What are you unsure about? The coolant smell is a know problem and I do not know that retracts from reliability. The car is still relatively new so we cannot determine l.t. reliability. Sure there may be a problem here or there but that is expected with any car(esp with new models). So long term reliability is a subjective statement. All I know I/we have not heard of any major issues that would suggest otherwise. Each car is different. One person could have no problems and another could.

 

The car is still new yes but early issues on items that dont usually break (ie. plastic lamp housing and a blower motor) can be an indication of poor quality parts all around. I dont doubt the reliability of the power train, eco tech based engines have been bulletproof but there is more to a car then just the engine and transmission which can add up in costs over time. Also not impressed with GMs botched fix for the coolant problem, its not even close to a fix but if it keeps the most of their customers quite they will never fix it properly. I just hope nothing else goes wrong with this car, I read the forums often and see alot of people posting they have gone a few thousand miles without a problem like it is an accomplishment when it should be normal for a new car.

 

I think the powertrain will be just fine, but I do have some concerns with the rest of my car. The HVAC system in particular seems to be very troublesome on the Cruze.

 

For me reliability is only based on mechanical issues or things that would take my car off the road. Doesn't sound like you have had any reliability issues yet!

BTW my blower motor sounds just like yours, since my bumper to bumper warrenty is over I will replace myself if it gets any worse. Part is $100 on rockauto.

 

December 12, 2014 will be here instantly, the day my 36 month bumper to bumper warranty stops. Really doubt if I will even hit that 36,000 mile mark, with summer coming, I think, will be using my motorhome and Supra instead.

Was a black day in September 2007 when the warranty ran out on our 04 Cavalier, stepdaughter has it now, over ten years old, still has the original exhaust on it and has been virtually troublefree. Can only hope the Cruze will be the same.

Hundred bucks for a blower motor? Let me go back to 1973 when the blower went out in my 70 Buick, was six bucks from the dealer for a brand new one. But had two screws on it, removing it was the major job, stuck brush, so why should I pay six bucks for a new motor when I purchased two new brushes for 25 cents and was a dime a piece for two new bronze bearings? Plus could very easily put plenty of oil in those wicks. Lasted a very long time.

This was in the time where a lot of manual assembly was required, and pole pieces were the field coil type with lots of copper wire.

Today, molded ceramic magnets are used, cheap, no machining of those pole pieces, and the entire thing is welded and crimped together. Automated winding machines wind that armature faster than you can look at it.

If GM could have sold that high quality motor back then for six bucks, with Made in China, cheap crap materials, even with inflation, should be able to sell it for two bucks today.

Lot has changed since then.

 

While I have had my fair share of problems as a new owner, I went with the Platinum $0 Deductible GMPP 'Warranty'. I got a special price that was way lower from a different Dealer and returned the original policy I bought on the date of service. Now I read what I did is supposedly not allowed. I have the new GM paperwork with a new policy number so I'm not too worried? As my CRUZE failed on the second day of ownership, this policy gives me peace of mind as I have concerns myself in hot weather!

 

The water pump is the only component I can see giving me trouble as my car ages. Hopefully the pump I have now is finally designed to handle the stresses in the Cruze.

 

So far....with 6000 miles had been at the dealer for the following repairs:

Shocks.
Transmission leak.
Torque convertor leak.
Front axles.
Rear shocks.
Two thermostats.
HVAC problems. Has been at the dealer five times to solve the problem....problem remains and has been deemed "irreparable".
Numerous squeaks and rattles.
Buzzing speaker.
Interior panels scratch when touched with a wedding ring.
Started leaking oil this week.

IMO there is NO chance that this car will be reliable in any way shape or form. The most serious safety issue is for owners in the northern climates....windows freeze up completely in cold weather.

Thank goodness that my lack of faith in GM made me lease this thing. Two more years and they are more than welcome to have it back. I feel sorry for the next owner.

 

I feel sorry for the manufacture that sells you the next car.

 

Bought mine back in 2011, only changed water pump and it was free from my dealer. Other then that the car runs amazing. Keep in mind I hardly drive the Cruze but I'm always maintaining it. Maintenance is key and if you "feel" a problem get it checked out ASAP . The little things count IMO I just hope my Cruze keeps up , I'm sure it will if you take care of it . With today's technology I can't see GM doing this but you never know

 

True, maintenance is the key....unfortunately mine fell apart before it was due for it's first oil change. Seems that it is the luck of the draw with these cars. If you get a good one they are fine, if you get a bad one it is unimaginably bad.

 

I have faith in GM, North America baby !!!! All my trucks & cars are GM , including our work fleet......but I have to say the most reliable truck I have EVER owned (well my dad bought it for me when I first got my licsense lol) was a 2006 Chevy Tahoe LTZ. I destroyed that truck literally and never , never had not one problem. Since that truck I only buy GM. All my buddies laugh at me because I'm a GM guy lol. Stay positive people !

 

2012 Eco MT

I have some news regarding the Chevy Cruze's long term reliability. This is a list of all my repair work in the past 200k miles. This does not include regular interval scheduled maintenance. I realize not everyone will share the same success I have had with my Cruze. Everyday I appreciate the fact that I am driving a Cruze that I feel is working as intended and im very fortunate and thankful for that.

95% of the miles driven are highway/freeway.

30k AC Refigerant Recharge*******Warranty
100k Oil Pan Gasket ( oil leak )*****Warranty
105k Valve Cover ( air leak )*******Parts $ 90 Labor $ 140
180k Valve Cover ( air leak )*******Parts $ 90 Labor $ 140
185k Water Pump ( coolant leak ) **Parts $ 145 Labor $ 255
190k Purge Valve ***************Parts $ 35 Labor $ 130
*****************************Total $ 360 Total $ 665

Talk about insignificant repairs. A couple drops of oil from the bottom of the engine, some escaping air from the top and a couple ounces of leaking coolant.... big deal.

So there you have it roughly $ 1,000 spent over the past 2 years 200k miles for quality and gauranteed GM dealership repair work. Now I realize there are plenty of DIY capable community members able to cut costs on parts and labor. I dont feel so inclinded nor do I have the resources and im perfectly content with the relationship I have with my service agent.

Bottom line is, in my experience with the Chevy Cruze, it has proven to be a dependable vehicle and im proud to own one. Overall Im very satisfied with my long term investment, what more can I say.

 

While I have been in contact with Nadeem at AG in Canada, I find my posts that aren't positive towards the CRUZE are deleted. I even had one admin infer that I was breaking the terms of service and spamming the board when I asked about the plastic hinge in the Oil dip stick which is very hard to insert. I think the CRUZE is a sharp looking Car and I wouldn't trust it at all on a long trip. I feel that I blew $20 Grand on a car that seems most unreliable. A copy of this will be sent to Canada. I am looking for help, not sarcasm by the designated helpers on this board. I could care less about the other regular trolls. JB called my thread stupid after first giving a great answer.

 

Dang dawg Kiss a Frog ! Let me tell ya EDDYthat you are properly insured by your Warranty so get over it and take that cruzen for a long drive and gain some confidence in it ! To date I have been to PA. And Back driven to Dallas and Back . Averaged 29 .6 MPG in the city 40 + on the highway .

 

Think twice before you decide to leave GM as a customer and consider this simple and obvious fact. There are no guarantees with any car manufacturer that every car you purchase will be free of defects or problems down the road. Every automobile company deals with its own quality control issues.

 

I've already taken one 4,000 mile road trip in my ECO MT and I'm getting ready to do it again, stopping at Lordstown on the way to New Hampshire.

 

I can't match CruzeEcoBlueTopaz's 200k miles, but I have about 17k on my Cruze and thus far the only things I've had to get fixed that weren't my fault were the brake microswitch safety recall and a water pump. The water pumps were a known problem, it looks like GM has redesigned this pump a few times since most of the junk pumps were built, hopefully they've finally fixed it (Coincidentally has anyone heard of a water pump failure on a '14?). Other than that, I just had to get a crap ton of suspension parts replaced thanks to a pothole on the interstate, can't blame the car for that, I'm still shocked and amazed that the tire and rim didn't blow.

 

I always wonder how many people who buy a defective product are embarrassed to talk about it. Especially when it comes to a car. One feels suckered that they are making payments on something that is garbage. That must hurt. I am not referring to the Cruze specifically, just cars in general.

The cruze does have many wonderful features. In my case, reliability is not one of those wonderful features. I feel it necessary to share my experience so that anyone buying one of these, especially used, does their due diligence and takes it to a mechanic.

 

I always wonder how many people who buy a defective product are embarrassed to talk about it. Especially when it comes to a car. One feels suckered that they are making payments on something that is garbage. That must hurt. I am not referring to the Cruze specifically, just cars in general.

My experience is the exact opposite. Most people who have issues can't wait to tell the world about them while the vast majority of people who don't have issues you will never hear from.

Forums like this are bad places to get a true feel for a car because in general there are two types of people drawn to forums: 1) Enthusiasts, and 2) People having problems looking for answers. Therefore, by their very nature forums are heavy on people having problems. They're often easy to spot too as they have relatively few posts, complain a lot, and are gone within a few weeks or months.

 

I have never purchased a used car, mainly because I don't want someone else's problems. I know this isn't always feasible for many people, so having an independent mechanic go over a used car before purchase is always a good thing, even if the car is a so called "Certified Pre-Owned".

 

Very true.....we looked at a 2011 Malibu Certified Pre-Owned when we bought the Cruze. When we took it to my mechanic, he found about $2500 worth of repairs that were required either now or in the very near future....this is why we went brand new, we didn't want any headaches. LOL!! That kinda backfired in this case.

 

i feel so lucky every where i read about a strong coolant smell. My car has never done this ever.

 

1 water pump and a minor recall is not a big deal to me. Bad lots of parts happen - doesn't matter if you buy a Hyundai or Porsche, nobody does full tests on every single component on the assembly line. To me, all the problems I've read about on here and other places have mostly been the same thing. I'd be concerned about long term reliablity if it was random problem of the week rather than a few known issues that have mostly been addressed (replace HVAC box grease with something that doesn't smell like Dex-Cool, redesign water pump, redesign valve cover/PCV valve).

My thought on it is basically this: I bought the Cruze because I liked it best out of all the cars I looked at. I could have easily spent a lot more on a car, I have a good job and not a whole lot of expenses, but I didn't see the need. If my Cruze is a decent, reliable car for however long I end up keeping it (hopefully at least 5-7 years), that's great, whatever replaces it may very well be another Chevy. If it turns into a money pit after the warranty runs out, I'll dump it and either become another one of the millions of people driving a Camry or Accord, or decide that if I'm going to deal with an unreliable car I may as well at least buy something obnoxious and flashy, and buy a BMW or a Corvette or something

 

Meh. It's the luck of the draw no matter what you buy. Especially these days - QC has gone far down hill across most manufacturers.

My Cruze has been relatively OK the past couple months after spending lots of time in the shop the first year.

My friend previously owned a Civic for 8 years, and had nothing but trouble with it. My mom has owned an Accord and it has never had anything wrong with it.

We bought a Camry for my girlfriend after she had the last one 10 years and it was a phenomenal car. The 2012? It's been in the shop as much as my car has, for more serious problems (engine/transmission/suspension).

My sister has owned a Ford Escape (the first year was known for problems) for 7 years now, and it's been problem-free.

 

That pretty much sums it up. Too bad that GM and Toyota can't go back to the 'quality' days. There are people, like me, who are more than willing to pay for quality. Problem is that nowadays, even when you try to buy quality it is a total crapshoot. Having said that, I personally refuse to go back to the tainted well. I will try my luck with another brand. I would feel like a complete fool if I bought another Cruze and it was a POS like my current one is.

 

So people don't take 'too kindly' around here if you refer to your Chevy as cheap but its ok to talk about your cheap Toyota. Did not appreciate being called stupid, not at all as I enjoy your posts. You represent this forum and if you want to close a thread, do so but don't call the poster stupid before pressing the close button :blowup:

 

Chill out Eddy.

The thread was the only thing called stupid, not you.

We've gotten so many reports from OTHER members (not just the mods) about your posts. They're along the lines of what I would call "completely unnecessary bashing".

 

I had a 98 toyota corrolla and it was a piece of junk. Something was always broke and the dealer fought me tooth and nail for fixing things under warranty. When the rack started leaking power steering fluid at 60,000 miles that was sort of the last straw. It was history. It was newer than our 1996 civic and we kept the civic over the toyota. We bought a 07 mazda 3s when got rid of our toyota and it has been a good car. traded the civic in for the cruze. so far our cruze has been pretty reliable our civic had problems during the warranty period two but it was good car and never left us stranded and I sort of have a feeling the cruze will be that way. But what I do I know.

 

You know enough to not get stranded by a POS vehicle .

Yeah man I owned a CRX early 80's model that thing would not die . 275000.00miles later . I finally shot it and left it on the side of the highway around some California town in 2003 .

Some wrecker sent me a note asking for tow and storage or if I would want it back . I just threw that letter away ..

 

Yo EDDY I really want to do you the Honor of being the First to let you know that the Idea that a plastic covered Dip stick is over the top and quite useless information !

My suggestion to you is STOP being A -_-_ View attachment 70073

 

As others have thrown out there, no matter what car you buy, problems can happen. There are so many variables it's insane. Variables like maintenance, how you drive, what fuel or other fluids you use, to things just happening. I'm a die hard fan of GM, Honda, and Isuzu because they're extremely well made, but like all the auto manufacturers, they have been cutting costs left and right(Isuzu basically isn't here anymore). I maintain my cars way more than recommended and stuff still goes wrong. I've had my Cruze for a short time but it's been great, the parts are inexpensive, and they're easy to work on. But, sometimes vehicles have problems no matter what you do.

If you question GM, I understand, but I drove my '96 buick century back in AZ with 2 leaking head gaskets, a puking oil pan, and a slipping trans for 7 months like that before I traded it in. And it still drove ok when I sold it. At the same time I bought an '05 Cobalt brand new(my first new car) and got rid of it in 4000 mi because it was having all sorts of problems.

When I had my '03 Accord (I was working at Acura) I replaced my steering pump under warrantee twice in 3 months, got mad because it started leaking again, so I tore it apart and rebuilt it, and had no issues after that. My '88 trooper had one oil change a year and a half after I bought it, a month or two later I drove it into the base shop because I felt like rebuilding it so I could turn it into a really nice offroading toy. After stripping it down we found out that there was no thrust bearing on the crank so it was eating itself apart, but yet it ran that way just fine for almost two years. Yet my '09 Mustang Bullitt was puking out of the rear main seal at I think 24,000 mi. The best part is that Ford claimed that it wasn't leaking enough for them to fix it under warranty.

When it comes to dealing with warranty companies, try dealing with Honda North America. When I worked for Acura('06-'07) we had a lot of issues with MDX's motor mounts and axle half shafts because of the way they were designed. When inspecting an MDX we were not allowed to notate on the vehicle inspection an issue with either of those items if the vehicle was still under warranty. They came out and told us(techs) that they didn't want to pay to fix them anymore. The only way around that was if the customer complained about it, which most had no idea. It made me sick.
And then of course Ford, which is one of the many reasons I won't buy one again. I put an intake on my Bullitt and the service writer said that it had voided my warranty on the motor and didn't want to even touch my car. The only reason I got it in there was because I went to the service manager with a receipt showing that they'd installed the intake on my car and a voice recording of that service writer talking trash about me to another service writer. Stupid woman thought she'd hung up the phone, lol.

It's really hard to say why or what causes some cars to be lemons, it happens. To truly judge a car I think you'd have to look at the overall, not just yours.

 

When it comes to dealing with warranty companies, try dealing with Honda North America. When I worked for Acura('06-'07) we had a lot of issues with MDX's motor mounts and axle half shafts because of the way they were designed. When inspecting an MDX we were not allowed to notate on the vehicle inspection an issue with either of those items if the vehicle was still under warranty. They came out and told us(techs) that they didn't want to pay to fix them anymore. The only way around that was if the customer complained about it, which most had no idea. It made me sick.
.

That is common with most warranty work. If the Customer does not complain about the Warranty problem, the shop is not supposed to advise you unless it presents a safety concern. Within my first month of ownership I had my rear end replaced. What got me sicker and we are not talking about 3rd party warranty companies, GM would only pay Mr. Goodwrench for 1.5 shop hours when it is a 5 hour job in the book. He did it, and I'm sure all is well, but talk about cutting corners?

 

Yeah, I was talking about Honda and Ford, not 3rd party either.

Ford is known to do what you're talking about. I don't know if they still have it, but at one time Ford set up an internal program for techs to put in hints and quick tips to help other techs get jobs done easier and faster. After a little time Ford took the hints and tips that techs had put in there and used it to adjust the labor hours so that they would pay the techs less on warranty work. They taught us about this when I was in tech school.