Most common 2012 Chevrolet Cruze problems
Share of the 865 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Cruze complaints by model year
Best Cruze years: 2019, 2018, 2017. Years to avoid: 2012, 2011, 2014. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Cruze recalls (7)
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016.
Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engines and 6T40 front wheel drive automatic transmissions and equipped with an electric vacuum pump to provide supplemental vacuum for brake assist, when needed.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace a microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.
Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Air bags
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
General motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet cruze vehicles manufactured from October 2, 2009, through May 14, 2012. Attachment welds for the fuel tank strap secondary brackets May have been omitted.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds. If the vehicle is missing welds, dealers will secure the bracket attachments with fasteners. Repairs will be performed free of charge.
Show 1 more recall
Engine and engine cooling
General motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet cruze vehicles manufactured from October 2, 2009, through May 31, 2012. Spilled or dripping oil (such as after an oil change) May collect in the engine shield (bellypan) near hot engine or exhaust system surfaces.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will modify the engine shield to prevent fluid from contacting the shield. Also, on vehicles with a manual transmission, dealers will apply a protective tape to the electronic power…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze:
Air Bag Non-deployment
General Motors (GM) has initiated a safety recall of 31,520 model year (MY) 2012 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic vehicles to address a defect condition that could result in the primary or secondary stage air bag not deploying.These vehicles are a small percentage of all MY 2012 vehicles and were built on several specific production dates broadly ranging from December 1, 2011 to August 2, 2012 (see…
Engine compartment fire
In a June 21, 2012 letter to NHTSA, General Motors LLC. (GM) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in approximately 413,148 model year (MY) 2011 through 2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured from October 2, 2009 through May 31, 2012 (Recall 12V-288).
Chapman Chevrolet / Cruze Engine Recall
NHTSA opened AQ12-002 to determine whether Chapman Chevrolet of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C.Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations.The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with Federal Motor Vehicle…
What 2012 Chevrolet Cruze owners say
Engine & cooling all 308 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle started overheating while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the knock control system, the knock sensor, the camshaft, the positive crankcase ventilation system, and the engine intake manifold gasket had failed. The contact received an unknown recall notification from the manufacturer associated with the failure at the beginning of the pandemic. The contact contacted several unknown dealers to schedule an appointment however, the dealers informed the contact that there was no availability to complete the recall repair on the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he smelled a burning odor and saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact then drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the front valve cover gasket and oil pan were leaking. The front valve cover gasket and seals were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Low Power" was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the front valve cover gasket and seals were replaced. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that the thermostat had overheated and had melted the coolant hoses. The thermostat and coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure persisted. …
Electrical system all 196 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and accelerating over a speed bump, the key slid out of the ignition switch. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, and it was determined that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V502000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 74,522.
When the ac on the brake pad will lock and there no brakes you can't push it down it gets hard but when you turn the ac turns off the brake pad goes back to normal but it's damage to be driving and this happen .. Also the trac control light comes on along with the sailablzie light
Brakes all 150 →
The contact owned a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal failed to respond causing another vehicle to crash into the rear of the vehicle. The contact did not recall whether there were warning lights illuminated. The contact was unsure whether the air bags deployed. The contact stated that she was unconscious for a moment. The contact also sustained back injuries and sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123, 000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle intermittently stalled. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road; then drove the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not determine the cause of the failure since the unknown warning lights were no longer illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis once the warning lights were again illuminated. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
2012 Chevrolet Cruze engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | FWD | 28 / 40 / 32 |
| 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 38 / 30 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 25 / 35 / 29 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 34 / 26 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze a good car?
Based on 865 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Cruze rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cruze at the same age. It is one of the Cruze years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze?
The engine & cooling — 308 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › crank/camshaft position sensor. Next are the electrical system (196) and brakes (150).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, the most recent from July 5, 2016 (ignition). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Cruze?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2019, 2018 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2011 and 2014. See the full Chevrolet Cruze years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Cruze problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 55,000 miles; 45% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.