2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, SHE SMELLED AN UNUSUAL ODOR INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE DEFROSTER FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN ACTIVATED. THERE WAS HEAVY FROST INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF BOTH WINDSHIELDS AND ALL FOUR WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE UNKNOWN PARTS WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. UPDATED 03/21/14*LJ UPDATED 03/28/2014 *JS

MY 2011 CHEVY CRUZE LTZ WENT IN TO REDUCED ENGINE POWER MODE AND SAID TO SERVICE STABILITRAK AND TRACTION CONTROL. THIS HAPPENED IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES WITH FROZEN PRECIPITATION ON THE GROUND. RESEARCH ONLINE INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHEVY CRUZE VEHICLES. THE CAR WAS DRIVE ABLE AFTER POWERING DOWN FOR A FEW SECONDS, BUT A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT WOULD GO INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER MODE AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST WEEK. LIKELY THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM. *TR

MY CHILDREN & I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT HOME! WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE HEAT NOT HEATING UP THE CAR ON TUESDAY AND ON YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON THE 394 EXPRESSWAY AND RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE ON MY DASHBOARD OF "A/C SHUT OFF DUE TO HIGH TEMPERATURES" SO I TURNED THE HEAT OFF AND THE GAUGE SLOWED MOVED BACK DOWN. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE FURTHER THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD MOVED ALL THE WAY TO THE "RED" LINE AND I RECEIVE THE ERROR MESSAGE TO "SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN" BECAUSE OF OVERHEATING. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED AND SLOWLY THE GAUGE MOVED BACK TO THE NORMAL POSITION. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THAT WORKED ON MY CAR LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AGO AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT IT MAY BE ANOTHER GLITCH BUT HE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF MY FLUIDS WERE FINE AND SINCE I WASN'T VERY FAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO BRING THE CAR IN (EVEN THOUGH THEIR SERVICE DEPT WAS CLOSING IN ABOUT 20 MINS). AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED THAT JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE COOLANT RAN OUT AND THERE WAS PROBABLY AN ISSUE WITH THE WATER PUMP. I WAS SHOCKED, BOTHERED & FRUSTRATED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN LESS THAN A MONTH THAT I JUST HAD TO HAVE THIS CAR WORKED ON. FORTUNATELY, THE WATER PUMP DIDN'T COST ME ANYTHING DUE TO IT STILL BEING UNDER WARRANTY BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT I'M A VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER. *TR

WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF AN ESTABLISHMENT AND WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE IGNITION KEY OR MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT UP AND DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE OVERDRIVE BOX IN FRONT OF THE GEAR SHIFT SO I COULD SHIFT THE CAR INTO GEAR AND DRIVE HOME, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT RECOGNIZING THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN PARK I WAS STILL UNABLE TO REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY WHEN I GOT HOME SO THE CAR'S BATTERY DIED. I CONTACTED ONE OF CHEVY'S TOW SERVICES IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TOWED BUT DUE TO THE CAR BEING IN THE GARAGE, THE TOW DRIVER SUGGESTED THAT HE TRY TO JUMP THE CAR TO AVOID HAVING TO PUSH THE CAR MANUALLY OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE CAR STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER 3 DAYS OF WORKING ON THE CAR, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE JUMP MAY HAVE FRIED THE COMPUTER SO IT NEEDED TO RECONFIGURED WHICH COST ME OVER $1000 (DUE TO IT NOT BEING UNDER WARRANTY). I WAS ONLY MADE AWARE OF THE MANY RECALLS THAT CHEVY HAS HAD ON THE CRUZE DUE TO HAVING TO TAKE THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN (WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED) AND TALKING TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER ABOUT MY DISTASTE & FRUSTRATION THAT I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING WITH THIS CAR. I WAS NEVER MAILED ANY OF THE RECALLS WHICH I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY AS I'M ALWAYS RECEIVING MAILINGS FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR. I FEEL AS THOUGH THE INITIAL PROBLEM WAS DUE TO TWO OF CHEVY'S RECALLS (CAMPAIGN #11V273000 & 11V270000) SO CHEVY SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. THIS ISSUE IS ONE OF THE MANY ISSUES I'VE HAD SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW IN JUNE 2011. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON BUSY TOLLWAY,AFTER IT SNOWED ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SERVICE STABILITRAK-REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR CUT TO 20 MILES PER HOUR.I COULDN'T GO ANY FASTER AND NOWHERE TO PULL OVER SINCE THE TOLLWAY WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.GOT OFF THE TOLLWAY CALLED THE DEALER TO TAKE IT IN.THE CHEVY DEALER TOLD ME TO SHUT THE CAR OFF WAIT 5 MIN. IT WILL RESET. OK IT DID,TOOK IT THE NEXT DAY TO CHEVY, THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, TOOK IT HOME. WENT TO WORK 3 DAYS LATER IT DID IT AGAIN I BROUGHT IT BACK TO CHEVY STILL CANT FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG.THIS CAR HAS CONTINUED TO DO THIS 15 MORE TIMES.THE REASON WHY I AM TELLING YOU THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS THERE HAVE BEEN MORE CHEVY CRUZES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR I HAVE BORROWED A CAR TO GET TO WORK,THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME ON THE TOLLWAY I THOUGHT MY LIFE WAS OVER IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IM GLAD IM HERE TO TELL SOMEONE ABOUT MY PROBLEM AND HOPE SOMEONE TAKES SOME ACTION WITH IT. *TR

THE CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN IT SAID POWER REDUCED. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. IF I LET THE CAR SET FOR A BIT, IT WILL START AND RUN OK. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ONLY IN THE WINTER WHEN IT'S DAMP OR FOGGY AND THE TEMPERATURE IS AT FREEZING. IN THE WINTER OF 2013, IT HAPPENED TWICE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 01/07/14. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC, AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THE CAR'S COMPUTER TOLD HIM WHEN IT HAPPENED, IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHY IT HAPPENED. WHEN IT IS WARMER OUTSIDE, IT RAN FINE AND PROBABLY WILL UNTIL IT GETS COLDER AGAIN! I ASKED THE DEALER IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM ANYONE ELSE WAS EXPERIENCING AND WAS TOLD NO. BASED ON WHAT I SEE FROM POSTINGS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES, I AM NOT ALONE! THE THROTTLE BODY APPEARS TO BE AN OBVIOUS A FACTORY DEFECT, BUT GM WON'T OFFER A RECALL. I COMMUTE ABOUT 60 MILES TO WORK EACH WAY, SO THE CAR IS WELL BEYOND ITS WARRANTY. IT WOULD BE NICE TO NOT HAVE TO WATCH THE WEATHER REPORT TO DECIDE IF I THINK THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT MIGHT COLD ENOUGH TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS CONTACTED BY CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CHECK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. ALL THEY DID WAS REFER ME TO MY DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WOULD BE FIXED AT MY EXPENSE, AND DID NOT RECOGNIZE OR ADMIT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE (FACTORY DEFECT). GM WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2011 CRUZE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH. THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE CAR LOSES POWER (COLD WEATHER) CANNOT BE SIMULATED BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS BECAUSE THEIR DIAGNOSTICS IN A HEATED GARAGE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT AND WILL NOT SHOW UP WHEN THEY TEST IT. WHEN THE CAR LOSES POWER IT HAPPENS ABRUPTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE CAR CANNOT MAINTAIN ITS SPEED, AND DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOW IT IS LIKELY THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO END UP IN A CRASH AS A RESULT. IT IS A DEFECT WITH THE CAR! *TR

THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED ON MY CAR COMPLETELY IN THE SUMMER OF 2012 WHEN THE CAR WAS ABOUT A YEAR OLD. IT WAS REPAIRED AND GIVEN BACK TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP (WHICH AGAIN PUT ME IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH NO WORKING BRAKES). THE VACUUM PUMP WAS REPLACED ON THE CAR AT THIS TIME. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME AT THAT TIME THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN THAT ISSUE BUT HAD ANOTHER 2011 CRUZE COME IN AFTER MINE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY CAR FOR ABOUT 20+ DAYS BECAUSE THE PARTS NEEDED WERE ON BACK ORDER. GM ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS PART (VACUUM PUMP) ON AUGUST 13, 2013 BUT THE LETTER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AT THAT TIME TO FULFILL THE RECALL AND WOULD NOTIFY CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY HAD THE PARTS TO COMPLETE THE RECALL. ON JANUARY 10, 2014 MY BRAKES FAILED AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME, WHILE I WAS IN TRAFFIC. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAS 41,000 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME AND HAS HAD THREE BRAKE ISSUES IN WHICH I HAD NO WORKING BRAKES. I CONTACTED GM'S CUSTOMER CARE ON JANUARY 13, 2014 AND THEIR EMPLOYEES EXPRESSED MINIMAL CONCERN ABOUT THEIR UNSAFE PRODUCT AND THE RISK TO ME OR THE PUBLIC. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED EXITING A FAST MOVING EXPRESSWAY. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED POWER AND THE CAR WAS REDUCED TO LESS THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR. THE CAR WAS PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND TURNED OFF. EVENTUALLY AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR THE ENGINE WENT TO FULL POWER AND THE CAR REACHED ITS DESTINATION. THERE WAS SOME LUCK INVOLVED AS TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. SINCE, THE LOSS OF POWER HAS HAPPENED FIVE MORE TIMES. AT LEAST ONE OCCURRENCE WAS VERY DANGEROUS - PULLING FROM A STOP SIGN ONTO A BUSY ROAD. I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE MAKES THE CRUZE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CARS ON THE ROAD. THE ISSUE HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND CAN HAPPEN AT 65 MILES AN HOUR OR FROM A STOP. I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS ISSUE AND I AM UPSET THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY CHEVROLET. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE MY CONCERN AND HOPEFULLY HELP OTHERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INITIAL START UP, HE NOTICED AN ABNORMAL NOTICE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE DECELERATED WHILE DRIVING FROM 68 MPH TO 6 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS TRAVELING EAST BOUND ON THE PA TURNPIKE, WHEN SUDDENLY,THE VEHICLE WENT FROM 68 MPH TO 6 MPH WITH NO WARNING. WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC SHE WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE OUTER LANE AND OFF THE ROAD. A TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY.