2011 Chevrolet Cruze: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
64%
443 of 688 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
64% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 85% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 44 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 61%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
AIR BAGS,ENGINE11/17/2018FIRECRASH1 INJURED
DIRECT IMPACT WITH 1200 POUND COW WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY, THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ENTIRE CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES AS THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STARTED FIRE. TOTALLED. WHY DIDN'T THE AIRBAG DEPLOY? SERIOUS INJURY. SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE PURCHASED 2 CRUZE'S BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FEATURES. THIS IS SO NOT SAF…
ENGINE01/15/20161 INJURED
I CAN SMELL A BURNING COOLANT TYPE SMELL INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. IT LEAVES A FILM ON THE WINDOWS. WHEN IT HAPPENS IT BURNS MY NOSE AND EYES. I HAVE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS TO GET FRESH AIR. I CONSIDER THIS A HEALTH ISSUE, INHALING THESE FUMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP …
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM03/12/20151 INJURED
I'VE HAD NUMEROUS OF MANIACAL ISSUES WITH THE CHEVROLET CRUZE 2011. THE MOST SERIOUS AND DEADLIEST IS THE COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUES THE CHEVROLET CRUZE 2011 HAS. I WAS EXPERIENCING A COUGH ALONG WITH MIGRAINES ONCE ENGAGING THE AIR-CONDITION NUBS FROM HEAT TO AC AND SOME SLEEPING CONDITION WHERE I'D FIND MYSELF SPEAKING WH…
Three of 443 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (7)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to b…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 6, 2009, THROUGH APRIL 27, 2011 AND EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRAN…
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 14, 2012. ATTACHMENT WELDS FOR …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
7 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
