What 240 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Limited

P0171 CODE CONTINUES TO COME UP, VALVE COVER AND INTAKE MANIFOLD HAVE BEEN REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES, WITHIN A WEEK BREAKS AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11353886

I WAS IN A CRASH ON JULY 27,2020,PM HOURS.I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON INTERSTATE,IT BEGAN RAINING,I SLOWED DOWN & ADJUSTED TRACTION CONTROL/STABILITY CONTROL SETTING.THE CAR VEERED TO THE RIGHT FOR SOME REASON,I GOT CAR BACK IN STRAIGHT MOTION,THEN IN A SPLIT SECOND,IT SHOT TO THE LEFT OF THE ROAD WAY.I TRIED GAINING CONTROL,TO GET BACK IN THE CORRECT LANE,AND THE CAR RAN INTO THE GUARDRAIL IN TRYING TO GET CONTROL OF IT. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE RATE OF SPEED,NOR WEATHER,WERE THE ONLY REASONS FOR THIS ACCIDENT. PRIOR TO THIS CRASH,MONTHS BEFORE,AT VARIOUS TIMES,AND AND FOR NO REASON, THE SERVICE POWER STEERING,AT TIMES THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,AND AT TIMES THE SERVICE STABILITY MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR,ONLY FOR A SPLIT COUPLE OF SECONDS,AT RANDOM TIMES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON,AND A PRIOR CERTIFIED MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS BANK 1 CATALYCT CONCERTER CLOGGED. WE,WERE TRYING TO GET THE VEHICHLE RE-DIAGNOSED BY A DIFFERENT MECHANIC SHOP,AT THE TIME FRAME THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED,BUT,COVID 19,MADE THINGS TO DIFFICULT TO ARRANGE AND PLANS WERE IN PROGRESS TO HAVE IT CHECKED ASAP.I BELEIVE THE VEHICHLE HAD A MALFUNCTION AND HOPE TO GET THE SENSORS,COMPUTERS,RELAYS OR ANY OTHER CHECKED OUT BY YOU,NOT ONLY GM. EVERY AIRBAG ALONG DOORS OF CAR DEPLOYED.BUT, THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG DID NOT. MY HEAD HIT EITHER THE STEERING WHEEL OR WINDSHEILD. I HAD A BLOW TO MY HEAD. IF ALL OTHER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED,THEN I FEEL STEERING WHEEL BAG SHOULD HAVE ALSO. THIS IS SERIOUS MALFUNCTIONS. THERE WERE PROBLEMS FROM THIS CAR FROM DAY 1. THINGS WENT WRONG WAY BEFORE EXPECTED TIME FOR. SUCH AS HEATERCORE, IGNITION COIL,COOLANT LEAKS, THERMOSTAT HOUSING OUTLET, DRIVER DOOR WINDOW & MOTOR,ALL OF MOST WENT BAD BEFORE 80,000 MILES.EVEN ELECTRICAL SUCH AS DOOR CHIME,LIGHTS NOT WORKING AT CORRECT TIME. AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LED TO MY HEAD BEING HURT.THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11351042

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD OVERHEATING ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT IT. REPAIRED IT TWICE AND IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AGAIN. I HAVE CHANGED ALL COMPONENTS OF THE COOLING SYSTEM TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE COME ACROSS COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS YET?

NHTSA ODI 11349365

I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR AND SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I'M DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE RADIO SHUTS OF THEN TURNS BACK ON NUMEROUS TIMES. THEN I USUALLY GET A STABILITY'S ERROR MESSAGE. THEN THE BEST PART. THE POWER STEERING WILL COMPLETELY GO OUT WHILE CHANGING LANES OR IN MID TURN. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THROUGH A ROUND ABOUT AND ALSO WHILE MAKING SHARP TURNS TO GET ON AND OFF THE FREEWAY. THIS IS SO DANGEROUS! I SEE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS! I CALLED ONSTAR 3 TIMES IN ONE TRIP. FIRST IT DISCONNECTS BECAUSE ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SHUT OFF, THEN THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ME I HAVE TO WAIT TO CALL THEM BACK WHILE I AM LOSING MY STEERING. ONLY TO CONCLUDE THEY CAN ONLY HELP AFTER I AM IN AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THIS IS NOT GOING ON THE CAR RUNS GREAT AND I LOVE IT SO IT IS OBVIOUSLY SOME KIND OF MANUFACTURE DEFECT.

NHTSA ODI 11343767

TURBO

NHTSA ODI 11342816

CAR SHUTS OFF ABRUPTLY WHEN STOPPED OR AT TIMES WHEN SPEED IS DECREASED TO ALMOST PARKED. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AT RED LIGHTS OR WHEN CAR IS GOING UNDER 10 MPG. IT'S HAPPENED IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. I HAVE TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART THE PUSH START. THIS HAS BEEN GOING SINCE LAST SUMMER (2019) OR SO.

NHTSA ODI 11342849

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS WHEN I HEARD A POP. I WAS GOING DOWN A STEEP HILL AND PICKING UP SPEED AND THE SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR BUT IT WAS NOT SLOWING G DOWN. I STARTED PUMPING THE BRAKES AND SAW I WASN'T SLOWING DOWN FAST ENOUGH. LUCKILY THERE WAS A RUN AWAY TRUCK RAMP SO I SWERVED INTO A CONSTRUCTION ZONE AND ONTO THE TRUCK RAMP. ONCE I WAS SLOWING DOWN FINALLY I PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT.

NHTSA ODI 11340881

MY VALVE COVER HAS WENT BAD AND STARTED LEAKING OIL AROUND MY SPARK PLUGS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF MY OWN I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE FOR MANY YEAR MODELS OF THE CHEVY CRUZE. MY VALVE COVER IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE PLASTIC ON THE 2015 AND OLDER AND IS NOW A METAL ONE. I SPOKE WITH A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME HE HAS REPLACED 75 NEW VALVE COVERS THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS BUILT A NEW VALVE COVER TO REPLACE THE METAL ONE ON MY CAR. ALSO THIS METAL VALVE COVER HAS CAUSED MY CAR TO START SMOKING HEAVILY WHEN I DROVE IT TO MAKE ME HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME UNTIL I CAN GET THE ISSUE FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 11339423

I OWN A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE WITH <100K MILES, NO ACCIDENT HISTORY, AND NO PREVIOUS ISSUES. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET (<30 MPH) WHEN THE CAR STARTED PUTTERING AND SHAKING. THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND I HAD TO SWERVE TO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID CRASHING. UPON BRINGING THE CAR TO THE CERTIFIED CHEVY DEALERSHIP, WE LEARNED THE CAR HAD A DAMAGED PISTON AND CRACKED CYLINDER WALL. THE ONLY FIX WAS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE ENGINE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED JUST THE WEEK PREVIOUS. I KNOW CHEVY IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THEY RELEASED SAFETY BULLETIN PIP5421F BACK IN 2018 REGARDING THIS VERY ISSUE. I ALSO KNOW THERE IS AN ACTIVE LAWSUIT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, BUT THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO US IN MINNESOTA. I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE IN THEIR VEHICLES, AND HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL, EVEN THOUGH IT POSES A SAFETY HAZARD.

NHTSA ODI 11338818

THE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. THE LIGHT WILL CLEAR ITSELF EVENTUALLY, BUT THEN IT WILL COME BACK ON AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11338344

MY OLD COMPANY EBARA INTL CORPORATION GOT A HOLD OF MY VIN NUMBER AND MESSED WITH THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. THEIR IT GUY RICK JOHAN

NHTSA ODI 11331372

WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE AND APPLY THE BRAKE THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE AND MY FOOT IS TO THE FLOOR IT TAKES A SECONDS BEFORE BRAKES ENGAGE. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER & THEY HAVE NO ANSWER-(IT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN ) IT IS VERY SCARY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG -IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK. (STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO)

NHTSA ODI 11329892

SERVICE STABILTRAK LIGHT FLASHED, FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN 2018 THAT THIS SAME ISSUE HAS HAPPENED. MY CAR WILL SHAKE WHILE STALLED AT RED LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS. WHEN I GO TO PUT ON THE GAS MY CAR IS SLOW TO GET BACK IN GEAR AND ALMOST CAME TO A COMPLETE HALT AT A STOPLIGHT WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION IF THE PERSON BEHIND ME WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION. DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE AT ALL. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO MY CAR IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11327218

P0301 CODE; STABILITRAK LIGHT FLASHES INTERMITTENTLY; AFTER TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS THE MECHANIC STATED THAT COMPRESSION ON CYLINDERS 2-4 WAS 120PSI; CYLINDER 1 IS AT 15 PSI; AFTER FURTHER TESTING FOUND ISSUE WITH PISTON. VEHICLE WILL SHAKE WHEN RUNNING ON IDLE, SLOW TO START. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11325284

BRAKES HARD TO APPLY BRAKE ASST. LIGHT ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11325026

CAR ACCIDENT. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11323063

CAR WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY SPUTTERS AND STALLS. I GET AN ERROR MESSAGE SAYING TO CHECK AIRBAGS. THE LOCKS ON THE DOORS WILL UNLOCK AND LOCK AND UNLOCK AN LOCK MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN I PUMP GAS THE CAR WONT START IMMEDIATELY IT SPUTTERS AND CLICKS EVERY TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11321775

MY CAR HAS A BAD SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IT STARTED SMELLING LIKE A DEAD ANIMAL UNDER THE HOOD, THEN IT SMELLED LIKE ANIMAL URINE, AND NOW IT SMELLS NAUSEATING, I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT IS COMING FROM OR WHY IT'S THERE, WE ALREADY CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR ANY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE HOSES AND IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT CHEVY CRUZE OWNERS SEEM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 48K MILES ON IT AND WE LET IT SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY MORE THAN RUN IT BECAUSE OF THE SMELL. THE SMELL IS THERE WHEN YOU START THE CAR -- WE HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE DON'T OVERWHELMED WITH THE SMELL.

NHTSA ODI 11320409

MY TURBO IS GOING OUT. THE CAR HEAVILY SHAKES WHEN IN IDLE OR AT A STOP LIGHT. IT STOPPED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHILE TRYING TO CROSS THE STREET, I HAD MY FOOT COMPLETELY DOWN ON THE GAS AND THE CAR DIDNT BUDGE FOR 2 MINUTES LEAVING ME SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC..

NHTSA ODI 11320235

AFTER REPAIRING THE COOLANT SYSTEM CAR, I DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK TO ENSURE IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. UPON DOING SO, ALL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. I ALSO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO PARK IT IN THE DRIVEWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO INTO THE SELECTED GEAR. WE HAD TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT INTO THE DRIVEWAY. ALSO, ALL NOTIFICATION LIGHTS WERE ALSO LIT AT THE TIME. WHEN IT FINALLY SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THE CAR JERKED VERY HARD.

NHTSA ODI 11318168

CAR STALLS OUT AFTER AUTO STOP IS DISENGAGED. BATTERY IS DEAD CAR WONT START EVEN THO BATTERY HAS POWER. DOOR LOCKS LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THERE OWN. TOUCH SCREEN FLICKERS.

NHTSA ODI 11315736

IN LESS THAN A YEAR THE AIRBAG NEEDS SERVICING MEANING IT WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11312050

IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING HOME THE CAR WAS NOT OPERABLE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TURN THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED DOING A SCRUBBING SOUND BEFORE IT STOPPED TURNING COMPLETELY

NHTSA ODI 11310941

STABILITY OF DRIVING IS OFF, IDLING IS HARD AND SLIPS GEARS WITH LACK OF POWER AND ELECTRICAL IS GLITCHY. STARTED WHEN I WOULD DRIVE UP HILL AND DEALERSHIP CALLED IT INTERMEDIATE PROBLEM NOTHING DONE. NOW ITS ALL HAPPENING DAILY. SHIFT IS INTO THE RED ON RPM LACK OF POWER AND MY HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER AND RANDOMLY TRUNK OPENS.

NHTSA ODI 11310093

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HOME SCREEN BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING CEASED AND THE STABILITRAK WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11301466