# Reliability for the Gen 2 Diesel Cruze



## larryh2019 (11 mo ago)

Hi everyone! I’m new to this page and actually don’t own a Cruze but I am REALLY thinking about buying a Gen 2 Cruze diesel. My trax just got totaled. I commute 36 miles to college and 36 miles home, so the fuel economy in the diesel is looking rather attractive (I also love the fact I’d have more torque than a 1.4, and would have such a unique car) how good are these things? Are there consistent issues with them or are they overall fantastic cars?


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

The car overall seems pretty reliable. The 6 speed standards have had some problems with the clutch hydraulics. There have been a few emissions related issues, but nothing I can think of that widespread or significant.

Fuel mileage and better torque is what got my attention. I have 53000 mi on mine now and have had one emissions related repair. Still love the car and the 9 speed auto shifts smooth.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

TDCruze said:


> The 6 speed standards have had some problems with the clutch hydraulics.


I cannot recommend buying one of these. GM has not demonstrated that their parts inventory for repairs is any updated/replaced stock. Mine failed for the 2nd time in 16 months and it's the same part number installed, so it makes me question if the 3-year production run of transmissions with bad slave cylinders also spilled over into GM stocking defective slave cylinders in their parts inventory (and then doing nothing to replace them).


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

larryh2019 said:


> I also love the fact I’d have...such a unique car


Do that and you will own the official car of "I'm sorry, that part is on backorder/unavailable."


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## phil1734 (Aug 30, 2019)

I'd say you have a 80% chance of getting a good one, and a 20% chance of getting one like mine or Barry's - udder garbage. 

I'm not sure why but there seems to be little in-between ground with these cars.

In all cases, I think the ones I've seen that are lemons are all manuals, so maybe that has something to do with it.

FWIW - the diesel engine should be considered more of a "luxury" option more than anything else. It drives nicer (torque+quiet,) and fuel *range* is nice, but they absolutely cost more to own and maintain than a gasser no matter how you look at it.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

phil1734 said:


> Barry's - udder garbage


I have absolutely no proof of this at the time, but I believe my car was fitted with two defective slave cylinders. 

It's clear that there was an entire production run from 2016-2018 of M32 manual transmissions where the slave cylinder was defective. It could just be something random from the parts supplier who makes the slave cylinder, or whatever subcontractor that makes the parts that failed. Regardless, all of them should be recalled for the defect. Opel/Vauxhall have a recall in the EU/UK, but GM just leaves it to owners to deal with.

So, my question was as follows: Doesn't this mean that the production run of defective slave cylinders involves the parts that were put into inventory for replacement instead of being installed in transmissions built to go into the cars?

There has to have been a certain number of slave cylinders packaged as replacement parts for repairs. These were just stacked on a shelf in a warehouse somewhere. So, when the slave cylinders in the transmissions started to go bad, the same defective parts were shipped out from the parts warehouse to install in cars.

I see nothing about the part number has changed, so it's not an updated part that replaced the old part. There is no way to tell when the part was made, so you can't tell if it's anything built as new with any updates or better quality control.

My belief is that another defective part was installed in my car and it only lasted 16 months. The next nightmare worry is that the THIRD part is also a defective one and is just waiting to fail down the road.


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## BodhiBenz1987 (Jan 13, 2018)

I wouldn't necessarily say the cars are inherently unreliable, but are unfortunately difficult to really have confidence in because of the fact that if something does go wrong, GM will likely leave you high and dry. Their parts supply is notoriously and increasingly bad in general, and that is amplified by the fact that these are low-production cars that they never wanted to sell in the first place, let alone support. Now that GM is in the process of fully transitioning to a consumer electronics company rather than a carmaker, this will likely get worse, not to mention the whole supply chain thing, etc. I hate to be negative, because I love this car, but I do think that aspect is something you want to keep in mind if you are planning on relying on the car to get you to college and back every day. A relatively simple sensor failure that could happen on any car could end up with the car sitting for weeks.
All that said, my car has been pretty great, knock on wood. Which is funny considering it had a bizarre glitch where it did an insane amount of regens for no apparent reason for two years of its life, which GM Tech refused to diagnose or acknowledge. As much as it bothered me, it didn't seem to bother the car and it's just kept rolling through all the drama. It is really fun to drive, and the fuel economy is crazy good. My lifetime average is just under 52 and it easily hits mid-60s on pure highway. It is a fantastic weird little car that I feel lucky to have. I never feel nervous depending on it at this point and plan to hang on to it until the bitter end. That said, I have a bunch of old cars that I work on myself that I can drive if the Cruze ends up waiting for a part for three months, and I work from home ... so I have the luxury of not really facing a total crisis if the car is out for a while, which not everyone has. And I do expect at some point I will need the clutch slave cylinder done, as it seems inevitable on the manuals that they crap out at some point. That seems to be the big black mark for these. Emissions issues seem to be a little rarer, especially for cars that see a lot of highway time. 
So, I guess I would say, in and of themselves, these cars would be a great car for your needs. But at high risk because if you do have something go wrong, you might be scrambling to find a way to get to college and back while GM tells you to shove it for weeks.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

BodhiBenz1987 said:


> low-production cars that they never wanted to sell in the first place, let alone support


They are a victim of circumstances.

GM has (had?) a powertrain development sharing with Fiat. This dates back to the 90s when GM acquired something like 20% of Fiat and had some intention of maybe buying them. Then, when Fiat was in dire financial straits, GM abandoned that plan and had to write a check of about $2 billion (back when that was real money) to not have to buy them per the purchase contract. The remains of this deal means GM shared powertrain development with Fiat in Italy. Engines were designed and shared where GM used them in European and Asian products, but rarely in the USA.

I don't know the exact timing of the Diesel engine planning for the 2nd generation Cruze, but it's possible it started very shortly after the VW Diesel debacle. Someone in product planning or marketing for GM maybe thought they could slide right in and try to capture some of people abandoning VW after Dieselgate. The Opel engine (developed with Fiat) was tweaked for the US emissions market and offered in the Cruze, and the GM SUVs (Equinox and Terrain).

So, right around this time was also when GM was getting ready to entirely bail on Europe. GM claims they lost money for 16 years straight and they sold Opel/Vauxhall to Groupe PSA (the French company that makes Peugeot and Citroen). Groupe PSA then turned a profit in their first full year of ownership, so you have to really wonder how much of the money losing was GM's notorious management working their magic.

This left those engines as orphaned products. It's a European engine from a company that GM sold, and who knows what the details are in the sales contract. Opel was obviously supplying engines to GM through the 2019 model year for the Cruze (abbreviated production that ended in March 2019) and I think through the 2019 model year for the SUVs.

We who own these cars have orphaned engines that were a quick, abortive attempt to capture some VW market share and it got tangled up in the deal where GM got rid of their European operations.


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## 15cruzediesel (Sep 30, 2019)

larryh2019 said:


> Hi everyone! I’m new to this page and actually don’t own a Cruze but I am REALLY thinking about buying a Gen 2 Cruze diesel. My trax just got totaled. I commute 36 miles to college and 36 miles home, so the fuel economy in the diesel is looking rather attractive (I also love the fact I’d have more torque than a 1.4, and would have such a unique car) how good are these things? Are there consistent issues with them or are they overall fantastic cars?


Just do it. You know what they say about opinions......I'd have never bought mine had I listened to the negative Nellie's. First gen that is.

This is like freaking new



Autotrader - page unavailable


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## cdccjohnson (Apr 10, 2018)

My 18 diesel hatchback with the 6 speed now has 84k and overall the car has been great. GM had to replace the trans at 45k due to difficulty getting into 5th and 6th gear. The trans was on back order for several months (the car was still drivable) but after it came in and was repaired, the back order was actually for the slave cylinder. I never had a issue with the clutch but it appears that GM proactively replaced the slave cylinder as well. All is well since then. I did have one egr sensor that went bad but it was a simple swap out repair I did myself. So has a whole, the car, while not perfect - no car is, has been great. Still on my second set of tires and original brakes. Its still relatively quiet, comfortable and returns an ave mpg in the mid-high 40's.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

cdccjohnson said:


> it appears that GM proactively replaced the slave cylinder


Replaced it with what? Another defective one that was sitting in their parts warehouse in the stack of defective parts that they never changed or updated?


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

I'm not actually sure the 1.6L was anything other than a post-VM Motori (Fiat) development...the 2.0L in the Gen 1 CTDs definitely was a VM-Motori-developed, as is the 2.8L in the Colorado diesels, but I'm pretty sure the 1.6L was designed _after_ GM divested from VM.

Seems like the main reliability issue related specifically to the engine is the timing chain. And, like Audi did in their infinite wisdom, is it on the back of the engine (it is there to reduce noise to further quiet the engine, which is already pretty quiet for a diesel). I guess at least it isn't against the firewall, but I'm not sure if it requires the trans to come out or not (it most likely does).


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## cdccjohnson (Apr 10, 2018)

They replaced it with the redesigned part - hence the 3-4 month back order. Never had a issue with the original one in the first place and GM replaced it on their own, since the transmission was going to be pulled anyway. No issues for the last 40k. I does suck that as consumers we have to take the dealers word they did the service they were paid to do but that is why unless its a warranty issue, I do it myself whenever possible or find a independent if not.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

cdccjohnson said:


> They replaced it with the redesigned part


There is no redesigned part. The part number has not changed.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

MP81 said:


> I'm not actually sure the 1.6L was anything other than a post-VM Motori (Fiat) development...the 2.0L in the Gen 1 CTDs definitely was a VM-Motori-developed, as is the 2.8L in the Colorado diesels, but I'm pretty sure the 1.6L was designed _after_ GM divested from VM.
> 
> Seems like the main reliability issue related specifically to the engine is the timing chain. And, like Audi did in their infinite wisdom, is it on the back of the engine (it is there to reduce noise to further quiet the engine, which is already pretty quiet for a diesel). I guess at least it isn't against the firewall, but I'm not sure if it requires the trans to come out or not (it most likely does).


The MDE (medium Diesel engine) is an Opel product, sharing development with Fiat.

Yes, the timing chain is on the back of the engine so it can be buried in the transmission housing for noise reduction. The transmission has to be removed to replace the chain, and there are many Opels with timing chain rattles from a defect. Is that defect in our engines? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

GM also designed the new 3.0 inline-6 Diesel with a rear timing chain. That’s another one where the engine comes out to change it. Owners better pray they don’t get stuck with a bill for that job down the road.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

MP81 said:


> I'm not sure if it requires the trans to come out or not (it most likely does).


I'm making my prediction now: in the not-so-distant future there will be perfectly useable Cruze, Terrain, and Equinox vehicles that will be sent to the scrap yard simply because the cost to do the timing chain is more than someone wants to pay.


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## BodhiBenz1987 (Jan 13, 2018)

15cruzediesel said:


> Just do it. You know what they say about opinions......I'd have never bought mine had I listened to the negative Nellie's. First gen that is.
> 
> This is like freaking new
> 
> ...


I think there is a line between being negative and trying to give someone an honest assessment of potential pros and cons. I love my Cruze, I am glad I bought it and plan to hang on to it for life. Sometimes I even want to get another one, just because they're cool and rare. But I don't think they are for everyone and I think it's fair to share that thought so a person can decide for him/herself if the car is a fit. I knew the parts supply and service would be an issue when I ordered mine new, and it didn't stop me. I brag about it to people all the time, probably too much. But I would feel bad if I didn't share an honest assessment to someone who could end up "up the creek" if they end up with an issue that catches them off guard, and they have no backup plan or the means to come up with one if the car is stuck at a dealer for a few weeks. As I said before, it's not the car itself that I think is questionable, but the service and parts supply. I'm obsessed with old Mercedes too and think the 70s-90s diesels are some of the best cars ever built, but I wouldn't recommend one to everyone (in that case because any old car requires preparedness for certain things). I also have two Jeep Liberty diesels and a Peugeot and love them ... neither is as much trouble as a lot of people say they are (knock on wood). With any of these cars there are some people I would say "go for it" and others I would say "probably not what you want to deal with" ... if it's someone I don't know, like in this post, I'm just going to describe the pros and cons in my experience and they can decide for themselves.


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## phil1734 (Aug 30, 2019)

The silver lining in all this is that you can do the slave, clutch, DMF, timing chain and tensioner all in one go and you only have to remove the trans once!



Barry Allen said:


> ... there are many Opels with timing chain rattles from a defect. Is that defect in our engines? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


I did a little bit of research on this issue and never found any conclusive evidence as to what parts the Cruze got, but it seemed like the failure mode (at least according to GM) was oil draining away from the tensioner when parked for extended periods of time, then running dry at start-up. Their fix was to create a gasket that overlapped the tensioner port, so that oil got trapped in between the tensioner and the gasket. Of course, there was no recall, just a TSB that said there was a new gasket design available if a vehicle was experiencing issues. Transmission removal required to R&R or even see which style gasket was in there. Most vehicles were well out of warranty by the time failure occurred. I don't know if the new gasket ever went onto production engines or was only installed afterwards if a complaint arose.



Barry Allen said:


> I'm making my prediction now: in the not-so-distant future there will be perfectly useable Cruze, Terrain, and Equinox vehicles that will be sent to the scrap yard simply because the cost to do the timing chain is more than someone wants to pay.


Well the 1.4/1.5L still have a front chain so it'll only scrap out the diesels, but this is true of all econoboxes. Not necessarily because it costs too much to do, but because the owner doesn't know or care to change the timing belt or understand the consequences of its failure.

At least with a chain you _shouldn't_ have to service it, but here we are...


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## jrb3 (May 17, 2017)

152k miles on mine. I just did the clutch actuator a month or so ago. So I got 145k or so out of the stock one. I do a lot of highway driving, so I think it's got to only have so many clutch presses in it. Took me a day to take it out and replace. Pretty joyless to drive, it's more like an appliance. Besides that, pretty reliable. It's time to change the thermostat, which I'm not looking forward to, but it's preventative so...


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## rcruze (Mar 22, 2018)

I would say.... only 36 miles one way? The car has not even really had a chance to stretch its legs... the diesel is a hwy monster and loves miles....driving only short trips will cause you issues. That is just my opnion...


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