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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,352 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.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #60

Jun 152024

Cruze

  • miles

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

At just over 70k miles the engine began running rough. Diagnostic showed cylinder 1 pressure issues from cracked piston requiring engine replacement. This vehicle has had all recommend service since owning it.

- Carney , OK, USA

problem #59

Apr 222024

Cruze

  • miles
To whom it may concern, I am writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration regarding my recent experience with my 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. It has come to my attention that there is a known issue with the piston in the engine of this model, and unfortunately, I have fallen victim to it. This issue has caused significant inconvenience and expense for me. As a loyal Chevrolet customer, I expect better quality and reliability from your vehicles. I urge you to address this matter promptly and take responsibility for the faulty piston in the engine of the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. I trust that you will take appropriate action to rectify this situation and restore my confidence in your brand. Case # 9-12557961076

- Wood Ridge, NJ, USA

problem #58

Sep 302023

Cruze

  • miles
1st cylinder misfire with only 60,000 miles on it. Research shows this is an issue yet GM Chevy has not recalled it. Not a simple fix it requires new engine

- Coeurdalene, ID, USA

problem #57

Sep 152023

Cruze

  • miles

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

The piston in my front cylinder cracked while traveling causing safety issues including, inconsistent speeds, poor acceleration, engine cutting off while driving. While no accident/injury occurred while driving in this instance, it would have been easy for something to happen. The garage I took it took recommended against driving it as it could shut down at any time on the road.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #56

Aug 012023

Cruze

  • miles
The Service Stabilitrak light came on at the same time as the check engine light. When this happened the first time I had it checked, it gave the Code P1101. I payed to having the Massive air flow sensor fix, than a few days after having massive air flow sensor replaced.The Service Stabilitrak and engine light came back on. The engine started to misfire I took it back to the car dealer shop and I was told that it was a Cylinder in the engine. The dealers shop at first couldn't tell me why it was doing this. After the car dealer ship opened up the engine they said that engine needed to be replacement.

- Casa Grande , AZ, USA

problem #55

Aug 162023

Cruze

  • miles
The engine failed and needs replacement due to low compression and constant misfire on cylinder #1, according to the dealership. I sold the vehicle because of the repair costs that were required. The vehicle-??s mileage was 47,664 at time of inspection. A Chevrolet dealer confirmed the issue, and GM acknowledged that the issue occurred. The check engine light turned on a few weeks before the failure was diagnosed, and the light began flashing about a week before it was diagnosed. The Service Stabilitrak light also turned on at the same time as the check engine light.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #54

Oct 172022

Cruze

  • 65,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #1. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the piston was fractured, and the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #53

Jul 252019

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle decelerated to 30-35 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle made abnormal rattling sounds and failed to exceed 30-35 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred two months later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the knock sensors and the engine were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Zimbrick Chevrolet Service (1877 W Main St #200, Sun Prairie, WI 53590), where the knock sensors and the knock sensors terminal were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Engine Control Module (ECM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

- Stoughton, WI, USA

problem #52

Jun 152023

Cruze

  • miles
Based off my mechanic's assessment and that of a Chevrolet dealership, one of the cylinders in my Chevy Cruze is no longer firing. The dealership believes at least one of the pistons needs to be replaced. The car is available for inspection. The car is unreliable to drive, as I drove up a freeway incline it slowed to a dangerously low speed for freeway driving. The dealership has confirmed they believe it is an issue with the piston but will not confirm without charging $2800 to dismantle the car and are not able to guarantee they will be able to fix the issue. Diagnostics were run on the car at Putnam Chevrolet in Burlingame CA. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to a major issue with the cars functionality. The issue first appeared June 15, 2023 without any warning. The engine light came on and the car was not functioning properly, plus a notification to "service Stabilitrek". I have found mention of the same problem on consumer forums. Cracked pistons are a KNOWN issue on this make and model but there are no recalls and the car is just outside of the warranty.

- San Francisco , CA, USA

problem #51

Apr 142023

Cruze

  • miles
Vehicle had a cracked piston. Now the vehicle is very sluggish while accelerating from a stop. Burns a tremendous amount of fuel. Vehicle is also stalling frequently. It-??s been to Chevrolet twice and a mom and pop shop and nobody can figure out what the problem is.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #50

Oct 202021

Cruze

  • miles

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

I purchase this car in 2017 apprentices 2017 Cruze at the time it only have four thousand miles it has 80,000 MI it was a fuel injector pump replaced next to the engine at everybody there knew that the car was defective due to the fact that they have several men that don't know what they're doing and working on these cars are unprofessional workers and everybody here knows that they keep repairing cars and they need to send them back to the manufacturer for DFCS and numerous problems they said everybody here got nothing but junk cars and they need help to replace them immediately in this car the cruise and the Malibu the odometer kept sticking and going bad and they did replace it once and then they replaced it again and they left the park open in the vehicle you always have to get so many oil changes with this and then the one-time the Auto stop feature had got stuck on a train track and it was very hard to get that car off we had got frightened and had jumped off the car over here in Milwaukee off of 2nd street or 1st Street we're trying to report whatever we can so I can get a replacement vehicle or sometimes the rear camera was defective to it didn't always come on right away

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #49

Jun 282023

Cruze

  • miles
Car very suddenly started having slow acceleration, and vibration felt during acceleration. Check engine light on with StabiliTrak warning message on dashboard. Rough idle and vibration felt in cabin. Difficulty accelerating at traffic light and car seemed to almost stall at one point. Diagnosed at the dealer with cracked pistons in engine with code P0300 for random misfire. 2017 Chevy Cruz has passed the power train warranty by 1 year. Mileage odometer reading is about 58200. GM is not willing to replace without charging $4700 for replacing the faulty piston components in the engine even though this poses safety hazard for regular driving. After some research, this seems to be a widely known problem of this generation Chevy Cruz and GM has even changed the part number of the piston assembly to replace the faulty pistons in engine. This needs to be a recall!

- Whittier, CA, USA

problem #48

Mar 012023

Cruze

  • miles
It started with a check engine light stating I needed to replace a fuel injector. I had that replaced and continued to have the same problem. I had a compression test performed and stated that I had a cracked cylinder leaking compression in cylinder one. The engine needs to be replaced or rebuilt. As you can imagine that is expensive. After finding this out, I continued to drive the vehicle hoping to get a new a vehicle. I was unable to and the vehicle stalled on me while driving several times. This put my safety in jeopardy as I could've have gotten hurt on the road and other safety if I got hit. Luckily, neither happened. General motors intentionally inflates the PSI in the engine to compensate for the turbo engine, resulting in the breakdown of the engine quicker and makes it unsafe for the road. In my case, I just bought this vehicle a year ago and has under 100k miles. I have been unable to get a GM technician to diagnose the vehicle due to finance reasons. After research, this is common issue with my vehicle and I am reporting this issue.

- Dunn, NC, USA

problem #47

Apr 022023

Cruze

  • 35,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the engine started to misfire. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving into the driveway; however, the vehicle was able to restart. The contact stated that she attempted to call a local Chevrolet dealer however, her calls were not returned. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000. The VIN was not available.

- Chattanooga, TN, USA

problem #46

Mar 182023

Cruze

  • miles
The number one cylinder piston cracked causing it to idle rough and possibly blowing up causing the car to come to a stop. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a licensed Chevy dealer/ repair shop. Was told that it-??s a common problem with the car and also told that it will just explode

- Newtonfalls , OH, USA

problem #45

Dec 012022

Cruze

  • miles
I have a 2017 Chevy Cruze, with 38,000 miles. My piston cylinder is broken. I had bought it off a dealership with 24000 miles on IT4 years ago. At 38000 miles with only putting very little mileage on it, I have to have the engine replaced which is a very expensive fix. I should not have to have to have my whole engine replaced at 38,000 miles. I have done my research and this is a common problem with the 2017 Cruze. This is suppose to make a great family, realiable car! I am very upset with Chevy! there was no prior warnings of my cylinder piston breaking. Stability service light came on and immediently after the engine light did took it to a shop the next day. And my cylinder is broken. With labor it is easier to just replace the whole engine. I am very disappointed! I was driving with my kids when this happened. Lucky my car engine didnt blow up in the process and I was able to get home safelty!

- Sharon , PA, USA

problem #44

Oct 182022

Cruze

  • miles
The car shut down in the middle of the highway which made me pull to the side and not so long after this incident the brakes stopped working for some time causing me to crash.

- La Mesa , CA, USA

problem #43

Jul 312022

Cruze

  • miles
Have filed an earlier complaint and never heard back. But the engine was stalling and not maintaining speed without heavy acceleration. First week of August 2022 the car finally gave out after diagnosis of faulty knock sensor. Was displaying knock sensor code intermittently and finally stayed on. Anyway first week of august it stalled completely at a stop sign and would not crank back up. I finally started checking relays and found the engine functions relay faulty by accident. There are two square grey relays under the hood in the fuse block. One says engine function s relay and one says something to do with defrost controls. Had to swap the two relays to get my car running. No problems since. Only had 87,000 miles on car.

- Gaston , SC, USA

problem #42

Jul 242019

Cruze

  • miles
I should have filed a complaint here after the catastrophic failure. The next time I may not be so lucky and it could cause loss of life. I was driving at approx. 65 MPH on the frwy when bang! An explosion under my hood that caused my car to jump over a lane, I slammed on the breaks, swerved but couldn't push the brake pedal down anymore. It felt hard and would barely move. i had no way to slowdown or stop! And traffic infront of me was slowing fast. I put all my weight on that pedal even tried pumping it, but it would only move alittle. Luckily the car in front sped up just enough for me to swerve onto the shoulder. As I slowed i could depress pedal alittle if I stood up on it out of my seat but stopping distance was like 15ft while maybe going 15 mph. This all happened in a matter of minutes i still dont know how I was able to avoid an accident. The engine sounded really rough. So I called the dealership they said to bring the car in. I had already spoke. With them that week due to traction control system and transmission causing instability and brake issues. I was mortified when I found out what happened I had cracked 2 pistons & the force was so strong it blew thru the membrane that seperates the break system, got oil in my break lines! This is a new car! Dealership said it was a known issue & GM determinedtitle was a design flaw. I had 2 pistons replaced and my break system flushed my car has never been the same. There's always something little and intermitten still with the transmission & Now the engine jumps while idling and stopped in drive it jumps so hard the car jumps fwd, feels like ill hit whats in front of me. I lost significant value at only 26,290 miles, i cant afford to trade it in on disability, covid turned into long haul covid, no affordable extended warranty. I have no piece of mind in a car I dont feel safe in. What happens when the pistons fail they didnt fix. How many injuries or lives must be sacrificed before they do something.

- Beaverton, OR, USA

problem #41

Jan 052022

Cruze

  • miles
Car has a lot of difficulty accelerating even when pressing on the gas all the way to start to go. Car rolls back when stopped. Brakes sometimes aren-??t working as they should. Car isn-??t breaking properly. Doesn-??t stop all the way sometimes. When driving the car also, burning smell comes from under the hood after stopping the car. Please help!

- Belle Mead, NJ, USA

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