CarComplaints.com Notes: In many ways, the 2012 Cruze continues the legacy of its predecessor. It's a legacy of sluggish transmissions and coolant leaks, but it's still a legacy.
On the flip-side, there's more concerns about brake problems.
However, there were far more Cruze vehicles sold for the 2012 model year so we'll give it our "Beware of this Clunker" badge rather than the "Avoid Like the Plague."
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,940 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.
On August 19, 2017, I was on the road, drove passed South center mall when I felt that there was something wrong with my engine because it wasn't driving fast as usual. I pulled over to the side of the road, at inspirus credit union in tukwila to check the engine if it was okay when I smelled a faint scent of smoke. I drove back home to park it for fear of the engine exploding. Our family mechanic checked the engine and said that the fan is too loud as if something is causing it to be overworked. The engine fan has always been loud after my oil change on July 21, 2017. The engine light has not been turned off since the oil change and I know that there is something wrong with the vehicle. Also, I entered the VIN number online and it said that the recall on my car is incomplete. The dealer did not inform me about the recall nor mentioned anything about it when I bought it. They did not give me a written letter of the recall or even specified the recall being incomplete.
2012 check Cruze w VIN number that shows no recall has the same problem as recalled cars. Dated and mfrd in the same months. Transmission problem "surging" or jumping out of gear and then back in. Later the car did not go in reverse from a parked position and finally, the car stopped 100% and would not drive. At no time was the car being raced, at highway speeds or struggling with large hills or etc. Speeds were at side road speeds of 0(parking lot) -25-35 mph zones. Mileage is at 72,000 miles clearly within the 1000,000 mile timeframe. This transmission problem from looking at all of the reported across the net should be definitively on recall as I've read many reviews about the 2011 and 2012 models having these transmission problems. All 2012 models not just some of the dates. It clearly appears that all months of 2012 models were affected.
(this letter is about holding individuals accountable for their responsibilities.) we purchased a new car in 2012 a Chevy Cruze, the transmission failed on 7-15-2017 it needs a rebuild. ( this to us is unacceptable ) we have never had a vehicle with this issue. We always take care of preventive maintenance on time and when it's due. The fluids in this car are never low or leaking, it never pulls or hauls loads, it's never abused or overheated to cause this issue. We had the car towed by aaa 7-17-2017 to master transmission in rosemount mn, after learning this will cost $3500 to repair, we called Chevrolet customer assistance center at 1-800-222-1020 on 7-18-2017 talked to arleen, we explained our situation she took our information, gave us a case # 8-3096863922, she said she could help, they will take care of this and not to worry. She transferred us to GM roadside assistance and they towed the car to valley Chevrolet dealership in hastings mn. On 7-20-2017 this dealership called us and said they received an email from Chevrolet stating Chevrolet will pay zero for this repair. The problem is ( why did they say they can help & will take care of this ) then tow the car willingly to the dealership and then reverse their decision ? on top of all this the dealership wants even more money over $3700 to repair. This Chevrolet corporation made our situation even worse because they don't stand behind their product or words. It's a higher repair at dealership and they willingly towed the car to dealership and now want us to pay tow back to rosemount mn. We never knew we were buying a $20,000 disposable vehicle. We have (2 ignition keys) 1 broke in half under normal use, the other key has a fracture on the verge of snapping in half from normal use.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while stationary, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that smoke came from under the hood of the vehicle directly after the vehicle was purchased. Chevrolet of broadsheadville, Pennsylvania was made aware of the series of failures and diagnosed that the engine coolant thermostat was faulty. In addition, the transmission was replaced, under a manufacturers recall, but the failure recurred thereafter. The dealer stated that the contact would have to get used to the new transmission and the way the vehicle operated after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty in regards to the mileage. The failure mileage was 78,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 09/06/17
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. While operating the vehicle, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle hesitated when changing gears. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.
Clutch smell very strong door dust all over engine car has 9000 miles on it also getting a engine code says cruise control sensor this car don't have cruise control dealer says clutch not under warranty I'm very dissapointed with the power in the engine car has no power for going up any slope or hills way under powered.
Driver side windshield wiper becomes detached from wiper transmission when driving at highway speeds and simultaneously using windshield wipers. This poses significant danger because visibility is drastically reduced in rainy or snowy conditions. Car lurches forward when at a stop and transmission is in drive.
Car goes into a power down mode and stabilitrak light comes on. Has been in dealership for a week and stored no codes to diagnose. Can be driving down the highway at 60 and have loss of power. Will eventually cause accident. Car is still under powertrain warranty and cant be diagnosed.
I was out driving on our way home about 1 mile from my house, . I saw steam emit from the front of the hood. Pulled into my driveway and walked around to the front of vehicle. There was a burning kind of smell, opened hood and saw engine oil all over the bottom of engine, parts and underneath car all over the underbody. Also large puddle on the ground. The car has 42,000 miles on it and had it towed to the Chevy dealer immediately and there it sits waiting to figure out what caused this to happen. And the estimate and our if it is under the powertrain warranty. This was really scary once I opened the hood and the burning smell was bad. I have had several recalls on my car that I guess we're corrected. I'm not a mechanic. I have kept up on all maintenance and oil changes with the car dealer. In fact I just had an oil change 2 months ago by the dealer. You know they tell you to use synthetic oil it will last the longest in between oil changes. I'm stunned because I do not know how this would happen so suddenly. Is this related to any recalls?
My 2012 Chevy Cruze eco suddenly lost power and acceleration was very poor on 10/29/2016. Almost got hit trying to pull out from a stop sign because the power was no longer there to take off. After having an auto mechanic shop look at the car on 10/31/2016 we discovered that the oil line from the block or where the oil supply comes from for the turbo had been a plastic line that had melted and stopped oil from flowing to the turbo charger. This appears to be a poor design on GM's part to use plastic lines for something that will obviously be transferring hot oil. It seems to have caused the turbo to burn up and also created an exhaust leak. I am still waiting on a final price from the mechanic shop to find out how much damage was done. They have called me today 11/1/2016 and asked that I come in so they can show me more damage they have found as a result of this line melting. I have spoken to one of the owners at [xxx] family of dealerships and they were of no help stating that it is out of warranty. Really" it is a defective design flaw so why should I be having to pay for the repair" I would like some help with this issue please! I know I have 140000+/- miles on the car but it has been mostly highway miles and maintenance has always been done on the vehicle. I use this for my work and family vehicle so it is not driven hard or abused in anyway. I hate the fact of turning in a complaint that involves a dealer that I have recommended to so many people in the past but he was of no help at all and really showed no concern that there was an issue like this with a vehicle that he had sold. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine fan keeps running and dealership insists it's norman but it wasn't happening from 2012 through 2014. Happens when I start the car and engine is cold, when sitting at light a light, with air on or off. I bought it brand new. I have the feeling they're waiting for something major to happen. I'm very concerned. I've had it checked 3 times. They say it's normal, but if it were doing this when I bought it, I definitely wouldn't have. Please help, I don't want to die!
Stabili trak check engine light and error message transmission fluid leakage out of bottom of vehicle on driver side causing strong burning oder inside car while in motion car seems like it gore into neutral not allowing driver to push gas. Immediately get to a safe place and cut vehicle off to avoid excessive damage, if on busy road or freeway be very careful not sure what happens at regular speed of road or freeways. I was in a school zone and received police assistance for traffic control.
My dad and I noticed that after my car had been driven for awhile that the fan began running really hard then I noticed about a month ago that my check engine light came on. I had a mechanic check it and he told me that it was code P0599 which is the thermostat control circuit. He sd that he believed there had been a recall at one time but for me to contact the dealer. I called rod hatfield here in lexington, ky and was told that there has been several cars of my year and model with these issues but there was not a recall issued for this and I would have to pay to get it fixed.
Car just stopped in traffic and would not move it gave no warning that anything was wrong. It is a good thing I was not on a highway or I may not be here to tell you about this right now. It was in motion and just stopped and would not move. I could not even push it out of the middle of the road. The car behind me almost hit me. It was a very dangerous situation.
When I turned off the car, the dic showed the message "shift car into park." The car was already in park. I tried to move the shifter up a little to be sure that it was completely in park, but it did not move. I had to start the car again to get it to turn off.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. While driving 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle jerked before accelerating. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the gears, bearings, and housing in the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there were metal filings in the transmission and that the internal components in the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 27,390.
Car suddenly shifted into 4th gear while going 70 mph. Squalled left front tire, and violently snatched steering wheel to the left. After shutting car off, the problem was gone. Shortly after, stabilitrack, and steering alarm appeared on message display. That cleared once shut-off. Three weeks later it occurred again. This time, on a trip, it did the exact same problems four times in a row. This is a very dangerous problem. If I had not had a firm grip on the wheel, I would have been hurt. I pity the fool who tailgates me! I took the car to the local dealer, and had the California flash "recall" done. Sense that the transmission has not shifted down while at high speeds, but now, the stabilitrack, and ABS lights are staying on.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Seattle, WA, USA