There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruzein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating, and a coolant leak was discovered. During the failure, the check engine warning light was displayed, and the message "A/C Off Due to High Engine Temp" was displayed even though the A/C was not activated. The temperature gauge was elevated, creating a risk that the engine might stall or catch on fire. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 ( ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Check engine light on Car smoking when driven and smells like burning oil
Repetitive coolant leak repaired 5+ times over 9 years; incurred costs over $X,XXX. Coolant (toxic) leak causes burn off in the engine compartment and the vapors from this are transferred into the cabin, posing a risk to driver and passenger health.
My son just purchased this car and nearly hit 100,000 miles. It started leaking oil in the engine area the valve cover gasket. It's drips all over the car causing it to smoke and smell.
Coolant leaking , engine knock sound , turbo issue
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. However, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking oil, along with several other undisclosed failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer had not yet responded. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was able to be restarted on the third attempt; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact connected a diagnostic machine to the vehicle and retrieved a DTC code for a failure with the purge valve and the catalytic convertor. The contact replaced the purge valve; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the warning lights blinked on and off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,039.
The engine on our 2012 Chevy Cruze experienced a blown head gasket and possibly warped heads, leading to the engine overheating and making the vehicle inoperable. It is available for inspection if needed. The car was towed to a local mechanic, was pressure tested and then confirmed the diagnosis. It has not yet been inspected by anyone else. There were no warning signs prior to this happening. There were recalls for 2013 and 2014 Chevy Cruze head gaskets but not model year 2012.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH the vehicle started running rough and then stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and the stabili-trak symbol were illuminated. The contact stated that an engine over heating warning had flashed. The contact pulled off the highway and attempted to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle failed to restart and was towed back to the residence. The contact stated that he had observed that the vehicle was leaking coolant, and that the vehicle had previously stalled prior to the failure on the highway; however, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was also leaking oil. The contact had researched online and related the oil leak to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
- There is a severe oil leak that. - 1. The vehicle broke down when driving, which put the family and other drivers at risk. 2. The burning of the oil and the vapor coming from the burning was not safe to breathe. - Yes, the problem has been confirmed and attempted to be fixed by a dealership upon purchase through Southern Utah Car and Trailer Sales. - No the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer/police/ or other. - Yes, low oil pressure and a check engine light. They first appeared in February of 2023 and have remained present, only getting worse over time.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was a burning odor coming through the vents. The contact stated that smoke was coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, when the vehicle was parked, there was condensation underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold, valve cover, exhaust manifold gasket, oil filter housing, and coolant reservoir needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Motor is leaking coolant around the water pump. Although it is leaking the water pump is not bad, but because it is leaking it cause the car to lose coolant and goes in the state of overheating.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle restarted inadvertently, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 117,969.
2012 Chevy Cruz turbo failed. Car is available For inspection upon request. The dealer that I had purchased a vehicle from in 2022 was informed that my check engine light had turned on and I checked this at AutoZone that there was still an oil leak as well as an additional issue after they had finished repairing a coolant leak that caused my vehicle to overheat all before my 30 day warranty ended. He informed me he would get it repaired for me. However, he never returned my calls or texts, since I had let him know on the final 30th day since I had purchased the vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic that has confirmed. The turbo is in fact bad and needs to be replaced. My car broke down while turning right on a busy intersection.
To whom it may concern at NHTSA, We are writing to file a formal complaint regarding Chevrolet's refusal to address a serious safety recall on our vehicle related to an engine oil leak, which poses a fire hazard and endangers occupants. The malfunctioning component appears to be the engine shield (belly pan), which collects spilled oil and allows it to accumulate near hot engine or exhaust surfaces. This defect is documented in NHTSA Campaign ID: 12V288000. Our vehicle, which is experiencing the same issue, is available for inspection upon request. Our vehicle has exhibited persistent and severe oil leakage, creating a strong burning odor after driving for a short period. This malfunction presents a significant safety risk, as oil accumulating on or near the engine shield may ignite. This defect endangers not only the vehicle’s occupants but also the safety of others on the road. When we visited Lee Johnson Chevrolet (11845 NE 85th St, Kirkland, WA · (425) 827-0521) on October 26, 2023, we requested that the dealership inspect and repair the defect as outlined in the recall. The dealership acknowledged the issue but declined to proceed with inspection or repair, citing that the recall status was marked "complete." They offered to inspect the issue for a fee of $250, which we believe to be unreasonable given the known manufacturing defect and the related safety recall. We are requesting NHTSA's assistance to have Chevrolet fulfill its obligations under this recall. Citing a "completed" status of the recall as a reason to deny service is an unacceptable means for Chevrolet to avoid addressing a critical safety hazard. The engine shield defect, which continues to pose a fire risk, is an original manufacturing flaw for which Chevrolet should be held accountable. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for any assistance you may provide to resolve this critical safety issue. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating message was displayed. The contact's daughter pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the hose was damaged, and antifreeze was leaking into the engine oil. The contact replaced the hose and added antifreeze; however, the failure recurred with the vehicle making hissing sounds. The contact related the failure to a blown head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated and lost radiator fluid. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and confirmed that the main seal over the engine, water pump, and timing belt had caused the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not on recall. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer for an oil change and was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he took the vehicle back to the local dealer on May 3, 2023, for another oil change and was informed for a second time that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she noticed that oil was leaking onto the ground. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was misfiring and making abnormal sounds. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power train, fuel injectors, manifold output pressure, and fuel tank system had failed. Additionally, there was loss of communication with engine control module. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, upon servicing the vehicle at the local Pep Boys, the contact was informed that the engine belt was damaged and the failure could cause engine overheating. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026