# Eight years of Cruze repairs - the total amount



## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

Hi,

I am curious, I purchased my 2013 Cruze LTZ RS new in February of 2013. In the almost eight years of ownership, I have paid almost $6400 in total for repairs (this does not include oil changes or tires). I have another repair coming up, so this could go up to $7300 by the end of the week. As of today January 4, 2021, these are all the repairs since the car was new. I just wanted to know if this is about a normal amount for a Cruze, or it is crazy. Also, the brakes have been replaced due to rusting up or the callipers seizing. These are all done at the dealer in Canadian dollars. I am not complaining I am more just curious how this compares. I have not included any of the warranty work, however, it is worth noting that the rear main seal was replaced under warranty back in 2017. One other thing for the July 10th and July 24th repair, all they did was pull the on-star fuse which turns out was not the issue at all, it just resolved itself (I think it was the door handle button, which I told them from the start).

*I have 92,000 KM on the car (about 57,000 miles)*

Thanks for your comments.

Aug-01-2013 $67.74 Semi-Annual Inspection Service
Apr-06-2015 $305.95 Brake Pads + Service, Passenger Door Handle
Aug-23-2016 $1,317.61 Brake Replacment
Feb-06-2017 $339.00 Right Side Blind Spot Replaced
Feb-07-2017 $226.00 Left Side Blind Spot Sensor
Sep-20-2017 $67.74 Semi Annual Inspection Service
Feb-02-2018 $242.78 Semi-Annual Inspection Service, Cabin Filter, Fuel Injector
May-28-2018 $615.77 Driver Side Door handle button
Jun-20-2018 $540.65 Brake Service (re-surfaced)
Feb-15-2019  $37.86 Left Blind Spot Sensor Diagnostic
Nov-22-2019 $1,290.93 Brake Replacment
Feb-14-2020 $291.77 Battery Replacment
Jul-10-2020 $322.05 Battery Replacment + Diagnostic (Battery Drain Issue)
Jul-24-2020 $386.46 Diagnostic (Battery Drain Issue)
Nov-13-2020 $322.56 Trunk Latch Button Replacment

* $6,374.87 CAD TOTAL (as of January 4, 2021)*


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

You could have purchased Repair Protection from Chevrolet and saved thousands with no worries for the last 8 years. My policy was $1100 for 7 years and runs out next month. While I only have 26000 miles, when I read these posts I see a new Car in my future


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Some of that list is definitely DIY territory for almost anyone. I have done most of that stuff. Definitely no annual dealer money grabs though.


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

do you ride the brakes or something? at 50k miles I still had originals and you've had brakes done 3 or 4 times????

do you wash your car?

anyone else notice his brakes are touched as much as oil changes are lol


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Those brake replacement prices come with F1 carbon fiber rotors? Good lord the price!


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

If it makes you feel better I have blown more then that on a single transmission...


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

94mustang said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am curious, I purchased my 2013 Cruze LTZ RS new in February of 2013. In the almost eight years of ownership, I have paid almost $6400 in total for repairs (this does not include oil changes or tires). I have another repair coming up, so this could go up to $7300 by the end of the week. As of today January 4, 2021, these are all the repairs since the car was new. I just wanted to know if this is about a normal amount for a Cruze, or it is crazy. Also, the brakes have been replaced due to rusting up or the callipers seizing. These are all done at the dealer in Canadian dollars. I am not complaining I am more just curious how this compares. I have not included any of the warranty work, however, it is worth noting that the rear main seal was replaced under warranty back in 2017. One other thing for the July 10th and July 24th repair, all they did was pull the on-star fuse which turns out was not the issue at all, it just resolved itself (I think it was the door handle button, which I told them from the start).
> 
> ...


That's not too bad for 8 years worth of driving. That's roughly only $797 per year. I've spent about that much on mods alone.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Seems like a lot of brake work for only 92k km. I take it you do mostly city driving? 
My 2018 has 74k km and the brakes look almost new still. 
Definitely would have saved a pile with DIY brake work and maybe a lighter brake foot.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

$1000 in Battery Replacement/Drain issues alone? $700 for pulling a fuse ? What did they find, so we can all learn from this?


94mustang said:


> Hi,
> One other thing for the July 10th and July 24th repair, all they did was pull the on-star fuse which turns out was not the issue at all, it just resolved itself (I think it was the door handle button, which I told them from the start).
> 
> *I have 92,000 KM on the car (about 57,000 miles)*
> ...


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## jimmyc (Jun 27, 2020)

My 2014 : bought new. First repair (15,000 miles) was a seal located behind the pass side front tire. Flapping noise.(Cam cover/Crank cover?.....anyway, warranty. Free. 
That PVC problem that is so common....fixed under warranty. Free 
Water pump at 73000. (Special extended) warranty Free.
Brakes at 64000 miles. Front rotors faced, new pads. Rear brakes OK ($$)

Oil change every 5000 miles, new front tires at 65000 miles.

So far, today just turned 75000, very satisfied.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

In over 100,000 miles on my Cruze I never had the brakes replaced nor did I have to pay for brake inspections. Brake inspections were part of my dealership's oil service package which was slightly less than your brake inspection. I think you need to review how you're driving if you've had to replace your brakes twice in slightly over half of what I drove before the car was hail totaled.


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## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

What is happening with the brakes is that they would keep rusting up, I was told from lack of driving. One time the calliper even completely seized up. One year ago I made sure to get powder coated brakes, and they still look new.

With my 1994 Mustang, I last had the brakes changed in 2011 (four discs), they were just normal Ford brakes nothing special. I have put at least 60,000 km (37,000 miles) and they are still in very good shape with lots left on the pads. The Mustang was winter driven up until 8 years ago (they did not rust). The Mustang (owned it since new) is on its third set of brakes (same as the Cruze) and it is 27 years old and has 200,000km (124,000 miles).

I just seemed to have bad luck with the non coated OEM GM brakes. However, the powder-coated OEM GM brakes are much better since they do not appear to rust nearly as fast. I am truly amazed by how good they still look. For the price I paid, they should be.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Definitely it would benefit you to regrease the brake caliper slide pins and make sure the pads can move freely every year or so to prevent them from seizing and ruining the brakes.

I have had this pad seizing issue from road salt on a couple of previous vehicles even when they were regularly driven. It ruins otherwise good pads and rotors prety fast.

I like to inspect mine every time I switch tires from summer to winter.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

94mustang said:


> What is happening with the brakes is that they would keep rusting up, I was told from lack of driving. One time the calliper even completely seized up. One year ago I made sure to get powder coated brakes, and they still look new.
> 
> With my 1994 Mustang, I last had the brakes changed in 2011 (four discs), they were just normal Ford brakes nothing special. I have put at least 60,000 km (37,000 miles) and they are still in very good shape with lots left on the pads. The Mustang was winter driven up until 8 years ago (they did not rust). The Mustang (owned it since new) is on its third set of brakes (same as the Cruze) and it is 27 years old and has 200,000km (124,000 miles).
> 
> I just seemed to have bad luck with the non coated OEM GM brakes. However, the powder-coated OEM GM brakes are much better since they do not appear to rust nearly as fast. I am truly amazed by how good they still look. For the price I paid, they should be.


I could see that. You only put on around 11,500 km / 7,000 miles per year.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I find those numbers a little inflated. But not outrageous.

A couple of pointers:

1) The rotors your car left the factory with were Ferritic Nitrocarburizing (FNC) treated, AKA DuraGuard. They should last quite a while and are NOT to be resurfaced or turned on a lathe. You can buy these same rotors again. But will have to insist on them and stick to your guns. They’re also very expensive.

2) Your blind spot sensors should have been covered (or reimbursed) by GM. No idea why your dealer hasn’t stepped up on this.

I have 149,000 KM on my 2014 and have only been out of pocket for one set of rotors and pads, all-around. Yes, I paid for the FNC rotors. I also paid for one battery, two or three pairs of wiper blades, a windshield, one tire, filters, oil, and transmission cooler lines. Meanwhile GMPP has paid for over CAN$10K of repairs including a Nav system, antenna, HVAC fan, wiper motor, transmission valve body, TCM, entire transmission assembly, trunk release button, I think six blind spot sensors and two harnesses. Thank God for GMPP. Although, my coverage ends in August 2022, and I doubt they’ll offer me another renewal.


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## Valpo Cruze (Feb 23, 2014)

On my old 2012 LTZ
front brakes at 125,000 miles $100 self 
Replaced valve cover 2x for the PCV $60 each time self
Replaced purge solenoid $40 self
Replaced ac hose tube assembly $200? Self
Replaced trans cooler lines $200? Shop
Serpentine at 150,000 miles self
Coil pack because I broke it taking it out for spark plugs. $75

otherwise normal wear and tear items. Was on my third set of tires and original rear brakes when I traded it in at 190,000 miles


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## Johnny B (Jun 4, 2019)

In the grand scheme of things, I guess it could have been worse. In reading both your comments, I just have to speak out. I will start with the electrical problems, on any vehicle can been extremely difficult to find. That said, considering the time and money invested they should have found the issue sooner. Especially considering the fault being on the door.

But what they have been charging you for the brake repairs is crazy, considering the frequency. I have a feeling one or two things is going on there. First, I’m thinking they used the cheapest rotors and pads they could possibly find. As you commented, how the brake pads are painted/coated make a huge difference in how much they rust. And if the rotors are coated in zinc, and how much zinc they have greatly affects how much they rust. Which leads me to the second theory. This repair shop is actually causing most of the follow up work. Brake re-surfacing when I was a young man thirty years ago, it was all the rage. Basically, every brake job they would do it. Back in the day, sometimes the mechanic would let me run the lathe to get the job done quicker. But in todays world, re-surfacing rotors is rarely needed or even a good idea. And for a Cruze when you can buy rotors any where for $40, resurfacing them is crazy talk. On that note, what do you think happens to the zinc coating (the only thing stopping rust) when you “re-surface” the rotor??? That is a question for your repair shop. Ok, now the calipers “seizing”. I have driven GM cars my whole life, and I have never had a caliper seize. And just to try to keep this apples to apples, I live in Wisconsin. So, the Canada environment I deal with as well. Disc brakes are about the simplest system on a vehicle, if you keep everything parallel 99% of your problem’s go away. If you want me to cover all the important steps of a brake job I'll do it later because this is turning into a book already ;(

I have a 2015 Cruze with about the same miles you have, zero brake work ever. In fact, I have not had to do any repairs. The only thing that might make sense of this is if your car was involved in a crash or something similar, but likely it is just the shop you are using.

On a side note, for people just reading this for information and not meant for the guy posting. The biggest problems with GM vehicles are the owners refusing to do proper preventive maintenance, and mechanics doing corrective maintenance poorly.

I’ll be happy to go into more details on the brakes if anyone wants.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I am have to join the others about the brakes and what did they do? Did they replace the pads/rotors and shoes and drums? I replaced my pads with Ceramic pads for @50 And what was that resurface for, that should have been a part of the brake replacement if the rotors weren't replaced. I would consider a new mechanic. It seems they are charging extrodanary prices for things that are DIY repairs like the Cabin Filter. I don't understand what the difference between the following besides the door handle and why wern't the Brake Pads included in the following Brake Replacement:
Apr-06-2015 $305.95 Brake Pads + Service, Passenger Door Handle
Aug-23-2016 $1,317.61 Brake Replacment. 
I would tend to question some of these replairs and what they charge for them! It seems they the mechanic/dealer says give me your money and you say how much!!!!! I would question some of the repairs as being necessary or duplicative like alot of the brake work or them saying it is time for this to happen(whether it is or not). And the battery problems unless the battery keeps draining after replacement. I have never had a "semi annual inspection" done on any of my cars


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## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

The brakes are close to half of this cost. If it was not for the brakes and the blind spot sensors, I would say this car has been good overall, at least compared to issues that others are having. I am hoping the brake issue has been resolved, due to the powder coating (seems to be so far). Eventually, I will probably just have the blind spot sensors deleted, I hope there is a way I can get it so it will not keep saying "service side detection system" every time when they are removed. One of the weirdest things about this car (since it is Canadian) it does not have the ability to have a tire pressure monitoring system despite the fact it is an LTZ. My friend has a base 2010 Corolla (also Canadian and they do not even have power windows) and they have the TPSM. Just a minor thing but rather odd.

That was a mistake on my list since I was not including warranty work, to calculate the cost. The "Apr-06-2015 $305.95 Brake Pads + Service, Passenger Door Handle", the door handle was under warranty.

That was the only time I have ever had a caliper seize on me ever. I did have the water pump replaced under warranty as well (it was leaking a tiny bit, the dealer caught it not me), and as I mentioned the rear main seal. Amazingly I have never had issues with the valve cover, I think there is a special warranty for that now luckily.

When I get the receipts out later today, I will put what the part numbers were for the brakes and pads and how much they charged for labor and parts for the brake repairs.


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## Valpo Cruze (Feb 23, 2014)

You might want to find a different dealer or mechanic to work with. I suspect that whoever is doing your work has been taking advantage of you. I have been driving for 36 years around the Chicago area that sees plenty of winter salt use and I can honestly say that I have only replaced 3 wheel cylinders and zero calipers in this timeframe. The wheel cylinders were from leaking pistons or a broke brake line. I have had a few calipers hang up in this time but they never got wiped out. Cleaning the slides that they ride along and greasing the caliper slide pins has always returned them to service without replacement for me. I thought I was going to have to replace a caliper on my motorhome as it hung up on me during a trip but it seemed to cure itself and I never had to turn a wrench on it.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Valpo Cruze said:


> You might want to find a different dealer or mechanic to work with. I suspect that whoever is doing your work has been taking advantage of you. I have been driving for 36 years around the Chicago area that sees plenty of winter salt use and I can honestly say that I have only replaced 3 wheel cylinders and zero calipers in this timeframe. The wheel cylinders were from leaking pistons or a broke brake line. I have had a few calipers hang up in this time but they never got wiped out. Cleaning the slides that they ride along and greasing the caliper slide pins has always returned them to service without replacement for me. I thought I was going to have to replace a caliper on my motorhome as it hung up on me during a trip but it seemed to cure itself and I never had to turn a wrench on it.


Canada is not Chicago and $CAD is not $USD.


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## Valpo Cruze (Feb 23, 2014)

Just looked up some data. Canada as a whole uses about 5 million tons of salt per year. Ontario alone was roughly 100,000 tons. Chicagoland uses roughly 1.8 million tons per year. 

$6400 CAD converts to roughly $5000 USD.

Overpriced.


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## Johnny B (Jun 4, 2019)

Well, having thought about your car issues I guess it might be possible the shop actually did the jobs well. However, the whole water pump issue is/was a well-known issue and should have been replaced free under a special coverage adjustment. Them finding/correcting it would give them a passing grade but no extra credit in my book. All this is to say they are probably ripping you off. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck. It’s probably a duck.

I’m looking forward to more details on the brake service costs, it should be more revealing. With this, I just have to make a case for people doing a little bit of their own repairs. And trust me, I totally get the feeling you don’t do much vehicle repair, so I’ll be gentle. And again, this is as much for the casual passersby as for you. If you could go back in time with the money spent on brake repairs here is what you could have done.

Bought every tool needed to do the work, twice over.
Bought all the highest quality replacement parts needed.
Paid yourself a $100 an hour to do the work.
Thrown all the tools away afterward.
Celebrated in victory with your friends over a case of beer.
Ending in taking the money still left over and lighting it on fire just because.
I get it, vehicles are not getting any simpler. And there is less and less a novice can do and not be overwhelmed. But disc brakes are really so simple, if I owned a repair shop that only did disc brake jobs I’d be rolling in money and have a zero-stress job.
When I look through my owner’s manual I personally don’t see any maintenance that can’t be done with basic tools and in the same amount of time a shop could do it in. That said, today I did watch a couple videos posted on Utube today covering Cruze brake work and they were all bush league at best. People pretend to give tutorials all the time, and what they are really doing is a ride along on something they have never done before. So, I totally get why people sometimes do not want to jump in the water.


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## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

The first time the brakes were replaced; August 23, 2016


*Labour*Diagnostic$ 52.50Replaced front rotors and serviced front pads and sliders.$ 149.95Replaced rear left calliper, rear rotors and pads.$ 105.00Brake System Flush$ 99.95*Parts*2 x Front Rotor 88878113 "ACDelco Advantage" Front Rotor non-coated - GM$ 181.42Pad Kit (Rear) 19288004 (Part 19386943 replaced this)$ 83.562 x Rear Rotor 23118283$ 302.14Caliper SC1199A (I cannot find anything with this part number, I am not sure what the correct number is.$ 187.422 x Washer 21012386$ 2.34Chrome Nut 41145 (I cannot find this one)$ 1.75*Totals*Labour$ 407.40Parts$ 758.63Sub Total$ 1,166.03Tax$ 151.58Total* $ 1,317.61*

I will add the one from 2019 next. I provided the links for the parts I could find. When these rusted up two years later I told the service manager at the dealership how much I paid and he kind of laughed and said I got ripped off. I then told him that they did them, he just said oh.


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## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

Second Brake Job; November 22, 2019


*Labour*Diagnostic$ 56.41Front$ 169.24Rear$ 169.24*Parts*Front Pad Kit 42570931$ 152.632 x Front Rotor 23118274$ 250.22Rear Pad Set 19386943$ 100.002 x Rear Rotor 23118283$ 244.68*Totals*Labour$ 394.89Parts$ 747.53Sub Total$ 1,142.42Tax$ 148.51Total*$ 1,290.93*

This time I got it done at a different dealer. I notice this one did not charge the full retail cost on the parts compared to the first one.

Are these brakes any good? They are supposed to be coated.


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## Johnny B (Jun 4, 2019)

Ok here is what I found, since your links basically only tell me how much you are being ripped off and really no useful information. For example, front rotor 23118274 $250 your price, Rockauto $114. And so yes, I realize even in the USA a 100% dealer markup seems standard. And considering the 20% exchange rate loss, yup $250 is in the range of a most peaceful robbery.
Now with the research the best I could cipher.

OE parts (aka Genuine) – best grade, and should not rust much = part # 42570931, 23118274, 23118283
Professional (aka Gold) – mid grade = part # 19386943
Advantage (aka Silver) – economical = part # 88878113

23118274 and 23118283 rotors with Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing. This coating should stop rust very well, this is space age no BS technology.

88878113 rotors with no coating at all, none, zero. This is what we call around here a smoking gun at the crime scene. Also be aware, GM does also have a zinc coated “silver grade” version, if you had these installed you would have been fine.

Now for my take on this, any part less than OE grade you might have issues. I tried several sources to find the rust prevention methods on the different grade pads, and came up with nothing. Sadly, the days of GM making their own parts in North America seems to be gone. So now we must deal with a race to the bottom with foreign made junk with quality inspected into it and a “backed” by GM label. To clarify, GM seems to be doing the same thing everyone else is by making different grades of parts made to a price point. So buyer beware, the problem is often the important (decision making) information isn’t available at the point of sale.

For what its worth, I have been using PowerStop brake parts very happily. At least with them I can tell what I’m getting in the box.


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## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

Johnny B said:


> Ok here is what I found, since your links basically only tell me how much you are being ripped off and really no useful information. For example, front rotor 23118274 $250 your price, Rockauto $114. And so yes, I realize even in the USA a 100% dealer markup seems standard. And considering the 20% exchange rate loss, yup $250 is in the range of a most peaceful robbery.
> Now with the research the best I could cipher.
> 
> OE parts (aka Genuine) – best grade, and should not rust much = part # 42570931, 23118274, 23118283
> ...


I was not aware that there were different levels of GM parts. So basically everything that is on it right now (except my rear pads) is what the car would have left the factory with? Tomko mentioned in an earlier post to never get those rotors turned, that is very good to know as well. Hopefully, the rear pads will not give me any issues since they are not OE, at least they are pro (gold) and not the cheap advantage (silver).

The dealership is still trying to figure out what is going on with the blind spot sensor, they are possibly thinking of a pinched wire running from the mirror. I have my doubts since it does light up when the car first turns on. This will probably be the last time I deal with these blind spot modules, after this I will just have them deleted, especially if they charge me the full amount. I would do this myself however I do not have an MDI 2 or the subscription required.

I will do some repairs myself on the Mustang like I replaced the roof hydraulics a few years ago (rag top) and replaced a camshaft position sensor. I have just always been afraid to touch brakes, but watching YouTube videos they do look really easy to install.


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## 94mustang (Aug 24, 2016)

Looks like the dealership is going to charge the full $1200 to get these sensors replaced. I will take the bumper cover off myself if I have to and have them program them. I imagine it cannot be that hard to remove. I just don't get it my parents own a 2013 Nissan Altima with more miles and they are still on the original sensors. I called GM customer service and they did zero (not really surprised). My friend has a Corolla with over 400,000 KM (250,000 miles) and they never have problems. The sad thing is, is that I really like American cars I think they have the best designs. However, this is really making me think twice. 

My parents used to love GM as well, their last car was a 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora. It had major problems with it (only three years old). They dumped it when it was three years old to get a 1998 Toyota Avalon.


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## -loki- (Dec 13, 2019)

Your dealership is raking you over the coals... 294k on my trucks rear brakes and they work just great. it on 4th set of pads and 3rd set of rotors... I had a caliper lock up and warped one so replaced both... but geez... DIY put that money in your pocket.


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## Johnny B (Jun 4, 2019)

94mustang said:


> So basically everything that is on it right now (except my rear pads) is what the car would have left the factory with?


Yes, it looks that way. Assuming of course they actually put on the parts they said they did. And FWIW you shouldn't ever have to mess with the rear brakes again, what you have in there should last 150,000 km. Should 

I hear you on believing your car is a lemon. And it might be, that said I really couldn't be more happy with my Cruze. Well, except the anemic transmission shifting. 

A bit a bout your sensors. Like I said earlier, electronic/electrical issues are sometimes are very hard to fix. Especially if they are intermittent. Just thinking about it, it could be water infiltration, a scraped wire, a broken wiring harness plug. Heck it could have been a rat chewing on something. Really.

I do have something to say on the estimated cost of $1200. Vehicles are coming with more sensors with each new model. And they can help improve safety, but what they are really good at is a revenue stream for shops. I'm not sure if your sensor(s) are ultra sonic or microwave, but honestly it doesn't matter a lot. An ultra sonic sensor costs about $10, a microwave sensor about $20. Now put them in a cheap plastic box, and stamp a part number on them. And ta-da through the magic of OE world, it is now worth hundreds of dollars. And again being fair about it every car company does it.

If it were my car, I'd disable it if possible. Either through the car interface screen, or pulling the dang fuse. And if you really want to fix them, get used stuff. Maybe Ebay or a junk yard, just guessing here. And you mentioned taking of your bumper off, from what I can tell that and putting it back on would seem the hardest part of the whole job. If you get the exact sensor needed, I don't think going through the MDI 2 interface is needed at all. Just shooting from the hip here 

I feel your pain dude...


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