# Advice on how to deal with my Cruze situtation



## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Sorry to hear you are being nickled and dimed by your car. At least GM has been working with you on your issues. Do you have a lemon law in your state? It might be worthwhile to check out what your options are in that area. Just so you are informed.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Lemon law-----> new car-----> ????---> profit


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## Jabbo (Nov 1, 2012)

Sorry to hear of your woes. It's a shame that you have to endure this. You'd think they'd just give you another car (but not neccessarily a new one) and study your current car. Out of sheer frustration you could tell them that a friend of yours has an investigative reporter calling from an unknown source but you're not accepting the call at the moment. If that lie bothers you, you can change it to say you're considering calling a reporter or maybe even a Congressman or similar elected official because they love stories like yours. I sure hope this all works out for you.

To be honest it bothers me that I came up with this scenario and posted it, but it bugs me just as much when we consumers are jerked around like this.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I'm told that if you park in this particular spot in England, pianos fall from the sky.

More seriously, go the lemon law route. If a certain thing hasn't been fixed X number of times, you qualify in most states. Or in some, if it in the shop for X number of days, it will qualify as well.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

Regarding the coolant issue I had it but not as bad as others. What I did find the other day is that the lower radioator hose is leaking slowly. Its the one on the passenger side in the front of the engine. Not enough to see so it evaporates when driving. The dealer couldn't fine this either because it was so small it wasn't obvious. Well it appears to be leaking a little more now and i noticed it the other day. It leaks around the plastic that is attached to the rubber of the hose. If you put your finger under the top connector you probably will get a little bit of antifreeze on your finger. It will be kind of thick kind of like glue and have very slight orange/red tint. Unfortunately my warranty is gone but the part is only 30 dollars with shipping. 
Because of where this was i don't think a die would ever be seen because of how small the leak is and it evaporates as you drive.


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## cmackvr6 (Mar 5, 2012)

I have had numerous issued with my car as well. GM customer service is a joke. They offered me a year of free oil changes and tire rotations for my trouble. 

At this point, Stacy, (the GM rep on this forum) doesn't even respond to my PM's.

I'm going to trade/sell this car for a loss at my first opportunity. GM has lost a loyal customer for life.

Good luck with your case.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

My experience with GM support actually has been good- reps were always pleasant and got back to you when they said they would. I have not heard anything yet. Thanks for your responses so far.


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## cmackvr6 (Mar 5, 2012)

I'm glad to hear they are working with you. I have to say though, my experience started out that way. But, when it came time to do the right thing, they backed off and I have not been able to get any response since 10/17/12.

Good luck with your case.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

cmackvr6 said:


> I have had numerous issued with my car as well. GM customer service is a joke. They offered me a year of free oil changes and tire rotations for my trouble.
> 
> At this point, Stacy, (the GM rep on this forum) doesn't even respond to my PM's.
> 
> ...



I'm sure there are others on here that don't believe you, but I for one know you are telling the truth. 

My girlfriend picked up out new cruze while I was away for work, at 3,000miles(before I had even seen the car) the service traction control/stibilitrac message popped up on the DIC & the car started running rough while she was driving. 
Called the dealer & they said it was ok for her to drive it in, come to find out it was a major engine issue(something came apart on one cylinder) & they needed to replace the engine. First brand new car & it needs an engine at 3,000miles, even stranger is the DIC message did not indicate what the real issue was or how severe the issue was. 

Dealer had the car for two weeks while we were in contact with customer service, got the car back running great but were only offered a few oil changes & tire rotations for our troubles. Really? I see people on here get better offers for there troubles for far less serious issues that take no where near two weeks to fix. GM should have been happy we did not demand a new freaking car. 

When I tried to contact Stacy I was told she could do nothing more than the district manager I was already in contact with. I still feel I was given the shaft for my troubles months later. Even though I have multiple family members that worked at GM for 30+ years & I have only ever owned GM cars, This will probably be my last.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

i'm confused why do you think you should get compensated for a product that is under warranty and they fixed? I'm sure they gave you a rental for the time it was repaired so you had transportation. On top of that you received some free oil changes and tire rotation. Just because others claim they received more doesn't mean anything. You don't know there exact situation. This is what GM, Ford, Honda or Toyota would have done. Cars are made by humans and are not perfect. GM or the Dealer responsibility is to fix it under warranty. Which it sounds like they did. If you still had trouble with the same issue or multiple issues then I can understand being upset. GM is not the only manufacture who has replaced brand new engines. Search the web you will see if from many people. If manufacture fixes it that's all that matters.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

cruze2011white said:


> i'm confused why do you think you should get compensated for a product that is under warranty and they fixed? I'm sure they gave you a rental for the time it was repaired so you had transportation. On top of that you received some free oil changes and tire rotation. Just because others claim they received more doesn't mean anything. You don't know there exact situation. This is what GM, Ford, Honda or Toyota would have done. Cars are made by humans and are not perfect. GM or the Dealer responsibility is to fix it under warranty. Which it sounds like they did. If you still had trouble with the same issue or multiple issues then I can understand being upset. GM is not the only manufacture who has replaced brand new engines. Search the web you will see if from many people. If manufacture fixes it that's all that matters.


Simple. You're paying lot of good, hard-earned money for something that you can't USE.


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## Jvegas04 (Aug 13, 2012)

As said before Lemon Law. Take a good read through it and you should be able to take the car back for a different one. Sorry that you have had all these issues


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## Beachernaut (Mar 27, 2012)

At this point looking into lemon law would probably be your best bet. Otherwise, it sounds like GM has been trying to fix the issue.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

I had some troubles recently with my dealer related to the purchase process, not the car. Even though I did have some minor issues with the car which the dealer took care of under warranty, no problems.

They made the purchase/deposit issue better by refunding me the deposit that they should have done in the first place, but they didn't do anything to compensate for that. They didn't even offer any tire rotations/oil changes, even though I would have preferred something of equal value since I will do both of those things myself.

So, you did well to get that much. Granted my issues were far from a new engine.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

If you have multiple problems and the problems continue yes use the lemon law. What i'm getting at is just because you had one major problem and it was fixed why should you be compensated? If anyone believes this then anything you pay decent money for and something happens you should be compensated. If this was true then no one who makes a product would be in business because anything can break and they would have to keep compensating people and all profits would be gone. If you were stranded and the car died and you had to pay for a tow and hotel room then yes you should be compensated for the cost. A good example is you buy a tv it doesn't work when you get it home, you take it back to the store to get another one...should you be compensated for your gas? No, and I guarantee the store or the manufacture aren't going to do anything. Things break or don't work it happens.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

cruze2011white said:


> If you have multiple problems and the problems continue yes use the lemon law. What i'm getting at is just because you had one major problem and it was fixed why should you be compensated? If anyone believes this then anything you pay decent money for and something happens you should be compensated. If this was true then no one who makes a product would be in business because anything can break and they would have to keep compensating people and all profits would be gone. If you were stranded and the car died and you had to pay for a tow and hotel room then yes you should be compensated for the cost. A good example is you buy a tv it doesn't work when you get it home, you take it back to the store to get another one...should you be compensated for your gas? No, and I guarantee the store or the manufacture aren't going to do anything. Things break or don't work it happens.


Gas? No, but most manufacturers that you have to return merchandise for will try to make you happy with their company still. Dell, Apple, and Samsung have all rush-shipped me new devices that I received the next day and paid for the return shipping free of charge. Dell even extended my warranty for the inconvenience for another year when I sent in my laptop for a bad hard drive at 1 month old and it was out of service for 5 days.

Now, HP...don't even get me started.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

I had the rear brake noise as well. I had my rotors turned and bought new pads. There's clanking still over heavy bumps (as if the pads were loose) but there isn't a fix for this. I'm not pursuing a fix because the brakes stopped all the other noises so I'm just leaving it. 

If I had all the other problems you had, I would get rid of it and get a 2012 Focus. Seems like you're having issues from design flaws. Things that they'll never fix. Too many problems. 

Is there a way to trade it in for another car? Will you be loosing too much money?

i don't know about Lemon Laws for these. It can say that it applies if you bring the car in for the SAME issue X number of times. Not sure if a smell qualifies. 

Thats what I would do if I were you and it was possible to get rid of it. 2012 Focus.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

Actually. You know. If I was really angry I would take care of it this weekend. I would do a bit of searching on really reliable good service Ford dealers in my area. I would pick up the phone and tell a sales guy this story and ask him to get me out of that car right away. 

It'll cost, but the drive home in a nice 2012 Focus will make me happy. And life is too short to be unhappy.


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## mcg75 (Mar 5, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> Actually. You know. If I was really angry I would take care of it this weekend. I would do a bit of searching on really reliable good service Ford dealers in my area. I would pick up the phone and tell a sales guy this story and ask him to get me out of that car right away.
> 
> It'll cost, but the drive home in a nice 2012 Focus will make me happy. And life is too short to be unhappy.


For those of you living in fantasy land.......

I hear horror stories about dealer and manufacturers several times a month at work. If you think GM is worse or better than any other car maker, the only one you are fooling is yourself. Ford, Nissan, Honda, Toyota etc. it doesn't matter.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I would try a different dealer for repairs. Nothing ties you to that dealership for repairs. Sounds to me they are not the most competent bunch! The fan and the computer tipped me to that one. Sound like they were throwing parts at the problem hoping to fix. How do you know they fixed 4 other cars with the same problem? They were telling you that to make you feel better. Go to a different dealer. and if all else fails you can look into lemon laws.


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## sillygirl7 (Nov 2, 2012)

dby2011- Do you know what the dealer did to ultimately fix the center console vibration? What the problem was?


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Thanks for all the insight so far. I still have not heard back from GM or the dealer. I may have to call this afternoon. In the dealer's defense, they are following the TSB fix for the coolant issue exactly as it was written- including using the recommended tape for the vent hose. And yes, the service manager told me they did the tsb fix on 4 other cars besides mine. I am going to research the lemon law in Ohio and bring it up to GM and the dealer. I will not buy a Ford and if you look around the net the Focus isn't exactly without issues either- the trans is still finicky and people are reporting pieces literally falling off the car, plus I did not like how Ford begged for the GM and Chrysler bailout (knowing they could not survive without it) and then they turned around and made commercials criticizing the bailout to sell their cars. I still like my Cruze and would rather get into a 2013 and dump this one.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

sillygirl7 said:


> dby2011- Do you know what the dealer did to ultimately fix the center console vibration? What the problem was?


The dealer told me it was the shifter cable vibrating against heater pipes in the center console. They finally fixed it (after GM got involved) by taking the center console out and driving the car with 2 guys and one guy identified what was vibrating and they fixed it (I was told they actually used zipped ties)- it has been perfect since. Are you having the same problem? What year is your Cruze?


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Contact Stacy her eon the forums, she can be in direct contact with the Dealer.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

iKermit said:


> Contact Stacy her eon the forums, she can be in direct contact with the Dealer.


Thanks, I am already dealing with a 2nd level GM customer service rep. I really like the Cruze, I just want to get ths resolved, either a permanent fix for my vehicle or get into another one.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Looking at your issue, the fair thing is to get a new Cruze, it is obviously a lemon. So if they offer you anything say you don't feel safe in it, and fight to get some type of incentive to get you in another Cruze.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

iKermit said:


> Looking at your issue, the fair thing is to get a new Cruze, it is obviously a lemon. So if they offer you anything say you don't feel safe in it, and fight to get some type of incentive to get you in another Cruze.


A case can be made for such a thing with the right amount of tact should you pursue that option, with little to no financial loss on your part as the owner.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Update: GM rep called me late yesterday afternoon. She was pleasant and told me they are putting my extended warranty on hold so they can look into other solutions. I explained how much I like the Cruze and want to continue to drive one and told her I have been reading about Lemon laws but did not want to have to go that route if I didn't have to. She apologized, told me she left a message at the dealership and they did not return her call yet and will try again and get back with me Tues at the latest. I know there have been some negative comments about GM and their customer service, but I have nothing but praise so far at how GM has handled this with me. I agree with Xtremerevolution- it is all about tact and how you approach this.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

GM called me back today- it was a different rep then who I was dealing with. She said the dealer told her I can set up an appointment and they will try silicone instead of the tape. LOL I said I did not feel confident to have them repair this a 4th time and I have been patient through all of this, mentioned the lemon law and am ready to just give up on the car. She was sympathetic and put in a request about possibly getting in another vehicle and will get back to me Thursday. She did state it was something that may take a long time to resolve if I go this route. I really did not want to get to this point.


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

Honestly OP the coolant hose thing seems like a 10 minute fix with a careful application of some quality Epoxy...of course you should never have to resort to doing something like that yourself, but you know what they say about the best way to get a job done right...


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

^^^Agreed. What the **** are they doing with tape?

JB weld that thing. Get the stuff that will stand up to 600 degree temps. 

Worked great for sticking to my car that kept leaking oil from that hole right there.

Then enjoy the car and hope you have no further problems that you need to take it back in for.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

jblackburn said:


> ^^^Agreed. What the **** are they doing with tape?
> 
> JB weld that thing. Get the stuff that will stand up to 600 degree temps.
> 
> ...


Tape is what the GM service bulletin tells them to use. The coolant gets up to 220 degrees F- it needs something that can hold. I'm not sure silicone will adhere to the reservoir bottle.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

dby2011 said:


> Tape is what the GM service bulletin tells them to use. The coolant gets up to 220 degrees F- it needs something that can hold. I'm not sure silicone will adhere to the reservoir bottle.


You've never used JB Weld, sir.

If you clean the area well enough, it will bond to ANYTHING. Used it to fix a cracked plastic radiator for an entire year.

Hold it in place for a few minutes and let it set up overnight.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

So would you guys say ok- let them try to fix it a 4th time? I really don't want to be difficult in all of this.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

dby2011 said:


> So would you guys say ok- let them try to fix it a 4th time? I really don't want to be difficult in all of this.


I would ask that they try a different method (like the epoxy) instead of the tape to see if it works and give it one more shot. Or you can mix up some and do it yourself and not waste the time at the dealer to see if it will work.

Just because a service bulletin tells them to do something doesn't mean it's the best approach. Some penny pincher executive somewhere figured it would be the cheapest solution to the problem instead of doing it right. 

(like that under-belly shield they hack up for the recall).


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

I hope you guys know that there is tape from 3M that stands up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit... I sell that stuff all the time to elevator companys and such... it is pretty much made of glass. I hope they are using this to fix it, or an equivalent.

I say give it a shot, themore you have against them, the easier it will be to get in a new car. lol


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

They special ordered some 3M tape per the TSB after they did not use that specific tape the first time they completed the bulletin. They used the 3M tape the last 2 times but it still failed- the integrity of the tape is ok- its the adhesive that doesn't seem to hold up to the heat. Here is a pic of my latest supposed fix. I stopped by another dealer on the way home today and they looked at it and told me they never performed that fix for any of the Cruzes yet. They told me they have coolant found leaks in the water pumps but that has been about it with the Cruze in their shops. The service guy at this dealership seemed to think the coolant odor was way too strong to be just from the reservoir vent but my current dealer keeps telling me there are no leaks. Ugh- GM said they will get back with me Friday.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

Amazing to me that Gm can't find a fix for that coolant issue and other reliability problems.
Total incompetence.
Honda is coming out with a revised Civic on November 29. I suggest looking into it until GM gets it's act together, if ever.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Took my car in Monday and the dealer used epoxy to adhere the hose to the resevoir. GM rep finally got back with me today, said they reviewed my case and all the issues I have had with the car and it did not qualify for a buy back. They offered me a 48 month, 60,000 extended warranty which starts at my current mileage today which is 29,000- so I have a warranty until 90,000. I am a little disappointed, as I have been dealing with the coolant issue since April and it took until Nov to get a possible fix. Even with the epoxy tube I still smell a strong coolant odor from the engine compartment. I am happy GM works with customers but am extremely disappointed that I had to spend so much time and effort dealing with so many issues with a new car.


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## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

steve333 said:


> Amazing to me that Gm can't find a fix for that coolant issue and other reliability problems.
> Total incompetence.
> Honda is coming out with a revised Civic on November 29. I suggest looking into it until GM gets it's act together, if ever.


You go ahead. It always amazes me when people say stuff like this. I have seen people spend double on their Hondas and Toyotas in repair costs but yet they love them. God forbid a solenoid goes bad and costs $150 to replace on a GM, Ford or Dodge. Yet they will spend $200-$400 every 15k-30K on "maintenance" on the foreign crap. That "maintenance" doesn't include brakes and tires. Sheeple is an appropriate term. 
For those that wanna say, "why are you getting upset?" I say the same for those that come on here and B!tch. Just get it fixed and drive the chevy like you would the foreign car. Stop whining.:eusa_clap:



dby2011 said:


> Took my car in Monday and the dealer used epoxy to adhere the hose to the resevoir. GM rep finally got back with me today, said they reviewed my case and all the issues I have had with the car and it did not qualify for a buy back. They offered me a 48 month, 60,000 extended warranty which starts at my current mileage today which is 29,000- so I have a warranty until 90,000. I am a little disappointed, as I have been dealing with the coolant issue since April and it took until Nov to get a possible fix. Even with the epoxy tube I still smell a strong coolant odor from the engine compartment. I am happy GM works with customers but am extremely disappointed that I had to spend so much time and effort dealing with so many issues with a new car.


I'll bet the reason your dealer is doing this is that they are trying to keep their warranty costs down. I'll bet they are getting their butts handed to them by GM because they have high warranty costs. This is often due to poor repairs and bad diagnosis procedures. Unfortunately, you get the shaft because of them. Go to the other dealer you stopped at from now on.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Since we are neighbors byranakron50 (I live in Canton)- where do you recommend I take my car for service? I have been dealing with Progressive in Massillon.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> Since we are neighbors byranakron50 (I live in Canton)- where do you recommend I take my car for service? I have been dealing with Progressive in Massillon.



Seriously. Looking at your car. It's a lemon. Sell it and get a Focus.

How's your loan situation?

Think about the headaches in the future. Think about having to deal with **** GM service. I am JUST about to get rid of my Cruze and get a Civic if my issue isn't resolved on Monday. Forever and ever I will never ever get another Chevrolet, and will only buy Hondas here from now on. 

It's not the car. It's the service. I am having the same experience as you here and I am on the other side of the world.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

mcg75 said:


> For those of you living in fantasy land.......
> 
> I hear horror stories about dealer and manufacturers several times a month at work. If you think GM is worse or better than any other car maker, the only one you are fooling is yourself. Ford, Nissan, Honda, Toyota etc. it doesn't matter.


Not in my experience. I had 6 years of perfect Honda service and 1 year of nightmare Chevrolet.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> Update: GM rep called me late yesterday afternoon. She was pleasant and told me they are putting my extended warranty on hold so they can look into other solutions. I explained how much I like the Cruze and want to continue to drive one and told her I have been reading about Lemon laws but did not want to have to go that route if I didn't have to. She apologized, told me she left a message at the dealership and they did not return her call yet and will try again and get back with me Tues at the latest. I know there have been some negative comments about GM and their customer service, but I have nothing but praise so far at how GM has handled this with me. I agree with Xtremerevolution- it is all about tact and how you approach this.


Yea, but someone can only poke you in the chest for so long until you take that pile of plastic and rubber and drive it through their front window.

I changed my mind. Just get a Honda. Sure, all cars have issues, that's not the problem, the problem is how the issue will be handled and fixed. I had issue with the honda (a couple of times in 6 years), but they took the car and fixed it. I drove that car basically without issues for 6 years. All I did was change the oil and put gasoline, and that car cost half of this Cruze. I've visited the Chevy dealer more in 1 year than the Honda dealer in 6 years.

One thing is to get on Google and find issues with different cars and another thing is actually living with a car for 6 years.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Can't say much good about Japan, did work for Honda between 1981 and 1983 like other Japanese car manufacturers getting the top engineers to show them how to design a good car. Also hired the Italians for body styles. But just long enough to pick our brains. Really a racist group of people, here it doesn't pay to be white. 

Did have some good cars in the late 80's, but all that changed in around 1991 when they devaluated the buck. But still living on that reputation some 21 years later. They did have an manufacturing advantage over us with the so-called cottage worker. Mom could stay at home doing assembly work watching the kid for dirt cheap labor. Don't try that in the good old USA, IRS will get all over you.

But even that has stopped, even worse than our corporations in the USA, exporting all those jobs now to third world countries. Super greed. Get this from my youngest son that for some reason likes Japan and is working and living there. But since he is also white, can only advance to the first rung on the ladder. While he won't admit it, think he is hot for Japanese women.

My 88 Supra that I have kept for 24 years now is still a very well engineered car, never became a collectors item, stored it for years, but the only way I will get my money out of it, is to drive it. So driving it again. If I had to relay on my local dealer for parts, forget about labor, would have pitched it a long time ago. Don't have to go to a dark alley in Milwaukee to get robbed. Have to do a lot of net searching to get parts at a fair price.

Did find a really rusted out fog lamp on ebay, got that cheap, but all I wanted was the glass that was good, a stone hit mine, but had to form my good housing for that lens.

After some 67 years, we still have a strong military in Japan we are paying for. In around 1972, the US government was giving the Japanese 10% of everything we imported from them, a reverse tariff, that really gave them a competitive edge over us. IRS really hit us hard at the same time treating our inventory at retail value as profit. Sure didn't let us pay our taxes on that with parts, wanted cold hard cash.

Who is our government working for, sure in the **** not us. Was in 1991 we could finally compete with the Japanese. So what does Clinton do? Bring in the Chinese, not even a democracy, but a communistic dictatorship. 

And their is South Korea we have defended for the last 60 years, niece after graduating from college went there, only place she could find a job. Their cities make our cities look like dumps. They took our once huge ship building on the west coast of Lake Michigan, and ships they do build. Like 14,000 container ships to bring us crap from China.

Least most of my kids are doing well, pushed them into the medical fields, but suppose they will find away to import that as well. At one time, the best watches in the world were made right in Elgin, Illinois, and Chicago was the electronics headquarters of the world.

What happened? Feel the major traitors in this once great country can be found in Washington, DC.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

If anyone has advice or experience on the lemon law I'd appreciate your help. I traded in a car (that was paid off) to get this Cruze. I got 5700 for the trade and now have about 15 months of payments on this car- if you factor in the money for the trade in and the principle I have paid for my loan so far we are talking close to $9000 dollars. I just don't want to lose all of that and end up getting another car that I have no money to put down on and get a higher payment. I don't expect to recover all of that but it will be a big blow financially to get rid of this. Thanks for your help GM  I truly believe my Cruze is an exception to most Cruzes- I think they are reliable and I just got one with issues. All I wanted was to get a 2013 Cruze and start over. Now instead of sticking with GM I now may have to look at other companies for a car.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> Not in my experience. I had 6 years of perfect Honda service and 1 year of nightmare Chevrolet.


I've had fabulous GM service since I bought my first Fiero in 1985. I've run in to crappy dealerships, both for sales and service, with GM, Dodge, and Mitsubishi and I have changed dealerships every time to find a good one. I got lucky with my wife's Toyota and the dealership we bought it at and the one I take it to for service are both fabulous.

I cannot stress enough that if you have a crappy dealership and there are other dealerships in the area - SWITCH immediately, even if it means some inconvenience on your part. If you have a crappy dealership and there aren't any other dealerships in the area, live with it until you can get rid of that manufacturer's car. Just be sure that when you do you research who owns the new dealership. If it's the same owner as the crappy dealership you're trying to get away from, don't buy that car as you'll continue to have lousy service.


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## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

dby2011 said:


> Since we are neighbors byranakron50 (I live in Canton)- where do you recommend I take my car for service? I have been dealing with Progressive in Massillon.


Unfortunately, that is the problem. Progressive has not been the best in service. Try Spitzer up in north canton. I know it isn't right next door, but they had a better reputation than progressive. I go to Vandevere Chevrolet in Akron, but that is far north. I used to work for them and they are close. I have never had a bad experience with them. I still can't believe the tape and epoxy thing with yours. I know about some of the crappy fixes all the companies have come up with, but these sound like a 10 yr old came up with them.:disgust:


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

obermd said:


> I've had fabulous GM service since I bought my first Fiero in 1985. I've run in to crappy dealerships, both for sales and service, with GM, Dodge, and Mitsubishi and I have changed dealerships every time to find a good one. I got lucky with my wife's Toyota and the dealership we bought it at and the one I take it to for service are both fabulous.
> 
> I cannot stress enough that if you have a crappy dealership and there are other dealerships in the area - SWITCH immediately, even if it means some inconvenience on your part. If you have a crappy dealership and there aren't any other dealerships in the area, live with it until you can get rid of that manufacturer's car. Just be sure that when you do you research who owns the new dealership. If it's the same owner as the crappy dealership you're trying to get away from, don't buy that car as you'll continue to have lousy service.


I did switch. Is enough already. I think 3 months to get something not make noise is enough. Time for something else. The Cruze is OK but not as solid as I thought. Many things are badly designed.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

dby2011 said:


> Took my car in Monday and the dealer used epoxy to adhere the hose to the resevoir. GM rep finally got back with me today, said they reviewed my case and all the issues I have had with the car and it did not qualify for a buy back. They offered me a 48 month, 60,000 extended warranty which starts at my current mileage today which is 29,000- so I have a warranty until 90,000. I am a little disappointed, as I have been dealing with the coolant issue since April and it took until Nov to get a possible fix. Even with the epoxy tube I still smell a strong coolant odor from the engine compartment. I am happy GM works with customers but am extremely disappointed that I had to spend so much time and effort dealing with so many issues with a new car.


Find a new dealership. That can't be overstated. 



thaicruze said:


> Seriously. Looking at your car. It's a lemon. Sell it and get a Focus.
> 
> How's your loan situation?
> 
> ...


What exact issue*s* did you have with your car with the exception of your rear brake noise? If I remember correctly, you had a private shop change your brakes and you _still _had the noise. 

Also, LOL on "it's a lemon. Sell it and get a Focus." Tell that to my friends who actually own them (and will never again).


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

As an added bonus, aside from the rattle on the rear left, the CLACK at the end of a stop came back on that side again.

Excellent.

I just want it to keep doing things so that I feel better when I get rid of it.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Find a new dealership. That can't be overstated.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What issues?

2 months after I bought it I had a trumpet sound that would never stop until the car was turned off. Then it would start again, coming from the fuel tank, or something to do with the fuel. We had to go and get that fixed.

Then, one morning I closed the lid of the vanity mirror and it fell on my lap.

A few days later I opened the center console to put my keys in there and the button fell in the cup holder.

Then a noise from the left rear brake when I was going in reverse.

Then the CLACK from the right rear brake coming to a stop and the loud rattles from the left rear. They say it's all normal.

Been using the car for 9 or 10 months (- 3 months that we were flooded inside our house).

I think that qualifies as "this car is a piece of shi_t and I should've gotten a Honda". This is after owning a Honda that cost half as much and all I did for 6 years was change the oil and put a new set of tires. I've been at the Chevy dealer more in the last 4 months than in 6 years of owning the Honda.

This is all in the first 8 months of owning the car. One can only think, what's going to happen to it in the next 4 years? Forget it. This weekend I'm off to the nearest Honda dealer.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> I truly believe my Cruze is an exception to most Cruzes- I think they are reliable and I just got one with issues.


That would make this an awesome coincidence. 2 guys. Opposite sides of the world just HAPPEN to get the Cruze with issues.

Think about a few years from now. How many things will go wrong. When the warranty runs out. How much money will you sink into fixing it? How many headaches dealing with the Chevy service. You will just end up selling it and pay for another car. That's just going to extend the pain of paying for a car even longer.

There are many examples, look it up on the internet, of people who have actually succeeded in getting replacement cars for their defective Cruze, just to have the replacement Cruze have a different set of issues.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> That would make this an awesome coincidence. 2 guys. Opposite sides of the world just HAPPEN to get the Cruze with issues.
> 
> Think about a few years from now. How many things will go wrong. When the warranty runs out. How much money will you sink into fixing it? How many headaches dealing with the Chevy service. You will just end up selling it and pay for another car. That's just going to extend the pain of paying for a car even longer.
> 
> There are many examples, look it up on the internet, of people who have actually succeeded in getting replacement cars for their defective Cruze, just to have the replacement Cruze have a different set of issues.


Do share those plentiful examples.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using AutoGuide.Com Free App


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> What issues?
> 
> 2 months after I bought it I had a trumpet sound that would never stop until the car was turned off. Then it would start again, coming from the fuel tank, or something to do with the fuel. We had to go and get that fixed.
> 
> ...


Is it a coincidence that I've never seen anyone else report the same issues that you have and that you're our only member from Thailand?

Was your Cruze assembled in Lordstown, OH, USA?

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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

it doesn't make any difference where it was built. It's a Chevrolet Cruze. It's a GM car. They should offer everyone the same experience. Now you're saying GM doesn't have any sort of quality control across all their manufacturing all over the world or consistency. More bad news. GM Cars built here are great but if you buy one built over there is crap. Anyway you look at it, it's GM's fault. And as illustrated on this thread and many others, USA built Cruzes have many issues also.

All Cruze's have problems. The ones built in the USA catch on fire after an oil change. That didn't affect the Thai cruze. We all get screwed one way or the other.

And the Focus forums have a stacy also
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=260219


> Hi dvandy4898,
> 
> I appreciate that you have worked with the dealer, and can truly understand your frustration. As the dealer advised, it does take some time for your Focus to get acclimated to your driving habits, and I am sure that can be aggravating. The dealer is correct that it may smooth out, but I do not want you to feel unsafe in any way. For you and anyone else that finds their shifting differences concerning, I recommend keeping in contact with your dealer to verify everything is functioning correctly. Additionally, please PM me with your VIN, contact info, mileage, and dealer so I can try to help. I want you to be confident in the safety of your Focus, and I will work with you to resolve your concern. Thank you all for your patience.
> 
> ~Natasha


She has a sexier name. Natasha!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> it doesn't make any difference where it was built. It's a Chevrolet Cruze. It's a GM car. They should offer everyone the same experience. Now you're saying GM doesn't have any sort of quality control across all their manufacturing all over the world or consistency. More bad news. GM Cars built here are great but if you buy one built over there is crap. Anyway you look at it, it's GM's fault. And as illustrated on this thread and many others, USA built Cruzes have many issues also.
> 
> All Cruze's have problems. The ones built in the USA catch on fire after an oil change. That didn't affect the Thai cruze. We all get screwed one way or the other.


From what I've read here, the thought that a Cruze built in Korea, which is sold in Thailand, a Cruze built in Australia (Holden), and a Cruze built in Lordstown, are not the same car. There are way too many parts that differ. Even the engine and transmissions aren't the same. I do agree with you that GM needs to step up and ensure a "world" car is truly the same regardless of where it's built. GM also needs to do a lot to ensure their dealership network is top notch, and they have fallen very flat in this area.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> it doesn't make any difference where it was built. It's a Chevrolet Cruze. It's a GM car. They should offer everyone the same experience. Now you're saying GM doesn't have any sort of quality control across all their manufacturing all over the world or consistency. More bad news. GM Cars built here are great but if you buy one built over there is crap. Anyway you look at it, it's GM's fault. And as illustrated on this thread and many others, USA built Cruzes have many issues also.
> 
> All Cruze's have problems. The ones built in the USA catch on fire after an oil change. That didn't affect the Thai cruze. We all get screwed one way or the other.
> 
> ...


This is getting a bit out of hand. I asked you those questions to make a point, not to have to take the time to explain the point anyway. You were bashing the Cruze in someone else's thread simply because of your experience, as if your experiences are in any way related. If it's not news to you; they're not related. Your Cruze is built in a different assembly plant, with different processes in place, and from what it seems, different *parts*. That's right, different *parts*, which are sourced from *different local vendors*.

You can bash GM all you want, but none of it is going to be relevant or remotely helpful to anyone here. I sympathized with you the first few times you complained about your car, and genuinely felt sorry for you that you were having these issues, which nobody else on this board has reported for as long as I've been here. It sucks, I know, but there's a fine line between complaining about your problem, and making it plainly known to every single member you possibly can that you hate your Cruze and that they should get rid of theirs as well, despite the *fact *that *they are different cars*. 

It's not just about GM's quality control. You're not seeing the big picture, and it seems that you really don't have a grasp of how a car is made. Why is it that nobody else has ever reported clanking rear brakes on their Cruze here in the US? Did you ever stop to ask yourself that question? The reason is that (wait for it...) your Cruze uses different parts!

USA built Toyotas have issues. USA built Hondas have issues. USA built Hyundais, Fords, Dodges, Mazdas, you name it, have issues. As far as I can tell, the Cruze is no different, and that is as objective as I can get. 

Please do more research before you make claims. The US Cruzes don't catch fire after an oil change. By stating so, you are making it blatantly clear that you have no idea what actually caused those handfull of fires. The reason why a miniscule number of Cruzes caught fire after an oil change is because the oil change was done very sloppily, spilling significant amounts of oil onto the engine pan, which would then splash onto the hot exhaust and create a fire. This was in absolutely no way, shape, or form a GM issue. It was an incompetent oil change issue. 

There is a fine line between expressing dissatisfaction in your own Cruze, and becoming a forum troll that does nothing other than bash GM. You have made it *adequately clear* to *everyone *here in *multiple threads* how dissatisfied you are with your Cruze.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> This is getting a bit out of hand. I asked you those questions to make a point, not to have to take the time to explain the point anyway. You were bashing the Cruze in someone else's thread simply because of your experience, as if your experiences are in any way related. If it's not news to you; they're not related. Your Cruze is built in a different assembly plant, with different processes in place, and from what it seems, different *parts*. That's right, different *parts*, which are sourced from *different local vendors*.
> 
> You can bash GM all you want, but none of it is going to be relevant or remotely helpful to anyone here. I sympathized with you the first few times you complained about your car, and genuinely felt sorry for you that you were having these issues, which nobody else on this board has reported for as long as I've been here. It sucks, I know, but there's a fine line between complaining about your problem, and making it plainly known to every single member you possibly can that you hate your Cruze and that they should get rid of theirs as well, despite the *fact *that *they are different cars*.
> 
> ...


Well. My Calipers say "Made in Sweden" right on them. I'm not in Sweden, so I don't know which local vendors are providing my calipers.

And someone here was reporting clicking brakes also on their Cruze. Also, most of you have drum brakes.

Many cars are built here and sent to the USA BTW.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> Well. My Calipers say "Made in Sweden" right on them. I'm not in Sweden, so I don't know which local vendors are providing my calipers.
> 
> And someone here was reporting clicking brakes also on their Cruze. Also, most of you have drum brakes.
> 
> Many cars are built here and sent to the USA BTW.


I understand that. As I said, I'm just making a point. Your Cruze is very different from our Cruze. Most of our Cruzes do come with drum brakes, but the 2LT and LTZ models come with disc brakes, and I haven't heard of a single report of those making any noises. Really, I wish there was something I could to to help, but there simply isn't. I just need you to understand that your car is significantly different from the Cruzes that are manufactured and sold here in the US.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

My calipers say Sweden because it's a Saab caliper. It's all GM parts period. The ECOTech engine was also used for the Saab. They're all GM parts. They don't build the Cruze here with Somchai Thai parts. They're ALL GM parts.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I haven't heard of a single report of those making any noises.


There are several people writing about brake issues and clicking noises on this thread

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-service-issues/2832-clicking-sound-when-braking-low-speed.html

On this very site. NOT started by me. and what the title of the thread says it's exactly what I'm experiencing, in addition to the rattles.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> Well. My Calipers say "Made in Sweden" right on them. I'm not in Sweden, so I don't know which local vendors are providing my calipers.
> 
> And someone here was reporting clicking brakes also on their Cruze. Also, most of you have drum brakes.


Many cars are built here and sent to the USA BTW.[/QUOTE]

The calipers may be made in Sweden - where are the drums/discs made? If they're not matched properly you will have problems. I had an aftermarket brake job on my Montana done by a local Midas shop and it literally took 50,000 miles for my brakes to stop rattling and squeaking. The problem was the "new" brake hardware didn't match the discs, even though they met GM's specs and they worked just as well when it came to stopping. It was very annoying and my Pontiac dealership did everything they could to adjust them. Disc brakes tend to be louder than drum brakes, but the trade off is better stopping power in most situations. The reason for this is that drum brakes use the rotation of the wheel to keep the pads and drum from touching except when engaged. Disc brakes don't have this advantage and require the use of springs and other tensioning devices to keep the pads away from the disc. These springs and tensioners can, and in some cases do, rattle. If I remember correctly, your initial complaint was that your rear brakes rattled, not that they didn't stop the car properly. Basically you have spent the last two months chasing a design tradeoff - stopping power for a small amount of noise that very few people will hear.

Now for the question of the day - has your hand brake ever engaged between half and two thirds of the way up the pull range? If so, whoever did the brake work that first caused the hand brake to pull too high screwed up. If not, you went after the wrong issue first. A hand brake that has to pull that far up is a sign that the rear brakes aren't engaging properly, which means your front brakes are doing too much work and will wear out too fast.



thaicruze said:


> Many cars are built here and sent to the USA BTW.


I never said they weren't; just that many cars are made in multiple locations around the world to reduce the shipping costs. The Cruze is among these cars.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

^

I've felt the brakes when the brake pedal is engaged and the rear brakes are rock solid.

The noise is every time I go over any bumps. Anyone can hear it and it goes beyond normal noise. The CLACK at the end of a stop is also not normal. But every time they check and re-check everything is found perfectly normal.

What am I supposed to do? Show them again that everything down there rattles? I did that already. to 2 different service centers. Nothing has been done about it. It's normal. Everything is fine. I even asked this dealer to check the rotors were OK. Everything is fine. That's all I keep hearing. everything is fine. everything is fine.

Whatever the issue is, 5 times, 3 months and 2 different dealers is enough. I'm over the issue.

The point is, like the guy here, if the car is barely 1 year old and it's already giving me issues, then I would rather get rid of it. I can't imagine still fighting noises, rattles and other issues down the road, or worse problems.

The insurance covers fire. I can only hope the car catches fire. I'll roast marshmallows waiting for the insurance guy.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I wonder if the problems you're having with your Cruze are part of the reason Chevy is closing their Korean Cruze production line at the end of the 2014 model year.


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

^
Theyre relocating their money. They'll spend almost 1 billion a year in Korea to develop small cars and shift the Cruze to china. Has nothing to do with quality issues. 

We all have Cruze quality issues. I never heard of a Korean Built Daewoo Lacetti (which is what the Cruze is) catching fire. The Cruze was designed in Korea. We are basically all driving a Daewoo. 

Next time you hear that ever present whistling wind sound driving down the freeway that plagues us all then think about the fact you're driving a Daewoo.

or if you want to get technical the son of a Daewoo.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> ^
> Theyre relocating their money. They'll spend almost 1 billion a year in Korea to develop small cars and shift the Cruze to china. Has nothing to do with quality issues.
> 
> We all have Cruze quality issues. I never heard of a Korean Built Daewoo Lacetti (which is what the Cruze is) catching fire. The Cruze was designed in Korea. We are basically all driving a Daewoo.
> ...


What whistling sound? My Cruze is the quietest highway car I've ever owned.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Thanks for hijacking my thread....


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## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> ^
> 
> I've felt the brakes when the brake pedal is engaged and the rear brakes are rock solid.
> 
> ...


That is an honest answer is I ever heard one. I would probably feel the same if I was in your situation. I was under the impression they have never tried anything at all. But h=you have had GM look at it and still no resolve. I might want to accidentally drop a wrench across the battery terminals, too.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

thaicruze said:


> The noise is every time I go over any bumps. Anyone can hear it and it goes beyond normal noise. The CLACK at the end of a stop is also not normal. But every time they check and re-check everything is found perfectly normal.


Have you taken the Service Department Manager for a drive in it so that *they* can hear the noise, and *you *can be sure that they have?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

grs1961 said:


> Have you taken the Service Department Manager for a drive in it so that *they* can hear the noise, and *you *can be sure that they have?


Excellent suggestion. Make sure it's the service manager, not an adviser or tech (unless it's the tech working on the car).


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## thaicruze (Jul 21, 2011)

We all know what the noise is. We know the caliper is banging against the pad. But even the manager came out backing up the monkeys saying it was normal. I had 2 mechanics sticking their head out the window listening to it. You can grab the caliper and make it bang against the pad with little force. 

But it's all normal. 

Anyway. The new dealer says it ISN'T normal and they're ordering the parts. Parts aren't here yet. I think they ordered on Monday. Tomorrow is Thursday. 

And I still didn't tell them about the non working rear right speaker that crackles intermittently. I'll have to drive it there when its doing it. Also, the intermittent ticking of the AC fan under the passenger's legs. It's high pitched and very annoying. 

Good news is, Saturday I'm off to the Honda dealer. I'm checking out the Civic with Navigation and everything my Chevy doesn't have. Looking forward to years of bliss and 0 issues again like before when I used to have a Honda and brought it in for oil changes. 

Ive had this car for 1 year. Feels like 5.


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## tc_sting (Feb 23, 2012)

To the OP: people suggest considering utilizing the lemon law-- but clearly they've never tried that before. If you really want to go the lemon law route, first thing to do is hire a lawyer because you will be going to arbitration over this at best, going to court at worst. I do not recommend that.

GM is not going to give you another car without a fight. A huge fight. Your car seems like a legit dud but there are no easy fixes. Another dealer is a longer drive, more time and resources wasted, and not likely to be more successful. Lemon law will be a year long fight and likely cost you more in legal fees then just dropping the car as is and buying new.

Real solution: stick it out with the dealer who has it now and see it through each fix. Sell the car to carmax as soon as you get it back from the dealer. Take an economic loss in value, probably about $7,000 USD, and walk away to a new vehicle. Its rough, but this option is likely your best long term considering actual cost of legal fights and hassles on continued ownership.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Went back to the dealer today- they are going to pressure test the car again to see if there are any more leaks, especially around the water pump. Another person brought in a 2011 LT when I was there. Service rep opened up the hood and sure enough we smelled coolant and the level very low. I think this is a general Cruze issue. I went next store to their sister Dodge dealership and test drove a Dodge Dart. I will lose my butt if I have to get rid of the Cruze. Dart is a nice car (drove the 1.4turbo)- still don't know if I want a first year model though. My only alternative would be a Ford Focus, but I am not crazy about Ford. Sorry, I know I am limiting my options but I will only buy a car made by Union people employed by US companies. I am going to support what supported me all those years growing up- my family and I had a good life because of the UAW and my father worked his butt off for 35+ years in a dirty hot factory to support us. That is just my opinion and please respect that and not start flame wars over it.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

Just a suggestion-have you tried the Sonic? Most issues seem to be the little turbo and the 1.8L engine is probably strong enough to move the Sonic (not so much in the Cruze). If you're trading on another Chevy maybe they will cut you a good deal. They definitely should.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Update: taking my car to the dealer this afternoon. I got a letter today from GM customer service about the warranty- it says GMPP for the Engine plan on my 2012 Cruze. So I can assume the warranty is only for the engine and that's it? If that is the case that is not how it was presented to me- ugh


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Update: Looks like GM is buying my vehicle back. I don't know specifics yet but was told it will be according to the laws in my state. I don't know if I am restricted to getting into another car from my dealer or not. Would you guys take a chance and get a 2013 Cruze?


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

dby2011 said:


> Update: Looks like GM is buying my vehicle back. I don't know specifics yet but was told it will be according to the laws in my state. I don't know if I am restricted to getting into another car from my dealer or not. Would you guys take a chance and get a 2013 Cruze?


Congrats but the 2013 Cruze has the same issues your car does. If they offer a refund you should take it. If you can afford a bigger car maybe the Malibu?


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

steve333 said:


> Congrats but the 2013 Cruze has the same issues your car does. If they offer a refund you should take it. If you can afford a bigger car maybe the Malibu?


I know  I really like the Cruze. I drove a new Malibu and it was just ok. To get similar equipment that I have now on the Cruze will be at least 26k for the Malibu- simple things like remote start and a usb ipod interface that my car had for 21k sticker cost 26k sticker for a Malibu LT. Plus my wife hates the fake wood trim in the Mailbu LT and I read they are already changing the car for the fall in 2014. I'm not buying a car that will look outdated in a year. Like I said, I am not sure what the specifics are yet so I really don't know what I will be able to get into. I just don't want to go through the coolant issue with a 2013 or I would not question getting another Cruze.


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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

With the problems you have gone thru perhaps another make would work out for you. The Cruze will still have the coolant problems so it would be like a toss of the coin with a hit or a miss that you just may purchase another coolant smelling Cruze. My 2012 Cruze is working great without the smell however if I had this problem and all of its headaches I would not buy another Cruze I would take a chance on another model.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

I suggest taking a look at the redesigned 2013 Civic or a Subaru Integra. Both will at least be reliable and have good resale value if you choose to trade one in on a 2014 Cruze if you'd like and if GM actually hires someone with a brain who can figure out how to fix that **** engine


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I suppose it would depend what kind of credit they give you back. If it's a nice fat check, bye bye GM, hello something else. The new Accord, Camry, and Fusion are all very nice cars. 

If they give you a GM credit back, I'd go with another Cruze. I've heard of very few 2012-2013'ers with the coolant smell problem.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Bohdan said:


> With the problems you have gone thru perhaps another make would work out for you. The Cruze will still have the coolant problems so it would be like a toss of the coin with a hit or a miss that you just may purchase another coolant smelling Cruze. My 2012 Cruze is working great without the smell however if I had this problem and all of its headaches I would not buy another Cruze I would take a chance on another model.


I have no coolant smell either...



steve333 said:


> I suggest taking a look at the redesigned 2013 Civic or a Subaru Integra. Both will at least be reliable and have good resale value if you choose to trade one in on a 2014 Cruze if you'd like and if GM actually hires someone with a brain who can figure out how to fix that **** engine


The integra is more expensive and gets crap for gas mileage, and the new civic is nothing to get excited about. 

My engine and that of hundreds of thousands of other people are working just fine. Not sure what you're talking about.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using AutoGuide App


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

steve333 said:


> I suggest taking a look at the redesigned 2013 Civic or a Subaru Integra. Both will at least be reliable and have good resale value if you choose to trade one in on a 2014 Cruze if you'd like and if GM actually hires someone with a brain who can figure out how to fix that **** engine


Subaru Impreza? A friend has one...not great. The _Acura_ Integra died years ago...it was terrible 

And the 2013 Civic...meh. It still looks as boring as the old one, and the 2006-2012 Civic was terrible to drive. Slightly nicer interior for 2013 from what they've shown.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I have no coolant smell either...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What I'm talking about is what people with the issue are talking about.



jblackburn said:


> Subaru Impreza? A friend has one...not great. The _Acura_ Integra died years ago...it was terrible
> 
> And the 2013 Civic...meh. It still looks as boring as the old one, and the 2006-2012 Civic was terrible to drive. Slightly nicer interior for 2013 from what they've shown.


The Civic could be better but it would make a good stop gap until the MCE Cruze-the Civic will have good trade in value (as long as its the 2013 and not the 2012)


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Didn't we have a member who said the coolant smell may be from a coolant spill in the driver foot well? If this is the case, it may be that you won't smell it until that area gets warm and vaporizes the coolant remnants.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Things have finally come to an end for me. GM is repurchasing my Cruze. The closing for my car is Friday. I am not one to do things like this and am the type of person that gives things a chance but I think I have been patient long enough. Good luck to everyone.


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## zpe (Jan 11, 2013)

thaicruze said:


> Seriously. Looking at your car. It's a lemon. Sell it and get a Focus.


Please do not buy a Focus with the money you get from the buyback. Unless you have enjoyed your multi-fix, always-talking-to-a-service-manager experience.
I came from a 2012 Focus into a 2013 Cruze... luckily nothing crazy yet.


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## rpcraft (Jan 12, 2013)

Only Impreza I would get is the older 2005 WRX models, anything newer than just doesn't appeal to me.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

Hoon said:


> Honestly OP the coolant hose thing seems like a 10 minute fix with a careful application of some quality Epoxy...of course you should never have to resort to doing something like that yourself, but you know what they say about the best way to get a job done right...



*WISH I could fix my crappy shifting transmission myself! :$#angry:*


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

fastdriver said:


> *WISH I could fix my crappy shifting transmission myself! :$#angry:*


Were trying to find a solution for this problem 

Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> Were trying to find a solution for this problem
> 
> Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


From what I can gather, the *ONLY* solution is to get rid of the 2011 Cruze and get into a newer model! I have dealt with this problem one way or another since February 2012! Last week all the BS from GM "customer service" over the last 6 months came to an "end" when a GM engineer declared my car was *"operating as designed"*. What a joke! I had to laugh at the person who said you have to deal with GM with "tact"! That didn't work either with over 40+ phone calls from them and one stall tactic after another. There is only so much BS you can put up with when you KNOW GM knows about the transmission problem, but WON'T admit it! Two year old Cruze LTZ RS with 13,200 miles and one more year on the lease and back it goes to its MAKER! I can't really blame the dealer because they can only do what GM tells them to do even when they know it won't work! I put up with all the crap because I did not want GM to say that I was uncooperative. I knew as well as the dealer that this GM engineer last week was going to solve NOTHING! WHY they had to keep the car for 5 days is beyond me. Oh yeah, this engineer came to this conclusion after only driving the car for 13 miles! I am still taking other routes to resolve this problem.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Must be something wrong with my Holden Cruze, no wind noise, no smell, auto works fine, happy with fuel usage with my diesel, good brakes no noise, really quiet at highway speed. Only done 6,000k so far but looking good!


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## chaser x (Sep 3, 2012)

From all the stories i read here i hope wont have to experience any problematic Cruze I have 6,000 miles no troubles.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Aussie said:


> Must be something wrong with my Holden Cruze, no wind noise, no smell, auto works fine, happy with fuel usage with my diesel, good brakes no noise, really quiet at highway speed. Only done 6,000k so far but looking good!


Where is the coolant overflow bottle on your car? I wonder since your steering is the opposite of us the air intake is away from the coolant bottle.

Dropped off my Cruze yesterday, got my check and bought a Dodge Dart Limited. What a great car. Not quite as peppy as the Cruze 1.4 turbo intially off the line, but everything else exceeds it.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

chaser x said:


> From all the stories i read here i hope wont have to experience any problematic Cruze I have 6,000 miles no troubles.


Most Cruzes will be trouble-free. Some will have issues. It's the nature of modern manufacturing, and car manufacturing in particular. Put a few thousand parts in close proximity to each other and turn it loose onto the roads. The marginal parts will fail faster. The warranty exists to cover those initial failures. 

As we've found out, though, the warranty is only as good as the dealer who has to honor it. A good dealer is worth supporting. It's finding those good dealers that's looking for a needle in a haystack.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

From the pictures Aussie posted previously, the engine coolant tank is in the same place. What is different however is that the cabin and all the associated equipment, including air intakes, is swapped for right hand drive. This means right hand drive cruzen pull air into the cabin from the opposite side of the car from the coolant tank.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

sciphi said:


> Most Cruzes will be trouble-free. Some will have issues. It's the nature of modern manufacturing, and car manufacturing in particular. Put a few thousand parts in close proximity to each other and turn it loose onto the roads. The marginal parts will fail faster. The warranty exists to cover those initial failures.
> 
> As we've found out, though, the warranty is only as good as the dealer who has to honor it. A good dealer is worth supporting. It's finding those good dealers that's looking for a needle in a haystack.



What you say is all true. HOWEVER, a warranty and a dealer can only go so far when the problem LIES with GM and GM will NOT admit that there is a problem! Having a long warranty is great IF GM would honor it! My 2011 Cruze shifts like crap like MANY other 2011 owners, but a GM engineer says *"operating as designed"*! So, now what?


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

fastdriver said:


> What you say is all true. HOWEVER, a warranty and a dealer can only go so far when the problem LIES with GM and GM will NOT admit that there is a problem! Having a long warranty is great IF GM would honor it! My 2011 Cruze shifts like crap like MANY other 2011 owners, but a GM engineer says *"operating as designed"*! So, now what?


Yep, there will be design flaws with every carmaker. Honda Civic Hybrid batteries dying, Toyota's "sludge monster" V6's and rotting Tacoma frames, Ford's 1.6l Ecoboost motors randomly catching fire, VW's HPFP issues on their TDI cars, and many more "flaws" that do exist. Those are/were often blamed on the owner, even when the owner had all the documentation showing it was not their fault. 

To throw GM a small bone, they did change the 2012-current Cruze AT's so they're better-shifting. It does stink that they used the 2011's as a guinea pig, and now won't fix them when it appears that it is a fixable issue. The aftermarket tuners have shown that a 2011 transmission can be "fixed".


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## Mattyf2 (Dec 16, 2012)

GM customer service has treated me like crap as well I think they should buy all the cars back they clearly know they have problems with the cars and refuse to even redesign it I think they make to much off the car parts and repairs to redesign the vehicles issues its probably some kind of government grant that they have to spend it or keep a certain number of people employed or they lose it. It's a bunch of crap GM told me they are done helping me with my car because the factory warranty is up even though they know about the problems I'm having


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Mattyf2 said:


> GM customer service has treated me like crap as well I think they should buy all the cars back they clearly know they have problems with the cars and refuse to even redesign it I think they make to much off the car parts and repairs to redesign the vehicles issues its probably some kind of government grant that they have to spend it or keep a certain number of people employed or they lose it. It's a bunch of crap GM told me they are done helping me with my car because the factory warranty is up even though they know about the problems I'm having


LOL at your assertion that they have a government grant to keep people employed. I'd like to know where you heard that one. 

If the problem is a big one and you have all the documentation that it happened repeatedly under the warranty without resolution, I'd seek advice from a consumer advocate. They might be able to help out.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

sciphi said:


> To throw GM a small bone, they did change the 2012-current Cruze AT's so they're better-shifting. It does stink that they used the 2011's as a guinea pig, and now won't fix them when it appears that it is a fixable issue. The aftermarket tuners have shown that a 2011 transmission can be "fixed".



That may be, BUT I refuse to spend MY money to fix a problem that GM created and should pay for! Secondly, my car is a lease, so I cannot modify it in any way!


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

fastdriver said:


> That may be, BUT I refuse to spend MY money to fix a problem that GM created and should pay for! Secondly, my car is a lease, so I cannot modify it in any way!


The information about the 2011 automatic is still useful to whoever buys your returned lease once it's up and out of warranty.


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## DrVette (Dec 6, 2011)

Chk your state Lemon Law.

gluck
Doc


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

DrVette said:


> Chk your state Lemon Law.
> 
> gluck
> Doc


 Been there. Done that! Bought car in Rhode Island, so I can't file Connecticut Lemon Law! RI Lemon Law sucks! RI lemon law says you have to go to the dealer 4 times in ONE year for the same problem as opposed to CT's 4 times in TWO years! NO new car should be at the dealer FOUR times in one year for a major problem to begin with!

Once I get this car straightened out, and I will one way or another, my next project will be to see how I can get the Lemon Laws for ALL 50 states to be the SAME! There should be NO variance like there is now. That's for the future. If I am not mistaken, CT was the first state to institute a Lemon Law. Right now, my car is my #1 item! 

Just happened to notice today that the GM Corporate guy that I have been dealing with since November 7th called me Friday! Somehow I missed that call and he didn't leave a message. I am VERY curious what he could possibly want now since our conversation ended on January 21st when he called to inform me that the engineer said my car was *"operating as designed"*, *case closed*! I figured that would be the last I'd hear from him! He can't possibly be calling to ask me how the car is running, since nothing was done to it the 5 days the dealer had it other than to drive it 13 miles! Maybe he listened to the 40+ calls that I have had with GM customer service and him since last July and feels bad for all the BS that flowed through these phone lines from THEIR end! They can't possibly use those calls for TRAINING purposes except maybe how to reword some of their BS since I let them know early on that I was a somewhat informed consumer and wasn't falling for all the stall tactics that they employed over that period of time. I was very nice for the most part. There is only so much BS you can listen to with letting off a little steam ESPECIALLY when you know you're right and they're wrong and that GM is just TRYING to cover their A$$! Maybe he wants to put me in a new car! At this point I wouldn't mind if they just end this Cruze lease and put me in a Sonic LTZ sedan for the last year of my lease!


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Well here is my Cruze:

2012 Chevrolet Cruze for sale in Oak Lawn - 1G1PF5SC2C7100509 - Mike Haggerty Buick GMC

It was officially repurchased by GM on 1/25 and then somehow made it outside Chicago from Northeast Ohio and put on the market on 2/26. And guest what- Carfax reports the car did not have a lemon history or history of repurchase. Not sure what to believe if it is a mistake by Carfax or not. I wonder if you retitle a car in another state you can get away with not titling it as a repurchase. The only reason I found this out is I called Onstar twice to cancel my account and they never did. I finally got a hold of someone who assured me it would actually happen this time. Up until yesterday I had complete control of the car from my Ipad. I noticed they put on about 50 miles and changed the oil. I just typed in the Vin number in google and it came up. Have to wonder if they fixed the car or not- too bad there is not picture of the engine compartment so I can see if the epoxied tube is still coming out of the overflow tank. I highly doubt my car got the new HVAC fix.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

dby: It is not uncommon for cars from this area to be auctioned in Detroit or Indiana. By the time your Cruze hit Chicago, it likely may have passed through more than one titled owner. Plenty of opportunity for information to get lost. It's common for flood damaged cars to follow this path to redemption. There are tons of folks out there that tweak titles for profit. Here's another one, my son just turned in a 2 yr old leased Wrangler. The loan company loaded it on a truck at his place of employment and hauled it straight to an auction. No trip to a dealer for check out or service.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

dby2011 said:


> Well here is my Cruze:
> 
> 2012 Chevrolet Cruze for sale in Oak Lawn - 1G1PF5SC2C7100509 - Mike Haggerty Buick GMC
> 
> It was officially repurchased by GM on 1/25 and then somehow made it outside Chicago from Northeast Ohio and put on the market on 2/26. And guest what- Carfax reports the car did not have a lemon history or history of repurchase. Not sure what to believe if it is a mistake by Carfax or not. I wonder if you retitle a car in another state you can get away with not titling it as a repurchase. The only reason I found this out is I called Onstar twice to cancel my account and they never did. I finally got a hold of someone who assured me it would actually happen this time. Up until yesterday I had complete control of the car from my Ipad. I noticed they put on about 50 miles and changed the oil. I just typed in the Vin number in google and it came up. Have to wonder if they fixed the car or not- too bad there is not picture of the engine compartment so I can see if the epoxied tube is still coming out of the overflow tank. I highly doubt my car got the new HVAC fix.


Wow, you had the 509th Cruze built in MY 2012. I don't think I've seen one that low before.


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Sunline Fan said:


> Wow, you had the 509th Cruze built in MY 2012. I don't think I've seen one that low before.


How do you find this information? 

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

XtremeAaron said:


> How do you find this information?
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


It isn't exact, but just based on the end of the VIN. I mean, they may have built some prototypes in there, and I'm not sure how they factor those in. But somewhere I determined that the last seven of Cruze VINs start with 7100000 for each model year.

Using that same logic, mine is about 183k in.


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Sunline Fan said:


> It isn't exact, but just based on the end of the VIN. I mean, they may have built some prototypes in there, and I'm not sure how they factor those in. But somewhere I determined that the last seven of Cruze VINs start with 7100000 for each model year.
> 
> Using that same logic, mine is about 183k in.


Mines 7240319?

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

XtremeAaron said:


> Mines 7240319?
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


So it'd be 7240319-7100000= 140319

Mine's 183328.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> Well here is my Cruze:
> 
> 2012 Chevrolet Cruze for sale in Oak Lawn - 1G1PF5SC2C7100509 - Mike Haggerty Buick GMC
> 
> It was officially repurchased by GM on 1/25 and then somehow made it outside Chicago from Northeast Ohio and put on the market on 2/26. And guest what- Carfax reports the car did not have a lemon history or history of repurchase. Not sure what to believe if it is a mistake by Carfax or not. I wonder if you retitle a car in another state you can get away with not titling it as a repurchase. The only reason I found this out is I called Onstar twice to cancel my account and they never did. I finally got a hold of someone who assured me it would actually happen this time. Up until yesterday I had complete control of the car from my Ipad. I noticed they put on about 50 miles and changed the oil. I just typed in the Vin number in google and it came up. Have to wonder if they fixed the car or not- too bad there is not picture of the engine compartment so I can see if the epoxied tube is still coming out of the overflow tank. I highly doubt my car got the new HVAC fix.



I am not EXACTLY sure how CarFax works, but I THINK information has to be REPORTED TO THEM for it to appear! I have heard of a car going from state to state and having the title change! In Chicago,anything is possible! :angry: I would imagine that entering the VIN at any GM dealership would show its history as far as warranty work! NEVER a dull moment with GM!


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> Well here is my Cruze:
> 
> 2012 Chevrolet Cruze for sale in Oak Lawn - 1G1PF5SC2C7100509 - Mike Haggerty Buick GMC
> 
> It was officially repurchased by GM on 1/25 and then somehow made it outside Chicago from Northeast Ohio and put on the market on 2/26. And guest what- Carfax reports the car did not have a lemon history or history of repurchase. Not sure what to believe if it is a mistake by Carfax or not. I wonder if you retitle a car in another state you can get away with not titling it as a repurchase. The only reason I found this out is I called Onstar twice to cancel my account and they never did. I finally got a hold of someone who assured me it would actually happen this time. Up until yesterday I had complete control of the car from my Ipad. I noticed they put on about 50 miles and changed the oil. I just typed in the Vin number in google and it came up. Have to wonder if they fixed the car or not- too bad there is not picture of the engine compartment so I can see if the epoxied tube is still coming out of the overflow tank. I highly doubt my car got the new HVAC fix.


On ABC News tonight, they did an undercover investigation about CarFax and it is just as I thought. If information is not reported to CarFax, it does NOT show up! They showed a dealer who relied HEAVILY on CarFax for TWO cars that ABC KNEW were in accidents, but NO information about those two cars showed up in CarFax. One of those cars was hit in the back AND the front because it was a middle car in an accident. ABC News found the original owner AND the police report about the accident! Not sure if there will be more info tonight on 20/20. Basically, CarFax is CRAP!

ONE more reason to put car salesmen on the CAUTION list! Will they EVER have a good reputation?


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

I have been warning folks about trusting car fax for years.

There are too many potentals for misinformation......for example.
My son owns a 2006 ZO6.....purchassed new and picked up at the factory/museum.
Two years ago we were horsing around and threw his vin# into the Car Fax while visiting the dealer we buy from.

Info came back as the car had been severly damaged in 08.....over 18k in damage (50k car)

Took him six months to get the info off Car Fax......no apologies.....it happens sometimes, we mis-enter the vin# we were told.

Lucky catch.....imagine trying to trade it in not knowing it has dirty paper?

Rob


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

I saw that segment about Carfax too. The rep from Carfax just made an ass out of himself, imo.

Before they created the whole car fox ploy and really pushed it (thus almost doubling the price too), I thought they were legit. Ever since Autocheck came into the game, they've really provided good checks and balances. Even Autocheck isn't perfect though.

There was a loop in Autocheck's system a couple years ago where a certain link would run any VIN typed in, no charge. They did catch that loop eventually, but not before I got reports printed for all past (for kicks) and present vehicles. I know that other Excursion I had was involved in some sort of altercation, because the right side had been re-pinstriped, and it didn't quite match the original up front. It also had a new front clip on it (or at least front right corner), but the Autocheck didn't show any kind of accident history. Of course I can't prove anything since it was before my time with it, but it had slight signs. Regardless though, the repair was good and you had to look real close to notice hints of repairs.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

fastdriver said:


> On ABC News tonight, they did an undercover investigation about CarFax and it is just as I thought. If information is not reported to CarFax, it does NOT show up! They showed a dealer who relied HEAVILY on CarFax for TWO cars that ABC KNEW were in accidents, but NO information about those two cars showed up in CarFax. One of those cars was hit in the back AND the front because it was a middle car in an accident. ABC News found the original owner AND the police report about the accident! Not sure if there will be more info tonight on 20/20. Basically, CarFax is CRAP!
> 
> ONE more reason to put car salesmen on the CAUTION list! Will they EVER have a good reputation?


I wouldn't blame the salesman in this case. He didn't have access to the information. It's also not the owner's or police's responsibility to notify CarFax of an accident. Personally I consider CarFax useful as a guide only - you still need to have an independent review of any used car done by a mechanic you trust.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

obermd said:


> I wouldn't blame the salesman in this case. He didn't have access to the information. It's also not the owner's or police's responsibility to notify CarFax of an accident. Personally I consider CarFax useful as a guide only - you still need to have an independent review of any used car done by a mechanic you trust.


The salesman might not have had access to the information, but being in the business, he should have been AWARE of what CarFax IS and IS NOT! I'm not in the car business and I knew the info there was not completely reliable. The rep from CarFax was an even BIGGER ASS! One more big business trying to screw people as far as I'm concerned.


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## upstater (Feb 22, 2011)

So, you are going to believe a "car salesman" when he or she tells you carfax may not be accurate? In your left ear and out your right so fast your ears will whistle.

Can't have your cake and eat it too.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Carfax or not, it is still disturbing to me that it appears GM just threw my repurchased car into auction knowing I had unresolved issues. I feel sorry for the person who purchases my car not knowing what they are buying. I am quite certain I have one of the Cruze's that would benefit from a new HVAC box to get rid of the coolant like smell. Based on discussions here it doesn't look like my Cruze would have gotten a new box. I hope I am wrong. You would have thought GM would have used my car to help figure out the coolant issue- especially since it was 40 miles away from Lordstown. I assume they would have engineers there.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> Carfax or not, it is still disturbing to me that it appears GM just threw my repurchased car into auction knowing I had unresolved issues. I feel sorry for the person who purchases my car not knowing what they are buying. I am quite certain I have one of the Cruze's that would benefit from a new HVAC box to get rid of the coolant like smell. Based on discussions here it doesn't look like my Cruze would have gotten a new box. I hope I am wrong. You would have thought GM would have used my car to help figure out the coolant issue- especially since it was 40 miles away from Lordstown. I assume they would have engineers there.


With some patience and some connections with someone who could enter your VIN into the computer, you could see where the car is now and let the new owner know the true story about his car. Last year, I found a key that I had from a former Acura CL-S that I had. I knew someone at an Acura dealer who found out that the car was still in service. I didn't pursue it any further.


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## cwerdna (Mar 10, 2011)

Yep. Also saw the ABC piece. I've known of Carfax for ages but have never seen fox ads they talked about. :redface:


obermd said:


> Personally I consider CarFax useful as a guide only - you still need to have an independent review of any used car done by a mechanic you trust.


Yeah, in the absence of that, maybe running a check against Carfax, Autocheck and https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck would be a good idea.

Even then, w/o a reputable mechanic checking, the above isn't foolproof. I've also heard of scams like VIN cloning and title washing. They're mentioned at places like WA State Licensing: Vehicle title fraud, http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/docs/autotheft/clones.pdf and What Is Title Fraud?| Autobytel.com.

I remember seeing some piece on TV (the name escape me) that showed fraud where companies would create VIN packs w/stickers to cover over the original VIN stickers and IIRC, VIN plates as well.

This is unfortunately part of the risk when buying a used car from someone unknown.


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## dby2011 (May 14, 2011)

Hmm after posting this car fax suddenly updated its site and labled the car a repurchase.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

dby2011 said:


> Hmm after posting this car fax suddenly updated its site and labled the car a repurchase.



MAYBE this will make them a LITTLE more HONEST about what their service offers and DOESN'T offer and they won't be so "foxy"!


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