Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 103 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 103, in the owner's own words
I purchased this vehicle almost three weeks ago…I’m assuming it’s out of warranty…J am spending out of pocket expenses to have this car repaired….It has a faulty leakage in transmission that mechanics seem to can’t fix….I need my car for transportation….ATP I’m assuming the car is a lemon
Driving straight down the road the steering wheel hangs and becomes difficult to steer. There are no warning lights associated with this issue.
Steering fades , blinkers go out, stability trac goes in and out. Radio goes on and off. Radio sometimes stays on after car is shut off.
I've had this car for less than 2 months I've already spent $3,500 I've had to replace the thermostat the resvoir tank most oxygen sensors lower stream and upper stream now has a blown head gasket and a possible fuel pump
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.
Service Bulletin Number: 14311B, Date: June 2015, Service Bulletin: SB-10057574-8899 CONDITION On certain 2011–2015 model year Chevrolet Cruze vehicles, the negative battery cable terminal clamp may have an insufficient crimp at the battery negative terminal. Over time, the internal resistance increases and vehicle electrical systems do not receive adequate power. With this condition, the following effects are possible: the Radio/HVAC Display may turn off and on; the Antilock Brake System, Service Traction System, Service Stabilitrac and Steering vehicle messages may come on and off; the turn signal sound may not be heard; “Battery Saver Active” and “Service Steering” may display in the Driver Information Center (DIC); and the interior and exterior lighting may flicker. Power steering assist may also be lost, and greater effort may be needed to turn the steering wheel at low speeds or while the vehicle is stopped. It's in the Service Bulletin Provided below. I am not sure if my 2012 Chevy Cruze Eco is included in this Service Bulletin (Below), but this Service Bulletin is the closest thing I could find that describes what is going on with my Vehicle. Lights blinking, steering hard to turn, steering warning light coming on (Stabilitrac), and other things as well described in the Service Bulletin. Again, I am not sure if my car's VIN Number, is included in the Service Bulletin, I would like to know if it is? or not?, before taking it in to the Dealer Ship, for repairs/service, because it is unsafe to drive at this point forward.
ON MY WAY TO WORK FEBRUARY 22 I HAD NOTICE A STRONG BURNING SMELL AND JUST ASSUMED IT WAS FROM SOMETHING OUTSIDE. SO I JUST IGNORED IT AND CONTINUED MY DRIVE. ONCE I GOT TO WORK I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD SO I LIFTED IT AND CHECKED TO SEE IF ANYTHING LOOKED STRANGE BUT I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING. SO I CONTINUE TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MORE DAYS BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO THE SMELL AND SMOKE. MIND YOU I CHECK ALL MY FLUIDS ONCE A WEEK BECAUSE I DO ALOT OF LONG DISTANCE DRIVING. AFTER ABOUT 6-8 DAYS OF DRIVING TO MY NEW JOB THE SMOKE STARTED GETTING THICKER AND MORE WHITE AND I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT MY OIL LEVEL WAS DROPPING. SO I BOUGHT SOME TO KEEP IN MY CAR SO I DIDN'T RUN IT DRY. BUT I HAD TO KEEP DRIVING IT TO WORK BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE A PAYCHECK COMING IN. I HAD BEEN OFF WORK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND COULDN'T AFFORD TO BRING IT TO A MECHANIC UNTIL MY FIRST PAY DAY. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY AS I PULLED UP TO MY HOUSE ON THE 8TH (TWO DAYS BEFORE MY VISIT TO THE MECHANIC) I NOTICED THE SMOKE WAS MUCX MORE INTENSE THEN IT WAS BEFORE SO I LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES. SO I CLOSED THE HOOD AND GRABBED SOME BAKING SODA FROM MY HOUSE AND POURED IT OVER THE FLAMES. MY NEIGHBOR SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND CAME OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND NOTICED WHERE THE OIL WAS COMING FROM AND SAID HE COULD PATCH IT TEMPORARILY SO I CAN MAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC. BUT I AM NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK. ALSO ABOUT A MONTH AGO I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM MY FRONT WHEELS AS I WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE.
MY STEERING FEELS NOTCHED. AT HIGHWAY SPEED I FEEL LIKE WE ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. YOU CAN NOT TURN BC THE WHEEL BC HARD AT CENTER CAUSING YOU TO VIOLENTLY OVERSTEER. MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE OVER THE YEARS.
BRAKE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SHOWS ON THE DASH BOARD DISPLAY AND WHEN I CHECKED IT WITH SERVICE THEY FOUND NO ODB2 OR ANY SERVICE ISSUE?
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING CAR, THE CAR STARTED AND LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING BY ITSELF MORE THAN 10 MINUTES AFTER EXITING THE CAR. THEN HEAT STOPPED WORKING IN 0 DEGREE WEATHER. WHILE DRIVING NOTIFICATION SAID "AC OFF DUE TO HIGHT ENGINE TEMP". WHILE DRIVING CAR SHUT DOWN AND WOULDN'T START SAYING "SERVICE STABILI TRACK" TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY SAID I NEED A NEW WATER PUMP AND HEAD GASKET. MIND YOU HEAT STOPPED WORKING AS WELL AGAIN. THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS NO ANTIFREEZE BECAUSE ITS LEAKING. NOW THANK GOODNESS I WAS JUST GETTING HOME, COULD BARELY GET INTO THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE NOW I'M GETTING A NOTIFICATION "SERVICE POWER STEERING". FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS DUE TO ALL OF THESE ISSUES BUT MY VIN ISN'T LISTED. I STILL OWE ALMOST 5000.00 ON THIS CRAPPY CAR AND I'M COMPLETELY OVER IT... WORST CAR EVER
MY SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD LAST WEEK AND DASH FLASHED STABILINK AND HE LOST ALL POWER AND FORCES HIM TO TRY TO PULL OVER WHICH HE COULD BECAUSE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND BRAKES GOT HARD TO PUSH. A WEEK LATER STABILINK FLASHED AGAIN AND THEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD HE HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES FOR A STOPPED VEHICLE AND BRAKES WOULD WORK AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AGAIN RESULTING IN HIM REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY AT NIGHT, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, INCLUDING THE ENGINE AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THIS CAUSED ALL LIGHTS TO TURN OFF, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, POWER TO BRAKES, AND LITTLE TO CONTROL TO THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME NOTICED AND TAILED ME TO A STOP WITH THEIR WARNING LIGHTS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE ENGINE WITH A FLASHLIGHT TO DISCOVER THAT THE BATTERY WAS STILL PROPERLY CONNECTED (6 MONTHS OLD) WITH NO FRAYS OR CORROSION TO THE CONNECTORS OR WIRING. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES ATTEMPTING TO FIND A TOW TRUCK COMPANY THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAME BACK ON WITH NO INTERVENTION. I TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO ISSUES AND NO ENGINE LIGHTS ON. I DROVE IT THE REST OF THE WAY HOME WITH NO ISSUES. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED ALL THE FUSES AND ALL WERE OPERABLE. THE OBD SCANNER FOUND NO CODES. I AM MID 30S 190IBS AND FAIRLY STRONG, I COULD ONLY IMAGINE IF THIS HAPPENED IN AN INTERSECTION OR DURING BUSY HOURS ON THE HIGHWAY, I WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE REPORTING THIS ISSUE. I FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON BLOGS CONCERNING THIS MODEL. I ASSUME NOT MANY HAVE REPORTED PROPERLY SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
MY SON WAS DRIVING BY HIMSELF WHEN HE HIT A POLE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE SAID HE COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID THE POLE. HE SAID IT STUCK.
2012 CRUZE LT. THE THIRD TURBO WAS INSTALLED 2 DAYS BEFORE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT HAS 56668 MILES NOW. I SPENT 4 HOURS PUTTING GLUE PUTTY IN THE CRACKS ON THE BOTTOM INTAKE MANIFOLD, TO PLENUM JUNCTION CORNERS OF CYLINDERS 2 AND 4 BECAUSE OF THE GM PLASTIC [XXX], CURING THE LOW BOOST AND LEAN MIXTURE CODES AT IDLE, ON EASTER. THE FIRST MONTH I HAD THE CAR THE TRANSMISSION WOULD START IN FIRST SKIP SECOND GEAR REV UP THEN CHIRP THE TIRES UNTIL IT WARMED UP, AND WAS FIXED BY A PROGRAM CHANGE TO A LESSER VERSION AND NOW AT THE HIGHER MILEAGE IT WAITS BEFORE IT ENGAGES FIRST AT ALL. ANOTHER NEAT THING IS TO TURN LEFT AT 5MPH HARD AND FEEL THE CAR DO A JIG TO THE RIGHT FOR AN INSTANT BEFORE CONTINUING ON WITH THE TURN. LASTLY, THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH A CRACKED WATER OUTLET BUT NOT THE ROTTED RECIRCULATION OVERFLOW HOSE THAT BROKE AT 4 AM TO MY FISHING HOLE IN SEPTEMBER. I CAN SAY THAT THE 2017 CRUZE MUST BE BETTER BECAUSE THE DUMDUMS PAID BY THE GM INSURANCE COMPANY TO CHANGE OIL PUT MORE NEW OIL IN THE MOTOR WITHOUT DRAINING IT FIRST. NO SERIOUS ISSUES FOR A WHOLE WEEK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT BY MAY IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS SINCE THEN. FYI THE DEALERSHIP WHO PERFORMED THIS FANCY WORK IS NOT IN RIVERTON EITHER.
MY CARS OVER HEATING SIGNAL COMES ON AND TELLS ME TO SHUT OFF THE CAR ALL THE TIME WHILE DRIVING, ALSO THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP WHILE TURNING.
HELLO, MY 2012 CHEVY CRUZE LTZ'S KEY FOB ISN'T BEING DETECTED BY MY VEHICLE. I'VE LOOKED IT UP AND ASKED AROUND AND EITHER NOBODY'S HEARD OF THE ISSUE OR DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OTHER THAN TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S PAINSTAKING WHEN I CAN'T EVEN USE THE KEY FOB ONE MINUTE AND THEN THE NEXT IT WORKS FINE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STATIONARY SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED.
WHILE BREAKING, USING THE BLINKER, TURNING, OR JUST DRIVING THE CAR WILL LOOSE POWER, SLOW THE CAR DOWN, THE RADIO LOOSES POWER, AND MY SERVICE STABLITKY TRACK, SERVICE POWER STEERING, ALONG WITH TRACTION CONTROL, ANTI-BREAKING LIGHTS, AND A FEW OTHER LIGHT WILL ALL COME BACK ON. IT WILL DO THIS RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING, IT SEEMS TO DO IT MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR ACCELERATING. I HAD THIS SERVICED BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2017 AND THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I HAD ACID FROM MY BATTERY LEAKING INTO THE POSITIVE CABLE, SO I HAD ALL THE BATTERY AND BATTERY WIRES REPLACED. THIS TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO. THIS IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN AND THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING WORSE. THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY CRUZES FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE AND CHEVY SEEMS TO BE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.
CHEVROLET CRUZE 2012 DELAYED STEERING WHEN TURNING, THEN SLUGGISH WOULD NOT GO PAST FIRST GEAR. I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREET NOTICED DIFFICULTY TURNING AND SLOWNESS SO STOPPED AT NEAREST GAS STATION. GOT VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AND DIAGNOSED WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THIS WAS SUDDEN, ALWAYS KEPT UP WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE, OIL CHANGES & TUNE UPS! THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A CAR BARELY 5 YEARS OLD CAR AND WELL MAINTAINED!
CAR WONT TURN OFF EVEN WITH KEY OFF LIGHTS STAY ON TOO OTHER TIMES CAR JUST TURNS OFF WHILE STILL ON DRIVE BUT GM CALMS NO RECALLS !
WHEN TRYING TO START MY CAR IT SOUNDS LIKE WANTS TO TURN OVER BUT IT DOES'T ,EVERYTHING RESET ON MY DASHBOARD,AFTER WAITING FOR A WHILE IT STARTS BACK UP
RADIO IS TURNING ON AND OFF. STABILITYTRAK CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON POWER STEERING GIVE OUT AND BRAKES
POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS $1,900.00 ON A $16,000 VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD
THE STABILITY TRACK CONTROL AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGES HAVE BOTH HAPPENED TO ME NOW A FEW TIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN CITY/COUNTRY ROADS AND DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL WAS YESTERDAY. (8/02/2016) IT'S SCARY BECAUSE THE RADIO RESETS AND THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. I HAVE A [XXX] DAUGHTER AND SHE'S TERRIFIED AS WELL. I WISH THEY WOULD FIGURE THIS OUT ALREADY. I CALLED THE DEALER ONCE AND LIKE MOST PEOPLE WRITE ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT COULD BE AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CAR I COULD USE TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO WORK WHILE THEY CHECKED IT OUT SO I HAVEN'T TAKEN TO THE DEALER YET. THE ISSUE COMES AND GOES. IT COULD GO AWAY FOR MONTHS BUT ALWAYS COMES BACK. I KEEP CHECKING ONLINE TO SEE IF THEY FINALLY FOUND A FIX FOR THIS ISSUE AND I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING. SO I'M ASSUMING ONCE SOMEONE DIES IN A BAD ACCIDENT OR NUMEROUS PEOPLE DO THEN MAYBE THEY WILL TAKE IT MORE SERIOUSLY? I'M A SINGLE MOM AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO NOT HAVE A CAR OR HAVE A PROBLEM THAT I HAVE TO PAY LOTS OF $ TO FIX WHEN THIS OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL WHEN THIS MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE AND IT AFFECTS YOUR STEERING!?!?!?! HELP PLS?!?!?!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE STABILITRAC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND RADIO LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .