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2011 Chevrolet Cruze: check engine light

88 of the 733 complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze describe check engine light.

owner complaints
88
of this car's complaints
12%
typical repair cost reported
$800
typical mileage
65,625
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 286 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Check engine light by model year

What owners say

Filed Oct 27, 2026 · Brakes · 150,000 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 - 60 MPH and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal became stiff and pushed back, requiring three to four attempts to respond and causing an extended stopping distance. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on several occasions. In addition, the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the microswitch inside the power brake vacuum pipe assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V360000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Filed Jun 19, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · MN

i’m unsure if the person i bought this vehicle from had the codes wiped before selling to me, but there were NO lights on dash for 3 days after minimal driving only to work and back, then all of a sudden the check engine light came on, and in the info box it would pop up saying “service stability system” - i took to o’reiley’s to see what it was for, apparently it was the ECM (electronic computer module) which essentially controls like everything. days go by i don’t do anything more about it and drive as usual to work, and it starts overheating, and smoking like crazy, but doesn’t say it’s hot on my dash, so i had no idea how hot it got or anything. i got to work, worked my shift, and went to put coolant in before returning home- just to find that it was full and i didn’t need to put any in. weird, right? ok well on my way home i’m going about 55mph on the highway and it suddenly just wouldn’t let me accelerate anymore and behaved as if i ran out of gas but i had over half a tank. when i came to a stop i turned the car off, and tried to turn it back on when it wouldn’t even turn over. i sat about 15 mins on the side of the highway before it actually started and i drove home. a week goes by, and now this ecm is effecting more and more- driving on the highway/streets it’s shifting really hard, immediately following that, my speedometer and rpm meter fall to “0” on the dash but the vehicle is still driving and the message pops up about the service stability system. i replaced my tire and now it’s telling me to service airbag system and the abs light is stuck on, as well as traction control and it’s just so weird. i just don’t feel safe in this car and after looking it up, apparently everyone with the make and model have very similar problems, but specifically searching by my VIN- apparently there’s no recalls and it’s just extremely frustrating and i don’t know what to do. if i fix the ECM will all these issues be resolved or will i waste $600-$800 replacing it?

Filed May 26, 2026 · Engine · PA

I purchased my car in 2020 and have had this issue recently come up. I have coolant that is vanishing from my car but not dripping to the floor. I've learned since then that there was a recall on my car for my water pump which causes this exact issue which has caused a related check engine light to appear. It seems unfair to me that there's a recall on my car that was taken away after one year despite it still not being replaced, and purchasing my car not knowing of this recall not being done and the window closing I feel should be rectified. I will be notifying GM about this matter as well. Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter

Filed Apr 2, 2026 · Engine · 12,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The check engine warning light illuminated shortly after the vehicle was purchased. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking erratically, and the engine was abnormally loud. In addition, the RPM was elevated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and the engine seized. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that there was electrical power to the vehicle; however, the engine failed to crank. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was purchased, and diagnosed with a computer system failure. The contact was informed that the computer system needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact was informed that the computer system was being replaced with a used computer system. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

Filed Oct 24, 2022 · Engine · CT

Engine light and P2099 waste gate actuator pin on the turbo of the Cruze has malfunctioned. There was a recall for this exact issue and my vehicle year was included but not my VIN number. I have less than 95,000 miles on the car and this part should also be recalled on my vehicle as well. Many issues with the car: replaced water pump, replaced hoses, constant smell of coolant that dealership claims doesn't exist. Please help! Car is not driveable now.

Filed Jul 1, 2022 · Brakes, Engine · CA

I drive daily taking 2 freeways. I stopped at the traffic light and the car felt like shaking. Stabilitrack warning and traction control warning light and messages appeared on the screen and also the check engine light turned on, and ABS too. Break pedal was really hard to push and breaks were not working (i was not reducing speed at all) and it felt like the engine loose power and the car felt rough while driving. I was approaching to another traffic light and it was a red light so I prepared to decrease my speed and stop to wait for the green light. When I placed my foot and pressed the break pedal, it was hard. I was pushing it hard but the pedal did not respond, it was very hard and not moving at all and I was almost on the intersection, which always has heavy traffic with cars, 18 wheeler trucks and delivery trucks and more because its an industrial zone and Amazon and UPS are on this avenue along with other major companies. I could be involved and be responsible for a really bad crash if the light wouln't turn green on time. Fortunately it changed to the green light and I was in the very front. After this, I tried to go to the side if the road but there was a sidewalk and it was a no parking zone with no space/edge to park In case of emergency. I drove slowly with my emergency lights on and moved to the right lane until I found a space to stop. The car was shaking really bad, same lights on the dash were on and messages on the control panel did not change or disapear. The car was still moving when the engine suddenly stopped working while I was driving it. Music was playing and all lights worked so I knew it wasn't the battery. This situation was so scary that I was afraid to drive my car. I did not want to cause an accident resulting in injury to myself, others or any fatality. I've always taken my car to service and to be fixed in chevrolet. My car shook a little since 2020 and chevy guys don't know the reason. Total is about $2800 to get it fixed.

Filed Jun 22, 2021 · Acceleration, Engine · MO

The car cuts out and jerks (has no power) (no warning lights) when accelerating or staying at a steady speed with engine light coming on or flashing. I've reported to dealership. So far, Don't know the cause of problem.

Filed Aug 27, 2020 · Engine, Lights · CA

Code p1101 sitting in a parking lot in check engine light came on within 24 hours of buying the car

Filed Aug 12, 2020 · Engine · 120,000 miles · NY

Vehicle's engine has been overheating since the day I got it. Engine leaking oil. I had the transmission, head cover gasket, valve cover and water pump all repaired. Check engine light is still on and no mechanic can figure out why. Vehicle still overheats and leaks oil.

Filed Mar 11, 2020 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · 131,468 miles · OR

The cruze sputters or hesitates when braked or idling, the service traction control, services stabilitrak came on along with a flashing check engine light. I loose power and feel like I'm needing to press a lot harder on the gas to accelerate.

Filed Mar 7, 2020 · Fuel system · MI

Every time I put gas in my car check engine light, car stalls and wont start back up. I put gas in and either later that day or the next, I'm driving and it starts to stutter and I it's hard to accelerate. It begins to shake lightly and the it shuts down. In the past three months, I have spent over $1500 trying to diagnose and fix the problem. I have run out of tows from my insurance and am now paying out of pocket. There should be a recall on this issue, too many people are having the same issue.

Filed Mar 6, 2020 · Transmission · 53,881 miles · CA

First time the problem occurred, I had just started driving and my car would not shift into the next gear, leaving me doing 20 miles per hour to a safe parking spot. I was no longer able to reverse. Check engine light then came on. Fuse changed for indicator light and transmission fluid checked(fluids fine). Car began working with no explanation. Second incident was backing out of my driveway, after using the car without incident earlier. Went into reverse fine. Backed out, only to discover I could not go forward into drive. Drive acted as if in park. Reverse worked. Neutral worked as if in reverse. Had to back into a safe parking space on the street instead of pulling back into driveway. Almost ran over my son that was going to push my car while in neutral, due to the fact that once the car was in neutral, it was still reversing.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Engine and engine coolingReported June 22, 2012 · 413,148 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Risk
Either condition could result in an engine compartment fire, possibly causing injury or death.
Remedy
Gm will notify owners, and dealers will modify the engine shield to prevent fluid from contacting the shield. Also, on vehicles with a manual transmission, dealers will apply a protective tape to the electronic power steering wire harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge to the owner. The safety recall began on july 10, 2012. Owners may contact the chevrolet owner center at 1‑866‑694‑6546.

Recall number 12V288000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze check engine light

Is check engine light a common problem on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?

88 of 733 owner complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze (12%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2012.

How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $800 (median of 11 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?

There is 1 recall and 286 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Jerking 57Overheating 53Stalling 49Loss of power 48Hesitation 44Fire or smoke 34Won't shift 19Transmission failure 19Brake failure 14Won't start 14Slipping 13Wipers 13No deployment 12Airbag light 11Door locks 11Harsh shifting 11Power steering loss 10Engine failure 9Oil consumption 9ABS 7Grinding brakes 7Misfire 7Spongy pedal 7Headlights 6Warning lights 6Adaptive cruise 5Sudden acceleration 5

All model years of the Chevrolet Cruze

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