Unless there's something I'm not understanding, how does stop/start add a lot of components and wear and tear? A chip, a couple sensors and a heavy duty starter. I didn't know that starting a car causes a lot of wear and tear on the engine.
I think it is good for people on the forum to learn the facts about start-stop technology. It is not just as simple as turning off the car and then restarting it when you're ready to go. The technology is similar to what is used in hybrid cars.
To incorporate start-stop, the car must have a special battery (a normal battery will overheat), a more robust alternator, a special and larger starter motor and additional charging components. All of these will cost you more money when they do fail because you can't just get a standard battery or alternator anymore. Think about at least doubling the cost when your battery dies.
The car must also have additional sensors, switches and electronics to run, monitor and control the starting and charging system. And the battery is in the trunk, so when your battery cable has problems, it's not just as simple as unscrewing the old one and putting in a new one. It has to be rerouted through the body of the car.
You also need to keep the engine coolant circulating, especially now that the Cruze has an aluminum block and turbo. This requires an electric water pump with additional hoses, sensors and circuitry to make it work.
And, you need to maintain hydraulic pressure in the transmission, so you have an electric transmission fluid pump, along with all the additional hoses, sensors and circuitry.
And, people like to have heating and air conditioning while stopped at a light. This means that you now need electric HVAC components with all the switches, sensors, hoses and circuitry required. And, you expect that the radio and other systems don't reset every time the engine starts, which requires additional components.
On top of all of that, the engine requires additional or stronger mechanical parts. For example, it requires stronger pistons, stronger crank shaft bearings and additional sensors and circuitry so that it stops at the right time and starts quickly.
I am not saying that any of these things are bad or scary. I am actually sick of hearing people talk about being afraid of new technologies or afraid of the future. That is not the case. These things can be great if you can afford them. If you can afford a new Cadillac or Mercedes then you can afford start-stop. However, if you bought an economy car because you want to save money, then all of these things increase the probability of failure and the cost of repairs with only a very small decrease in the amount of fuel used. I Googled it, and one site estimates that your fuel savings will be between $285 and $1600 over 10 years. That won't even come close to the cost of your first repair on this system. But, GM is OK with that.