2013 Chevrolet Cruze
The Verdict
The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze has 583 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (240 complaints) and body (120 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 21/100, it earns a "Check Engine" rating. If you're shopping for a Chevrolet Cruze, consider the 2010 model year which has 99% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2010 has 99% fewer complaints
View the 2010 Chevrolet Cruze dashboard →
Klunk Score: Check Engine
More complaints than most vehicles. Known issues exist — budget for potential repairs.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 3
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with manual transmissions (MF3/MR5) and manufactured January 24, 2013, through August 1, 2013. O...
Risk
If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the...
Remedy
General Motors has notified owners. Dealers will replace the half shaft assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 15, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the driver's front air bag inflator may have been manufactured with an incorre...
Risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's air bag, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike and ...
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side air bag, free of charge. The recall began on June 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with a 1.4L turbo engine, and manufactured between November 28, 2012, and March 7, 2014. On ...
Risk
If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the...
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the right half shaft, as needed, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. GM will send an interim letter to ow...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact felt ill and pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that a passerby stopped and found the contact unconscious inside the vehicle. The ambulance was called to the scene, and the contact was taken to the hospital. The doctor determined that the contact had 27% of carbon monoxide inside the body. The contact received oxygen to expel the carbon monoxide. The vehicle remained near the walking trail where the contact had pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. Prior to the issue, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and went into LIMP Mode. The contact stopped by Auto Zone for a diagnostic test. The contact was unsure what code was found. The doctor believed that the carbon monoxide poisoning was related to the vehicle. The insurance company was notified, and a claim was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
When I accelerate my rpm goes up but car dosent move as speed says and takes for me to let off the gas to speed up , and my steering when I turn it pulls away n it keep popping up service traction and going off
My car over heats at least over 300 degrees. Afraid that my vehicle is In danger of catching fire due to the high temperature causing tension belt and hose components to melt.
I’ve had the thermostat housing fail twice now. And now it leaking again for the third time!! Now the service stabilitrak light is on, but it only happens when the car is idling. This happened to me before while driving and I replaced the spark plugs and the coil pack. I know on other models the valve cover failed as well but I don’t see a recall on that, or the thermostat housing issues…. I just don’t get whyyyyy if people are having all the same issues why not recall it!!???
For the airbag the car was sold to me without a working airbag. It’s in the steering wheel (I have been told this by a Chevrolet dealership) and the part that is broken is the part that will make it inflate in case of crash. This is scary to me. I was just in my first (and hopefully only) accident a month before in a more steely car and while no airbags were deployed it still hurts. The second issue is with the fuel pump or sensor - the coding is very unsure but the dash (including the mechanical gauge) says the car will go from half tank to empty on an 8 mile drive. It has no leaks on the underside and I had it into the mechanic twice. The second time because it stumbled and stalled at a stop light. Before dying - half tank. August 6th they just scanned it with their computer I got no paperwork from them. On the 15th I didn’t get any paperwork either. I will include the shop’s number.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 157,454. The contact later discovered that the title mileage was 189,000.
This is the second time that we have experienced over heating issues. Currently the car has been out of commission for over a year and half. Every since we purchased the car used it has over heated. The first time of course the head gasket was blown. We paid $1200 to have it fixed. Still ran hot we replaced the water pump. After a year same issues. Car has been parked as we do not have the money to repair it. I have read about 6 pages of the same complaint. I do believe that it is time for GM to issue a recall. We are currently making payments on a car that we are unable to drive. We have spent almost as much as we paid for the car. Again this is not good. Seems like this car was doomed from the start.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle also lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic control unit module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,212. The VIN was not available.
Unknown
for some strange reason the engine has 150K miles on it and has been extremely well maintained however there is oil blowby coming from the oil filler cap which coats the entire engine belts will slip and cause drivability issues this oil vapor can also coat the front wheel brake discs and soak the pads causing braking failure to occur GM said they are aware of this problem however they do not have a recall to replace the engine or causing issue with the vehicle and i would be better off buying a new GM vehicle rather then worry about this insignificant issue since no accidents have occurred I Maintain my vehicles to the gills something like this is very concerning since this is my wifes car and out child travels in this car what can the NHTSA do to make GM correct this issue on this chevy cruze?
Check engine light is on and the low fuel efficiency which will cause the system to fail and the vehicle to shut down while driving.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the Engine Control Module (ECM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.
I am writing to express my concern regarding a serious issue with my 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. Recently, I noticed that my car's engine was overheating, which I initially thought was due to a problem with the coolant or radiator. However, on [XXX], my vehicle suddenly broke down while I was driving on the highway. I had my car towed to a mechanic, who informed me that this particular model of the Chevrolet Cruze, specifically from the years 2011-2015, is known to have severe engine overheating problems. The mechanic also mentioned that in cases like mine, the engine is often seized and sent to the junkyard. After researching further and reading through numerous online reviews from other Cruze owners, I discovered that engine overheating is a common and recurring issue for many of them. This leads me to believe that this problem may be more widespread and could potentially be a defect in the design or manufacturing of the engine. Given the severity of this issue and the impact it has on vehicle safety, I kindly request that you consider issuing a recall for the engines in the 2011-2015 Chevrolet Cruze models, similar to the actions taken for other vehicle recalls, such as the Hyundai Sonata. I hope that Chevrolet will take steps to address this issue and ensure that owners like myself do not have to face costly repairs or the loss of their vehicle due to an engine failure that appears to be inherent in these models. I would greatly appreciate your attention to this matter and hope for a positive resolution, such as a recall or another form of support for owners dealing with this serious engine problem. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely [XXX] , [XXX] 2013 Chevrolet Cruze LT Plate - [XXX] Vin - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle randomly powers up and tries to start with the key in the ignition. Service theft deterrent message displayed at times while trying to start.
Transmission messed up only own the car for 7 months
The engine in my 2013 chevy cruze failed due to the head gasket, and it causes the car to overheat. Chevrolet issued a recall on some 2013 and 2014 Cruze models for head gasket problems. The gasket in these models is known to fail and that can completely destroy the motor. When a head gasket fails that allows the oil and the coolant to mix; and that will destroy the lubrication in your engine and cause the engine to fail. Pepboys repair shop-- has the repair invoice.
Broken mode select gear. Unable to change the heat to defrost and the windshield will not clear in cold weather.
Have been told it’s the catalytic converter but when driving it loses power and stalls. It has almost caused wrecks. Ever since I got this vehicle it’s been one thing after another and the more I look online about the issues with my vehicle, the more I realize that thousands and thousands of Chevy Cruze owners are having the same issues. I’ve had to put two oxygen sensors on it since having it, replaced the turbo, spark plugs, all kinds of parts on this vehicle. They clearly did not make this vehicle safe or reliable
Broken blend door in hvac box. No heat to defrost windows.
583 total