RoadVitals

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
19
Latest Sep 24, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
9%
of 201 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Sep 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while attempting to reverse, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated while attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11616229
Incident
Sep 21, 2024
Mileage
100,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jun 7, 2024

Operating vehicle on German autobahn, 90mph, brake assist light came on, check engine light came on, vehicle loss turbo power, felt a shift in the transmission feeling, without notice as a slowly pulled into the gate guard at 30mph, I had zero brakes, loud metal noise and/vibration applying the brakes hard, I almost impacted the vehicle in front of me, vehicle was parked, vehicle would not start afterwards, had the brake assist light only come on when I backed out the driveway with a little noise riding the brake out the driveway but the light disappeared the same day. Vehicle was towed to the GM dealer in Pirmasens, was told that the brake booster failed, the cam, timing chain, and brake booster needs to be replaced and that my car was not under any recall yet research on the internet shows that others had te same problem with the Cruze.

NHTSA ID
11593087
Incident
May 15, 2024
Brakes
Filed Jan 12, 2024

I want to know if there is a recall on GM cars with standard transmissions that have the shared master cylinder. That is when the clutch master cylinder and the brake master cylinder are the same part. When the clutch release cylinder leaks, you also lose brake fluid, and when the leak is bad enough, you lose your clutch and brakes.

NHTSA ID
11565053
Incident
Jan 12, 2024
BrakesDriver assistanceEngine
Filed Sep 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and was slow to accelerate. The stabili-trak control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was slow to respond while driving uphill. There was an abnormal popping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the coil pack, turbo boost, spark plugs, an oil change, ABS, brake booster, and air flow sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the low turbo boost. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

NHTSA ID
11543469
Incident
Jul 23, 2023
Mileage
138,000 mi
BrakesElectricalEngine
Filed Jul 9, 2023

I purchase this car in 2017 apprentices 2017 Cruze at the time it only have four thousand miles it has 80,000 MI it was a fuel injector pump replaced next to the engine at everybody there knew that the car was defective due to the fact that they have several men that don't know what they're doing and working on these cars are unprofessional workers and everybody here knows that they keep repairing cars and they need to send them back to the manufacturer for DFCS and numerous problems they said everybody here got nothing but junk cars and they need help to replace them immediately in this car the cruise and the Malibu the odometer kept sticking and going bad and they did replace it once and then they replaced it again and they left the park open in the vehicle you always have to get so many oil changes with this and then the one-time the Auto stop feature had got stuck on a train track and it was very hard to get that car off we had got frightened and had jumped off the car over here in Milwaukee off of 2nd street or 1st Street we're trying to report whatever we can so I can get a replacement vehicle or sometimes the rear camera was defective to it didn't always come on right away

NHTSA ID
11531233
Incident
Oct 20, 2021
BrakesEngine
Filed Oct 19, 2022
Crash reported

The car shut down in the middle of the highway which made me pull to the side and not so long after this incident the brakes stopped working for some time causing me to crash.

NHTSA ID
11490066
Incident
Oct 18, 2022
BrakesEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 3, 2022
Fire reported1 injury reported

I should have filed a complaint here after the catastrophic failure. The next time I may not be so lucky and it could cause loss of life. I was driving at approx. 65 MPH on the frwy when bang! An explosion under my hood that caused my car to jump over a lane, I slammed on the breaks, swerved but couldn't push the brake pedal down anymore. It felt hard and would barely move. i had no way to slowdown or stop! And traffic infront of me was slowing fast. I put all my weight on that pedal even tried pumping it, but it would only move alittle. Luckily the car in front sped up just enough for me to swerve onto the shoulder. As I slowed i could depress pedal alittle if I stood up on it out of my seat but stopping distance was like 15ft while maybe going 15 mph. This all happened in a matter of minutes i still dont know how I was able to avoid an accident. The engine sounded really rough. So I called the dealership they said to bring the car in. I had already spoke. With them that week due to traction control system and transmission causing instability and brake issues. I was mortified when I found out what happened I had cracked 2 pistons & the force was so strong it blew thru the membrane that seperates the break system, got oil in my break lines! This is a new car! Dealership said it was a known issue & GM determinedtitle was a design flaw. I had 2 pistons replaced and my break system flushed my car has never been the same. There's always something little and intermitten still with the transmission & Now the engine jumps while idling and stopped in drive it jumps so hard the car jumps fwd, feels like ill hit whats in front of me. I lost significant value at only 26,290 miles, i cant afford to trade it in on disability, covid turned into long haul covid, no affordable extended warranty. I have no piece of mind in a car I dont feel safe in. What happens when the pistons fail they didnt fix. How many injuries or lives must be sacrificed before they do something.

NHTSA ID
11477451
Incident
Jul 24, 2019
BrakesEngineFuel system
Filed Jun 26, 2022

Car has a lot of difficulty accelerating even when pressing on the gas all the way to start to go. Car rolls back when stopped. Brakes sometimes aren’t working as they should. Car isn’t breaking properly. Doesn’t stop all the way sometimes. When driving the car also, burning smell comes from under the hood after stopping the car. Please help!

NHTSA ID
11471072
Incident
Jan 5, 2022
Brakes
Filed Feb 26, 2022

At only 30,682 miles my 2017 Chevrolet Cruze suffered extensive failure in the braking system. This was first indicated by a low brake fluid warning. Initially I added brake fluid but warning returned two weeks later along with noticeable travel in the brake pedal. On February 22 the dealership found leaks at all four wheel calipers and rusted and grooved scratches on rotors. The car had been serviced only at this dealership and thus far had only routine maintenance along with replacement of two O2 sensors under warranty. Having lost confidence in GM I had a second opinion to confirm and repair done elsewhere for $2,293.18.

NHTSA ID
11454203
Incident
Jan 28, 2022
Brakes
Filed Oct 18, 2021

I was going in to a turning lane and as I was about to press the brake, I see a service brake assist system and I go to press the brakes and the brakes make a clicking sound and the car would not stop forcing me to take the car off the road onto the grass to avoid hitting the car in front of me. I restarted the vehicle and the brakes began working fine.

NHTSA ID
11437124
Incident
Oct 2, 2021
Brakes
Filed Jul 19, 2021

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the brake pedal had to forcefully be depressed with both feet to slow the vehicle down while coming to a stop. The contact stated that the brake assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the brake assist vacuum pump to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure a second time. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The repair was pending. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11425467
Incident
Nov 1, 2020
BrakesEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 2, 2021

Cylinder 1 experienced cracking due to Low Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI, commonly referred to as “Knock”) just after exiting the highway in a 70 mph zone and produced a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) code of P0301. As evidenced in Attachment 1, this caused damage to the Antilock Braking System due to loss of vacuum on the system and possible fouling due to foreign object damage to the vehicle ABS. Later assessment by trained mechanics determined the root cause was due to insufficient structural capability of engine pistons to withstand brief periods of LSPI. As evidenced by attachment 18-NA-171 and PIP5490, the vehicle manufacturer (General Motors) is aware of the insufficient design of the pistons, has re-designed them to withstand LSPI, however has not made an effort to notify me or replace the existing part to prevent damage to the vehicle powertrain and ABS. While this particular instance of piston cracking due to LSPI has only had a financial impact on myself, loss of ABS functionality and potential engine seizure at highway speeds have the potential to produce dangerous, if not fatal, conditions to other drivers with similar hardware.

NHTSA ID
11423287
Incident
Jun 27, 2021
Brakes
Filed May 8, 2021

BRAKE PEDAL SINKS SLOWLY TO FLOOR AND BRAKES REQUIRE A STRONGER SHOVE TO ACTIVATE. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES ON FIRST DRIVE AFTER CAR WAS STATIONARY. SEEMS NORMAL AFTER THAT AT THIS TIME. CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHICH SHARES A CLUTCH & BRAKE FLUID SYSTEM. CAR HAS ALREADY HAD CLUTCH SYSTEM REPAIRED DUE TO FLUID LEAK AND DEBRIS FROM CLUTCH RELEASE COMPONENT. EUROPEAN RECALL OF SIMILAR MODEL INCLUDES REPLACING BRAKE COMPONENTS AS WELL AS CLUTCH COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ID
11415673
Incident
May 1, 2021
Mileage
21,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed Mar 10, 2021

VEHICLES COMES WITH A ENGINE STOP ON/OFF THAT CAN'T BE TURNED OFF. WHAT THIS DOES IS THAT IT 'TURNS OFF' THE ENGINE WHEN IDLING TO SAVE GAS. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THIS ENGAGES EVEN BEFORE BRAKE PRESSURE HITS 100%. SO WHEN IN AN UPHILL OR DOWNHILL AND COMING TO A STOP THE CAR TENDS TO SHUT DOWN WHEN IT REACHES LOW SPEEDS. HOWEVER, WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE CAR STARTS ROLLING AND YOU CAN'T STEER CORRECTLY BECAUSE POWER STEERING IS TURNED OFF. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT ENGAGES BEFORE PRESSURE IS 100% CAUSING THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN EARLY AND YOU START ROLLING UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT ANY POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT IN A SLIGHT UPHILL. CAR ROLLED FROM :34-:50 SECONDS BACKWARD. I RE GAINED CONTROL OF NY CAR ONCE I LET GO COMPLETELY OFF MY BRAKE(THIS CAUSES THE AUTO STOP ON/OFF TO DISENGAGE)

NHTSA ID
11400218
Incident
Mar 9, 2021
Mileage
43,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Nov 21, 2020

WITH LESS THAN 25,000 MILES ON THIS LEASED VEHICLE ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS WERE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF DETERIORATION AND CHIPPING. THE RUST WAS SO THICK AND ROUGH THAT IT WAS GRINDING AWAY THE PADS WITH STOPPING ABILITY SERIOUSLY DIMINISHED. ONE REAR BRAKE PAD WAS GROUND DOWN TO THE METAL SURFACE. THE DEALER WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE ROTORS AS BRAKES ARE CONSIDERED NORMAL VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. IN FACT , I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT AN EQUINOX WAS IN HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THAT VEHICLE'S MILEAGE WAS 19,000. THE CONDITION OF THESE ROTORS WAS ANYTHING BUT NORMAL, AS THOUGH THEY WERE MANUFACTURED USING A POOR QUALITY AND /OR POROUS MATERIAL. ON AVERAGE VEHICLE ROTORS LAST UP TO 50,000 MILES AND THROUGH TWO SETS OF BRAKE PADS. MY CLAIM IS THAT THESE SEVERELY RUSTED ROTORS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE DIMINISHED STOPPING ABILITY, COMPARED TO THE SMOOTH SURFACE A ROTOR IS INTENDED TO MAINTAIN.

NHTSA ID
11375696
Incident
Nov 5, 2020
Mileage
24,835 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 13, 2020

I RECEIVED A WAITING NOTIFICATION STATING 'SERVICE BRAKING SYSTEM' WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THEN MY CARS BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO STICK AND VIBRATE WHILE THERE BEING NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PADS. ROTORS, BRAKE LINES, OR BRAKE FLUID. IT COULD'VE CAUSED ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND HURT OTHERS OR MYSELF DUE TO THIS FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID
11339234
Incident
Jul 13, 2020
Mileage
86,532 mi
BrakesEngine
Filed Oct 20, 2019

FIRST THE CAR SHAKED WHILE WE WERE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A CITY STREET. THEN WE WENT TO DRIVE INTO A TUNNEL AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE, WE HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE HILL TO KEEP MOVING. THEN THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE CAR SAID SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST, I HAD TO STEP VERY HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY TO TRY TO STOP THE CAR FROM HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. ONCE WE STOPPED AGAIN THE CAR SEEMED LIKE IT HAD DIED. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE BY STEPPING FULLY ON THE PEDAL AND NOTHING. THEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TRIED TO TURN OFF THE CAR BUT THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE 3RD TIME OF TRYING TO TURN THE CAR OFF THAT THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY TURNED OFF. WE WERE ABLE TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND AT FIRST NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT THEN THE CAR STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. WE FOUND ON GOOGLE THAT I SHOULD NOT LET THE CAR GO BACK INTO AUTO-STOP IN THE HOPE THAT THIS WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN SINCE WE WERE GETTING ON INTERSTATE 95.

NHTSA ID
11269589
Incident
Oct 19, 2019
Mileage
44,848 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 18, 2018

ISSUE> EBRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ABOUT 20 MILES INTO MY DRIVE THE SYSTEM ALERTED ME OF THE PARKING BRAKE OR E BRAKE NEEDED TO BE RELEASED. I HAVE NOT USED THIS BRAKE, BUT I STOP PRESS IT ALL THE WAY IN AND PRESS AGAIN TO RELEASE. START DRIVING AND LIME 100FT IT DINGS ALERTING ME AGAIN. I PRESS THE CHECK BUTTON AND THE WARNING AND BRAKE LIGHT GO AWAY.. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR LAST 5 MILES. GOING TO GET IT CHECKED FIRST THING.

NHTSA ID
11120850
Incident
Aug 18, 2018
Mileage
71,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jan 2, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LAMP FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BUCHANAN AUTOMOTIVE INC (1035 E MAIN ST, WAYNESBORO, PA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WASHERS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 8-3724651728. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,238.

NHTSA ID
11057912
Incident
Dec 23, 2017
Mileage
59,238 mi

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.

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Data sources

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