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2014 Chevrolet Cruze: engine and transmission complaints

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 68% of the 1,230 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 September 13, 2026
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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%
325 of 586
2014
53%
323 of 702
2015
57%
131 of 251
2016
63%
140 of 249
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.

Cleaner alternatives

Other compact cars with no elevated signal in 2014

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,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 …
ENGINE08/25/2021FIRE1 INJURED
The contact owned a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving 62 mph when the contact noticed other drivers flashing their lights, therefore, they decided to pull over to the side of the road. When they pulled over they noticed that there was smoke coming through the vents of the vehicle. The vehicle'…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),S12/12/2018CRASH1 INJURED
STABILITRAK VENDOR KEEPS COMING ON. WHEN I'M DRIVING AND MAKE A TURN, MY CAR SEEMS AS IF IT'S GLIDING. MY BREAKS SKIP, ESPECIALLY WHEN HITTING A BUMP AND THEY ACT AS IF THEY DON'T WANT TO STOP. MY CAR CUTS ON AND OFF IN TRAFFIC, I'VE ALMOST DIED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE TURNNING. COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS U…

Three of 323 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 (10)

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…
STEERING
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 vehic…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze

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.

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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.