# 2013 Chevy Cruze - 65k Miles - If you are thinking about buying a Chevy...



## zschmifromCO (Oct 17, 2018)

tl;dr - 
My 5 year old Chevy Cruse w/ 65k highway miles and routine maintenance has a failing transmission, brake system and cooling system.
Chevy essentially says to go fly a kite, you are on your on your own.



After trying all the Chevrolet channels, I have decided to air my grievances.

We have a blue 2013 Chevy Cruze Eco w/ just over 65k miles on it. 
All standard maintenance has been followed up to now. 

To begin:
In mid September, we got turn AC off, turn engine off, overheating messages from the car on the way to work. 

Fill it with coolant at lunch (completely empty reservior). 
Within a day or 2, same problem pops up. 

No Chevy dealership in Boulder (Boulder Valley Automotive Repair) so we took it to a mechanic that we could actually get the car to without overheating it. 
BVAR says that the thermostat and radiator hose are leaking. $500 repair. 

Within a couple more days it becomes obvious that the car is still losing coolant. 
Take it back, more pressure tests and they conclude that the car isn't having any issues and drive it around for a day to watch the coolant level. No problems still.
When they are driving it around they notice some problems that we had seen w/ the brakes just after the car starts up (tried to have diagnosed 1 year ago, dealer mechanics couldn't replicate the issue).
Additionally he said that he felt the transmission had some slip and that we should check with the dealer for warranty related to both of these issues.

We get the car back, drive it for a week and watch the coolant drop below any visible level in the reservoir and have decided that the mechanic clearly was not capable of actually diagnosing the issue.
So we brought it out to Century Chevrolet with the list that the other mechanic gave us as well as a description our recent experiences. 
Of course they charge us $200 to diagnose the vehicle and take 4 days to do it. 

Century Chevrolet is nice enough to cover the warranty on the water pump (although they charge for the diagnosis and note no issues with the replacement "aftermarket" parts).
Additionally, they claim that we should replace the transmission (a hair under $4k) and that the brakes don't work because a vacuum pump and switch are failed (note the previous inability to diagnose this exact thing, also $500).

We obviously don't have 4 grand today to put into a pretty new car, so we take the water pump repair and take it home to figure out whats next. 
Within less than a week, the car is again out of coolant so we prepare for our 4th trip to the shop for that issue. 

After fixing the water pump, they do an overnight pressure test to see whats what. 
They claim that there was a little wiggle issue with the hose and believe that the car is good to go. 
Wiggling the hose was pro-bono (such a generous place). 

Driving the 12 miles home, car makes it all the way. 
Pop the hood on return and there is an empty reservoir, coolant spraying out of some place near the reservoir/thermostat, as well as coolant all over the undercarriage of the vehicle. 

Had to have the vehicle towed back to Century Chevrolet in Broomfield, now at the shop for the 5th time for coolant related issues. 
Century mechanics claim that the aftermarket parts used by the mechanics over at Boulder Valley Automotive Repair are to blame. 

I gave the Chevy customer service channel a chance to right some wrongs, and the "Senior Advisor", Arneatha, took a week to call up on the case. 
At the end of the day, she says that there is no assistance due to the fact that we took it to a 3rd party mechanic using aftermarket (NAPA) parts. 

They might consider assistance on the transmission but that we would have to pay for the teardown and diagnosis (again?) of the transmission. 
Still a good chance that after we teardown and diagnose the transmission, which will take forever and cost a lot, they still wouldn't help, so thanks Arneatha. 
And finally the brakes (which is a scary problem where the brake pedal can randomly go rock-hard and require a lot of force to press down and get and response), wouldn't be covered under power-train to begin with. 
Let me repeat that, Chevrolet does not cover the cars ability to stop under the vehicles warranty. Seems wrong to me, but w/e. 
Also, we tried to have that issue diagnosed under the powertrain 1 year previous and supposing they had found it then, they obviously still wouldn't have covered it. 

At the end of the day, we have a car w/ 65k miles on in which needs about $4,700 worth of work done so that it stops normally, cools itself, and shifts correctly. 

To anyone considering buying a Chevy, please reconsider. 
This is easily the worst vehicle experience I have ever dealt with. 
Dealership, car, mechanics, customer assistance. All absolutely failed here.

I will never purchase another vehicle from GM. 

Thank you to all the people who made this possible:
Boulder Valley Automotive Repair
Century Chevrolet
Arneatha, somewhere in Michigan with Chevy customer service.

You will all be getting my reviews on every medium I can find.


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## Chevy_Country (Oct 16, 2015)

Lot of different people with a lot of different experiences, I've owned all GM vehicles my whole life and have had few issues in related to accidents or poor maintenance from previous owners.

My wife has owned all Japanese, and leased from new, and has had more issues. Which is not typical, however.

I preform all in covered repairs myself and have found the domestic vehicles are cheaper and easier to work on, maybe not as well thought out with some placement or design of parts though

I would not pay more for a Corolla/civic/Altima to then have to pay more to repair (maybe not as often, but you WILL need repairs)

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

zschmifromCO said:


> To anyone considering buying a Chevy, please reconsider.


Nope.

I have four and will keep buying them. I've previously had two others that have been wrecked (I'd still have either of them had they not met an unfortunate end), including a Cavalier with 258,000 miles that ripped a fire hydrant out of the ground and threw it five feat and **** near survived it.


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## zschmifromCO (Oct 17, 2018)

Yeah, I get that. 
Very frustrating when you put it in GM certified mechanics hands and they keep handing you back a broken car though. 
Meanwhile the toyota 4runner with 175k on it shuttles us to and from the Chevy mechanics. 

I think that the car is one thing, the awful service and refusal to stand by the car they made is another. 

They are on their third attempt to repair a system that never should have failed in the first place- looks to me like people all over these forums have had issues with the cooling system. 
We have been lucky on 3 occasions not to be stranded outright by Chevrolet not recalling the vehicles and correcting the water pump issues.


I absolutely recognize that it would not be standard for an experience like mine. 
On the other hand, if it is so rare, the company should be trying to figure out what is wrong with the car they made and maybe attempt to rectify the issue.

Just know that if you do have problems, you are on your own.


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## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

sorry, but your poor choice in mechanic shops and lack of vehicle repair knowledge has no influence on me buying another Chevrolet vehicle, which I will  First shop RAPED you on the $500 fix and chevy now has no reason to fix that for free. Good, used, transmissions go for a 5-600...have a good shop swap it or rebuild it elsewhere, simple.


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## zschmifromCO (Oct 17, 2018)

No one asked Chevy to fix anything for free. 
However they did tell me the problem was fixed twice. And the problem got worse each time they touched the vehicle. 

We didn't know where the coolant was going when we gave them the car, but it was spraying all over the engine compartment by the time they were done with it. 

Rip me all you want, a decent vehicle needs nothing but routine maintenance at this point in its life. 
A failing transmission at 65k should be important to somebody.

And it may not be relevant to you, but to someone thinking about buying a Chevy new, because they don't want to be dealing with a car that falls apart, it probably would be.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

zschmifromCO said:


> No one asked Chevy to fix anything for free.
> However they did tell me the problem was fixed twice. And the problem got worse each time they touched the vehicle.
> 
> We didn't know where the coolant was going when we gave them the car, but it was spraying all over the engine compartment by the time they were done with it.
> ...


Sorry for your problems but at this point I don't believe you are due any further remedy from G.M. once the factory warranty has run its course. All this stress and grief could have been lessened if you had insured yourself with a supplemental 3rd party Service Contract.


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## zschmifromCO (Oct 17, 2018)

Eddy Cruze said:


> Sorry for your problems but at this point I don't believe you are due any further remedy from G.M. once the factory warranty has run its course. All this stress and grief could have been lessened if you had insured yourself with a supplemental 3rd party Service Contract.


Thanks, yours is a reasonable reply. 

Original point stays, a vehicle shouldn't need this type of work done at 65k. 
If they are all so decent and this car is an outlier, then they should have no problem helping out a customer that buys new cars from them, whose car is essentially totaled by the cost of their own recommended repairs. 

Your brakes should work, your cooling system should work, and your transmission should work. 
This is the experience of someone who bought a car brand new from Chevy.


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## Chevy_Country (Oct 16, 2015)

zschmifromCO said:


> Thanks, yours is a reasonable reply.
> 
> Original point stays, a vehicle shouldn't need this type of work done at 65k.
> If they are all so decent and this car is an outlier, then they should have no problem helping out a customer that buys new cars from them, whose car is essentially totaled by the cost of their own recommended repairs.
> ...


They are all reasonable replies, nicely, I feel you're expectations are unreasonable for chevy. They will not stay in n business if they give everyone with complaints something for free. They make warranted information explicit, they do not know your vehicle, or what it's been through or maintenance it has missed on, so they cannot just "help out" a customer.

Your brakes need maintenance. Your coolant system needs maintenance, your transmission needs maintenance. So to your original point, you can only speak on your experience and because you're not happy that a particular shop you keep returning to (for some reason) cannot fix your particular car with your particular history, where more others feel very differently because of similar and different experiences, that does not mean one should not buy another chevy. There are consumers of every make and model that have had similar experiences to yours. 

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## zschmifromCO (Oct 17, 2018)

Chevy_Country said:


> They are all reasonable replies, nicely, I feel you're expectations are unreasonable for chevy. They will not stay in n business if they give everyone with complaints something for free. They make warranted information explicit, they do not know your vehicle, or what it's been through or maintenance it has missed on, so they cannot just "help out" a customer.
> 
> Your brakes need maintenance. Your coolant system needs maintenance, your transmission needs maintenance. So to your original point, you can only speak on your experience and because you're not happy that a particular shop you keep returning to (for some reason) cannot fix your particular car with your particular history, where more others feel very differently because of similar and different experiences, that does not mean one should not buy another chevy. There are consumers of every make and model that have had similar experiences to yours.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


Yours also is reasonable. 
Although this is the second mechanic shop, not the first, and it is a Chevy dealership, which must be representative of the company.
Additionally, it is the 3rd time it has been to this second mechanic/Chevy dealership in as many weeks. 
If the problem was so simple as some of the people who have replied think, wouldn't you think that any one of these "certified" mechanics would have figured it out?

Needing maintenance and outright failure are 2 very different things. 
Chevy didn't recommend I "maintain" my transmission, they call its condition severe and recommend "replacement". 
If when you talk about maintenance, you actually just mean that you should have to replace your transmission every 5 years, then sure.
If your brakes failed on you in a parking lot, I assume you would have a different grasp on the problem.
Chevy actually did have to recall the 2011 and 2012 because of the issue that my car is dealing with. 
Absolutely hazardous if you don't know its coming and the NHTSA clearly agrees with me on that one. 
https://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1086541_2011-2012-chevrolet-cruze-recalled-for-brake-issue

Once again, no one asked for anything for free and in fact, they do know the maintenance, that is all available through their own records. 

Statistically speaking, this car has had far more issues than it should and I would assume that anyone who has an experience like mine would never go back to the brand in question.
I should hope that my car is an extreme outlier. 

I have had several other vehicles, of different makes and models, of varying ages and qualities. 
Not one has had issues like this one. Even with twice the miles, over far longer durations.


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## coopersmokeypiper (Oct 17, 2017)

These cars have coolant system problems. You will get a tremendous push back from folks who have not experienced these issues. The problems pertain to the use of plastic parts (water housing), an overflow tank that has a vent for the over pressurization these engines experience and the low volume of coolant. 

The parts for the coolant system are cheap and are available on Rock Auto. The parts are also readily changeable. The huge mark up from the stealership and that garage make owning any car that you cannot work on beyond annoying. That is why it is not helpful when people choose to post “take it too the dealership” as advice. 

You have to find the leak. Any minor volume loss sets off a chain reaction where coolant will steam out of the vent hole in the overflow tank. I also am a big fan of changing out the v belt once you identify and stop the leak. 

I assume you have a 1.4t engine. The transmission you will have to provide more info on. In the end it is a simple choice: ask questions to people that have been there and fixed that and get your tools ready to work on it yourself or trade it for a Honda (they are bullet proof). In either case, expect problems with the PCV system next. Your frustrations are well placed and valid. This car is not one of Chevy’s finest moments.


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## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

coopersmokeypiper said:


> These cars have coolant system problems. You will get a tremendous push back from folks who have not experienced these issues. The problems pertain to the use of plastic parts (water housing), an overflow tank that has a vent for the over pressurization these engines experience and the low volume of coolant.
> 
> The parts for the coolant system are cheap and are available on Rock Auto. The parts are also readily changeable. The huge mark up from the stealership and that garage make owning any car that you cannot work on beyond annoying. That is why it is not helpful when people choose to post “take it too the dealership” as advice.
> 
> ...


lol @ bulletproof Honda while talking about transmissions....my buddy went through 2 trans in his v6 accord...kept loosing 4th or 5th


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## jmurtari (May 13, 2013)

Folks, I guess each car has it's own personality. Just before seeing this thread I had posted something about my car, a 2013 MT ECO with about 61,000 miles. It's been running like a top and I was wondering what to expect might fail.

Reading this, I've got some ideas....


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Unfortunately, some of the issues (brake pump switch) are common, and this dealer has run you through the wringer. I doubt the assist pump was bad.

The water pump and manual transmissions are also very weak points on these cars.

If you intend to keep this car on the road (might be a lost cause at this point), I strongly suggest that you find a good independent mechanic that can be trusted. I think if it were me, I'd find something else to drive.


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## rgwebs (Jun 8, 2018)

I've been having the same issues with my 2013 Cruze LT. About a year ago I got the High Temp message and took it to Century Chevy in Broomfield and they replaced the Pump under warranty with $200 diagnostic. About two months ago I started gettign the same messages and found that my coolant reservoir was empty. I find it hard to believe that "after market" parts are to blame whe I took mine to a Chevy Dealer and am having the same issues. I loved my Cruze when I first bought it but after replacing the Shift Module THREE times (within ONE year of ownership- new off the lot) and the jerking still occuring, and now the hose/pump issues I will also never be buying a GM again, nor reccomeding it!


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## KansasKid (Dec 19, 2015)

jblackburn said:


> Unfortunately, some of the issues (brake pump switch) are common, and this dealer has run you through the wringer. I doubt the assist pump was bad.
> 
> The water pump and manual transmissions are also very weak points on these cars.
> 
> If you intend to keep this car on the road (might be a lost cause at this point), I strongly suggest that you find a good independent mechanic that can be trusted. I think if it were me, I'd find something else to drive.


A moderator that isn't a die hard Chevy yes man. I appreciate your honesty and decency good sir.

I have 2 cars made in 2011. A Suzuki Kizashi SE AWD w/CVT (owned since 2013 and 127 miles; currently at 46000-ish miles) and a Cruze Eco w6MT (owned since 2015 and 45000-ish miles; currently 60070-ish miles)...

In the time I've owned these two vehicles I've had to do the following interesting jobs on these vehicles (not including oil changes, tire rotations, air filter changes, wipers, etc.)


Suzuki KizashiChevy CruzeShift lever switch that could be yanked out of park without foot being on brake pedal (recall fix at dealer, preventative - I had not experienced issue when fixed)Defective battery cable (replaced under special warranty within 30 days of purchasing at dealer)EVAP hose can get clogged by spiderwebs (recall fix at dealer, I didn't experience any issues with the EVAP hose)First Self Oil Change (mentioned here because I had to buy addtional tools to complete oil change: 10MM deep socket for the oil drain plug & 3 inch 1/2 drive extension for the oil filter housing cap; I was unpleasantly surprised at this as it was something I hadn't had to do for any other vehilce I'd done oil changes on prior)New set of tires (regular maintenance)Installed Pod Air Intake FilterTransfer case and rear differential oil change (regular maintenance; did it myself)PCV valve failure ruined intake manifold one week after Pod (intake repaced under aftermarket extended warranty at dealer -$1000 covered, PCV hose, PCV valve and crank case cover NOT covered - $500 not covered; PAIN TO TROUBLESHOOT)New set of tiresWater outlet reservoir return hose failed (valve completely detached from the hose into the water outlet housing, fixed myself)Throttle body cleaning (regular maintenance; did it myself)Oil Drain Plug seized and I stripped the head trying to get it off due to how ridiculously small/soft the head is (I don't have an impact wrench and had to take it to a shop; $100+ oil change)One bent wheel (bent for years, but finally got around to replacing)Complete water outlet replacement due to failed gasket at engine block (replaced myself; I'm positive that this is (at least) the second water outlet that has been installed on this vehicle since it rolled out the factory; same shop that charged me $100 oil change wanted $300-400 to replace water outlet; same shop claimed they changed 5-6 Cruze water outlets per month due to service contract with a local CarMax)

Despite owning the Cruze 2 fewer years, it has had to spend roughly 400% more time getting worked on/in the shop due to poor engineering and crappy parts than my Suzuki ever has, EVEN THOUGH SUZUKI DEVELOPED THE "REPUTATION" OF MAKING CHEAP, SUB-PAR VEHICLES IN THE LATE 90's/early 2000's. The Cruze has been a regular source of stress due to maintenance issues which is something I expected from a Ford, not a Chevy. Like the OP, I am not at all interesting in purchasing another GM product, knowing now to what degree Chevy likes to cut corners on construction and engineering. 

I'm lucky that I've been able to do fix most of the issues on my Cruze myself or under warranty. You can't blame the OP for not being the most technically savvy person, and then getting fleeced by Chevy/local mechanics, and then being subsequently pissed at Chevy about their experience. Chevy sells most of their cars to not technically savvy people who are under the impression they are getting reliable car that's not going to need $1000's of dollars & days/weeks of maintenance work in the first 2-3 years of ownership on a vehicle that's already going to take them 5-7 years to pay off. 

This is an Economy car, for sure. I get it. It's cheap and you get what you pay for. But, in general, a lot of the people who buy this car are in the market at this level because they can't afford a more upmarket vehicle. And if they can't afford a more upmarket vehicle, it's also safe to say they probably can't afford losing the vehicle for many days in the shop and losing many hundreds or thousands of dollars in maintenance costs on it as well. Yet, these are the people that Chevy and their dealers are more than complacent in taking advantage of despite their lack of ability to afford potentially $1000's of dollars in repairs. 

Is Chevy the only manufacturer that does the predatory practice on lower-income buyers? No. Of course not. But, that does not justify the Chevy's choices to participate in the practice, nor their sloth in addressing the issues. It also doesn't justify berrating the OP as some of the earlier commenters had, for voicing discontent at being a victim of this practice. Discontent shared by thousands of other Cruze owners, based on the sales volume of this car, and the ubiquity of the issues.


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## dougunder (May 24, 2018)

I think the Cruze is good car IF you do your own maintenance. 
It is easy to work on and parts are cheap, but requires semi-regular work.

That's been the deal with buying American as long as I've owned cars.


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## lonewolf04 (May 6, 2016)

rgwebs said:


> I've been having the same issues with my 2013 Cruze LT. About a year ago I got the High Temp message and took it to Century Chevy in Broomfield and they replaced the Pump under warranty with $200 diagnostic. About two months ago I started gettign the same messages and found that my coolant reservoir was empty. I find it hard to believe that "after market" parts are to blame whe I took mine to a Chevy Dealer and am having the same issues. I loved my Cruze when I first bought it but after replacing the Shift Module THREE times (within ONE year of ownership- new off the lot) and the jerking still occuring, and now the hose/pump issues I will also never be buying a GM again, nor reccomeding it!


If the vehicle was brought in for repair and the repair is under warranty and that dealer is still trying to charge you a $200 diagnostic fee they are probably breaking the law. They should not be able to charge you for that since it is incorporated into the warranty work and they charge back a diagnostic fee to GM along with parts replacement. Sounds like a shady dealer and I would report them.


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## billcruzeLT2modifed (Aug 9, 2018)

Sorry to hear all the problems with your Cruze. I have a 2012 2LT that I bought CPO with 32000 miles, Now 53000 Since i have had the car only problem was water pump which was replaced no charge, a couple months ago I had a flashing check engine, I have maybe rare mechanic. He has seen it before moisture got in tank put a can of seafoam code P3 gone but i did not drive the car for a couple weeks out of city then one day over 50 it started again, I had already guessed Coil and Plugs so I got my friend at AutoAnything.com ( Shane) got a Delphi for $85.00 Bought Plugs for $30.00 they always ship fedex ground free , He charged me $20.00 Labor I already looked up your 2 parts you paid $500.00 Cost $107 shipped, The Transmission really is strange. But like others said, do a little research I have had GM cars since 2007 and if i had a issue I called the owner center. As others have said maybe get a used transmission, stay away from Dealership 
Most make more in service , than they make selling cars, reason Most advisor's make over $100K and from first hand never get your car inspected at a dealership a great deal of them are trained to find something wrong. Bill


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## P.W. Lester (Aug 28, 2017)

I can't say I blame you given your experience. I had the same coolant problem at 120,000 miles. I fixed it myself in a couple of hours for less than $40. The water outlet on the driver's side of the engine(made of plastic)had a pin hole in it. While replacing that I also found one of the heater hoses that attach to it was deteriorated from having oil spilled on it. Not a great design but not hard to get to and replace.


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## tritiger750 (Jun 3, 2017)

2014 Chevy Cruze... Same issue with the coolant. Water pump and reservoir replaced by dealer, started leaking again after 5,000 miles. Found another crack in new reservoir and replaced that. Still leaking, put dye into system and found a small seal leaking. Wife forgot to put coolant in one morning now I have a seized motor with coolant in 2 cylinders. 120,00 miles and still paying off. Picked up a Mazda, never again buying a Chevy.


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## WiseManWhite (Aug 10, 2013)

I'm sorry to hear about your experience OP. I feel you paid. My 2013 LT faced coolant issues as well. There ended up being an issue with the water pump and the dealership said there was no recall for it. I got it fixed at a mechanic I trust and, luckily, I was able to get a VERY helpful Chevy representative on the phone to get reimbursed for the water pump replacement. The leak came back and I was told it was due to the reservoir having a small crack. Got that fixed and they told me there was still a leak in a hose. I didn't get it fixed again after that, choosing to just monitor the coolant level myself. I _completely_ understand why you would stay away from Chevy due to this car. It's fun to drive though.


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## xbazzarex (Jun 5, 2016)

I have to agree with the OP, chevy and GM in general seem to make poor quality cars today, they also seem to not really know what their customers wants. I have a 2014 Cruze LT 1.4T auto trans, and the car has been a nightmare since the first month. this was my first brand new car purchase and it has turned me off of modern GM vehicles and brand new cars altogether. Ive owned the car just over 4 years and it has 45,000ish miles. My first year i had a plethora of items replaced under warranty- both headlights due to plastic pieces inside falling apart, shifter due to having no lock between gears(could shift the car through all gears without using the button), rear doorlock, along with a few other small things i dont quite remeber. Second year was both battery cables failing causing my car to leave me sit and not have any radio for a 3 and a half hour car ride. third year the negative battery cable went again, and the battery died leaving me sit yet again, when i stopped at the dealer after being jumped i was told i could leave the car with them and walk home( they apparently could not swap the battery for 4+ days and had no loaners or shuttle service), finally i was left sitting again when my oil pump blew to pieces for no apparent reason, i was interrogated by chevy at the dealer and on the phone( they requested my oil changes papers, i always change my oil early and use high quality synthetic, this showed when the dealer pulled my engine apart and said it was spotless), the cherry on top of the third year is both of my chevy emblems falling off and my tires being worn out at only 35,000 miles. fourth year just started in august and ive already had two major unresolved issues, first is my passenger floor filling with water despite the fact that i have checked the drain and cleared the cowl of any debris and second is my engine developing a knock. when my oil pump went i was pushing for an entire engine replacement as i was concerned about longevity, since the oil pump issue i have experienced on and off massive power loss(as in pedal to the floor for 20 seconds only gaining about 5-10MPH, and not being able to get above 50mph) and poor MPG, when i contacted the dealer i was informed i would be charged to have it checked despite my warranty and that if the check engine light was not on that there was no issue. 

The worst part of all this is that the car really isnt to bad all around, it handles well, has OKay power, interior is nice, the car stand out from the cookie cutter honda/toyota crap, i could even handle the piss poor quality of everything( easily chipped windshield, shitty paint and clearcoat, steering wheel worn) if the car would just stay running, in four years of ownership it has left me sit three times. My previous car never let me sit and had 65000 miles when i bought it, and i beat the **** out of it, despite that i sold it with 117000 miles and it still ran like a beast.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

xbazzarex said:


> I have to agree with the OP, chevy and GM in general seem to make poor quality cars today, they also seem to not really know what their customers wants. I have a 2014 Cruze LT 1.4T auto trans, and the car has been a nightmare since the first month. this was my first brand new car purchase and it has turned me off of modern GM vehicles and brand new cars altogether. Ive owned the car just over 4 years and it has 45,000ish miles. My first year i had a plethora of items replaced under warranty- both headlights due to plastic pieces inside falling apart, shifter due to having no lock between gears(could shift the car through all gears without using the button), rear doorlock, along with a few other small things i dont quite remeber. Second year was both battery cables failing causing my car to leave me sit and not have any radio for a 3 and a half hour car ride. third year the negative battery cable went again, and the battery died leaving me sit yet again, when i stopped at the dealer after being jumped i was told i could leave the car with them and walk home( they apparently could not swap the battery for 4+ days and had no loaners or shuttle service), finally i was left sitting again when my oil pump blew to pieces for no apparent reason, i was interrogated by chevy at the dealer and on the phone( they requested my oil changes papers, i always change my oil early and use high quality synthetic, this showed when the dealer pulled my engine apart and said it was spotless), the cherry on top of the third year is both of my chevy emblems falling off and my tires being worn out at only 35,000 miles. fourth year just started in august and ive already had two major unresolved issues, first is my passenger floor filling with water despite the fact that i have checked the drain and cleared the cowl of any debris and second is my engine developing a knock. when my oil pump went i was pushing for an entire engine replacement as i was concerned about longevity, since the oil pump issue i have experienced on and off massive power loss(as in pedal to the floor for 20 seconds only gaining about 5-10MPH, and not being able to get above 50mph) and poor MPG, when i contacted the dealer i was informed i would be charged to have it checked despite my warranty and that if the check engine light was not on that there was no issue.
> 
> The worst part of all this is that the car really isnt to bad all around, it handles well, has OKay power, interior is nice, the car stand out from the cookie cutter honda/toyota crap, i could even handle the piss poor quality of everything( easily chipped windshield, shitty paint and clearcoat, steering wheel worn) if the car would just stay running, in four years of ownership it has left me sit three times. My previous car never let me sit and had 65000 miles when i bought it, and i beat the **** out of it, despite that i sold it with 117000 miles and it still ran like a beast.


Well that's a pretty frank and honest post. The Cruze is the modern day Chevy Vega, both made in the same factory. Mine also being a 2014 minus any of the problems with 20,000 miles. Would I get another GM product, probably not but it is possible


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## goochman (Mar 20, 2015)

Ill throw my $0.02 into this thread for some positive feedback. I had a 2015 LT and in 3.5 years and 47,000 miles never was in the shop for warranty work. Just oil changes and 1 set of new tires (The OEM tires were junk). The only thing that stopped it was my youngest son rear ending another car - insurance totaled it............so I just came home with a new 2018 Premier.


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## lonewolf04 (May 6, 2016)

I have had a decent amount of warranty work done since I purchased my car at 51k miles. Once the weak links have been addressed under warranty it has only been oil changes and tires though. All the problems I have had have been well documented (Manual trans, water pump, water outlet, oil feed turbo line). The only issue I have had to pay out of pocket was a new coil and connector end that I installed. I can't say I would buy a new vehicle though that only has a 5yr/60k mile warranty. Too many issues I had replaced after the 60k mark that I shouldn't be paying for. When I buy next it'll be a certified pre-owned that extends the powertrain warranty out to 6yr/100k miles.


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

With the OP's logic, and a couple other haters, the auto industry will go bankrupt within about 10 years because people will stop buying cars from manufacturers of cars that have an unexpected breakdown. Mercedes and BMW will be first to go, followed by Fiat, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, and every other car maker out there. Bottom line is that cars aren't made the way they used to be. They're built with cheap parts and break down more often. I've owned VW, Mazda, Toyota, Chevy, GMC, and Pontiac vehicles in my lifetime ... and I can say that EVERY ONE of the cars has had some issue or another ... EXCEPT for my 2013 Chevy Volt, and hopefully now too, my 2018 Volt. I had problems with a Jetta TDI, Passat TDI, Mazda MX-6, Toyota Celica, Chevy Camaros (1986 and 2017), 2012 Cruze Eco 6MT (Clutch replacement and front struts under warranty), GMC Acadia Denali, Pontiac Grand Prix, but it didn't make me stop buying that brand. I simply purchase cars that I like and if I get a lemon, then I guess it's finally my turn and I'll get rid of it quickly. I am also lucky enough to know a GM "Master Mechanic" (although I believe their terminology is different) that is one of 12 in the entire state of Colorado ... so I've got someone that I trust to work on my vehicles now. 
Sounds like the OP got taken advantage of at Century, and in all honesty OP, you probably could have taken your Cruze to the local Buick dealer in Boulder (Verano and Cruze are non-identical twins) to have it worked on. Just because it's a Chevy doesn't mean you have to take it to a Chevy dealer to have it worked on ... it could be any GM dealership, but look for one with a "GM Master Mechanic" or whatever they're called, and take your car to that dealership and ask for THAT mechanic to work on your car. I was just lucky to have one in my local area. And I'll continue to be a GM family owner for years to come ... as long as I'm the one buying the cars. Best of luck with whatever you choose to purchase to replace your Cruze, and hopefully, it will be trouble free longer that 65k miles, Because I don't think there is such a thing as a trouble free car anymore ... no matter what badge it wears.


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## Utah (Nov 1, 2018)

I completely sympathize with the original poster. I actually stepped away from GM for over 10 years after my ex and I bought a new GMC Envoy. That vehicle was an absolute nightmare to own and after 10+ issues (that I fully admit were repaired under warranty) we traded it for a Lexus 330 that required a grand total of zero repairs in 200K miles. In those 10 years I owned both Hondas and Toyotas and found them to be stone cold reliable and in the case of the Hondas very easy to mod and work on with just a bit of creativity. However my son got a 2013 GMC Sierra that changed my mind about GM products. It has been a very solid piece, pulls hard, tows better than my '93 one-ton with a mild 454, and gets 19-20 on the highway. After this experience and after some research I felt the Cruze was a solid choice. 
I think a lot of your frustration is with mechanics and I am sorry you have had to go through this ordeal. In my experience a large number of mechanics are either incompetent or fraudulent (or a combination of both). It seems many of them are just parts changers that have no troubleshooting ability. I also understand that mechanical ability differs greatly from person to person and that many are at their mercy. I think one is prudent to join forums and do some research on the issues; if you are having an issue it is very likely others have had the same issue and someone has solved it. If you are armed with even a bit of knowledge about the problem you are less likely to be preyed upon. Doing your own work on cars (even modern ones) is not as hard and scary as people tend to think it is. If you have to use a mechanic ask around and get others thoughts and experience with them. I know of a couple of shops that I would use if I absolutely had to, they are not close to me and have a waiting list but I would use them if I had to. 
Good luck to you and I hope you are able to work through your problems.


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## Chiliphil1 (Oct 21, 2018)

Wow, OP, I'm sorry about the issues you're having. I completely understand where you're coming from and I get that you are now turned off to the GM brand. I spent a lot of years in car dealers because both of my parents worked for them and naturally when I went to work, that's where I went too. I started off with Lexus and went to some other places over the years but to be honest, when I go into a Chevrolet dealer they always feel shady. I have no idea why but they just feel like the typical sleazy car dealer. I would say that you may be better served to find a reputable independent shop and stick with them because the way the dealers are would turn just about anyone off. 

That said, hopefully you can resolve these issues, whether you choose to buy from GM again or not isn't the point, the point is that you have purchased from them and you need to get your money's worth. These cars are $20k, so going 65,000 miles and having a useless car is inexcusable, IMO. I just got mine about 2 weeks ago with 92k on the clock and I have put about 2k on it since (traveling salesman) and so far it's been trouble free except for a noise coming from the alternator that the dealer is going to replace under their 1,000 mile warranty that covers all cars that they sell. However, this thread does make me nervous, I have to have that car to work, if it goes down, I'm in trouble. I bought the manual version because A. I wanted a manual, and B. They are generally more reliable that automatics but seeing here that the manual is a known problem isn't very comforting. I'm also good, for now, on the cooling system, I hope that remains the case. 

One last thing, my last vehicle was a 2003 BMW 330i and while the mechanical side was very solid everything else about that car was completely unreliable. I could almost always count on it starting and running, except when the fuel pump went but the windows didn't work properly, the sunroof, the door locks, the headliner was falling, the trim pieces fell off, on and on. I decided to go with this car for the fuel economy and the low cost of repair. I feel that BMW is the easiest car in the world to work on because they literally design them to be that way but, it's pricey, even doing your own work the parts are very spendy. I'm hoping that I can go problem free with the Cruze and if something happens I will actually be able to afford the parts. I turn my own wrenches so that isn't as much of a concern. I wasn't even looking at GM when I got this car, we have a 2013 Ford explorer that has been rock solid with NO problems over 3 years and 40k miles (60k when purchased now almost 100k) and I was looking at the fiesta ST but they wanted to be stupid about their financing so I went back to looking and this car popped up and it is immaculate, manual, and black on black which is what i wanted so, I took a chance. I have always owned GM up until the Bimmer and I have been disappointed with their level of quality over the years, from the 89 Firebird to the 97 sunfire the cars were literal junk. I didn't want to go back to GM because of that but this one is nice. I like the interior and the drive quality but I can see cheap parts everywhere. Hopefully that doesn't bite me, I have payments on this thing and my job depends on it so, it HAS to work.. That's why I'm on the forum here so that I can learn the in's and out's and be able to anticipate and tackle any issues before they become big problems. 

Anyway, good luck with your cruze, hopefully everything works out for you.


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## Tmiller39 (Oct 18, 2016)

Yeah I’d get rid of it. I have the same car I bought mine at 64,000 miles I now have 95,000 miles and I do most of the work myself this car is really a pos. I’m having to work on it monthly and I take care of my stuff. I use only the best products and this car is nothing but trouble. But good luck to you


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

KansasKid said:


> A moderator that isn't a die hard Chevy yes man. I appreciate your honesty and decency good sir.


That's how the mod team is drawn. Some forums haven't grasp that cars can break and dealerships can be the worst experience of your ownership man woman or whatever is the 2018 thing is to be. They go in and delete anything that sheds a bad light on the car. If we took that approach here there would be 0 negative cable post or coolant smell leak post to search for. 




KansasKid said:


> Is Chevy the only manufacturer that does the predatory practice on lower-income buyers? No. Of course not. But, that does not justify the Chevy's choices to participate in the practice, nor their sloth in addressing the issues. It also doesn't justify berrating the OP as some of the earlier commenters had, for voicing discontent at being a victim of this practice. Discontent shared by thousands of other Cruze owners, based on the sales volume of this car, and the ubiquity of the issues.


 No lots are out there but in my personal life experiences Dodge is well up there. It took me about 75K miles to ditch my 13 Eco Cruze but my brand new Neon was traded in barely 9000 miles due to dealership issues. Apparently a Best Buy radio install was the cause for a right rear drum locking up and a slew of other idiotic things. Meanwhile I got GM to replace radio speakers around 58K miles under extended warranty but couldn't justify it on the radio that barely works from 12k miles up to trade in. My current car is a Honda but it doesn't break much. My dealership issues are now them wanting $80-$140 oil changes on a 4 cylinder non turbo non Acura. The last time I had the change oil message I bit my lip and made the appointment. I work too many hours to do it and Hondas literally count how many miles you drove past the oil change light. being a lease and every car I have had breaks catastrophically I accepted the price. I go there and they literally had the doors to service locked so we couldn't get into spend that $80. They just walked around as we called and didn't even inquire why I didn't "show up." I just get the generic you car may need service schedule an appointment emails. As least with GM OnStar literally told them my miles and they had a legit idea when they asked for me to come in.

OP,

Sounds like a Craigslist beater for the time being if you do or don't feel it's worth fixing your car. GM's major flaws aren't always the car, lots of times they have a simple fix but the dealerships tend to take the shortcut easy route and make a 1 time job a reoccurring thing. Then you have the ones who shortcut and still charge the diagnostic fee anyways. For me and my 13 the list was about as long or even longer but they all happened early in the ownership. Luckily I was around here 96% of my ownership and seen what all goes wrong with the fixes so I could be like PI 0000 and TSB 00000 is what you might want to look at for this case. After the tech turnover started getting out of hand there was no history of me giving them a direction to look and they do it. I'd be like this is leaking air and shouldn't be leaking air and their reply is "no CEL, its fine". Dead red cat later I got it replaced at the end of extended warranty and traded the car in. If the dealerships were better I would have gladly stayed in the GM family.


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

Haha. This is my first brand new car and it has been to the dealership 4 times in the first year for issues. Twice for loosing, Bad harmonic balancer, bad purge valve, oil pan was leaking in 2 different places within the bumper to bumper warranty and the only people who have touched this car is the dealership on all maintenance. My dealership offered 2 year free maintenance on the cruze which was just oil changes and multi point inspections. My first 4 oil changes were free. All these issues within the first year... you cant blame wear and tear and improper maintenance with my documented service records well in range by the dealer. It's kind of a lemon but not. Bad design and cheap parts...the longevity is not there.

Now the car is leaking oil from the valve cover, throttle body, harmonic balancer area/water pump area. The tensioner is greasy and black. I have white water like stains in my engine bay from coolant leaks that I'm keeping to show Chevy the coolant is leaking and I'm not draining it. They refilled my tank and drove around and detected no change in coolant level and said no actions needed What's funny is in the paperwork they said they filled the reservoir back to fill....at least some proof coolant was low when I brought it in both times lol

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

The vehicle just reached 56k miles and has numerous leaks in numerous locations and I'm still paying on the car for another 3 years....

Looking forward to the infamous pvc valve leak/burst dist that is very common problem with these cars.

It's fun to drive, but get rid of it after warranty or deal with constant repairs and frustration. Might as well be a gas guzzler when you factor in the time and $$ to keep it going.

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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

Shroomie said:


> The vehicle just reached 56k miles and has numerous leaks in numerous locations and I'm still paying on the car for another 3 years....
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


Though this hasn't costed me $$ to chevy yet, its costed me time, gas, missing work etc and now I have a list of things going on and not in warranty anymore... lord have mercy... lotta problems for a new car. We will see what the dealership says on these new issues and if they will cover any of my coolant problems I was telling them about earlier within the bumper to bumper.

The outcome of this diagnosis(which i have to pay) and if they will help me out or leave me flying a kite will determine if GM will be in my future for a vehicle.

In the past I've owned a 96 civic at 60k miles drove to 180k... regular maintenance and still ran good.

99 Altima from 79k to 220k...same as the civic but 2 wheel bearings went bad, that was it....

And the gas mileage wasn't far off from the cruze...20 years older and way more reliable.

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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

Rant end lol


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## Kristy (Dec 23, 2019)

zschmifromCO said:


> No one asked Chevy to fix anything for free.
> However they did tell me the problem was fixed twice. And the problem got worse each time they touched the vehicle.
> 
> We didn't know where the coolant was going when we gave them the car, but it was spraying all over the engine compartment by the time they were done with it.
> ...


Wondering if you got a resolution I am on my second mechanic for the coolant leak system and he absolutely cannot figure out what is going on. Tried to call Chevy they won't even communicate with me about it I would have taken it there but it overheats I had to take it to the closest place possible. This is my only car and I live in lochbuie and work in Aurora so this is been a very frustrating thing for me


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## CapitalTruck (Jun 12, 2012)

zschmifromCO said:


> tl;dr -
> My 5 year old Chevy Cruse w/ 65k highway miles and routine maintenance has a failing transmission, brake system and cooling system.
> Chevy essentially says to go fly a kite, you are on your on your own.
> 
> ...


I can see why you’d be upset. I put my sister in a Cruze. If I wasnt a good shadetree I dont know what she’d do. I am ALWAYS having to repair something. Coolant pieces (water pumps, outlet pipe, turbo coolant line, radiator, overflow tank) leaking tranny lines, valve covers, engine crank seal, turbo oil feed line, leaking seals around valve timing solenoids, then the solenoids themselves started leaking, trunk release switch, manifold pressure sensor. You name it. It sucks to have to do all of this on a car you are still potentially making payments on. I always told myself it was because it was a 2012 and a relatively new model to this market. But then I read about newer ones doing it too. I think these turbo engines get trashed. Great for mileage, terrible for heat and longevity. Too much BRITTLE plastic under the hood. The thing is freakin fragile.


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## WillL84 (Aug 5, 2019)

Old thread but this:



> At the end of the day, she says that there is no assistance due to the fact that we took it to a 3rd party mechanic using aftermarket (NAPA) parts.


Is false and against federal law to deny warranty coverage because someone other than a dealer worked on it. It's part of the Magnuson-Moss act from 1975.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Well. They got rid of Pontiac, olds, Saturn. 

Buick is higher priced. Cadillac is extremely priced.

That only leaves me with Chevrolet.


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