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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:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,495 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

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2012 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #38

Jan 182024

Cruze

  • 200,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH the vehicle started running rough and then stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and the stabili-trak symbol were illuminated. The contact stated that an engine over heating warning had flashed. The contact pulled off the highway and attempted to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle failed to restart and was towed back to the residence. The contact stated that he had observed that the vehicle was leaking coolant, and that the vehicle had previously stalled prior to the failure on the highway; however, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was also leaking oil. The contact had researched online and related the oil leak to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

problem #37

Jul 292023

Cruze

  • 117,969 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle restarted inadvertently, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 117,969.

- Riverdale, GA, USA

problem #36

Apr 142022

Cruze

  • 41,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer for an oil change and was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he took the vehicle back to the local dealer on May 3, 2023, for another oil change and was informed for a second time that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

- Bellwood, IL, USA

problem #35

Jun 122021

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 95,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he smelled a burning odor and saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact then drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the front valve cover gasket and oil pan were leaking. The front valve cover gasket and seals were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Low Power" was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the front valve cover gasket and seals were replaced. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that the thermostat had overheated and had melted the coolant hoses. The thermostat and coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where the front valve cover gasket and seals, the thermostat, five coolant hoses and coolant reservoir were replaced; however, the oil leak persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Curry Center Auto Center, Inc. Chevrolet (2906 E Buick Cadillac Blvd, Bloomington, IN 47401) where the coolant sealant hoses, the front crank seal, the oil cooler, and other unknown repairs were completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle model had been discontinued. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

- Columbus, IN, USA

problem #34

Jan 102020

Cruze

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle started overheating while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the knock control system, the knock sensor, the camshaft, the positive crankcase ventilation system, and the engine intake manifold gasket had failed. The contact received an unknown recall notification from the manufacturer associated with the failure at the beginning of the pandemic. The contact contacted several unknown dealers to schedule an appointment however, the dealers informed the contact that there was no availability to complete the recall repair on the vehicle. The manufacturer was later notified of the failure and assisted the contact in scheduling an appointment with the dealer for repair. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the unknown recall as the recall had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the contact's residence. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Rosedale, MS, USA

problem #33

Oct 052021

Cruze

  • 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she noticed that oil was leaking onto the ground. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was misfiring and making abnormal sounds. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power train, fuel injectors, manifold output pressure, and fuel tank system had failed. Additionally, there was loss of communication with engine control module. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, upon servicing the vehicle at the local Pep Boys, the contact was informed that the engine belt was damaged and the failure could cause engine overheating. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #32

Jun 012019

Cruze

  • 80,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The temperature gauge increased to high and then decreased. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions and was diagnosed that the thermostat housing and thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Monticello, GA, USA

problem #31

Jan 042021

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 209,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the head gasket replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the engine repaired however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 209,000.

- Coronado, CA, USA

problem #30

Mar 012019

Cruze

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, multiple oil and coolant repairs have been performed on the vehicle due to leakage. The contact stated that while in stop-and-go traffic, a cloud of white smoke began to emit from the vehicle as a warning message stating "turn off the heater, high engine heat" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled the vehicle over and upon inspection discovered that there was no coolant in the reservoir. A service vehicle pulled over to help. The service attendant reattached an unknown hose that had disconnected and added coolant. Soon after restarting of the vehicle, the white smoke and the warning message returned; the contact had the vehicle towed to her daughter's home. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

- Ocean Shores, WA, USA

problem #29

Mar 012013

Cruze

  • 64,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the temperature warning indicator illuminated. The contact also noticed an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact found an antifreeze leak. The vehicle was taken to campbell Chevrolet (2151 scottsville rd, bowling green, ky) where it was diagnosed that the water pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred a year later. The same dealer diagnosed that there was a crack in the coolant outlet flange and recommended it be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

- Scottsdale, KY, USA

problem #28

Oct 202016

Cruze 4-cyl

  • miles

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

In 2014 my car had an issue where it started over heating. The car was previously part of a recall for the water pump breaking. This caused my car heating and cooling system not to work properly. This can be dangerous if driving and it happened while I was driving. I just had the same issue on October 20 of 2016.

- Waukegan, IL, USA

problem #27

Mar 012013

Cruze

  • 5,000 miles
Since March 30, 2015, I have been experiencing issues with and I have video evidence while in failure mode, of what I believe to be failures of the body computer(s) in this vehicle. The dashboard displays have been going on and off under a wide variety of driving situations, and while sitting at idle. They fault when the vehicle is simply driving down the highway. During these faults, the center information display for the HVAC and entertainment will frequently turn off. This kills the radio. It at times kills the HVAC systems and the turn signals (at least the noise for the turn signal indicators). At times, the center display above the steering column will go black and then display a message about the stabilitrak having failed and requiring it to be checked. Then it returns to normal mode. This is less frequent an occurrence. While driving on the highway under cruise control, the vehicle experienced one incident of unintended acceleration while the displays were in fault modes. This occurred on April 1, 2015 I believe. The driver's feet were on the floorboards. Not touching any pedals at all. The incident was stopped by the driver firmly pressing down on the brake pedal. When sufficient video evidence is accumulated on these failures the vehicle will be taken into the dealership. Lacking actual demonstrative evidence of the failures, the dealership will not be able to know what to repair or replace. The car has a history of dash display issues. The owner, a retired librarian/researcher from General Motors advanced engineering staff and the R&D center, has worked on unintended acceleration legal cases for the company, and has supported litigation defense work on such issues while at the company. He is still gathering evidence but feels the need to document this incident as soon as possible for NHTSA should an accident occur to him due to this. Is a very high risk

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #26

Feb 282012

Cruze

  • 10,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, oil and coolant fumes emitted inside the vehicle. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil and coolant needed to be changed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,000.

- Elkins, AR, USA

problem #25

Nov 012014

Cruze

  • 64,000 miles
Bad antifreeze smell entering car with heat on and engine at full operating temperature, but no antifreeze loss.

- Milford, CT, USA

problem #24

Oct 012014

Cruze 4-cyl

  • miles
Coolant keeps leaking out of car.

- Geismar, LA, USA

problem #23

Oct 112014

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 33,890 miles
I have a very strong coolant smell inside the car when heat is on and a strong coolant smell outside of the car. I brought it in to my dealership and they determined the water pump was leaking and they replaced it. I've had my car back for a week now and again I have the strong coolant smell inside and outside of my car. The smell is actually making me nauseous. I have also experienced issues with my drivers side window not going down. I've had the dealership look at it and they cannot find anything wrong with it. My final issue I've been experiencing is my vehicle does not shift right. I have an automatic transmission and sometimes it shifts very hard out of first and into to second gear, the car feels like it's jerking. Other times my car hesitates while shifting gears. I have not brought it in for that issue yet but I will be bringing it in this week.

- Muskegon, MI, USA

problem #22

Mar 082013

Cruze 4-cyl

  • miles
2012 Chevrolet Cruze. Consumer writes in regards to coolant smell in vehicle. According to the invoice, the surge tank and heater core outlet and water pump were leaking. The consumer has since traded the vehicle.

- Villa Ridge, MO, USA

problem #21

May 012012

Cruze

  • 100 miles
From the beginning I had a recall for the oil pan a week after purchasing the car. There has been numerous times the heating had to be worked on and still not fixed. It stills smells like antifreeze when its on. The right brake cylinder went bad a few months after the purchased. The windshield sometimes whistles when you go down the highway at 65 mph. Now after my last oil change the other day, they said I need to take it back because there is a transmission leak. Not to mention where I got the car from, they act like they don't care to help fix the problem. Very frustrated!

- Maryville, TN, USA

problem #20

Jul 262014

Cruze

  • 48,667 miles
Stopped car tried to back up and it did not, then tried to turn off vehicle and the key would not go into the turn off mode. Could not turn the steering wheel, could not release the key, could not turn off the engine. The radio kept turning itself on. Waited 2 hours for triple a to come to tow the car to dealership. Engine ran for two hours. Tow arrived the driver said he had to force the gear shift several times in order to release the steering wheel and key and to turn off the engine so he could tow it. Also noticed an anti-freeze leak and this is being fixed under the power train warranty, do not know if is connected to the same issue. Dealer can't find anything wrong and I am afraid to drive this car.

- Citrus Heights, CA, USA

problem #19

Nov 012013

Cruze

  • miles
2012 Chevy Cruze purchased in August 2012. Has coolant smell when heat is on (any setting). Temperature would drop and start blowing out cold air when heat was turned on. Checked coolant level and was a little low. Filled it up and the smell was even stronger. Engine fan constantly runs. Working on getting it to the dealership but unable to get a loaner car so I can go to work. Cannot take time off of work to take it to the dealership, so I am in a "catch 22". read numerous reports of the same thing happening to other people.

- Germanton, NC, USA

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