Engine coolant stench and loss of coolant since day one! I now have just over 45,600 miles and per the dealer a need a temp sensor housing and thermostat. While driving I got a message on the dash reading "AC off due to high engine temp" and the coolant temp read - - - and the needle on the temp gauge dropped to low from a prior midway point and coolant temp of 218 degrees. Back in 2014 I suddenly had black smoke coming from tailpipe and the "dealer replaced the water pump assembly with new base and thermostat." I also had a "service stabilitrac" notice and sudden loss of power while driving back in 2015 and the dealer said they couldn't duplicate the issue but that I needed a new coil pack which I had to pay for and repair on my own even though car was still under warranty!! This vehicle has smelled like antifreeze since the day I bought it, brand new, from the dealer that was performing all the services. In addition, the back window leaked from day one and I had 2" of standing water in my trunk and I had to pay, out of my own pocket!!, to replace the rear window = twice!!! This car is a piece of junk and has been nothing but problems and the dealer has forced me to do repairs that should have been covered by the warranty. I am sick and tired of the stench of antifreeze and the fact that I now have to repair the thermostat housing and thermostat due to engine overheating!!!
2012 Chevrolet Cruze engine complaints
Page 6 of 11: complaints 131 to 160 of 308, newest first, as owners wrote them.
As I was driving my radio started going on and off then car completely shut off steering while went stiff to the left and locked as I was on the road scared the living spirit out of me was the scariest experiences luckly I was alone without my kids because that could of been a fatal accident. In was very lucky it was not a busy morning the first time it happen and I was able to keep to left until car came to a stop at the curve. This has happen to me more than once that I stopped driving car stopped paying it because it was a lemon so many things went wrong 3mnths after buying car at used dealers I felt cheated and stuck I even lost my job because I wasnt able to get to work on time or at all at times because of car problems
I have a very important issue I have regarding the 2012 chevy cruze I bought on april 26th, 2015 with approximately 29,000 miles on it. It was purchased through carmax. As of this time my car has 60,000 miles on it. On sunday, february 18th while I was driving the car on a major highway suddenly, I could not accelerate faster than 25mph, the check engine light came on, and the 'd' for drive started flashing at me. It turns out that I needed a new transmission.
The car was moving down the road, and all of a sudden, the engine light came on, 'AC off due to high engine temperature'- fans kicked on and ran non stop. Coolant was added immediately only to find out that the head cracked- the coolant was running into the oil. This car was not very old and it for no reason should have cracked. I think it is in relation to recall campaign 12081.
Since november 2016 at 56,000 miles the car has been constantly overheating. The engine coolant flange, water pump, and thermostat have been replaced 2xs. When this happens the car flashes sporadic messages such as A/C off high engine heat, service stabilitrak, change oil, etc. The car also has started leaking oil. Finally on february 10th, 2018 the car had these same issues again and this time the engine went entirely. The car had total engine failure at 83,500 miles and now requires a new engine. This is the worst car I have ever owned and I would never recommend it to anyone. Upon going online everyone has these same exact issues so I have no idea why massive recalls have not been made.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet cruze. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the engine power reduced warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle failed to accelerate. A local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred once. The manufacturer was contact and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle as well as referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not available.
With heater and fan on, nauseating odor is emitted from the vents. The odor smells like anti-freeze. This odor cannot be safe to be inhaling.
At 45k miles had gas cap message a couple of times. Then the check engine light came on. Took it to dealer and they stated that it was exhaust manifold which was $1000. I feel at 45k (rural town driving) there must have been some defect for this to happen. Does anyone know of any manufacture problems with the manifold on chevy cruze 2012. Also had problems with vehicle trying to die right before taking it to dealer.
"takata recall" I am the owner of a 2012 chevy cruze and it only has 44,000 miles this in which the transmission has went out. It started of down shifting hard when taking off and jerking. As I searched online I found that this is a common problem in these cars
The "check engine" light came on one evening and with a message to service the stabiltrack. I did get the car home. Next morning, started the car, was stopped at an intersection near my home when the engine lost power in the middle of the intersection. Was able to get the car home by turning it off and restarting it, but in trying to drive the car to the repair shop, was not able to get any acceleration and had to have the car towed from my driveway. Diagnostics revealed the throttle body had to be replaced and the sensor cleared. Was told by my mechanic that there is a service bulletin out for this issue from gm. This is a car with 41,000 miles on it.
The car says in the instrument cluster "engine looses power" and to "service stabilitrac." then I loose acceleration. I have to coast to the shoulder shut the car down and restart. It happens more often on the freeway which is super scary. This happens every time drive.
When starting my car, my windshield wipers start going along with windshield wiper fluid coming out, my four ways start blinking, and my trunk opens up and will not shut. I have not touched anything that would cause any of this to happen. This has happened multiple times and it puts me in a huge inconvenience. I was driving today and it's 14 degrees outside, yet my car started to overheat and a warning came up on my dash saying something about the A/C being shut off due to overheating.... Why would I be using my A/C at all?
After driving for a while like 8 to 10 miles stopping for a little while at a drive throw and the car fan came on and the car temperature gage isn't even half way on the gage and the fan comes on. The car heater is blowing cool air instead of heat but when driving or ramen the engine a little heat starts working
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet cruze. While driving, the vehicle overheated and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle shut down and was towed to champion chevrolet cadillac (36006 bristol hwy, johnson city, tn 37601) where it was diagnosed that head gasket needed to be replaced. It would cost an additional $500 for additional diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and opened case number: 8-356-5888446. The manufacturer stated that the water pump was replaced in 2014 and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. No further assistance was provided. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 138,000.
While driving my car would not accelerate. The car will not move when changing gears. I took the car to the dealership because the check engine light and stabilik service light came on. The mechanic diagnosed the car and replaced a connector. Now, the car gears don't work. Misdiagnosis.
This car has had issues since we purchased it brand new in 2012. Does not accelerate when merging on freeway or trying to pick up speed. It puts the driver at a very high risk of an accident. This car was purchased for my daughter to attend college and she feels very unsafe. We have had to have it towed and taken into shop several time for check engine light and loud shaking noise. This car has been nothing but a nightmare and seem to think based on reviews that these cars fall into the lemon category. We will be taking it to a very reliable mechanic this week and will wait to see what they find.
When driving( in any weather conditions) the car will loose engine power drop to around 5mph, is unable to accelerate and have to be pulled over. Re/ceive warnings stating "engine power reduced", "service stabilitrak" and "service traction control. The check engine light comes on along with several others. Pulling over and restarting the car usually corrects the problem but it is terrifying when traveling at a higher rate of speed, or any speed really! Someone is going to get killed. Fortunately, this has only happened on local city streets ( so far!) but I can't imagine it happening on the highway. This has happened on numerous occasions. In doing research online there are a great number of owners experiencing the same exact problem. How is this not considered a safety issue warranting a massive recall? In reading many forums, gm is clearly aware of the problem but apparently has no definitive way to fix it as many owners have had various parts replaced( mostly related throttle or accelerator pedal) with the problem not being resolved.
I was driving down the interstate and my car started to lose power. The engine reduced power and service stabilitrak messages came up and the check engine light and traction control light came on. I got of the interstate and putted along, barely able to accelerate at stop lights, until I made it to my local chevy dealership. They don't seem to know what is going on and I'll probably end up doing a trial and error with sensors and throttles. A few weeks ago a similar incident happened while I was driving down a residential road (25mph), but everything turned off (dash, A/C, radio, digital speedometer, etc) and my car powered off for a few seconds and then came back on again. This is seriously a scary problem to have.
The car has had all recall work done for both issues however the vehicle is spewing oil again and even after the brakes have been replaced the vehicle does not stop when in reverse or moving slowly forward. Chevy states that these issues are now my issue and and spends because recall work is only one year on the warranty. When backing out from a parking spot or driveway the vehicle does not stop when the brakes are pressed and oil leaks randomly. In 2015 as they made the reveal repair the vehicle caught fire, however they claimed to have repaired the issue.
I have a 2012 chevy cruze lt, it doesn't even have 75k and I've only had it for 2 years. Driving through north little rock on the interstate my temperature gage shot from cool to red, my car dinged and posted a message A/C off due to high engine temps. My A/C was not on, as I was pulling over another message dinged and my engine power was reduced. I let the car idle as the next message instructed me to do, the temp would not go down. I turned the car off and called for a ride. Thankfully a nlr police officer sat with me until my boyfriend came as I was broke down on a bad side of town. That being said, we had the car towed to our ase independent mechanic to have it diagnosed as we thought it was just the thermostat sticking. Nope! Blown head gasket! All because of a faulty water inlet. It is a known problem all across the forums. My mechanic had replaced numerous inlets on these cars and chevy had yet to do a recall. I contacted gm and filed a complaint. They are only replacing faulty water pumps, even though the water pump replacement parts include the water inlet. I was told I had to have it diagnosed by their dealership and after much back and forth finally got the diagnostic fee waived. I received a call today from the dealer informing me that I have a cracked head, warped gasket, and need to replace the engine. This is all due to a defect the manufacturer knows about. To too it off the power train warranty expired in march and my extended warranty expired 5k miles ago. Chevy wants me to pay out of pocket to replace all the damage that occurred from their defect. I am contacting the bbb, my attorney general, and any news outlet I can to get this issue brought to light. With a vehicle just over 5 years old and not even 100,000 miles on it to have to replace an engine is ludicrous.
Lack of power, coolant leaks, the cooling system has a number of plastic parts. The thermostat housing and a junction piece are made of plastic. After constant heat and cold they crack. I had to have both of these parts replaced at below 40000 miles at a cost of more than $800 dollars. These parts were made to fail. As for power with a turbo it lacks power. I have changed the spark plugs and the coil pack. Still laces power.
Over heating. 3 times in 3 years. I have had to have water pump replaced and thermometer. Mechanic has told me he doesn't understand this issue. Car doesn't cool down in idle. Directed me to dealership. 1 st time occurred I took it to closed shop. Dealership said it's not covered cause they didn't do the work. It wasn't like I could get it to them the car was shutting down. Next time I got it back to same mechanic as it was still warranty. This time they replaced same items no charge said take it to dealer they don't know what cause is. I know of other people that had a chevy cruz with same issues and they traded it in. This has been a terrible car. These kind of problems occurred in the 80s not the 2000s
Eco 1.4l model. Engine suddenly began to run rough, most noticeable at idle. Short time later check engine light came on and stayed on. After turning car off cooling fan stayed on several minutes, which it had never done before. Dealer replaced valve cover, and intake manifold for $1100, out of warranty. Only 36,200 miles. Failure of a non-moving part at such low mileage is clearly a defect.
My car will not go into reverse and hesitated to give gas and now my car won't go into any gear , I currently see online other ppl with this car that have the same problem.
On august 19, 2017, I was on the road, drove passed south center mall when I felt that there was something wrong with my engine because it wasn't driving fast as usual. I pulled over to the side of the road, at inspirus credit union in tukwila to check the engine if it was okay when I smelled a faint scent of smoke. I drove back home to park it for fear of the engine exploding. Our family mechanic checked the engine and said that the fan is too loud as if something is causing it to be overworked. The engine fan has always been loud after my oil change on july 21, 2017. The engine light has not been turned off since the oil change and I know that there is something wrong with the vehicle. Also, I entered the VIN number online and it said that the recall on my car is incomplete. The dealer did not inform me about the recall nor mentioned anything about it when I bought it. They did not give me a written letter of the recall or even specified the recall being incomplete.
Chevrolet cruze 2012 delayed steering when turning, then sluggish would not go past first gear. I was driving on city street noticed difficulty turning and slowness so stopped at nearest gas station. Got vehicle towed to dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. This was sudden, always kept up with regular maintenance, oil changes & tune ups! This should not happen to a car barely 5 years old car and well maintained!
Car wont turn off even with key off lights stay on too other times car just turns off while still on drive but gm calms no recalls !
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet cruze eco. While driving various speeds, a "turn air conditioner off, engine overheating" message appeared. The contact turned off the air conditioner; however, several minutes later, an "engine overheating" message displayed. The contact parked the vehicle, turned off the engine, and waited ten minutes. The contact was able to drive the vehicle without any warning messages appearing. However, later in the day, the engine overheating message displayed again. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic (firestone complete auto care 1031 mt zion rd, morrow, ga 30260 (770) 225-1530) where it was diagnosed with a thermostat housing and thermostat failure which needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired, but the contact was informed by the mechanic that the vehicle was designed to withstand the heat conditions in a state such as georgia. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,695.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet cruze. The contact stated that while stationary, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that smoke came from under the hood of the vehicle directly after the vehicle was purchased. Chevrolet of broadsheadville, pennsylvania was made aware of the series of failures and diagnosed that the engine coolant thermostat was faulty. In addition, the transmission was replaced, under a manufacturers recall, but the failure recurred thereafter. The dealer stated that the contact would have to get used to the new transmission and the way the vehicle operated after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty in regards to the mileage. The failure mileage was 78,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 09/06/17*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet cruze. The contact stated that vehicle was serviced per a manufacturer voluntary emission recall: 14801 (engine) to reprogram the engine control module. After the vehicle was repaired at john donoghue automotive (363 vinson blvd, whiteville, nc 28472 (910) 642-2400), the brake pedal became difficult to depress. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the dealer for diagnostic testing and was serviced per a manufacturer recall: 12213 (brakes) where the brake vacuum micro switch was replaced. However, the brake failure recurred several months later. The vehicle was then taken back to john donoghue automotive, but the failure could not be duplicated. Recently, driving 35 MPH, the temperature gauge on the instrument panel increased while the air conditioner was turned on. When the air conditioner was turned off, the temperature gauge decreased. The contact also stated that the fan would remain on for several minutes after the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the failures and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for diagnostic testing. Due to the diagnostic fees, the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted for the recent failure. The failure mileage was 57,395. ...updated 10/19/17 *bf
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