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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)

1 of 240 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 16, 2017Transmission & drivetrainFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO REVERSE ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT REMOVED THEMSELVES FROM THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED LIQUID COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A ROLLING STOP AT WHICH POINT THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED A FIRE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT RECEIVED A DIAGNOSING FOR THE FAILURE AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED TO CONTACT THEIR INSURANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 10986039

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 →