Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Chevrolet Cruze owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and raising the foot off the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated drastically. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally hesitated while accelerating and failed to immediately accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Occasionally, the vehicle lurched forward suddenly. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 129,000.
As I was on the highway, I was unable to pick up speed without feeling resistance! After awhile I couldn't go past 25 mph and my car eventually gave out before I made it home. I had to call a tow to have them tow me to my park lot! A couple days went by and my car was able to drive through the parking and park in different spots. I am not sure what the problem may be but I just bought this car and it has been causing unsafe issues for about a year now! Please help!
The car cuts out and jerks (has no power) (no warning lights) when accelerating or staying at a steady speed with engine light coming on or flashing. I've reported to dealership. So far, Don't know the cause of problem.
On October 19,2018 my in laws were traveling north on route 61 in pennsylvania. They can to a red light and ran into the back of a minivan and the airbags deployed. Then we dont know what happened, but the car accelerated and went the length of a football field and they hit a pole and my mother in law died instantly and my father in law died at 5:10 am.my concern is why isn't it an industry standard that once the airbags are deployed the throttle doesn't shut down. If the throttle would have not worked they way still be alive.if you cant help me could you send me in the right direction.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. While driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle accelerated independently. As a result, the contact crashed into a fence. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic after the crash. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.
In addition to two complaints filed about this vehicle already. The u.s has no concern for human life in the u.s and is allowing white supremacy to endanger minority drivers and other drivers. The testing of satellite radiological dispersal weapons and remote control systems involving, hacking, backdoor access, remote control, surveillance and vehicle compromise persists. On 12/10/15 and 12/09/15 the vehicle was halted by force from a satellite tracking the vehicle. Ample evidence of electrical problems in the car, cellphone tracking and home tracking is available. A federal lawsuit was filed and dismissed without reason of cause to further the hate crime. On these two days I was driving the vehicle one again, and lost control over the vehicle steering and throttle. The issue occurs at stop signs to cause an accident there or at a intersection. …
My car has a check engine light and I took it to dealer they do not know what the code is, its p057c and I was driving on highway going 70 and car all of a sudden loses power went from 70mph to 5mph in a split second almost got rear ended by a semi truck I am afraid to drive my car for my safety. Dealer wants hundreds of dollars just to try and figre out the issue but after diagnostic they still have no clue. So thir plan was to dissect my car like a science project and maybe fix it. They want the car for a week and do not offer any loaner cars. Chevrolet northridge dealership california. Today 03/04/16 driving to work going 40mph and get to a red light, it turned green I hit the gas and the car just revs and wont go more than 5pmh . I had to pull over and turn car on and off 2 times before I could get to work. And got there late because of this. And again almost got rear ended. …
Car will slow to 2 MPH with the warnings "low engine mode" and "service stabilitrack". Can be going any speed and this happens. Have had the car towed 3 times for this same problem. Each time they tell us it is another part that is defective. We have spent approximately $2,000 on repairs for this same issue. My main concern is that my [redacted] year old son who drives this vehicle is going to get killed. If this happens on a highway with a semi behind him, the semi will not be able to slow down to that speed that fast and will run right over him. There are numerous reports of this same issue on 2011-2015 Cruze vehicles that you can find anywhere on the internet (even on GM forum). I would like to know how many people have to die from this issue before a recall is made on these vehicles? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that the service stability traction control warning light illuminated intermittently and the accelerator pedal hesitated to respond. On the first occasion, the contact was driving at 20 MPH and the vehicle stalled. On a second occasion, the vehicle stalled while driving at approximately 35 MPH. The contact was able to restart the vehicle each time but the failure was progressing. The failure caused the vehicle to go into a limp mode each time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice and they were not able to replicate and diagnose the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a third time who diagnosed that the alternator assembly needed to be replaced. The electronic stability control failure was unable to be determined. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was left for a diagnosis. …
While driving at no specific speed the car alerts and says check engine, reduced engine speed, and check stabilizer traction control. The engine then powers down and will not accelerate. I was recently driving and this happened, to avoid an accident I ended up in a ditch and had to be towed out. I had the car repaired which was costly and was not covered under the power train warranty Chevy offers. I feel that this is a very dangerous defect on the car and should be addressed as a recall, due to the first time I tried to have the car repaired I was told it was gonna be 4-6 weeks to wait on the part because they were on back order because they have had quite a few cars with the same problem. When I addressed this issue with Chevy they had no concern that a car losing power while traveling was no big deal. I was nearly rear ended by a semi-truck and was forced into a ditch.
Acceleration complaints in other Cruze years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, 10% of the model year's 732 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Cruze acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet Cruze acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries and 2 deaths to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.