144 complaints reported

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
144
Crashes
2
Fires
7
Injuries
3

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Feb 2021

The o2 sensor blew out of the catalytic converter and the sensor can't be replaced. The threads were basically gone! Took it to a professional and he said he wouldn't even put on a new one(aftermarket) because the Cruze and Sonic's are notorious for having this issue and it would do it again. He said they need to recall these immediately! I only have around 65,000 miles on this vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2021
Jan 2021

MY CAR HAS BEEN FITTING THE DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC RECALL ON THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL. (I.E.: RECALL #12V288000 - DATE: 6/22/2012 - COMPONENT ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) I PURCHASED MY CAR THROUGH CARMAX LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES INCLUDING, AIRBAG SENOR PROBLEMS, RMP ISSUES, ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT, ETC. I'VE DEALT WITH AN OIL LEAK FROM THE VALVE COVER MOST RECENTLY. I TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A LEAK WHICH WAS SO BAD IT SATURATED EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE AREA COLLECTING NEAR THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. THIS LEAD TO AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL. THE VALVE COVER WAS REPLACED AND NOW TWO WEEKS LATER THERE IS STILL AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL COMING FROM BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. THE VALVE COVER DOESN'T SEEM TO BE LEAKING OIL, AND I DON'T SEE ANY WEIRD OBJECTS OR DEBRIS IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE RECALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED FITS MY CURRENT PROBLEM TO A T - BUT ACCORDING TO MY VIN THERE HAVE BEEN 0 RECALLS. THE CAR IS NOT DEPENDABLE AT THIS POINT DUE TO RISK OF FUME INHALATION AND POTENTIAL FIRE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND I HAVE BARELY PUT 6,000 MILES ON IT SINCE PURCHASE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2021
Sep 2020

I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE MULTIPLE PARTS RELATING TO THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THIS VEHICLE. THE PLASTIC PARTS HAVE EACH MELTED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. UPON RESEARCH, MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. MY VEHICLE CONTINUES TO OVER HEAT, AND PARTS CONTINUE TO NEED REPLACEMENT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2020
Jul 2020

BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO FOR SOME TIME. HAD IT FIXED ONCE AND NOW ITS GOING BAD AGAIN. WHEN YOU GO INTO PASSING GEAR IT BOGS DOWN. NOT GOOD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I LOVE MY CAR.AND IT HASNT GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS BUT THAT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2020
May 2020

THIS CAR HAS GIVE ME WAY MORE TROUBLE THAN IT IS WORTH. IT KEPT OVERHEATING EVEN WITH ANTIFREEZE IN IT. THE AC WOULD BLOW HOT AND THE CAR JERKS TERRIBLY BAD! ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE BATTERY GOT THAT FIXED. STILL OVERHEATED. THEN TOLD THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE RESERVOIR AND GOT THAT FIXED. IT BLEW HOT A WEEK LATER AND HAD SMOKE COMING OUT COULDN'T EVEN GO ACROSS MEMPHIS BRIDGE. MECHANIC SAYS IT'S THE HEAD GASKET WHICH IS LIKE A 2K LABOR TAG! *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2020
Apr 2020

MY CAR OVERHEATS EVERY TIME THE SEASONS CHANGE. ONE DAY IT WILL BE RUNNING FINE WITH NORMAL TEMPERATURE READINGS, I KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE TEMPERATURE DUE TO IT'S TENDENCY TO OVERHEAT, AND THEN THE NEXT MOMENT IT IS SMOKING AND IDLING MY ENGINE SECONDARY TO "HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE"

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2020
Mar 2020

MY DAUGHTER PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT ALAN WEBB CHEVROLET LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE WAS USED AND HAD 129,000 MILES ON IT. LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER SHE GOT IT, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING AND A/C CAME ON AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF. COME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS NO ANTIFREEZE, AS THE RESERVOIR WAS BONE DRY. SHE PUT SOME ANTIFREEZE IN IT AND IT STILL OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING A COUPLE WEEKS LATER. SHE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. WE THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO COMPLAIN AND THEY STATED THEY HAD TO REPLACE SOME HOSES WHEN THEY FIRST RECEIVED THE CAR, SO THEY ASKED US TO BRING IT IN. THEY AGAIN REPLACED SOME HOSES, STATING THERE WAS A LEAK, WHICH THE OTHER MECHANIC SAID THERE WASN'T. THEY REPLACED A HOSE AGAIN AND PUT A CLAMP ON IT. NOW, ONLY ABOUT 1 OR 2 LATER, HER CAR OVERHEATED YET AGAIN. WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE SURGE TANK HOSE, WAS BROKEN AND ANTIFREEZE WAS ALL OVER HER ENGINE. THE PLASTIC INSIDE THE HOSE WAS BROKEN. NOW IT IS ONCE AGAIN AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHO FOR SOME REASON REFUSE TO FIX THE ROOT PROBLEM. WE ARE CONCERNED THEIR FAILURE TO FIX THE ISSUE WILL RESULT IN A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK AND A NON-OPERATIONAL VEHICLE, WHICH SHE OWES OVER $7,000 STILL AS SHE JUST GOT IT. PLEASE HELP, THIS HAS BEEN DISAPPOINTING TO WATCH MY 18 YR OLD BUY HER FIRST CAR AND SUCH A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2020
Feb 2020

FUEL DAMPER IS LITERALLY SPRAYING A STEADY STREAM OF GASOLINE INSIDE ENGINE BAY. APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER EVERYWHERE I CALL. MY DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR, AND TO HAVE HER SAFETY IN JEOPARDY IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS RECALLED BECAUSE OF OIL PLATE UNDER ENGINE WHICH WOULD POOL OIL AND RISK A FIRE, BUT GASOLINE SPRAYING IN ENGINE BAY HAS NO ATTENTION TO A RECALL

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2019
Jan 2020

THE OIL COOLER SEAL LEAKS, AND DROPS OIL ON THE EXHAUST. THIS GIVES OFF SMOKE, AND IS A FIRE HAZARD. ALSO THE FUMES FROM THE DRIPPING OIL IS SUCKED INTO THE CABIN AIR INTAKE, AND CONTAMINATES THE AIR IN THE CABIN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2020
Dec 2019

2012 CHEVROLET CRUZ. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE COOLANT SYSTEM. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER HAVING BOTH THE HOSES AND CLIPS REPLACED, THE MECHANIC STATED ENGINE SEAL MUST HAVE BEEN LEAKING. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIRS. *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2019
Nov 2019

ENGINE HAS LOUD INJECTOR AND PURGE VALVES BOTH PRODUCING A CLICKING NOISE. THE NOISE CAN CLEARLY BE HEARD FROM INSIDE/OUTSIDE CAR WITH HOOD CLOSED. THIS ISSUE IS TRIGGERING A KNOCK SENSOR CODE. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS HAD BURNING OIL SMELL AS WELL WHICH WHILE UNDER WARRANTY THE DEALERSHIP MAGICALLY COULD NOT PRODUCE. I BELIEVE THEY DID NOT WANT TO PRODUCE IT AS IT HAS ALWAYS CLEARLY BEEN THERE FROM DAY ONE OFF DEALER'S LOT. I KNOW FOR FACT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO EXPERIENCE THESE ISSUES. I AM ADDING THE WEBSITE AS REFERENCE; HTTPS://WWW.CRUZETALK.COM/THREADS/LIFTER-ISSUE-WITH-2012-ECO.165122/ THIS NOISE IS PRESENT WHEN VEHICLE IS IDLE, RUNNING AND IN MOTION. MY VEHICLE HAS 88,000 MILES TOTAL WHICH IS VERY LITTLE FOR ENGINE ISSUES! THE DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO FOR DIAGNOSIS SAID HIS DAUGHTER'S CRUZE HAD THE SAME IDENTICAL ISSUE AND WAS COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. UNFORTUNATELY, AS I STATED, THE DEALER COULD NEVER FIND ANY ISSUES WHILE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I AM CONCERNED I WILL BE LEFT STRANDED SOMEWHERE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND/OR IT CATCHES ON FIRE DUE TO SOME SORT OF OIL/ENGINE ISSUE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2019
Sep 2019

IT HAS BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING, WHETHER IT BE ON THE HIGHWAY OR A CITY STREET, AND MY CAR GEARS HAVE SWITCHED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE LOWEST GEAR AND IT CAUSES MY VEHICLE TO JERK AND SLOW ALL THE WAY DOWN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS OTHER VEHICLES BEHIND ME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2019
Jul 2019

ENGINE RECALL! THE ENGINE OFTEN MAKES SOUND THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL. OVER 100,000 MILES, THE PROBLEM STARTS! WHEN NOT IN MOTION, ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE IS ON, THE VEHICLE ENGINE STOPS EVEN IN WAITING AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT STOP.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2019
Jul 2019

I TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE FOR AN INSPECTION BECAUSE I WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CAR AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A FAULTY CYLINDER HEAD.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Jun 2019 Fire

OIL WAS DRIPPING, WENT TO GO GET IT FIXED AND MY MECHANIC SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT. DROVE FOR ABOUT A MILE AND CAR STARTED SMOKING AND MY BELT WAS ON FIRE AND CRUMBLED OFF MY CAR. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ALMOST ONE MONTH AGO AND ONLY BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE FOR A WEEK TOTAL BECAUSE OF THIS OIL ISSUE. I AM PAYING MONEY TO FIX AND THEY STILL CAN'T TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG SO I LOOKED IT UP FOR RECALLS AND SAW THIS HAD AND RECALL JUST LIKE I EXPLAINED BUT NOT ASSOCIATED WITH MY VIN. PLEASE HELP. MY CAR IS NOW UNDRIVEABLE. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THE BELT ON THE GROUND BURNING. NOT DRIVING AFTER THAT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2019
Jun 2019

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING STOPPED AT ADVANCE SOON AS IT CAME AND THEN CUT THE CAR OFF AND THEN IT WOULD NOT CRANK BACK. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO GARAGE. FOUDN OUT THAT IT WAS THE ECM COMPUTER MESSED UP AND ONLY HAVE 70,000 MILES ON THE CAR. GARAGE CALLED CHEVY AND THEY STOPPED COVERING THE COMPUTER 3 YEARS AGO DUE TO SO MANY CALLS ABOUT THE COMPUTER MESSING UP. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL THEN AND THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIRS TO MY CAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
May 2019 Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET AND WAITED UNTIL ALL THE SMOKE CLEARED BEFORE CONTINUING TO DRIVE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE NOTIFIED SUMMIT CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (LOCATED AT 318 GRANT AVE, AUBURN, NY 13021, (315) 258-2000) AND THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2019
Apr 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR INTAKE FAILED AND AFFECTED THE VALVE COVER AND ALL THE COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2019
Apr 2019

SIGNIFICANT COOLANT LEAK CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2018
Mar 2019

ENGINE OVERHEATED, GOT THAT FIXED. NOT EVEN 3 WEEKS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN'CAR SHAKES WHEN STOPPED AND STILL SOUNDS LIKE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING WHEN THE CAR IS OFF.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Jan 2019

OVERHEATS REGULARLY EVEN WITH ANTIFREEZE, STOPS READING COOLANT TEMPERATURE RANDOMLY

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2018
Jan 2019

THE VALVE COVER IS [XXX]! I'VE REPLACED THREE IN A YEAR AN A HALF! THIS IS CAUSING MASSIVE OIL LEAKS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED! THE WHOLE [XXX] THINGB I'M GETTING REALLY PISSED ABOUT THIS PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2018
Dec 2018

CATALAYIC CONVERTER PLUGGED AT 82000 MILES WHICH CAUSED ENGINE KNOCK NOISE

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2018
Dec 2018

I BOUGHT MY CAR IN 2015, IT IS A 2012 CHEVY CRUZE ECO. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE CAMSHAFT COVER(PCV) 2 TIMES IN A YEAR DUE TO THE GASKET BEING CRAP AND CAUSING HORRIBLE OIL LEAKS! HERE I AM AGAIN, CHANGED IT AND IT IS AGAIN FAULTY AND LEAKING OIL. THIS NEEDS TO BE WARRANTY AND COVERED BY GM. I'VE ALREADY HAD TO DO THE WATER PUMP MYSELF BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T FIX THE WATER PUMP AT ANY DEALER. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE OIL LEAK, AND NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL TOO FIX ANYTHING, CAUSING THIS PROBLEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2018
Nov 2018

EVEN AFTER FREE REPAIR DUE TO BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE NEW PCV VALVE AND COVER ARE LEAKING AGAIN. ENGINE IDLES ROUGHLY, BOTH IN PARK AND IN DRIVE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET CRUZE, BUT MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. MAIN ERROR CODE P0171- BANK 1 SYSTEM TOO LEAN- IS BEING PICKED UP (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON YESTERDAY MORNING (APRIL 10, 2018)), ALONG WITH ERROR CODES: P0106, P015B, P0236, P0237, P1101, P112D.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2018

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze has 144 Engine complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.