2013 Chevrolet Cruze: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
61%
325 of 537 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
61% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 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 80% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 49 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 55%).
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
ENGINE10/29/2020FIRE1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HER SON WHO OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HER GRANDDAUGHTER WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE, WHEN SHE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER WAS NOT AWARE IF ANY WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN OPENED THE …
I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO CROSS OVER HWY TO GO NORTH BOUND. A TRUCK CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND HIT MY DRIVER SIDE FRONT END. MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. I GOOGLED IT AND SAW THERE IS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR AIR BAG. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR 2 WEEKS AGO. SHOULDN'T THE DEALER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING REC…
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE08/29/2026
I’d like to report this vehicle and its engine as I did not know I could before we have had this car since 2015 This engine has chronic repeated issues that Chevy would patch once under “special coverages” or “extended warranty” and it fails again and again but they only honor it 1 time even if it fails yet again due…
Three of 325 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 (5)
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…
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicle…
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with a 1.4L turbo engine, and manufactured between November 28, 20…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 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.
5 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.
