# Auto Transmission leak @ 3000 miles.



## Sour Kruat's 951 (Nov 9, 2010)

With only 3200 miles on an 11 month old car I went to change the only and found a surprise underneath, a leak.

The aero pan has oil all over it on the driver side. So I start poking around, look high, look low, look left and look right. I look straight down from the oil filter housing and see the puddle forming on the top side of the pan. I crawl underneath and remove the front bolts that secure the pan enough to get a close look, and than I found it.

The transmission is leaking where the case is assembled. The drain plug is right there so I thought that might be it. Nope, drain plug area is dry. The case appears to have a metal gasket and it is wet all across the bottom.

I have noticed a slight shudder at highway speeds so I wonder if maybe there is a TC problem that caused this?

Well I dropped it off at service and await there findings.

Anyone else have a leak?


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## TravsCruze (Aug 4, 2011)

Sour Kruat's 951 said:


> With only 3200 miles on an 11 month old car I went to change the only and found a surprise underneath, a leak.
> 
> The aero pan has oil all over it on the driver side. So I start poking around, look high, look low, look left and look right. I look straight down from the oil filter housing and see the puddle forming on the top side of the pan. I crawl underneath and remove the front bolts that secure the pan enough to get a close look, and than I found it.
> 
> ...



my comment is COMPLETELY off topic... BUT i've got to ask it anyway.

How the **** do you only have 3k miles on a year old car? and why do you even have a car? 300 miles a month hardly seems worth the depreciation you incurred simply buying it.. sorry OP.. situation just baffles me.

sorry no oil leaks here, plus i've got a MT. So even if i did it wouldn't apply, but hey you peaked my curiosity


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## 2011ecosa (Oct 4, 2011)

no leaks for me yet. im at 4200 miles, cruze eco


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

I've noticed the same thing and took it in and they said it was nothing. Well I decided to look closer tonight and now there is more of a oil substance there and it has be transmission fluid. I will let everyone know what I found. Tells me they didn't even look the first time just assumed it was oil from a oil change.


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## Jedcoyxiicut (Aug 15, 2011)

TravsCruze said:


> my comment is COMPLETELY off topic... BUT i've got to ask it anyway.
> 
> How the **** do you only have 3k miles on a year old car? and why do you even have a car? 300 miles a month hardly seems worth the depreciation you incurred simply buying it.. sorry OP.. situation just baffles me.
> 
> sorry no oil leaks here, plus i've got a MT. So even if i did it wouldn't apply, but hey you peaked my curiosity


 
Well if he has more than 1 cars like me that will explain it. My total mileage is split between couple of cars.... So usually I end up servicing it every 6 months instead of the usual service intervals.


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## Sour Kruat's 951 (Nov 9, 2010)

Dealer called yesterday, parts back ordered. I was told, in there words, the parts are a "trans pump and seal kit." No estimate of time needed for the repair was given.

Sounds like maybe TC and rear main seal. Either way I will be jumping the Cruze ship for something else.


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## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

Sour Kruat's 951 said:


> Dealer called yesterday, parts back ordered. I was told, in there words, the parts are a "trans pump and seal kit." No estimate of time needed for the repair was given.
> 
> Sounds like maybe TC and rear main seal. Either way I will be jumping the Cruze ship for something else.


Seriously?? My '07 5.3L SWB Trailblazer started leaking trans fluid like a month after I got it... There was no shield under it to catch it and make it look like more of a mess than it was, so it was just a couple drops on the garage floor a day... Same deal as yours, I bet... The input pump seal (service opening to the bell housing) wasn't put on right at the Hydramatic factory, and had started leaking after it got some heat cycles on it... Went in for warranty, they fixed it, and 4.5 years and 88k miles later, it's still bone dry...

So... You own a Porsche, of all things, and you're going to take a huge depretiation hit on a 1 year old car, and sell it because of a transmission leak that will be fixed and done with under warranty? Really? :wacko:

Mike


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

I took my car to another dealer since the first one didn't want to investigate the oil I was seeing. This other dealer found that it is transmission fluid. They said its was the Torque converter seal that is leaking. They have it on order and should be fixed in next couple of days. This is the first one they have seen and says its rare on any car which is why they don't have the parts in stock. But compared to the other dealer they are much better. They even call and keep me up to date on what is going on.


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## Sour Kruat's 951 (Nov 9, 2010)

cruze2011white said:


> I took my car to another dealer since the first one didn't want to investigate the oil I was seeing. This other dealer found that it is transmission fluid. They said its was the Torque converter seal that is leaking. They have it on order and should be fixed in next couple of days. This is the first one they have seen and says its rare on any car which is why they don't have the parts in stock. But compared to the other dealer they are much better. They even call and keep me up to date on what is going on.


My leak was from the trans pump. The pump was replaced as was the seal. The dealer re-programmed the trans and the shifting became worse. The car is going back to GM as I have not seen it for 3 months and 6 attempts for the same condition.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your problem. My 2011 Cruze LTZ RS has no leaks yet, but it still has a crappy shifing transmission. This turbo lag that people talk about leaves me in a quandry because I never know when it is "supposed" to happen. Sometimes when I am pulling out into traffic, the car acts normally- it moves! Other times, I just about have to floor it to get it to go so I don't get hit! Crazy. Same thing when I'm behind a car and they are going to turn and I slow down and then step on the gas again- sometimes I can accelerate normally and sometimes nothing happens unless I really step on it. Just crazy.

My car will be one year old on Feb. 14 and I only have 6,300 miles on it and a 2004 Chevy Aveo with only 22,000 miles. Some of us are not on the go every second of our lives, but still like a nice car when we do drive.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

fastdriver said:


> Sorry to hear about your problem. My 2011 Cruze LTZ RS has no leaks yet, but it still has a crappy shifing transmission. This turbo lag that people talk about leaves me in a quandry because I never know when it is "supposed" to happen. Sometimes when I am pulling out into traffic, the car acts normally- it moves! Other times, I just about have to floor it to get it to go so I don't get hit! Crazy. Same thing when I'm behind a car and they are going to turn and I slow down and then step on the gas again- sometimes I can accelerate normally and sometimes nothing happens unless I really step on it. Just crazy.
> 
> My car will be one year old on Feb. 14 and I only have 6,300 miles on it and a 2004 Chevy Aveo with only 22,000 miles. Some of us are not on the go every second of our lives, but still like a nice car when we do drive.


A week after I got my Cruze Eco MT, I learned about the transmission problems _some _people were having with their 2011 Eco MT related to grinding at a high rpm 1-2 shift, so I went out that night and did about 15 wide open throttle runs from 0-50 on a 55mph limit road and couldn't replicate the problem. I went home happy. Next morning, I got in the car to go to work, and tapped the gas the same amount I usually do to get it to go, and it felt like it wasn't doing anything so I stepped on it harder and it got moving. 

About a mile or so of driving and the car went back to normal and it has been that way since that week. I also haven't driven it hard since then. 

I attributed this behavior, (and I call it behavior, not a problem) to the throttle-by-wire that's set up. My understanding is that the PCM will adjust the throttle response to suit your driving style, perhaps to maximize fuel economy. When I got back in my car the following morning, I guess my car was expecting me to hit the gas pedal past the 1/2 point to get the throttle to crack. 

Its not so much an issue or a problem as it is a behavior that you'll find in many throttle-by-wire cars. If you keep switching your driving style, the car will keep re-adjusting how it interprets your throttle. 

This is in no way related to turbo lag. Turbo lag (delay) is the time it takes for the turbo to spool up based on your RPM level in order to begin producing boost. This is different from throttle response.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> A week after I got my Cruze Eco MT, I learned about the transmission problems _some _people were having with their 2011 Eco MT related to grinding at a high rpm 1-2 shift, so I went out that night and did about 15 wide open throttle runs from 0-50 on a 55mph limit road and couldn't replicate the problem. I went home happy. Next morning, I got in the car to go to work, and tapped the gas the same amount I usually do to get it to go, and it felt like it wasn't doing anything so I stepped on it harder and it got moving.
> 
> About a mile or so of driving and the car went back to normal and it has been that way since that week. I also haven't driven it hard since then.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I really couldn't tell you the difference between turbo lag and throttle response. Because I kept reading about turbo lag, I figured that is what I was experiencing when I stepped on the gas and very little happened. I guess what I have then is throttle response. I don't know if I have EVER had any other car that had this throttle by wire setup, BUT if I did, I NEVER experienced ANYTHING like this in my life! My 2004 Chevy Aveo is like a rocket when I step on the gas compared to my Cruze. Since my Cruze was bought in February 2011, well past the point of the TCM reprogramming that everyone was having done early on, I never went to the dealer to check it out. Also, because many people complained that their gas mileage dropped after they had the TCM update, I didn't want to take any chances. My gas mileage is in the low 20's with mostly local driving but not that much stop and go.

Oh well, 2 more years to go on the lease then I will look for a new car with NO learning transmission, NO turbo and NO throttle by wire! I just want a good old car that knows HOW to shift all by itself without learning anything and a car whose throttle is connected right to the gas pedal!


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

Good luck finding a car with out throtlte by wire now. I had a 2002 Mercedes which was my first car without a real accelerator cable. I did not have any issues with the accelerator on that car for the 39,000 miles I drove it. My 2004 GTO has a real accelerator cable, the 2005 GTOs had problems with the electronic throttles - cars would go into safe mode losing power - pedal assemblies had to be replaced.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

blk88verde said:


> Good luck finding a car with out throtlte by wire now. I had a 2002 Mercedes which was my first car without a real accelerator cable. I did not have any issues with the accelerator on that car for the 39,000 miles I drove it. My 2004 GTO has a real accelerator cable, the 2005 GTOs had problems with the electronic throttles - cars would go into safe mode losing power - pedal assemblies had to be replaced.



Mmm...can you tell if a car has throttle by wire by looking under the hood? I don't think it's something they list or mention in their new car manuals.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Sour Kruat's 951 said:


> With only 3200 miles on an 11 month old car I went to change the only and found a surprise underneath, a leak.
> 
> The aero pan has oil all over it on the driver side. So I start poking around, look high, look low, look left and look right. I look straight down from the oil filter housing and see the puddle forming on the top side of the pan. I crawl underneath and remove the front bolts that secure the pan enough to get a close look, and than I found it.
> 
> ...


Just left the car at the dealer - they said the transmission is leaking at the torque converter seal. 

Did you get your problem fixed?


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## bbdhomer (Jun 20, 2012)

any updates on either leaks?

I believe my car drips some form of oil on the drive way and there are 2 distinct spots - one underneath the engine and another midway (underneath the middle passenger) - not sure what it is yet. 

Will take it to the dealer tomorrow.

no oil changes done, engine fire shield recall was performed before delivery, may/june 2012 production

3728 miles (6000km), auto, LT+


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

I had the main transmission seal go out on mine at the 30,000 mark. Dealer put a new seal kit in it, no problems since.


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## rickj67 (Jan 12, 2013)

Dropped mine off at the dealer today. 5,700 miles on it and the trans. is leaking and the steering sticks when turning from center 35mph and faster. It gets worse the longer you drive.


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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

Are there more leaks with the manual trans then the auto trans .


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## rickj67 (Jan 12, 2013)

Don't know,mine is auto.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

rickj67 said:


> Dropped mine off at the dealer today. 5,700 miles on it and the trans. is leaking and the steering sticks when turning from center 35mph and faster. It gets worse the longer you drive.



rickj67,
Please keep me posted on the progress with your dealer. If you have any questions or would like me assistance please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## ninibearone (Oct 18, 2013)

My 2012 cruze eco has a transmission leak. I took it in for an oil change, got home looked over my receipt and they say i haveca leak. Im very upset as they should have told me this before i left the dealership. We purchased this car for our son for college so he wouldn't have to worry about being broken down on the highway and to give us a peace if mind. Now this mess, dont know what American car to trust anymore. Just bought a new ford escape so we will see on that one too..


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## silverram323 (Mar 16, 2012)

jsusanka said:


> Just left the car at the dealer - they said the transmission is leaking at the torque converter seal.


Me too, 43k miles.


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## tdc (Jan 24, 2014)

bartonmd said:


> Seriously?? My '07 5.3L SWB Trailblazer started leaking trans fluid like a month after I got it... There was no shield under it to catch it and make it look like more of a mess than it was, so it was just a couple drops on the garage floor a day... Same deal as yours, I bet... The input pump seal (service opening to the bell housing) wasn't put on right at the Hydramatic factory, and had started leaking after it got some heat cycles on it... Went in for warranty, they fixed it, and 4.5 years and 88k miles later, it's still bone dry...
> 
> So... You own a Porsche, of all things, and you're going to take a huge depretiation hit on a 1 year old car, and sell it because of a transmission leak that will be fixed and done with under warranty? Really? :wacko:
> 
> Mike


Dear Mike, (tony here, aka tdc) I too have a leaking trans (at the case parting line). (2012 Cruze LS/1.8L/Auto). (Just noticed it this month). I am so so bummed about this oil leak. I'm very saddened about it because: I waited a long time to get a (new-to-me) car and get rid of my old '95 car's oil leak/other problems and I get a leaky transmission. As 'Sour Kruat's 951', it makes me wanna trade my car for an import (Honda or Toyota, used). I'm saddened. But cannot spend any more. ¿Can my Chevy dealer fix this? ¿And if perchance yes, can I trust them to without making a mess of something else? 
tdc (tony)


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## 2012LTZPRETTYLIGHTBLUE (Dec 13, 2011)

Unfortunately, my 2012 LTZ with 22K on it is in the garage since Monday with an oil leak. The dealer put dye in the engine oil, the service advisor drove it home last night and took it back to the garage today and no dye is showing in the leaking fluid. Tonight, the mechanic is driving my car home and back to the dealer tomorrow with dye in the tranny fluid. Not at all happy about others driving my car or my car being a "guinea pig" as they clearly haven't seen this issue enough to have a quick, easy way to diagnose it. 

FYI - I learned that today's tranny fluid is no longer bright red and obviously different from engine oil. We pulled the fill cap for the tranny and the fluid really looks and feels like engine oil. Thus the need to use dye to determine where the leak is. 

The thought of them having to pull the tranny to fix my nearly-new car makes me sick and is so very disappointing. 

If any of you have had tranny leaks in your Cruzes, do you know how much is involved in making the repairs (assuming it is a gasket issue?) Does the engine/tranny combo have to be pulled? What kind of problems can I expect once the tranny is removed, fixed and reinstalled? Augh. 

Never dreamed that this great little car would start with issues like this at only 22k. I hope Chevy hears us and truly looks into the cause and develops a permanent fix so that the cars coming off the assembly line don't have the same issues for future owners. This situation will be especially upsetting if it turns out that a few-dollar gasket is what is causing the transmission on what is otherwise a quality automobile to leak. Come on Chevy! You can do better!


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## 2012LTZPRETTYLIGHTBLUE (Dec 13, 2011)

FOLLOW UP - After 5 days in the shop, I got my car back. The primary cause was the transmission pump O-ring, a minor little cheap part which caused this problem at only 22K miles. Attached is the paperwork to help anyone else experiencing a leak like this and for Chevy to hopefully investigate and possibly change suppliers or review the design so that future Cruze owners don't have to deal with this. Had I not been under warranty, this would have been at least a $1,600 fix due to having to drop the tranny and all the gaskets which had to be removed and replaced to get to the failed part. Not what is expected of a nearly-new auto.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

2012LTZPRETTYLIGHTBLUE said:


> Had I not been under warranty, this would have been at least a $1,600 fix due to having to drop the tranny and all the gaskets which had to be removed and replaced to get to the failed part. Not what is expected of a nearly-new auto.


Its my understanding the gaskets are covered under the 5year/100K powertrain warranty same with any other parts of the transmission.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> The thought of them having to pull the tranny to fix my nearly-new car makes me sick and is so very disappointing.


 - I felt the same when at 22900 miles my turbo blew and took out my engine. After the warranty work was completed, I ended up trading my car.


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## firehawk618 (Feb 24, 2013)

Little off topic. 2013 Eco, M6, noticed some oil leaking from the trans area. Took it in and the dealer says this is not warranty able because it's not "dripping".


I asked him is that GM's stance on a leaking manual transmission? It's ok if it's "seepeing" all over the place? 


He said yes.

We bought brand new so I wouldn't have to mess with this kind of stuff. I really doubt I'd buy another GM or probably ANY new vehicle again because of crap like this.

Next time I will NOT wipe the drips off and will take it back to them.


This really pisses me off.


22k miles.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

firehawk618 said:


> Little off topic. 2013 Eco, M6, noticed some oil leaking from the trans area. Took it in and the dealer says this is not warranty able because it's not "dripping".
> 
> 
> I asked him is that GM's stance on a leaking manual transmission? It's ok if it's "seepeing" all over the place?
> ...


Hello firehawk618,


We apologize for any inconvenience you've encountered. We truly want you to have a positive ownership experience, and regret to hear that you're thinking of leaving the brand because of this. We'd like the chance to investigate this matter and contact your dealership for further clarification. Feel free to send us a private message with your VIN, mileage, contact information, and involved dealership if this is something of interest. 


We look forward to your message,


Jasmine F
Chevrolet Customer Care


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