2018 Chevrolet Cruze problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (21) · Engine (11) · Service Brakes (8)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Cruze model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
61 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Power Train:automatic Transmission 2020-10-29 · campaign 20V668000 · 194,105 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper 2018-08-30 · campaign 18V576000 · 210,628 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2018-05-10 · campaign 18V304000 · 111,966 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Cruze LS vehicles, equipped with a gasoline engine and a tire inflator kit instead of a spare tire. The vehicles may leak gasoline following a rear-impact crash and a rollover. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a lock-ring on the fuel tank that will shield the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor from damage in a rear-impact crash, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18159.
Service bulletins (991)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Showing the 6 most recent of 991 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-18 · Unknown Or Other“my 2018 chevy cruz has developed a sticky or tacky surface discovered when i was cleaning my interior. i used warm water and soap to clean all plastics. tried to dry off my dash with paper towels and discovered the issue . my car has been garage kept since its purchase so i have no idea as my previous vehicles never had this issue.…”
2026-05-09 · Suspension“coming to a stop sign or red light the car won’t accelerate or will go in traction control making it difficult to move or not accelerate. had 2-3 fuel leaks this year also having problems to keep the car going sometimes the max speed it will go is 20-40 miles n won’t go up unless u keep letting it slow down slowly n then accelerating n even after t…”
2026-03-26 · Seat Belts · 66,550 mi“the contact owns a 2018 chevrolet cruze. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield wiper compartment inadvertently opened. there was a failure with the seat belts. the contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt was excessively loose, and the front passenger’s side seat belt was overly tight. the vehicle was …”
2026-03-15 · Unknown Or Other“unknown. the car seems to stall or slip when accelerating as is misfiring. it cuts off in the middle of the streets after coming out of auto stop mode. pcv valve keeps popping up as issue. i had the pcv changed o2 sensors checked cleaned throttle body and air filter changed. the car still gives same problem and engine power reduction keeps popping …”
2026-02-19 · Engine“-the engine experienced internal failure resulting in low compression in cylinder 1. the failure has rendered the vehicle inoperable. the vehicle and engine are currently available for inspection upon request. the issue was diagnosed and confirmed by both an independent mechanic and an authorized chevrolet dealership. both identified low compressi…”
2026-02-16 · Power Train“the steering started to shake. the car seat started to shake as well. it felt very unsafe, but there was no serious injury. john from feldman chevrolet in new hudson, michigan said that there is a "cylinder 1 misfire code". after the car started shaking, the engine light came on. john told us that the engine should be replaced.…”
2026-01-24 · Unknown Or Other“hesitate to change gears properly. engine stalling. rpm will rive up. sounds like the transmission wants to slip.…”
2025-08-26 · Engine“my vehicle would jerk while driving and sometimes not want to even go at a stop light when it turned green. check engine light has been on. even when i was at a stop light it would just start jerking forward. i took it to an automotive repair shop after replacing multiple parts on the vehicle. automotive shop ran a compression test and said it fai…”
2025-08-23 · Power Train“the car is making a whistling sound, the check engine light is on and it has low power. also wanting to stall…”
2025-08-22 · Unknown Or Other“the infotainment touchscreen on my 2018 chevrolet cruze has become unresponsive and frozen on the startup warning screen. because of this, i am unable to access basic functions such as bluetooth, carplay, and android auto. the radio (fm) still works, but i cannot connect my phone for calls, navigation, or music. this issue is widely reported by ma…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.