Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Cruze owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was trying to park my 2012 Chevrolet Cruze car in a parking place. I turned into the parking spot and when I placed my foot on the brakes, nothing happened. I looked down at my foot and watching myself repeatedly pump the brakes. Instead of stopping, my car went over the parking spot yellow curb, over a sidewalk and some grass, and I hit a parked vehicle. Before I hit the vehicle, I luckily turned my wheel, causing less damage to the parked vehicle. After I hit the vehicle, my car turned back into the parking lot where it finally stopped. I am not sure if it stopped because of me repeatedly pumping the brakes, or that I finally ran out of momentum, since I had not hit the accelerator since before trying to park. My bumper is damaged, had to have car towed because I am too afraid to drive it. …
Car was hit on back drivers door and wheel well, it pushed the back bottom seat in. Car spun three times in the rain and none of the 10 air bags deployed. I hit my head on the side drivers window 3 times due to side seat air bags not deploying. GM came out while car was in auto shop put some machine on it to address my ? Why air bags did not deploy when it was hit hard enough to push car frame in and spin whole car three times. They told body shop that it was hit in such a way the two seat air bags were not sensored. I have not felt safe in car since. Car was on a rual street when hit at about speed of 40 mile an hour. I can email pictures of car damage if needed.
We were in a car accident and ended up rear-ending a vehicle that had already stopped. We hit at an estimated speed of 20-25mph and the airbags did not deploy. We were traveling at 45mph when the brakes were hit. It seems like the airbags should have deployed at this speed. We only have minor injuries, but if there is a possibility others could get hurt because of a similar issue I feel that it should be at least looked into. You will be better able to tell if the angle or the crash or something faulty that prohibited the airbags from deploying.
Driver was traveling approx. 15-20 MPH when traffic stopped in front of her. Driver was at a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of her. However, after applying the brakes the car did not stop and hit the vehicle in front of her. The driver could not figure out why the crash happened as she applied the brakes and the car felt like it wouldn't stop. Not only did the vehicle not stop but it also had extensive front end damage without any airbag deployment. Both issues are very concerning to the driver. The vehicle has since been repaired but still feels like the brakes are not functioning like they should.
Car was stopped at a red light, ready to make a left-turn and completely shut off for no reason. It turned on after some minutes but there are many complaints online (https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t65940_ds765514) of the same issue with this make and model (including newer ones), a lot being while the car is actually driving. This is so dangerous!! We don't feel safe continuing to operate the car since finding out it's a recurrent problem for people with this car who have had no resolution even after filing multiple claims with car company and taking it to the mechanic.
Vehicle turned off in the middle of taking a left turn. Caused the car to go off the road into a graded lot. At this point causing my tire to go flat and damaging the fender and passenger door. This is not the first time the car has turned off on me. I have had it in the shop 3 times in the 4 months that I have owned this vehicle and still nothing is resolved.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. While starting the vehicle, the trunk opened and the hazard lights activated without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 63,278.
The electrical pad that you push to open the trunk is faulty and does not work anymore. Only way to get into trunk is to push key fob. If a child or adult got trapped inside it could be harmful due to fact that the push pad for the trunk open is faulty.
Runs like the black stallion with a stud of a hide [redacted]
[redacted] VIN my car was taken to dealership because it started making a sound like the motor was ticking and had been overfilled with oil about 6 months before by the dealership. The serviceman waited until next day to drive the car. While being test drove by the service man it caught on fire and burned the whole motor and outside of the car up. All plastic was completely burned. My insurance man who went to look at the car said he could not tell if the plastic shield on the bottom had oil on it or not but they could further investigate and would be able to find out. Now I had insurance full coverage on the car and I bought gap from the dealership when I purchased the car. I am paying a 6.25 interest rate on the car which came to 22,740.00 plus 3,000.00 down when purchased and been paying for 1 year. Paid for extended warranty and gap. …
Body complaints in other Cruze years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the body & structure of the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, 2% of the model year's 865 complaints. The component named most often is body (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Cruze body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2012 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 2012 Chevrolet Cruze body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to body & structure 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.