CarComplaints.com Notes: What’s that smell – it’s a tad sweet with a tinge of chemical toxicity? If you own a 2011 Cruze it’s probably a coolant leak. It’s a widespread and notorious problem for the car and is the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed in the state of New York. And that’s not the only problem 2011 owners face…
Many say the 2011 model year suffers from a throttle lag that is probably due to a fauly electronic throttle control. The problem is signifigant enough that some owners say they are too scared to drive their cars. Those that do get behind the wheel often say their transmission isn’t shifting properly and problems start occuring as early as 15,000 miles.
All of this leads us to say you’re probably better off without this car’s headaches (they’re probably chemically-induced anyway).
I just got this piece of junk out of the shop, another 300 bucks later. I cannot even begin to tell you all the issues and money I have put into this car.
In the last year I have had to replace the valve cover two different times. This time the car had a horrible chirping in the engine. I took the belt off, noise is still there. I brought it to the shop, they had it four days and could not find what was causing the chirping noise. When I'm idling the RPM's will drop and the car sounds like it's going to die.
Stay tuned, this is one of a million MAJOR issues I've had with this car.
It is literally the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned.
Dealerships have not been able to fix this problem, claim that since it does not affect the drive-ability of the car it should not be a concern. The best description of the noise is as follows:
Sounds like it is coming from engine or transmission
Only occurs while vehicle is being driven (not in reverse,though)
Is more easily heard in gears 1, 2, 3, and 4
Does not appear to be linked to the clutch engagement/disengagement
Simultaneous with noise, slight vibration can be felt in gas pedal
Does not happen at any particular RPM or under any certain condition - seems random but occurs more when accelerating within gears 1-3, and decelerating between gears 3 and 2.
Mechanics have tried telling me it's a heat shield. UNBELIEVABLE. They literally have no clue what it is. Note, that i have had all recalls (and there were many) taken care of, the clutch plate which was installed backward without a pilot bushing at the factor was fixed, a gouged journal was "patched up" and resealed (?), the transmission is apparently "full" according to the "finger test" by the mechanic, changed the fluid several times, and the thermostat / thermo body was replaced.
OH, and there appears to be smoke coming from under the hood which I cannot locate either...seems to happen more in rainy weather where condensation is right ... kind of cold weather where you can see your breath. This isn't normal, of course...but can't locate that problem either and i wonder if the two are related.
WORST ... CAR ... EVER. Calling GM to demand answers, still in warranty period and the car has been in the shop for 23 days.
For the past week or two I have noticed a loud noise while driving the car. Sounds like a fan that is running harder than normal. I called both my husband and father yesterday telling them that this piece of crap is about to break down again. Sure enough, last night the check engine light came on. It is 2,500 mi outside of warranty and I'll probably have to pay out of pocket. This is the 3rd major problem that I have had with this car! Took it to the dealership and will update once I hear what they say, but wanted to get this complaint up as soon as possible since this car appears to be junk!
Update from Dec 11, 2012: Sorry about my previous comment - it was the water pump - not fuel pump.
My cruze makes this flute sound when you get to speeds of about 65-70 mph. We took it into the dealer and they could not figure out what it was. We have had many problems with this car. GM customer service is a TOTAL JOKE.. Yeah hello my name is PEGGY.. We also had a problem that the car would not go over 35 mph and had to be taken into the shop for just 9 days to fix. While this is a nice car to look at, it really SUCKS.... If you're going to buy GM get an Impala... I miss mine....
- kristinpgh,
Jefferson Hills, PA, US
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I just got this piece of junk out of the shop, another 300 bucks later. I cannot even begin to tell you all the issues and money I have put into this car.
In the last year I have had to replace the valve cover two different times. This time the car had a horrible chirping in the engine. I took the belt off, noise is still there. I brought it to the shop, they had it four days and could not find what was causing the chirping noise. When I'm idling the RPM's will drop and the car sounds like it's going to die.
Stay tuned, this is one of a million MAJOR issues I've had with this car.
It is literally the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned.
- outofhabit81, Brockport, NY, US