# #10381 Service Update - Front Suspension Noise



## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

*Subject:**10381 - Service Update for Inventory and Customer Vehicles - Front Suspension Noise - Expires with Base Warranty*

*Models:**2011 Chevrolet Cruze*​ 


*This service update includes vehicles in dealer inventory and customer vehicles that return to the dealership for any reason. It will expire at the end of the involved vehicle's New Vehicle Limited Warranty period. *

*Purpose*

This bulletin provides a service procedure to lubricate the strut assemblies on *certain* 2011 model year Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. On these vehicles, contact between the strut's top mount and the splash shield may cause a squeak during normal steering maneuvers at temperatures less than approximately 35(ºF (2(ºC). 
*This service procedure should be completed as soon as possible on involved vehicles currently in dealer inventory and customer vehicles that return to the dealer for any type of service during the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage period. *

*Vehicles Involved*

A list of involved vehicles currently in dealer inventory is available on the "Service Update Bulletin Information" link under the "Service" tab in GM GlobalConnect (US) or attached to the GlobalConnect message (Canada) used to release this bulletin. Customer vehicles that return for service, for any reason, and are still covered under the vehicle's base warranty should be checked for vehicle eligibility.
*Important: *All involved vehicles are identified by VIN in the Global Warranty Management System - Investigate Vehicle History (GMVIS2) Application. Dealership technicians should always check this site to confirm vehicle involvement prior to beginning any required inspections and/or repairs. It is essential to routinely verify eligibility because not all similar vehicles may be involved regardless of description or option content. 
*Parts Information*

Parts required to complete this service update are to be obtained locally. CRC Heavy Duty Silicon™ Lubricant, P/N 05074 (U.S.), P/N 75074 (Canada) may be purchased through your local automotive supplier. There may be additional manufacturers of such products/materials. General Motors does not endorse, indicate any preference for, or assume any responsibility for the products or material from this firm or for any such items that may be available from other sources. 
Do not order from General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales (GMCC&A). 
Part Number - Description - Qty/ Vehicle - To be obtained locally
CRC Heavy Duty Silicone™ Lubricant (U.S: P/N 05074; Canada: P/N 5074)As Req'd


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

My Cruze experiences this problem occasionally. It's been below 30 degrees over nights and sometimes when I drive early in the morning I've been hearing this noise. It sounds awful, will be taking it into get this checked on the first oil change


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## racer114 (Nov 7, 2010)

Did I just get lucky or what? I don't know about this issue, as there are no VIN ranges listed. But, my VIN is in between the other two, so I guess I got luck? Mine is 7106203.


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

No noise on mine.


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

racer114 said:


> Did I just get lucky or what? I don't know about this issue, as there are no VIN ranges listed. But, my VIN is in between the other two, so I guess I got luck? Mine is 7106203.


 
Your Cruze has #10381 (suspension) and #10354 (labels) that need to be performed.


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## racer114 (Nov 7, 2010)

I'll have the suspension checked out at the first oil change or sign of noises. No noise so far and it was cold this morning. I didn't see my VIN in the range for the labels, but it doesn't matter. I looked for them and they are there. Also, ran my Cruze through a high pressure full service wash today for the first time and no trunk leaks. Knocking on wood!


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

do we have a list of VIN's this TSB calls for? Want to double check mine before I bring it in


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

shawn672 said:


> do we have a list of VIN's this TSB calls for? Want to double check mine before I bring it in


 
Post or send me the last 8 of your VIN and I can tell you.


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

Stopped by the dealer today and they fixed the issue in about an hour total. Seems ok, will test over the next few days and report any issues


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## jlalill (Nov 1, 2010)

is this going to be a recurring problem? due to a minor design flaw..or will the grease stay in place for years>>>just wondering...


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...we (Tucson, AZ) just got down to 32°F this morning, and I noticed the sqweek...for the first time. Guess our Chevy dealership will take care of this when I take her in for first engine-oil change.

...gonna get down into the 20's tonight.


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

jlalill said:


> is this going to be a recurring problem? due to a minor design flaw..or will the grease stay in place for years>>>just wondering...


The tech is instructed to pull the top boot back and spray the inside with the lube. The boot will keep the lube from coming out, so this shouldn't need to be done again, if it is done correctly the first time.


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## gunner22 (Nov 20, 2010)

Adding this to the list of issues to address during my first oil change. Feeling a little frustration about all the issues I have been finding with my new car...


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

I hate to say but maybe you shouldn't have bought a first run car

Theres bound to be some problems but my dealer has been great about fixing anything that comes up


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## gunner22 (Nov 20, 2010)

I knew this was a possibility. This is my fifth GM product I have owned in the last six years and I have never had any unexpected quality issues. This is also a model that has been out in other markets with almost the exact same configuration that I have and yet there are these little problems cropping up.

No worries. I would rather have these little things addressed like GM is doing than ignored like other companies seem to frequently do. *cough* toyota *cough*


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## srbaker (Dec 6, 2010)

*Having all the same Issues*

My Black Turbo is experiencing the issues mentioned here and I have only had it a week today. My steering wheel squeaks like crazy where the wheel meets the column, I here a loud grinding noise from the front left (right side if looking out)when I turn the wheels, and today it missed shifts
a couple of times then shifted hard there after. If these TSB's as you call them are available to the dealership then why are they not performing all of these fixes before the customer takes delivery. They had my car for 5 days after they took delivery and before I picked it up. I don't understand why these issues were not addressed. This is my first GM car since 1984 and at present I am starting to regret my purchase. I do not want to spend half my time in the dealership versus driving the car. The Cruze has been sold overseas for a number of years so it can hardly be called a first run car. I have printed out all of the TSB's listed here and will insist my dealership check each and every one while the car is there. I do not want to continually keep returning to the dealer for issue after issue. Thankfully my trunk isn't leaking, yet.


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

srbaker said:


> My Black Turbo is experiencing the issues mentioned here and I have only had it a week today. My steering wheel squeaks like crazy where the wheel meets the column, I here a loud grinding noise from the front left (right side if looking out)when I turn the wheels, and today it missed shifts
> a couple of times then shifted hard there after. If these TSB's as you call them are available to the dealership then why are they not performing all of these fixes before the customer takes delivery. They had my car for 5 days after they took delivery and before I picked it up. I don't understand why these issues were not addressed. This is my first GM car since 1984 and at present I am starting to regret my purchase. I do not want to spend half my time in the dealership versus driving the car. The Cruze has been sold overseas for a number of years so it can hardly be called a first run car. I have printed out all of the TSB's listed here and will insist my dealership check each and every one while the car is there. I do not want to continually keep returning to the dealer for issue after issue. Thankfully my trunk isn't leaking, yet.


 
oh boy, where to start...
you bought a first run model, it's going to have issues. yes the car/platform IS a world car and has been sold, alot of these parts are being developed and assembled for the first time here in the US so while major kinks are worked out, minor things are going to crop up.

depending on when you purchased the car, the TSB may not have been out yet, most of the current TSB's were released in the past 1-3 weeks, perhaps AFTER you took delivery. also they are not RECALLS, they're Technical Service Bulletins which just helps service advisors and technicians fix your issue quicker and fix it correctly.

and to add, because you made it seem like its a widespread issue.. only 1 report so far on this forum of a leaky trunk (and it was from a pre-production test model, not a customer car)


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## racer114 (Nov 7, 2010)

It is a first year car and I'm not having the TSB issues yet, so I can't complaint. But, it does concern me there are already so many issues with some of them. I guess I'm lucky, because the same thing happened with the 2011 Mustang GT and I had the first one that arrived on the lot I buy from that had the Brembo package. So far, no issues with it either, but many with the early builds have had mutliple issues. The good thing is that the manufacturers seem to be addressing problems right away, rather than sit on them and wait for disasters to happen.


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

So....when the spray dissipates, then what? To me, this is an error in design and part material that will continue to cause wear.


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## jlalill (Nov 1, 2010)

SilverCruzer said:


> So....when the spray dissipates, then what? To me, this is an error in design and part material that will continue to cause wear.


have to agree...i had it done..still hear a noise...materials rubbing against material will not go away with a spray of silicone...doesn't make sense that the fix is a spray which will get rubbed/squeezed away again...


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

This update is for a squeak at low temperatures. If you hear a noise that is not a squeak at low temperatures, this will not fix that problem.


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## radix16 (Feb 4, 2011)

*Similar issue*

I'm not sure if I'm having this exact issue or a similar issue. I hear a creaking type of noise when I turn my steering wheel. It is generally when the temperature is below 35 degrees F. The colder the temperature, the louder the sound. The reason I question if I'm having this same issue is that I would consider a squeak a high-pitched sound, while the sound I hear in my steering is low and creaky. I'm going to print this TSB out and take it to the dealer to see if they think it is applicable. What do you guys think?


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

yes that is exactly the same


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## FanDamNCSU (Dec 23, 2010)

radix16 said:


> I'm not sure if I'm having this exact issue or a similar issue. I hear a creaking type of noise when I turn my steering wheel. It is generally when the temperature is below 35 degrees F. The colder the temperature, the louder the sound. The reason I question if I'm having this same issue is that I would consider a squeak a high-pitched sound, while the sound I hear in my steering is low and creaky. I'm going to print this TSB out and take it to the dealer to see if they think it is applicable. What do you guys think?


Yeah it's the same. I had this TSB performed on mine and it worked great for a few days but now the creaking is back. I took it back to the dealer last week and they said that GM is releasing a new lubricant to resolve the issue. I would run that by the dealer to see if they've received the new lubricant which may save you another trip to the dealer - I'm still awaiting a call from my dealer for when they get the lube in.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

I just had my Cruze in for this yesterday -- grinding / creaking noise when turning when cold. They supposedly addressed it and it was fine right after, but it's back today, though not as bad... they were immediately aware of the issue, literally finishing my sentence for me. It's also warmer here though, so it's hard to tell precisely. They also took care of the thermostat issue.

I should also add this is only really when pulling out in the morning or after the cars been sitting -- once everything's warmed up it's completely quiet -- this is the same issue, right?

Any word on the new lube?

Thanks!


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

I had to have the fix applied twice, its ok for now but I'm sure it'll happen again next winter. Hopefully by then they have their **** together


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## jlalill (Nov 1, 2010)

two lubes for me...wait and see..or they'll have to address it another way....


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## robertbick (Jan 1, 2011)

Any lube is going to wear away over time.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...like *K-Y Jelly*™, it's not a _"...one-time application..."_ solution!


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## Uns69 (Jan 30, 2011)

Seems to me that this is just a temporary fix and they will keep fixing it until the warranty is up. Or am I just stating the obivious. This must be the "New" GM at work.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Uns69 said:


> Seems to me that this is just a temporary fix and they will keep fixing it until the warranty is up. Or am I just stating the obivious. This must be the *"New" GM* at work.


...fresh paint over rusty metal _seldom_ makes things better or shinyer.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Good god some of you guys are cynical, granted most of us have gm cars so we can say what we want, but yeah -- this is not an old / new gm issue. I view this as a very, very minor problem since it goes away after 15-20min and when it's not cold it's not an issue.

I have two other thoughts:

a) the service bulletin does not really specify a product for the dealers to use -- they could literally be pumping ky into it, or a not appropriately temp rated silicone into it.

b) I think the dealers will end up figuring out what works. As much as they love the comped warranty repairs, it's going to get old really quick when every time people are in for an oil change they're lubing the strut mounts. Hopefully, this will trickle back up and a new revised service bulletin will come out.

Having had to tell of dealerships of a number of brands off and abandon my cars at them until they resolve more major issues, I don't see this as any different, and will likely abandon the cruze at mine at the start of next winter if it's not addressed before then.


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## TGreyCruze (Feb 21, 2011)

Maybe because ive only had the car for almost 2 weeks and not long enough but got a few hundred miles on it and lately its been pretty cold and even colder tomorow. Ive had no real tranny issues, no suspension or thermo issues either yet. When i bought my car we had just recieved it 2 weeks ago at the dealer. So i dont know if some of the problems were fixed before i got it or it might creep up on me later on. So far i absolutly love the car and some days prefer driving it over my 01 Z28, lol.


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

This year in NY we've gone through a cold->hot->cold->hot->cold winter. When it's cold, the noise comes back. I've had the front passanger suspension "fixed" twice with their silicone and the issue continues to happen.

Anyone else still seeing this problem come back after a few weeks/months?

I don't think silicone is a proper fix for this issue :/


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## jlalill (Nov 1, 2010)

shawn672 said:


> This year in NY we've gone through a cold->hot->cold->hot->cold winter. When it's cold, the noise comes back. I've had the front passanger suspension "fixed" twice with their silicone and the issue continues to happen.
> 
> Anyone else still seeing this problem come back after a few weeks/months?
> 
> I don't think silicone is a proper fix for this issue :/


i've had it done twice also..so far the second one has held up..they said they really 'sprayed' it on the second time..but next year....we'll see..the service manager said..eventually they'll have to replace the entire strut....

i wonder..if newer models are designed differently..i would think so....


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

indigo said:


> I view this as a very, very minor problem since it goes away after 15-20min and when it's not cold it's not an issue.


Wow, you aren't willing to make a mountain out of a mole hill? Very refreshing.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

For what it's worth cold and humid is seems the be the sweet spot where it really comes out. Now that it's warm more consistently mine hasn't made a sound.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

7124861 here is the last numbers of my vin does anybody know if my cruze would be covered. in this colder weather I am hearing some noise.


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

jsusanka said:


> 7124861 here is the last numbers of my vin does anybody know if my cruze would be covered. in this colder weather I am hearing some noise.



Then i wouls def take it in...


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

my 2012 eco has been making some noise from the front suspinsion


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> my 2012 eco has been making some noise from the front suspinsion


I'd take it in, if it were my car. Remember, they stopped Cruze and Verano production for a week before Christmas due to bad front struts from the supplier.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Well just got my 2012 back and they say.that service bulletin dosnt exsit here in texas

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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...since that *PI#10381 *was issued against *2011 model year *production, it most likely would not "show up" for your *2012* vehicle.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Well I'm goin to probebly putting monroes in it

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