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What 240 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (240)Crash / fire / injury (27)Engine (98)Electrical system (57)Fuel system (34)Transmission & drivetrain (31)Airbags (21)Brakes (17)Steering (17)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (16)Speed control (10)Body & structure (7)

57 of 240 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 3 of 3

Oct 18, 2016Electrical systemEngineFire

VEHICLE PROVED TO BE SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTIVE THUS THE CAR BURNED UP IN A FIRE DUE TO ELECTRICAL HARNESS CATCHING FIRE AS STATED FIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE INSPECTOR. NO SIGNS SHOWED ANY IMMINENT DANGER, THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE BARELY ESCAPED BEFORE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION BEING DRIVEN ON A CITY STREET.

NHTSA ODI 10917216

Sep 19, 2016SteeringElectrical system

2016 CRUZE THE STEERING LOCKED AS I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC WITH MY 16 YEAR DAUGHTER ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS GOING OFF AND ON. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES STEERING RELEASED AND RADIO SYSTEM CAME BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. WE PURCHASED THIS CRUZE FOR MY 16 YR DAUGHTER AS HER FIRST CAR BUT FIND IT VERY UNSAFE. THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY HAZARD THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. CHEVY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM AND GET THIS FIXED. THIS HAPPENED 9/14/16 AND CAR IS STILL AT DEALERSHIP. SERVICE TECH CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. HE WAS NOT EVEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT HIMSELF.

NHTSA ODI 10908050

Sep 9, 2016Electrical system

RENTAL CAR FROM AVIS HAS AN OPEN RECALL AND THEY RENTED THE CAR IN ATLANTA, GA ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.

NHTSA ODI 10904936

Jul 26, 2016Engine & coolingElectrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CHECK POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE. AFTER COASTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BLACK SMOKE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE WINDOW VENTS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, THE DOORS WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY UNLOCK. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND WITNESSED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 10/18/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. UPDATED 10/19/16.*JB

NHTSA ODI 10888542

Jun 28, 2016Electrical systemEngine

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH MY 2016 CHEVY CRUZE WITH LESS THAN 1300 MILES ONIT. DEALERSHIP CANT GET ME IN UNTIL LATE NEXT WEEK!!! WHY IS THIS ON ALREADY!!

NHTSA ODI 10881312

Jun 7, 2016Electrical system

CAR STOPPED AND WAS COMPLETELY DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY, HAZARD LIGHTS DIDN'T WORK. ONSTAR DIDN'T WORK, I COULDN'T ROLL WINDOWS DOWN AND COULD NOT UNLOCK DOORS TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. 10 MINS LATER VEHICLE RESTARTED LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED BACK TO DEALERSHIP SEEING AS CAR WAS LEASED ONLY 14 DAYS PRIOR, THEY STATED THIS WAS A KNOWN RECALL AND THAT BATTERY CABLE WASN'T PROPERLY SECURED. I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH GM SAID THEY ISSUED IT ON 5/24/16 AND THIS HAPPENED ON 6/1/16. DEALERSHIP AND GM BOTH REFUSED RESPONSIBILITY STATING IT WAS A KNOWN RECALL WHEN I ASKED TO RETURN THE CAR THAT ALMOST KILLED ME AND OFFERED ABSOLUTELY NO ESCAPE ROUTE. BEWARE THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF THE 2016 CHEVY CRUZE WITHOUT BATTERY POWER; DOORS AUTO LOCK AND "KNOB" RECEDES INTO DOOR AND CANNOT BE MANUALLY OPENED IN ANY WAY.

NHTSA ODI 10873002

May 24, 2016Electrical system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10870498

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Working with the data? Download all 240 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 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Limited verdict →