2012 Chevrolet Cruze: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
50%
412 of 822 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
50% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 65% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 43 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 48%).
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
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS11/20/2014CRASH2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND ENGAGING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT DOWN TO FIRST GEAR AND REMAINED IN THIRD GEAR …
ENGINE11/28/2013CRASH2 INJURED
I BOUGHT A 2012 CHEVY CRUZE RECEIVED RECALL LETTER FIRST OF 10/13 WAS STATED IN LETTER NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE BUT WHEN THEY WERE I WOULD GET IT FIXED FREE. I APPROACHED INTERSECTION MY BRAKE WENT TO FLOOR WAS T BONED AND TOTAL LOSS OF MY CAR THIS CAR HAS 6 AIRBAGS NONE OF THEM DEPLOYED ..NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH GM. …
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE10/30/20211 INJURED
The vehicle will start to smoke, filling the cab with smoke with a strong smell of antifreeze causing occupants to become sick to the stomach and dizzy. This will occur unrelated to speed and operating temperature, and has happened multiple times.
Three of 412 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…
AIR BAGS
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured …
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 2012 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.
