle to be looked at every mechanic and shop tells me there’s nothing wrong or they don’t know.

NHTSA ODI 11549976

the negative battery cable terminal clamp has an insufficient crimp at the battery negative terminal causing intermittent issues with the vehicle. Radio/HVAC Display has turned off and on; the Antilock Brake System, Service Traction System, Service Stabilitrac and Steering vehicle messages come on and off; the turn signal sound may not be heard; “Service Steering” displays in the Driver Information Center (DIC); and the interior and exterior lighting flickers. Power steering assist has also be lost, and greater effort has been needed to turn the steering wheel at low speeds or while the vehicle is stopped. This is a known safety issue and SB-100-57574-8899 was previously issued for some but not all of the Chevy Cruze models and my 2014 should have been included in this recall.

NHTSA ODI 11523737