The Lane Check

Cars › Chevrolet › Cruze › 2014

2014 Chevrolet Cruze problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
53%
323 of 615 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

53% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 69% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 87 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 46%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 323 of 615 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (53%), and the largest group is filed under engine (217). For comparison, the 2013 scores 61% and the 2015 scores 58%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
323
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
702
this model year
Fires reported
17
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
10
70 crashes · 57 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE217 · 31%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM187 · 27%
POWER TRAIN97 · 14%
STEERING93 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER89 · 13%
AIR BAGS77 · 11%

The years either side

2010
too few complaints
2011
64%
443 of 732
2012
50%
412 of 865
2013
61%
326 of 587
2014
53%
323 of 702
2015
58%
132 of 252
2016
63%
140 of 250
2017
58%
106 of 201
2018
52%
49 of 109
2019
too few complaints
2020
no data
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM04/14/20251 INJURED
My 2014 Chevy Cruze has been having some major safety issues as of late. The powertrain has been one of the major components in this system that has failed. The engine has overheated 3 times in the last 3 months causing many safety concerns to others on the road as well as myself due to having to randomly pull over on …

One of 323 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze?

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 10 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

power train: axle assembly: axle shaft14V151000 · Mar 2014

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, 2012, and March 7, 2014. On the affected vehicles, the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.

Risk: If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move…

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the right half shaft, as needed, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. GM will send an interim letter to owners in May 2014. A…

power train: automatic transmission14V092000 · Feb 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard…

Risk: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a…

Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors…

power train: axle assembly: axle shaft13V452000 · Sep 2013

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with manual transmissions (MF3/MR5) and manufactured January 24, 2013, through August 1, 2013. On the affected vehicles, the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.

Risk: If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move…

Fix: General Motors has notified owners. Dealers will replace the half shaft assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 15, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300. This is General…

7 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: side/window25V764000 · Nov 2025
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. The left and/or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflators located on the roof rails above the…
air bags: side/window23V870000 · Dec 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. The left and/or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflators may rupture at the inflator weld joint.…
air bags: side/window23V674000 · Sep 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. The left and/or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflators located on the roof rails above the…
electrical system: ignition16V502000 · Jul 2016
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 be removed without the…
steering15V442000 · Jul 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured November 8, 2013, to March 12, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured April 11,…
equipment: electrical14V417000 · Jul 2014
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 vehicles manufactured August 8,…
air bags14V372000 · Jun 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the driver's front air bag inflator may have been manufactured with an incorrect…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2014 Chevrolet Cruze? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze

Does the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 323 of 615 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (53%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze?

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 10 in total: 14V151000 (power train: axle assembly: axle shaft), 14V092000 (power train: automatic transmission), 13V452000 (power train: axle assembly: axle shaft). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Chevrolet Cruze years are better?

Among the Chevrolet Cruze years we track, the 2012 (50%) and the 2018 (52%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2014 (53%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze has an elevated engine complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing engine work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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.

Check a VIN

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.