Print this page

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.

To be fair, the number of complaints about the cooling system are way down versus the 2011 model which led to a class-action lawsuit.

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:
10 / 13
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
53,553 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.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Comments (Page 9 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #95

Jun 082016

Cruze

  • miles

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

In Dec of 2015 I had to replace the thermostat with only 39000 on it check engine light on fan racing. 6 months later it's happening again check engine light on fan racing now there saying it might be an electrical problem.I have driven Chevy for 30 years and never have I had this much trouble this will be my last. From reading the forums it seems like a lot of people have the same problems why isn't there a recall on this car.

- Round Lake Beach, IL, USA

problem #94

Sep 122012

Cruze

  • 10,000 miles
I've went through 7 turbos, I bought the car brand new. Im now having electrical issues with it.

- Lake Geneva, WI, USA

problem #93

May 032016

Cruze

  • 50,000 miles
Driving my car at about 25mph started to hear a rattle in it. When went to accelerate the car started to smoke and had no power. When idling you could hear the motor "work" and it had a jump in it. Only has 50,000 miles and has never been driven hard. Of course it's out of warranty now and I have no clue why it wouldn't accelerate and started smoking. The engine light came on and was still on when I left my car sitting on the side of the road.

- Roulette, PA, USA

problem #92

Apr 152016

Cruze

  • 96,454 miles

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

I was starting to cross a busy intersection when the engine loss power light and stability control light came on. Car would not go over 5 miles an hour. Just about 90 days ago it was at the Chevy dealership for same problem where the throttle body and all sensors were replaced.

- Bremen, GA, USA

problem #91

Mar 242016

Cruze

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. While driving 30 mph depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle sputtered and stalled, and the service engine light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cam cover needed to be replaced and the fuel trim needed to be reset. The repairs were performed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed again to the dealer. The contact stated that the stabilitrac warning light remained illuminated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

- Dale, TX, USA

problem #90

Apr 062016

Cruze

  • 40 miles
Engine starts shaking when air conditioner is on and while in stop sigh.

- Alpine, TX, USA

problem #89

Mar 172016

Cruze

  • miles

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

Vehicle has 29,980 approximate miles. Vehicle had a leaking torque converter seal. While dealership was removing transmission, a stray bolt fell from the interior of the motor. Bolt does not belong to car. It has damaged the bell housing. No other damage has been reported at this moment.

- Busseron, IN, USA

problem #88

Mar 092016

Cruze

  • 48,000 miles
I purchased a new 2012 Cruze eco new and currently have 48K miles on it. This weekend the Cruze twice had the following problems: 1. dic error - engine power reduced 2. dic error - service stabilitrak 3. check engine light engine power was reduced to peak out at 10 mph. Luckily the power steering was unaffected and I was able to get the Cruze home without accident. Letting the Cruze sit for a few minutes in the off position seemed to clear the issue, but it was still scary to have the engine shut down like it did. Local dealer confirmed that the throttle body was junk and replaced it but not under any warranty. Total cost was $400. Dealer confirmed that similar issue is occurring with Sierra pickups and the TB is covered under the powertrain warranty. Very disappointed that the TB was not covered as an engine component. Many Cruze owners are having this problem...look on cruzetalk.com. The TB should not be wearing out at 48K...or 100K.

- North Andover, MA, USA

problem #87

Feb 172016

Cruze

  • 70,000 miles
Vehicle cuts out while at a stop light like it wants to shut off, car was running about 10 minutes and in motion at 30 mph for 5 minutes when it started, then drove on the highway for 30 minutes and through town another 10 minutes, when I got home it was still cutting out, I was almost home when I noticed the engine light came on. Today I did fill my gas tank. It has done this on other occasions but not as bad as it did today and this was the first time the engine light came on. My car has a little over 70,000 miles on it, I've done regular oil changes, when I looked under the hood I noticed liquid around my motor gaskets and the tray under it, I couldn't tell if it was oil or antifreeze. Warranty has ran out.

- Bedford, IN, USA

problem #86

Jan 292016

Cruze

  • 59,785 miles
61,000 miles and car is showing repeated P2135 codes for throttle/pedal senor issue and places the car in limited power mode. Event has happened during warm-up, at stop signs and lights, local street speeds, and during highway travel/speeds. I have cleared the issue using obd II tool and phone app.

- Oxford, PA, USA

problem #85

Feb 092016

Cruze

  • 36,000 miles

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

I just purchased my 2012 Chevy Cruze 3 months ago, it has 36,000 miles. Last week when I started off to work I got a reduced engine power message and the car would not accelerate. I read the manuel and followed the instructions, turned off the car, waited and restarted, but it still would not accelerate. I checked online for reported problems with the car and found that many people have had the same issue. I called the dealership and was told I could take the car in but would have to pay for any repairs because there was no recall on this problem. A few days later I started the car and it seemed fine so I tried driving it. It was fine for the first 15 minutes but then the reduced engine power light came on again and the car would not accelerate once again. I had to pull off to the side of the road, turn off the car and wait several minutes to be able to drive a short distance before the problem happened again. Thank god I was not on the highway when this happened or I could have been in a terrible accident. I can not believe that with so many owners reporting the same problem there has not been a recall. Also it appears the manufacturer was aware of the problem from the beginning because in the owners manuel they tell you what to do if this should happen.

- Fortville, IN, USA

problem #84

Feb 092016

Cruze

  • 69,265 miles
Around sunrise on a highway with an adult passenger the car lost all power instantly. The steering was heavy and the brakes had very little power. We was able to drift over to a safe area. The way this car performs with little braking effort it can cause some bad accidents in other enviroments such as mountains. The safety of the Chevrolet Cruze models needs to be improve.

- Euclid, OH, USA

problem #83

Feb 022016

Cruze

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. While driving 40 mph, the cooling fan was activated and the thermostat gauge indicated that the vehicle was running hot. Upon further notice, the contact noticed liquid leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump, water pump housing, and the thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

- Buford, GA, USA

problem #82

Dec 152015

Cruze

  • 54,000 miles
While driving the car loses power and comes back. This happens at any speed or even taking off from a stop sign. There have been several occisions

- Mexico, MO, USA

problem #81

Nov 182015

Cruze

  • 30,000 miles
Chevrolet Cruze recall my 2012 Chevrolet Cruze was recalled twice, once of overheating while driving, and once for brake failure when crawling, such a parking. The dealership tried to fix these problems, but the brakes still fail, and now the uses 1 quart every week. The brake failure recently reoccurred when my spouse was parking and she hit a wall and damages the car. The dealer has since told me they do not know why the car is consuming oil, so I have elevated the issue to GM I think that the ntsb has to further monitor this problem to ascertain why the recalled items are still failing.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #80

Nov 262015

Cruze

  • 43,224 miles
We had 6 recalls we never new about turn out the car broke down call dealer and said we receive that day a recall car was not drivable call power train they sent a wreaker recall were fix now their charging 2,200 for a ecotec turbocharger that's crack in a GM web site wheres their is a recall but yet have not receive one this is a single mom of 4 kids we need car fix asap help please my brother has a wrecker service its in fort stockton tx not drivable bad load nose just started in motion this car 3yrs old very upset.

- Alpine, TX, USA

problem #79

Aug 152015

Cruze

  • miles
Smells like burning oil took car to my mechanic and said there is some oil spilling on side of engine.

- Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

problem #78

Dec 152014

Cruze

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and there was a strong oil odor coming from the vehicle. In addition, there was excessive smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that there was an oil leak, but the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- East Orange, NJ, USA

problem #77

Oct 232015

Cruze

  • 106,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. After filling the vehicle with fuel, the contact started the vehicle and it made a sputtering noise and began to shake. The contact stated that the engine warning indicator was consistently illuminated. The contact turned the key to the off position; however, the engine did not power off. It took several attempts to power the engine off. The contact released the accelerator pedal and kept the vehicle parked for approximately five minutes until the shaking and sputtering ceased. The failure recurred on several occasions when fueling the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

- Honaker, VA, USA

problem #76

Oct 172015

Cruze

  • 50,000 miles
Twice I have walked back to my car & found that the engine has remained on. After parking, I press the engine on/off button, exit the car, lock all doors with the fob and walk away. This time, I parked in a very large, crowded public parking lot. I was at least 6 blocks away from the car for 2 hours. Thankfully, this has occurred when the car is outside, not in my garage. In recent light of people succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning due to this very situation occurring with cars in closed garages, I would expect a voluntary or forced recall to remedy this GM admitted design decision.

- Lothian, MD, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?