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CarComplaints.com Notes: In many ways, the 2012 Cruze continues the legacy of its predecessor. It's a legacy of sluggish transmissions and coolant leaks, but it's still a legacy.

To be fair, the number of complaints about the cooling system are way down versus the 2011 model which led to a class-action lawsuit.

On the flip-side, there's more concerns about brake problems.

However, there were far more Cruze vehicles sold for the 2012 model year so we'll give it our "Beware of this Clunker" badge rather than the "Avoid Like the Plague."

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,475 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

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2012 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #15

Feb 172015

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 67,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driver side windshield wiper becomes detached from wiper transmission when driving at highway speeds and simultaneously using windshield wipers. This poses significant danger because visibility is drastically reduced in rainy or snowy conditions. Car lurches forward when at a stop and transmission is in drive.

- Joliet, IL, USA

problem #14

Dec 152016

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
Driver side windshield wiper stopped working while driving on city street. It moved a quarter up the windshield and stopped working.

- Novi, MI, USA

problem #13

Oct 272016

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 83,613 miles
While the vehicle was in motion at approximately 50 miles/hour, after dark in heavy rain, the drivers windshield wiper arm suddenly stopped moving. This failure may have resulted in property or personal injury or both, when my view was obstructed due to the failure of the wiper arm to clear the rain. The passenger side wiper arm continued normally. A quick search indicated this problem has been previously reported. This is a safety issue in my view, where the manufacturer is culpable and liable to make the necessary repair so this doesn't result in damage/personal injury. The dealer quickly replaced the 'wiper transmission' which I had to pay for, and feel this is a manufacturing safety defect that is a safety issue that needs to be assessed for recall at no cost to the owner (or reimbursement for those already replaced).

- Brighton, MA, USA

problem #12

Sep 302016

Cruze

  • 78,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While I'm driving southbound on I-75 in detroit, my driver side windshield wiper stops working and shoots all the way up the opposite way from where it sits at rest and stayed stuck there during a bad storm where there was flooded roads. Seconds after it malfunctions I hit a huge puddle of water due to me franticly try and see out my windshield and hydroplaned almost into another vehicle at 55-65 mph. This was one of the scariest experience of my life and now I'm stuck with a broken windshield wiper. I think this needs to be addressed as an issue because it was extremely dangerous and I'm very lucky to not have crashed my car.

- Brownstown, MI, USA

problem #11

May 182016

Cruze

  • 45,000 miles
Driving on the interstate after work during a rainstorm. Wipers were operating normally the first few minutes, and suddenly the driver side wiper failed. Visibility was extremely diminished and created a severe safety hazard, as I was in motion, traveling at 65mph and in heavy traffic conditions. I managed to maneuver my car off to the shoulder where I had to remain for some time until the rainstorm passed; only then was I able to continue driving. I believe this is an extreme safety hazard and needs to be properly addressed for recall, as it seems many other Chevrolet Cruze drivers/owners have experienced the same type of situation involving failing wiper arm functioning.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

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problem #10

Oct 052015

Cruze

  • 59,555 miles
The windshield wiper reservoir hose has come lose and is leaking 95% of the washer fluid into the engine compartment and is not cleaning the windshield causing it hard to see on partially rainy or dusty days here in Texas. Not to mention I do not know what problems could be caused from the excess washer fluid spraying into the engine compartment. Chevy will not cover this under the extended warranty.

- Georgetown, TX, USA

problem #9

Jan 152015

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 74,700 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After I finished clearing the windshield off before driving, I turned the wipers on. They both turned on, but the passenger side wiper brushed right over the driver side wiper. The driver side wiper no longer worked. The wiper transmission had broken. I replaced the transmission on Jan. 22, 2015. On March 26, 2015, I was driving in the rain with the wipers on. After two loud bangs, the passenger side wiper stopped working. The car had not been driven 1,000 miles with the new wiper transmission before it broke, too.

- Bangor, ME, USA

problem #8

Jun 042014

Cruze

  • 45,000 miles
While I was driving in the rain my driver side wiper blade just stopped working. One of my co workers looked at it and the entire blade came off. I had a mechanic look at the problem to find out the passenger side is just the same way. The entire windshield wiper mechanism has to be replaced. For now the parts are welded together to make it work.

- Hazle Township, PA, USA

problem #7

Mar 082015

Cruze

  • 72,000 miles
The wiper blade transmission had to be replaced on the passenger side wiper 3 weeks ago. Now the driver side wiper will only go about 1/4 of the way up. The passenger side wiper got stuck on the driver side wiper and broke completely off. This is a horrible safety hazard.

- Hammonton, NJ, USA

problem #6

Jan 162015

Cruze

  • 32,000 miles
Condensation/fog and/or frost on interior windows, will not clear. Recirculation air control not functioning properly. Actuator does not properly control the flaps in the HVAC system, allowing moist air to recirculate even when the fresh air mode is selected. This causes excessive moisture inside the car, fogging the inside of the windows and reducing visibility. In winter climates this results in frost on the inside of the glass. In either case, clearing the windows is not possible and makes driving the vehicle unsafe and/or not possible.

- Orleans, NY, USA

problem #5

Dec 192014

Cruze

  • 78,739 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving on the nys thruway at 5:30 a.M. through light snow and resulting salty road-spray from other vehicles, the driver's side wiper stopped working without warning. The passenger side continued to work. I pulled off the nys thruway to try to see if I could get the wiper moving again by lowering it from a 90-degree upright position in which it was stuck, to the resting position. I tried the wipers again and the driver's side went up about six inches and stopped. Triple a came and flatbedded my car to a dealership where it was determined the wiper transmission had gone bad and needed to be replaced. This car is 2 years old, and the windshield was always cleared of heavy snow/ice before using the wipers--wipers weren't used to remove snow. Other Cruze owners have posted same issue which leads me to believe the part is defective and should be replaced at the cost of the company. I paid $235.94 in parts and labor, and an additional $53 in towing expenses beyond my triple a coverage.

- Bloomfield, NY, USA

problem #4

Dec 182014

Cruze

  • 93,344 miles
Was driving when the wiper transmission failed. Was able to rig it so I could continue to drive. Stopped at dealership they said 7 weeks for the part. Was able to obtain from a dismantler. The Chevy Cruze forum says this is a common problem.

- Portland , OR, USA

problem #3

Oct 302014

Cruze 4-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
My problems started with my trunk popping open on its own while driving and while parked. This is concerning not only to my loss of Focus on the road because of this, I also worry about who ever is driving behind me should something fly out of my trunk. Also my windshield wiper blade on the driver side comes off the motor clip this is very dangerous while raining I have to drive with out visibility. My car then decided not to start and when I finally got it to start it told my airbags needed servicing, my power steering, ABS brakes, traction control, and stabilitrack. There was no control of the car. That had went away and was able to get car safely to the dealership to get it serviced today. This seems to be a problem with other 2012 Chevy Cruze's in which I have done research. Something needs to be done about these electrical issues before someone ends up getting killed.

- Eau Claire, WI, USA

problem #2

Oct 172013

Cruze

  • 55,000 miles
Driving in hard rain in near rush hour Chicago traffic, the driver's side windshield wiper quit working making driver's visibility very poor. Inspection revealed that the plastic cup had popped off the metal ball on the linkage. It would not snap back on. The wiper transmission was replaced to repair the car at owners expense, because the car was outside of 3year/36,000mile warranty based on mileage.

- Griffith, IN, USA

problem #1

Oct 032013

Cruze

  • 33,000 miles
Windshield scratches super easy making it difficult to see properly in sunny conditions. I have perfect vision and have a very hard time seeing past the scratches the microfiber cloth left on the inside from cleaning and my plastic winter ice scraper made on the outside in the winter. Never had a car in my 20+ years of driving with such a crappy windshield.

- New Glarus, WI, USA

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