Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine268
- Electrical system196
- Service brakes142
- Power train137
- Electronic stability control (esc)108
- Steering103
- Unknown or other84
- Vehicle speed control51
- Fuel/propulsion system48
- Engine and engine cooling44
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 30 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 153 2012 Cruze vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 83 people died inside them, and 22 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze failed the safety check 2.63% of the time — 4% more often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 111,077 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2012
22,272 new Chevrolet Cruze cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were France (4,530), Italy (4,365), the United Kingdom (2,333).
- Average mass
- 1,519 kg
- Average power
- 107 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 47% · Petrol 44% · LPG 8.7%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 Chevrolet Cruze cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (104 kW, 139 hp), 1.6 petrol (91 kW, 122 hp) and 1.4 petrol (103 kW, 138 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 104 kW 139 hp | 110 |
| 1.6 petrol | 91 kW 122 hp | 86 |
| 1.4 petrol | 103 kW 138 hp | 41 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
249 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 15% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €24,290.
Most common APK defects
- Richtingaanwijzers kleur wijkt af/niet toegestaan113
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt112
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde106
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen101
- Band onvoldoende profiel85
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld73
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)63
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd55
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,222 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 140 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,651 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.1% | 14.3% |
| Suspension | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.7% | 3.2% |
| Brakes | 8.5% | 7.7% |
| Tyres | 7.2% | 7.0% |
| Visibility | 7.0% | 5.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
550 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 187,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Chevrolet Cruze 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 7.1–8.8 L/100 km (about 27–33 mpg US), CO₂ 163–202 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruze Eco · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 8.4 | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| Cruze Eco · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 8.9 | 6.0 | 7.6 |
| Cruze · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.1 | 6.3 | 7.8 |
| Cruze · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.1 | 6.3 | 7.8 |
| Cruze · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.5 | 6.5 | 8.1 |
| Cruze · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 10.5 | 6.7 | 8.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze.
| 2014306 22 Jul 2014 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the primary stage of the driver’s airbag may not deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted). Failure of an airbag to deploy cor… |
| 2014274 3 Jul 2014 | Accessories On certain vehicles, insulation on the engine block heater power cord may become damaged if the cord is handled during very cold days (temperatures below -25C).… |
| 2014213 6 Jun 2014 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the primary or secondary stage of the driver’s airbag may not deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted). Failure of an airbag t… |
| 2013282 15 Aug 2013 | Brakes On certain vehicles equipped with a 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engine and a 6T40 automatic transmission, the electric vacuum pump (which provides supplemental vac… |
| 2012368 30 Oct 2012 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the primary stage of the driver’s airbag may not deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted). Failure of an airbag to deploy cor… |
| 2012188 22 Jun 2012 | Structure On certain vehicles, welds may have been omitted from the fuel tank mounting brackets during the vehicle manufacturing process. This could allow fuel leakage t… |
| 2012187 22 Jun 2012 | Other On certain vehicles, oil spilt as a result of improper engine oil change procedures could contact hot engine or exhaust components, as well as the engine shield… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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 transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
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 December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engines and 6T40 front wheel drive automatic transmissions and equipped with an electric vacuum pump to provide supplemental vacuum for brake assist, when needed. In the affected vehicles, the pump may not activate, resulting in an intermittent reduction or loss of brake assist.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
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 THE FUEL TANK STRAP SECONDARY BRACKETS MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED.
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 31, 2012. SPILLED OR DRIPPING OIL (SUCH AS AFTER AN OIL CHANGE) MAY COLLECT IN THE ENGINE SHIELD (BELLYPAN) NEAR HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST SYSTEM SURFACES. AS A RESULT, THE OIL AND THE ENGINE SHIELD MAY IGNITE AND BURN.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Chevrolet told its dealers about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011805 | This Preliminary information communicates a GM part number forreflective high temperature heat or insulating tape when repairing wiring harnesses. |
| 11011782 | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads. The J-35616-64B is the latest test probe released for checking tension or probing the .64 series terminals. The test probe terminal has been released in the terminal repair kit (J-38125-620H) located in Lear Tray 7 part number 963716-2. There are 5 terminated leads in a package part number is 13505346, which can be ordered through your normal General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales parts channel. |
| 11011709 | This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer. |
| 11011444 | This Preliminary information communicates to the dealer a process for accessing the procedure to add attachments to a GM technical assistance case using the dealer case management tool. |
| 11011205 | This informational bulletin explains Unscheduled Supplemental Services and the importance of GM Simplified Maintenance Schedules. |
| 11010651 | This service bulletin informs the technician of an alternate lift procedure that has been developed when the lift plate does not fit the top of the transmission case for 6T30, 6T35, 6T40, 6T45, and 6T50 Transmissions. |
| 11010545 | This service bulletin provides information on key code security rules and information on GM keycode look-up applications (U.S). |
| 11010491 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information for GM courtesy transportation and roadside assistance programs. |
| 11010490 | This service bulletin provides guidelines and diagnostic/repair information to technicians regarding vehicle engine oil consumption. |
| 11010421 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on the requirements for 12V battery testing and warranty replacements. |
| 11009764 | This service bulletin provides information on Concerns or Questions Regarding Installation of Dealer Installed Accessories. |
| 11009756 | This bulletin provides information on Policies Applicable to All U.S. Dealers for Engine and Transmission Assembly Replacement Under Warranty, Policy or Customer Enthusiasm and information on Submission of Warranty Transaction in Global Warranty Management. |
| 11009532 | This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive. |
| 11009531 | This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive. |
| 11009156 | This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update. |
| 11009088 | This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise. This is a slight movement that is more often seen visually, rather than felt, when viewed from the outside and using the auto-start feature, if equipped. |
| 11009039 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information, proper labor operation selection and causal part identification for warranty transactions (U.S. Only). |
| 11008956 | This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only). |
| 11008906 | This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and prevent unnecessary engine replacement. |
| 11008898 | The bulletin provides direction on how to locate the Temporary Service Part (TSP) form in GlobalConnect. |
| 11007936 | This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel on diagnosis and replacement of shock absorber and strut due to fluid leak. |
| 11007935 | This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel on diagnosis and replacement of shock absorber and strut due to fluid leak. |
| 11007744 | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and vent temperature. |
| 11007743 | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and vent temperature. |
| 11007208 | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Non-deployment
Chapman Chevrolet / Cruze Engine Recall
Engine compartment fire
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation