2011 Chevrolet Cruze Chevrolet Cruze 2011

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze repairs by problem area

Engine (57%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (11%)

Brakes and Traction Control (1%)

Suspension and Steering (8%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (17%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)

Other (3%)

Chart based on 168 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze repair cost distribution

$2500+ (1%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (11%)

$100 - $499 (22%)

< $100 (62%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 105 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Engine not specified

Chevrolet Cruze in Kansas, United States
Jan 2013 - Jul 2013
Feb 2013

136200 mi

US $180
this is the third water pump 
May 2013

145300 mi

US $900
new fuel pump and coil pack 
Chevrolet Cruze in Ontario, Canada
Jan 2014 - Feb 2014
Jan 2014

36580 mi
Noise in internal gears 3-4-5-6. Replacement of Transmission required. 

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 138hp 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Chevrolet Cruze in New York, United States
Aug 2011 - Jun 2015
Jan 2014

15300 mi
drivers' side driveaxle displayed a tendency to mildly shudder under acceleration and has since the car was new. Dealer repaired the car under warranty. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Pennsylvania, United States
Mar 2013 - Apr 2013
Apr 2013

22000 mi
WATER PUMP FAILURE 
Chevrolet Cruze in Minnesota, United States
Jan 2012 - Jun 2018
Jun 2012

32000 mi
leak due to gasket failure with water pump?? 
Feb 2014

62000 mi

US $500
Leak part wore out caused dangerous driving condition. Smell of burning oil and transmission fluid. Part of problem was covered under warranty, other part of repair was paid for by owner of car. Owner paid for more than half of the total . 
Dec 2015

84000 mi

US $1100
Water pump failure caused engine overheating and sensor burnout 
Apr 2016

86300 mi

US $200
Check engine light was staying lit and temp sensor was in the hot area. Dealer recommended replacing sensor and water pump. After 2 & 1/2 hours of dealer checking it out, temp was in normal range. No work was performed. 
Jun 2017

93723 mi

US $755
Removed and replaced leaking water outlet. Removed and replaced leaking coolant air bleed hose. Replaced coolant. Removed and replaced both variable timing control actuators. 
Jan 2018

98800 mi

US $844
Oil leaking, engine light warning came on, low oil warning. Oil pan gasket was removed and replaced. Oil was replaced and engine was degreased. Crankshaft bearing cap side seal was removed and replaced. 
May 2018

100000 mi

US $1200
Oil leaking gasket seal and timing repair 
Chevrolet Cruze in Indiana, United States
Apr 2011 - Jul 2013
Feb 2013

18000 mi
Water Pump Assy leaking, then replaced 
Mar 2013

18000 mi
Fuel Line Leaking 
Chevrolet Cruze in California, United States
Jul 2011 - Sep 2021
Jun 2012

23000 mi
Water pump replaced under warrenty 
Apr 2013

14000 mi
WATER PUMP FAILED 
Dec 2016

75000 mi

US $425
Coolant reservoir replaced 
Feb 2018

82000 mi

US $600
They fixed a leak in the cooling system and replaced the thermostat and 2 radiator hoses Replaced the PCV valve which is attached to the valve cover,. Check engine light code read. 
Chevrolet Cruze in New York, United States
May 2011 - Dec 2013
Mar 2012

11000 mi
Trunk switch malfunctioned, could only open trunk with remote key fob. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Michigan, United States
Dec 2010 - Mar 2017
Jan 2011

6000 mi
Heater quit working. Dealer re-programed computer. Not sure if computer setting was a defect, or was originally correct, then needed to be fixed. 
Sep 2011

20000 mi
Trunk latch button on trunk not working 
Jan 2013

99300 mi
Coolant was leaking from mounting bolts on water pump. Dealer replaced pump and thermostat. 
Nov 2013

66000 mi
coolant smell outside the vehicle. Did pressure test, they said there was a slight leak around the thermostat, did the repair, still stinks. 
Dec 2013

66000 mi
Chevy customer service suggested I take car back in to investigate coolant smell. They had it for two days, no luck. 
Feb 2014

70000 mi
Transmission switch failed. Was replaced under warranty. 
Apr 2014

75300 mi

US $650
blown compressor Water pump failed...again. Second one replaced in about a year or so. 
Sep 2014

81000 mi
Valve cover gasket leak causing rough idle. Gasket was replaced. 
Jan 2015

70500 mi
Slight leak of coolant coming out of the hose that goes from the engine to the reservoir. Not major by any means, but decided to take care of it because it did create a smell. 
Mar 2015

93000 mi
Steering noise. They checked it over and could not find a problem. 
Sep 2016

122000 mi

US $300
replaced struts and strut mounts valve cover seal replaced 
Chevrolet Cruze in New York, United States
Nov 2011 - Apr 2014
Dec 2011

6000 mi
loose upper strut nut. 
Apr 2012

12200 mi
AC line leak at condenser resulted in loss of refrigerant. 
May 2013

23000 mi
Leaking Water Pump caused total loss of coolant. 
Jan 2014

9500 mi
Heating/AC vacuum actuator 
Chevrolet Cruze in Kentucky, United States
Feb 2014 - Sep 2015
Jun 2015

81000 mi
Check Engine light came on with no further information 
Chevrolet Cruze in Virginia, United States
Feb 2014 - Apr 2014
Feb 2014

82000 mi
Overheated after a hard stop at red traffic light. They replaced the thermostat and fixed a leak in the cooling system. This is the third time they replaced the thermostat since I had the car 
Apr 2014

84000 mi
Replaced the car with a Subaru. The Subaru dealer told me the car FAILED their dealer inspection (needed about $4k in work) to be sold as a used car on their lot, and they will take it to auction instead. Shame on GM, the car didn't even last 3 years! 
Chevrolet Cruze in Florida, United States
Dec 2014 - Sep 2015
Feb 2015

80600 mi
Heat from turbo exhaust melted plastic valve cover 
Chevrolet Cruze in Virginia, United States
Oct 2015 - Jul 2018
Dec 2016

44000 mi

US $100
Seat heater bad. Dealer replaced seat heater and cushion. 
Apr 2017

48000 mi

US $100
Thermostat housing needed replacement because of a leak. 
Jun 2017

50000 mi

US $100
Clicking noise. Dealer replaced valve cover, intake manifold, front crank seal and PCV valve. 
Sep 2017

53000 mi

US $100
Passenger window regulator broke. Dealer replaced. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Illinois, United States
May 2014 - Apr 2017
Dec 2016

58000 mi
Cam phasers 
Chevrolet Cruze in Michigan, United States
Sep 2014 - Jul 2018
Jul 2018

65000 mi

US $500
Struts leaking 
Chevrolet Cruze in Michigan, United States
Dec 2014 - Dec 2014
Dec 2014

US $1200
A/C compressor was making humming noise. Finally, took it in get checked. $720.00 later, it is fixed!! Car was overheating. Water pump went out again! 2nd Time!! I didn't have to pay the first time because of under warranty. The second time didn't have to pay either even though mileage was over 100,000. GM decided to pay. Hmmm??? Valve cover gasket leaking. $200.00 payment for this! Water oulet/hose leaking that runs antifreeze from reservior to the engine. Another $220.00. Not good!! 
Chevrolet Cruze in Alberta, Canada
Jul 2014 - Jan 2021
Jul 2014

31000 mi
Leaking water pump. Replaced under warranty. 
Dec 2017

60140 mi

C $400
Housing of water pump was leaking. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Virginia, United States
Feb 2014 - Jun 2014
May 2014

42400 mi

US $110
Replaced ac condenser switch 
Chevrolet Cruze in California, United States
Apr 2014 - Dec 2014
Apr 2014

90000 mi
brake pedal very hard to depress forward or reverse. obd 2 code P1101 MAF ??? fuel cap broke hvac control system. selecting auto in the air control system turns on the A/C no matter what! 
May 2014

91200 mi
coolant pump and gasket, thermostat body and gasket,coolant hose replaced, tilt locking device failed leaking thermostat body, cracked and leaking and a hose replaced 
Nov 2014

100000 mi

US $196
P1101 code dealer wants $800 for a throttle body and intake manifold to continue testing the code. (NOT)rnsmoke test negative. throttle body was not cleaned. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Illinois, United States
Apr 2014 - Jun 2014
May 2014

43500 mi
I am on my SECOND waterpump since I've owned the car. Also had the thermostat replaced and a problem with the freeze plug. 
Jun 2014

46000 mi
My ac smells like mildew for the first few mins after being turned on. Dealer said they couldn't recreate the problem. Hot air blows on my legs near the drivers cabin. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Ontario, Canada
Jun 2011 - Jun 2022
Mar 2013

10540 mi
Trunk lid release button stopped working. Dealer replaced wiring harness. 
Aug 2016

31620 mi
Water pump replacement. 
Feb 2017

35340 mi

C $520
Leaking transmission line and leaking axle seal. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Wisconsin, United States
Oct 2011 - Jul 2014
Jun 2012

43000 mi
Thermostat failed.EMC had to be reprogrammed. I had to dispute $110.00 "Diagnostic" charge to GM/Chevy customer service to get waived for something I later found out should have been covered under longer warranty plan. 
Apr 2013

66000 mi
Fluid leak on left front side, Additional seal and fluid replaced water pump leaked, replaced 
Jul 2014

89000 mi
Ever since recall for thermostat and water pump was replaced under warranty in the warmer months the fan would turn off and on in rapid succession. When I may mention of this to dealer service told it was normal 
Chevrolet Cruze in New Brunswick, Canada
Feb 2011 - Jun 2022
May 2011 Also noticed 2 Rubber Grommets missing from underbody 
Feb 2012

6200 mi
Knock heard at low speeds, 2 Struts replaced after filing a complaint. Hard Shifting expereinced (Random, and Infrequent) Rattle from Dash at 1800-2300 RPM, Can be heard in the center console area. 
Apr 2013

16120 mi
Coolant was low, dealer found leak at water pump bolts.. Waterpump, seal, and thermostat replaced. Repaired under warranty, TSB on the problem followed. 
Nov 2013

24180 mi
Windshield Wiper Pump was non functional. The fault was with the switch in the steering column. It worked to operate the wiper arms but not the pump. Steering wheel replaced. 
Mar 2014

26040 mi
Leak in the transmission cooler line 
Apr 2014

26740 mi
Water pump is leaking again. GM To install newly designed part. 
Mar 2016

38440 mi
This is now the third time the water pump has been replaced. 
May 2016

39640 mi
Leak traced to a cut in a rad hose that likely went undetected the whole time. 
Jul 2016

41220 mi
Car gave p0420 code. Dealer replaced cat converter. 
Sep 2016

42780 mi

C $172
Hesitation and a noise like a belt slipping. Dealer reported spark plug 2 was loose. 
Nov 2016

43180 mi
Checked for coolant leak. Nothing evident. 
Oct 2017

52080 mi

C $135
Coolant tank was bone dry, coolant leak again. Dealer initially found nothing wrong then said the tank cap was cracked and replaced it. 
Dec 2017

53940 mi
Engine threw a p0240 again. Dealer said it was a minor exaust leak. Escalated to service manager they replaced the cat (again) and the seals.  Coolant continues to dissappear from the tank. Dealer could not find a leak. Confirmed no coolant in oil or exaust. 
Feb 2018

55800 mi
Coolant leak again. Traced to the plastic thermostat housing. Has a super small crack and was replaced. A 3rd party mechanic said the likely cause was moving the hoses around as there was a crack. Update: still losing coolant. 
May 2019

51460 mi
Entire upper block, bolts, seals, gaskets replaced. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Michigan, United States
Feb 2011 - Mar 2012
Mar 2011

800 mi
Coolant leak Coolant leak; covered under warranty 
Chevrolet Cruze in California, United States
Jan 2011 - Sep 2016
Jun 2012

30000 mi
Water pump seal failure caused coolant loss 
Oct 2012

35000 mi
HVAC cabin fan makes ticking noise. 
Oct 2014

59800 mi
Engine blown. Known problem with head repaired under warranty 
Feb 2015

64000 mi

US $130
Smell from heater core leakage 
Oct 2015

75500 mi
Cracked plastic upper water outlet 
Nov 2015

77300 mi
Another failure of cooling system due to high design water pressure. This time hoses wore out plus a plastic water outlet cracked. Every piece of cooling system has been replaced now! All under powertrain warranty luckily... 
Apr 2016

83300 mi

US $140
Check engine light on, no trouble found 
Chevrolet Cruze in New York, United States
Feb 2011 - Aug 2013
Mar 2012

14000 mi
steering was sticking in place after 10 minutes of operation. 
Feb 2013

24000 mi
antifreeze smell in cabin. dealer replaced the heater core. 3rd repair on this system and it failed. Gm doing buyback. 
Apr 2013

25300 mi
The auto trans failed to move when put in drive and tripped the check engine light on two seperate occasions. Two tows later and two Onstar reports with trouble codes dealer says nothing wrong and no codes. 
Aug 2013

27000 mi
Transmission flared up a few more times, cause never diagnosed. Car bought back. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Ohio, United States
May 2011 - Dec 2014
Jun 2011

1000 mi
AC blowed Hot Air. Ambient Temperature conrol board was replaced. Trunk does not always close the first try, have to give it a good slam 
Sep 2012

20000 mi
Water pump was leaking coolant. Water pump was replaced 
Dec 2013

51000 mi

US $180
A/C Condenser was leaking. It was replaced. 
Jun 2014

63000 mi

US $50
Noticed some fume type smells from AC vents sometimes when coming to a stop. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Florida, United States
Jan 2011 - Dec 2013
Feb 2012

6000 mi
Replaced electric lock mechanism in driver side rear door. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Arizona, United States
Dec 2010 - Mar 2014
Mar 2011

6000 mi
• RECALL 10381. FRONT SUSP. NOISE; LUBED STRUT ASSY PER RECALL 10381. • RECALL 10399. THERMOSTAT STICKS IN OPEN POSITION; PERFORMED RECALL 10399. • CUST/SAYS TRANS HAS LATE SHIFTING WHEN COLD; INSTALLED TCM UPDATES AND ECM UPDATES DUE TO  
Nov 2011

10500 mi
Leaking thermostat housing, repair delayed due to lack of gasket for thermostat housing. 
Jul 2012

17000 mi
Engine stumbling when accelerate from a stop at intersections, almost dying. Service department said transmission and performed "Adaptive Learn Procedure and Self Cleaning." Didn't help. 
Aug 2012

17700 mi
trip #3 for engine stumble during intersection turns; they claim it's the transmission acting normally! 
Chevrolet Cruze in Arkansas, United States
May 2011 - Dec 2017
Dec 2012

24000 mi
One tail light didn't work. One of the pins in the connector was bent, took the mechanic about 2 hours to figure it out. 
Apr 2013

26000 mi
Check engine light came on due to loose gas cap. Shop tightened cap, reset the light, and no further issues. 
Dec 2017

75000 mi

US $1000
PCV valve, valve cover 
Chevrolet Cruze in Minnesota, United States
Dec 2010 - Jun 2022
Dec 2013

16000 mi
Slow leak at the transmission case. The cause were rough seams. The transmission case was replaced under warranty. 
May 2014

18000 mi
Check engine light came on, otherwise there was no noticeable problem. Dealership replaced the turbocharger. fixed leak at the transmission output shaft seal. Under warranty. 
Sep 2018

37000 mi

US $510
Check engine light came on, P0442, P0119. EVAP vent solenoid was replaced. Water pump leaked, was replaced. Coolant temperature sensor was replaced. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Ohio, United States
Dec 2010 - Apr 2011
Apr 2011

6000 mi
There was a rattling in the back of the car. The dealership replaced the rear struts and the problem was solved. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Oregon, United States
Apr 2011 - Apr 2013
Nov 2011

11200 mi
Steering wheel sticks at highway speeds when driving straight, resists turning, and "pops" physically when changing lanes. Tech attributed this to normal function of variable effort steering and encouraged me to return if problem persists. 
Feb 2012

14300 mi
Steering would "catch" at highway speeds when tracking straight for more than 10 seconds. Dealer replaced power steering rack. 
Jul 2012

22000 mi
Faulty air compressor causing engine to "cycle" when idling. 
Aug 2012

23000 mi
Squeaking sound coming from front left suspension when going over bumps in the road. Plastic squeaking / rattling coming from main instrument cluster (speedometer, odometer, etc). 
Apr 2013

32000 mi
Unrepaired squeaks. 

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 138hp 1.4L I4 6-speed manual FWD

Chevrolet Cruze in New Hampshire, United States
Feb 2011 - Oct 2019
Aug 2016

71700 mi

US $250
Cooling system leak, hard plastic hose replaced. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Oregon, United States
Jun 2011 - Dec 2011
Nov 2011

11700 mi
Sticky steering. They had to replace the entire rack & computer system. 
Chevrolet Cruze in New York, United States
Sep 2013 - Apr 2014
Apr 2014

23000 mi
Turbo & down pipe, cylinder head and pistons & rings all replaced 
Chevrolet Cruze in New Jersey, United States
Dec 2011 - Jan 2012
Jan 2012

16000 mi
Coolant smell inside car when heater running. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Ohio, United States
May 2011 - Sep 2015
Jan 2015

24300 mi

US $83
Fuel cap seal porous. Replaced and tested evap system. 
Aug 2015

55900 mi
Codes P0171/106/1101 Vacuum Leak at engine valve cover. replaced valve cover. Could drive the car, however needed to put in neutral and maintain very small amount of pressure on gas pedal to keep running to some degree due to low idle. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Massachusetts, United States
Jun 2011 - Dec 2012
Oct 2011

5000 mi
Code p0690 downloaded updated program 
Dec 2012

15000 mi
Coolant leak. Replaced seal in the engine turbo coolant heat exchanger 
Chevrolet Cruze in Quebec, Canada
May 2011 - Jul 2013
Mar 2012

14880 mi
Noise inside the cabin coming from the central console, near the floor. This came from loose plastic parts that would vibrate at low RPM. 
Oct 2012

23020 mi
Loose weather gasket on back passenger door. This was done at the same time than a recall on an isolation pannel under the motor. 
Jul 2013

32860 mi
1 bad speaker had to be replaced, under warranty. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Michigan, United States
Mar 2012 - Oct 2014
Apr 2012

12700 mi
Trunk switch on back of car 
Dec 2012

31000 mi
Coolent smell after driving and shudder down 
Chevrolet Cruze in Maryland, United States
Jun 2012 - Jan 2022
Dec 2012

38000 mi
Overheating, melted thermostat, warped head, damaged piston rings and valves. Three trips totaling 10 days in the shop. 
Chevrolet Cruze in New Hampshire, United States
Apr 2011 - Mar 2014
Feb 2014

55000 mi
Water pump was leaking. Pump was replaced for free under power-train warranty. Repair took 2 days as the pump was not in stock. 

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze 4dr Sedan

139-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Chevrolet Cruze in Great Britain
Mar 2011 - Feb 2014
Jun 2012

15000 mi
Battery light flashing, after checking was told engine had gone into safety mode. Because too far from dealer they picked it up and gave me a lone car 

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze 4dr Sedan

136-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Chevrolet Cruze in South Africa
Jan 2014 - Oct 2016
Feb 2014

39140 mi
The dealer told me that it had a gearbox problem (the car is an automatic transmission and gear could not shift) Everytime I start the car I have an error message "service column steering" taking to a dealer and answer the computer detect nothin 
Jul 2015

57640 mi

R 3600
Change petrol pump system 
Oct 2016

72540 mi
The gear lever was not shifting due to the damage on the body computer module. Due to this the front and rear lights were not functioning. 
Chevrolet Cruze in New York, United States
Oct 2011 - Dec 2017
Dec 2016

38000 mi

US $300
Thermostat stopped working - replaced by repair shop. 
Apr 2017

40000 mi

US $400
Coolant leak from a hose and another costly part which I can't remember at the moment (sorry!). It was causing a burning smell and smoke/steam from the engine. 
Dec 2017

44000 mi

US $178
Coolant leak: replaced lower radiator hose and elbow. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Illinois, United States
Jan 2011 - Apr 2016
Apr 2013

49500 mi
Had updated trunk release relay installed to make it harder to inadvertently open with fob in pocket. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Virginia, United States
Mar 2016 - Apr 2016
Apr 2016

114000 mi

US $500
The fan stopped working and the engine would heat up. 
Chevrolet Cruze in Michigan, United States
Apr 2011 - Apr 2014
Aug 2012

17100 mi
Control module leaked, replaced. 
Jan 2014

12500 mi
oil leak 
Apr 2014

30000 mi
Smell of burnt oil in cabin 

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze 4dr Sedan

136-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD

Chevrolet Cruze in Texas, United States
Jan 2011 - Jan 2017
Feb 2011

70 mi
Check Engine Light, Service Battery Charging System within the first 100 miles. Dealership replaced ignition coils. Same warnings + Service Traction Control System at 120 miles. Dealership took car back and provided a new one. "Reboot" computer to clear PL351 & PL354 engine misfire calibration update codes after CEL appeared on the freeway. 
Feb 2013

23400 mi

US $100
Long brake pedal travel & brake fluid was discolored in front calipers. Flushing fluid restored normal pedal travel. Pad and rotor wear are minimal. 
May 2013

25000 mi
Manual transmission is hard to shift. Probably bad fluid. Was told it was normal by dealer, no repair. 
Aug 2014

40700 mi

US $732
Replaced A/C condenser due to leak 
Jul 2015

47000 mi

US $400
All four shocks needed replacement. 
Aug 2015

47000 mi
2 year old battery showed severe starting problems. Battery warranty covered replacement. The exact same problem happened 2 years ago. GM Regulated Voltage Control could be to blame. 
Jan 2016

47200 mi

US $15
Check engine light for slow EVAP leak. Replaced the gas cap. 
Jan 2017

56000 mi
Transmission bearing noise getting louder. Sold the car to avoid paying for a transmission replacement. 

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2011 Chevrolet Cruze problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.