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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).

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
12,011 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Comments

problem #4

Nov 252016

Cruze 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving to work I received the turn off ac engine to hot warning.the temperature outside was in the 50's. pulled over and saw the coolant was low, added coolant but it wouldn't stay in the tank. Took the car to arrowhead Chevrolet in peoria, AZ and was told it was the water outlet housing leaking and cost to replace was $490, the car has 69,000 and shouldn't be having this issue, the dealership could care less, called GM warranty and was told basically too bad and we are sorry but it's not under warranty and we will not provide cost assistance for the repair. Currently there is a recall for the coolant leaking at the water pump, but GM feels it shouldn't cover the water outlet housing. I'm sure it's leaking from the water pump but the service manager just wanted to make a dollar off a poor single mom. Shame on GM for knowing the issue with the coolant leaking isn't just related to the water pump but the whole cooling system!!

- Surprise, AZ, USA

problem #3

Dec 162013

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 33,043 miles
I was beginning to accelerate from at stopped position ready to enter traffic when the car hesitated to the point of stalling out. The problem is periodic. It's very scary to be pulling out into traffic and the car practically stalls. I told the dealership but they didn't take me seriously.

- Warren, MI, USA

problem #2

Jun 012011

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 4,000 miles
My 2011 Chevy Cruze has an acceleration hesitation that causes me to feel totally unsafe in the vehicle. Starting about 6 months after I bought the car in 2011 the issue began. When I need to accelerate in certain situations such as pulling out on a road, passing another vehicle, accelerating after reducing speed, etc. Etc. The car loses power when I step on the gas for three-five seconds before slowly responding and accelerating to where I need it to be. It's as if the car dies for a few seconds. Those few seconds are always in situations when I need to be moving and I don't like it. I brought the car in to the dealership and was told that it was turbo lag. Thinking I didn't know much about cars, I let it go. The issue is getting worse (and there were numerous other little issues) so I brought the car in to another dealership right before it hit 36,000 miles and was told (on two separate visits) that the problem was perfectly normal and that there was nothing they could do. They showed me a tsb from Chevrolet saying that the issue was normal. They also said they could not replicate the issue. Interestingly enough, when they had my car for a total of 7.5 days (over two separate visits) they gave me a 2013 Cruze to drive. The newer Cruze did not have the hesitation problem at all, it drove beautifully. This leads me to believe that GM realized there was an issue with the 2011 Cruze and was able to remedy it in the newer models of the car which leaves the many 2011 Cruze owners scared for their lives every time they drive their cars forever. That isn't right. There are thousands of people with the same year, make and model that have this same issue. It is dangerous!! just because no one that we know of hasn't died yet that doesn't mean that there isn't an issue. The 2011 Cruze is unsafe and someone needs to do something about it.

- Pflugerville, TX, USA

problem #1

Mar 062012

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 11,000 miles
While driving a 2011 Cruze eco with approximately 11,000 miles the car caught fire. The car was last serviced by the deal approximately 4,000 miles ago (3 months). The car was 30 miles into a 43 mile trip when it caught fire, and prior to the incident there were no warning signs of any problems with the vehicle. The only indication of a problem was slight smoke coming from the engine bay, and then as soon as the car was stopped a flame came out between the hood and the cowl area. The car was totally engulfed within 5 minutes of stopping, and it was only after the first sign of fire was visible that the warning light on the dash boar illuminated. The car is a total loss, and Chevrolet has stated they will have someone contact me in 7 to 10 days to discuss the incident. From research online it appears this is not an isolated incident, and I am concerned as I was never warned via a technical bulletin or recall of any potential issue with this vehicle. Chevrolet has not seemed to be very concerned over this issue thus far, but I am pushing for action from Chevrolet.

- Dover, DE, USA

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