2016 Chevrolet Cruze Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
CAR SUDDENLY OVERHEATED AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS MANAGED TO SPRAY COOLANT EVERYWHERE. THE COOLANT WENT IN THE SPARK PLUGS, WARPED THE HEAD AND MANAGED TO ENTER THE PISTON COMPRESSION CHAMBER. THE HEAD WARPED AND ALLOWED COOLANT IN THE ENGINE. THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN JUST A SIMPLE FIX AND A REFILLING OF COOLANT BUT INSTEAD HAS BECOME A FULL ENGINE DISASTER. LUCKILY I WAS NOT ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND I WAS ON AN EMPTY ROAD GOING 55 OR THIS COULD HAVE BECOME A GREATER ISSUE. WHEN THE COOLANT HOUSING BUSTED IT SPRAYED ALL OVER THE ENGINE BAY AND SOME EVEN MADE IT ON THE WINDSHIELD CUTTING SOME OF MY VISABILITY. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC OR A WINDING ROAD.
THE VEHICLE HAS HAD OVERHEATING ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT IT. REPAIRED IT TWICE AND IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AGAIN. I HAVE CHANGED ALL COMPONENTS OF THE COOLING SYSTEM TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE COME ACROSS COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS YET?
DTC CODE P0011 IS AN ISSUE WITH 2016 CHEVY CRUZE LIMITED CHEVY IS AWARE PIP4543D CHEVY NEEDS TO COVER THE COST OF THIS REPAIR IT IS GOING TO CAUSE ME TO GET HURT IN THIS CAR AND IF SO I WILL HOLD CHEVY RESPONSIBILE THEY NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING THE CAR AS 90,000 MILES ON IT AND CONTIMUES TO HAVE THIS ISSUE DAILY
MY CAR HAS A BAD SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IT STARTED SMELLING LIKE A DEAD ANIMAL UNDER THE HOOD, THEN IT SMELLED LIKE ANIMAL URINE, AND NOW IT SMELLS NAUSEATING, I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT IS COMING FROM OR WHY IT'S THERE, WE ALREADY CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR ANY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE HOSES AND IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT CHEVY CRUZE OWNERS SEEM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 48K MILES ON IT AND WE LET IT SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY MORE THAN RUN IT BECAUSE OF THE SMELL. THE SMELL IS THERE WHEN YOU START THE CAR -- WE HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE DON'T OVERWHELMED WITH THE SMELL.
CAR HAS 66062 MILES SITTING TURNED ON THE CAR HOSES STARTED LEAKING AND THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TOWED IT TO THE MY SHOP FOR A PRESSURE TEST THEY ADVISED IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THE DEALER FOR A COOLANT HOSE PROBLEM THEY COULD NOT ADDRESS. TOWED IT TO THE CHEVY DEALER. REPAIRS DONE WATER PUMP REPLACEMENT AND THE WATER OUTLET HOSES WERE LEAKING. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND THIS WAS A RECALL FOR THE VERY SAME MODEL ONLY FOR THE YEARS 2011-2014. THE 2016 MODELS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL AS WELL BUT WERE NOT. I HAVE RESEARCHED MANY OF THE VERY SAME COMPLAINTS FOR THE 2016 MODELS BUT NO RECALL YET. RECALL WAS 1/2015 BULLETIN #14371B -ENGINE COOLANT LEAK FROM WATER PUMP. #
P0301 CODE; STABILITRAK LIGHT FLASHES INTERMITTENTLY; AFTER TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS THE MECHANIC STATED THAT COMPRESSION ON CYLINDERS 2-4 WAS 120PSI; CYLINDER 1 IS AT 15 PSI; AFTER FURTHER TESTING FOUND ISSUE WITH PISTON. VEHICLE WILL SHAKE WHEN RUNNING ON IDLE, SLOW TO START. *TR
MY TURBO IS GOING OUT. THE CAR HEAVILY SHAKES WHEN IN IDLE OR AT A STOP LIGHT. IT STOPPED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHILE TRYING TO CROSS THE STREET, I HAD MY FOOT COMPLETELY DOWN ON THE GAS AND THE CAR DIDNT BUDGE FOR 2 MINUTES LEAVING ME SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC..
CAR SHUTS OFF ABRUPTLY WHEN STOPPED OR AT TIMES WHEN SPEED IS DECREASED TO ALMOST PARKED. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AT RED LIGHTS OR WHEN CAR IS GOING UNDER 10 MPG. IT'S HAPPENED IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. I HAVE TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART THE PUSH START. THIS HAS BEEN GOING SINCE LAST SUMMER (2019) OR SO.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM NEW MEXICO ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON. WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT HOME I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND SAID I HAD A TURBO LEAK. THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY SPECIFICS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING IN THE DRIVEWAY, IT TURNED OFF ON ITS OWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE OTHER TIMES EVEN WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KNIGHT AUTOMOTIVE INC (383 ROUTE 3, PLATTSBURGH, NY 12901) THREE TIMES WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS COIL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
WHILE STOPED IN A PARKING LOT, WAITING FOR A PARKING SPOT THE CAR JUST DIED. I HAD TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. I HAD PLENTY OF GAS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE SEIZED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO WAS STILL OPERATING WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT WENT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THIS PROBLEM ON 07-03-19, 05-06-19, 11-21-18 & 09-25-18. THE LAST BILL WAS FOR $2919.60. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE SERVICE IS BEING COMPLETED HAS ADVISED THAT THE 2016 CHEVY CRUZE IS VERY WELL KNOWN FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE IT TOOK 49 DAYS FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE PARTS THAT WERE NEEDED WERE ON BACK ORDER BECAUSE SO MANY CHEVY CRUZE'S HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE COULD BREAK DOWN AT ANY TIME AND WE COULD BE IN A VERY REMOTE AREA WITHOUT ANY HELP. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WORKED ON FOR THIS PROBLEM AT SANBORN CHEVROLET 1210 S. CHEROKEE LANE, LODI CALIFORNIA 95241-1057. TELEPHONE NUMBER 209-334-5000. IT APPEARS THAT GENERAL MOTORS IS WELL INFORMED ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT CHOOSES TO PUT THEIR CUSTOMERS AT RISK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHEN DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER, THE TURBO BOOSTER FAILED TO OPERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WALSER POLAR CHEVROLET (612-284-4672, LOCATED AT 1801 COUNTY RD F EAST, WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN 55110) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT DRIVING IN THE COLD TEMPERATURE CAUSED MOISTURE TO FREEZE UP THE TURBO BOOSTER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WAS NO CURRENT REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000.
THE CAR OVERHEATED AND THERE IS NO COOLANT IN THE TANK AND OIL IS POURING OUT OF THE HEAD GASKET THE CAR ONLY HAS LESS THAN 70K MILES.
TAKATA RECALL GOING DOWN THE ROAD COOLENT OUTLET HOUSING DISINTEGRATED WHILE HOSE ON THE RADIATOR WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY IT CRACKED WHERE THE PART IS MOLDED PART IS GETS BAD QUICKLY OVERTIME AND HEAT
I WENT TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. TRIED A SECOND TIME AND IT STARTED WITH A WARNING THAT IT WAS IN "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR. PUT IT IN PARK, SHUT IT OFF. TRIED TO START IT AGAIN AND IT STARTED IN FULL ENGINE POWER BUT WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. IT WAS RECENTLY SERVICED AT DENOOYER CHEVROLET IN KALAMAZOO MICHIGAN DUE TO THE SAME ISSUES, 3 TIMES PRIOR TO THIS. CAR HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE RELIABLE AT ALL WITH SAME ISSUE OCCURING SHORTLY AFTER "SERVICE/REPAIR". I WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE!!
ENGINE STALLS OUT WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE OVER 30MPH AND AFTER 5-10 SECONDS THE ENGINE UNSTALLS AND CAR SHOOTS FORWARD. PROBLEM HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS RUNNING. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP FOR WARRANTY SERVICE AND SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT HIS 2010 CRUZE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SERVICE TECHS COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AND SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE
AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, MY CHEVY CRUZE 2016 ENGINE SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY WHILE IDLE AT A STOP SIGN OF RED LIGHT. I HAVE AUTO SHUT OFF AND WHEN THE AUTO SHUT OFF IS IN PLAY IT NEVER CUTS BACK ON WHEN TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. I HAVE TO PUT MY CAR INTO PARK AND RESTART THE ENGINE.
CAR STALLED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN IN TRAFFIC- A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Trend Over Time
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Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze has 45 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.