Chevrolet Cruze Forums banner
1 - 20 of 158 Posts

· Registered
Joined
·
8 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I have had my cruze eco 7,000 miles. I have had the transmission not engage, hesitation on taking off (of course always happens pulling out into traffic) running rough engine, hard shifting and now I go to use the brakes and nothing happens. This car scares me! It is going to get me killed. And the dealership says it doesnt happen to them when they drive it so therefore they will not do anything about it. Do you suppose the warranty will cover hospital/funeral costs? Seriously though, is anyone else having brake problems? It, so far, only happens when I first start up so I thankfully am not going fast. I am so disgusted; all the money to pay for it and I got a lemon. The ironic part is we got a new car for my safety because of the time I put in on the road and the night time hours. I felt safer in my 1999 Grand Am.
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
5,048 Posts
Any lights on the dash? Is the master cylinder reservoir full? Are you having clutch problems if you're a manual transmission Eco?

If you feel/hear a grind from the brakes that happens right around 10 mph immediately after you start the car, it's the ABS system testing itself, and is normal.

Also, does your E-brake hold the car on a hill by itself? If it doesn't, the rear drums need to be adjusted.
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
1,930 Posts
What exactly happens with the brake issue? Is there fluid in the master cylinder? If you aren't leaking fluid it is pretty much not possible for the brakes to just not work, especially nowadays when they are sectioned off so if you lose one you will still have brakes. It is a mechanical system so when you push the pedal something will happen unless you've had a catastrophic failure on all your braking components.
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
1,693 Posts
I know how you feel, I felt more confident in my prizm then I do in the Cruze. I just hope once the kinks are gone it will be trouble free for a long time. If I were you I would be contacting everyone about the issues your having.

sent from my Thunderbolt using AutoGuide App
 

· Banned
Joined
·
355 Posts
Sorry to hear that guys. :( Hope you get it resolved! "good thing" is that I think you truly got a lemon(s) bc there are a million of them on the road and we are not hearing about any stuff like this. I myself have worked on many many of them at the dealer and all the owners are happy and feel safe / trouble free. Sucks for you though :( Maybe get a different one / trade it in?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
8 Posts
Discussion Starter · #6 ·
There is no grinding noise. I have an automatic (with that low standard also). I do not think there was any lights on the dash but I was freaked and may not have seen it. I pressed on the brake and it felt like, the pressure - firmness? was not there. Like the brake was going to the floor. The first time I pumped the brake and it seemed to help. This last time I was backing up into a street so I was going faster. I pressed the brake and nothing happened. I was heading for a ditch and paniced. (yup, i am female LOL) I basically stood on the brake then started pumping again. Both ways I was slowing but just barely. Very scary feeling to use the brake and the car just keeps moving!
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
5,048 Posts
Does the E-brake work? And, does it hit the center console lid when it goes up?

Also, does the problem only happen in Reverse when going backwards, or in Drive too?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
720 Posts
Go to the dealership and ask to speak to the service manager and tell him exactly what has happened so far. If the car is acting up when you get to the dealership ask him to go on a short test drive with you so he can feel it for himself. If it's acting OK when you take it in tell him it's a very serious intermittant problem and explain as close as you can exactly when it happens (if it's predictable). Bascially tell him what you said in your post.

If that doesn't get you car fixed, call GM with the number in the owner's manual.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
49 Posts
Its one of these 2:
1800 489 4646
1800 222 1020

One is gm family benifits, and one is customer care. I don't remember which its which though. Customer care will create a case and assign you a rep to be your point of contact to handle everything with the dealer. Trust me, the dealer will change their tune when corporate gets on them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using AutoGuide App
 

· Registered
Joined
·
3 Posts
brakes

Take your cruze to the dealership tomorrow. Do not drive it around. If the brakes fail and you have an accedent. They may never find the problem. Talk to the service manager and tell him to inspect the entire baraking system . If they refuse. CALL GM customer service on the spot. What you are experinceing is a loss of fluid control in the master cly. not a loose wire or connection. the problem relates to the cups inside the master flipping for some reason and causing the loss of brake pressure.
Also , remember that your emg. brake can be used to slow the vehicle if the brakes fail. Just remember to hold the button in as you pull it up as hard as you can, plus the stopping distance will be triple
 

· Registered
Joined
·
8 Posts
Discussion Starter · #16 ·
I do not think I want to report this yet. It seems to be a problem specific to just my car unlike the engine and transmission troubles. I am going to take the advice to contact the dealer tomorrow. I will write down every thing I have heard here and give it to the service manager. Wish me luck! I will post how it goes.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
501 Posts
You have a small leak in the brake line, or something is kicking your shoes/pads away from the drums/rotors, overnight... Pedal goes to the floor first thing, then pump it a couple times and you have relatively normal feeling brakes means there's likely a hole, somewhere...

This is likely not a MFG defect, but is more likely that something on the road hit a rear brake line and put a small hole in it, and is causing your issue...

Did the dealership even put it up on the lift and look at the brakes and lines?

You may have to park it there the night before, and have them drive it first thing in the morning, for them to see the issue...

Mike
 

· Registered
Joined
·
678 Posts
I do not think I want to report this yet. It seems to be a problem specific to just my car unlike the engine and transmission troubles. I am going to take the advice to contact the dealer tomorrow. I will write down every thing I have heard here and give it to the service manager. Wish me luck! I will post how it goes.
I'd report it once it gets fixed and the cause is determined. How do you know it's specific to just your car? Have you asked all the other Cruze owners in the world? How do you know it won't happen to others in the future?

Unless it was due to user error, there's no point in not reporting it. If there is a widespread problem, it could spur a recall and help other Cruze owners.

Even if it's only just you, Chevy Recalls Cruze After A Steering Wheel Falls Off - Driver's Seat - WSJ caused a recall of 2100 Cruzes resulted from a SINGLE incident (In Sweeping Action, G.M. Recalls 154,000 Chevrolet Cruze Models - NYTimes.com and http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Public/Recalls/2011/V/RCDNN-11V221-7325.pdf from Recalls Documents | Safercar.gov | NHTSA). http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Public/Recalls/2011/V/RCQPR-11V221-0211.pdf says that 138 (of the apparent 2400) needed repair if you look at the 11V-221 row.

If it were the hypothetical situation that bartonmd suggested, it's still safety complaint reporting worthy. IIRC, there have been recalls over vulnerable parts and systems before.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
501 Posts
If it were the hypothetical situation that bartonmd suggested, it's still safety complaint reporting worthy. IIRC, there have been recalls over vulnerable parts and systems before.
You want to do me a favor and report every vehicle ever made, for me? Well... Every vehicle ever made that has had suspension, and therefore, flex brake lines, anyway...

About 10 years ago, I was driving along the interstate in my S-10, and there was a small piece of sheet metal (maybe 1' square) that had likely fallen off of a vehicle in front of me, because it was still sliding... I went over it, and heard it hit something... I checked steering and brakes real quick, and the brakes did the 1 pump to the floor, then they worked on the second pump, so I pulled over (this is the safety feature built into proportioning valves. The first pump leaks fluid out where there's a hole, and closes the valve to that end of the braking system, then works on just the other end on the second pump)... It had somehow gotten up above the rear axle and cut a slit in the flex line where it came down to the axle... Cut through the spiral-wrap chafe guard and everything... The point is that even on something that should be totally up and out of the way, freak stuff happens... I'm not saying that this is for sure what happened to her, but we might actually figure out what the problem is before going off the deep end...

Mike
 

· Registered
Joined
·
82 Posts
My car had it's master cylinder replaced at 20 miles. Defective from the factory lol. My dealership gave me a loaner and overnighted a part to get it fixed. No problems since.

Mine would have brake pressure the first time you press the pedal then as you hold it like say at a stop light it would slowly go to the floor. Once it hit the floor the car would start to go again even with the brakes to the floor lol. I drove it home then found out it was messed up when sitting at a light and brought it back the next morning.

It was not safe to drive around, brakes are something you don't want to mess with.
 
1 - 20 of 158 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top