[ConsideringACruze]

Hello,

My last 2 cars have been Toyota Corollas. not fancy, BUT, each one has gone a quarter of a million miles with ZERO problems & NEVER had to go back to the car dealer for repairs. just normal maintenance over the years.

My job gives me extremely little free time. Having a car that breaks down, especially a brand new on after plunking down a considerable amount of money, and having to miss work to sit in a car dealer for repairs is not an option for me. I can't do it.

I really like the looks of the Chevy Cruze. BUT, you folks seem to have a ton of problems with it. A brand new car stinking of engine coolant? coolant on the windshield? etc, etc, etc. I don't have that now with my 12 year old corolla. I'm not going to put up with that with a new car.

Question for you folks: Just how reliable has your Cruze been? How long have you had it & how many times have you had to bring it back to the car dealer for repairs? Lastely, would you buy it again?

Thanks VERY MUCH in advance for any help/advice you can offer!

 

[sciphi]

Welcome! Keep in mind, folks post onto a forum like this one when they have a problem. They don't often post when they have zero issues. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know?

I'm at 43k miles on my Eco manual transmission, and it's been back to the dealer 2-3 times for minor things such as a rattle from the rear suspension and a failed trunk switch. Both issues were handled quickly, and haven't come back. Those happened early in the car's life. I got a shuttle where I needed to go, so I wasn't waiting at the dealer.

Aside from that, it's been a great car. I'd buy another in half a heartbeat, even knowing what I know now.

 

[obermd]

I had an apparent coolant leak that turned out to be nothing more than air in the coolant lines. That was the only non-scheduled service I have had. All other services have been done as part of oil changes. I'm at 20K miles on my ECO MT. Your dealership will really make/break your ownership experience.

 

[titan2782]

Need a trouble free car

Wait, they have those?!

 

[spacedout]

You really like your 12 year old corolla? If so you might as well buy another one, Toyota has not changed anything in all those years. The cars engine or transmission & MPG rating have all remained the same since the mid 1990's. Me I would have a problem buying a new car that's exactly the same as a 2-15 year old used one.

Chevy on the other hand has made huge changes with this car & some have experienced these growing pains. I would buy the cruze again because its still the best value for a small car & probably one of the safest.

 

[mcg75]

Wow, 250,000k with just maintenance.

15 years fixing cars, I've never run into a Corolla or any other car that could do that.

Unless struts, sway bar links, wheel bearings or belt tensioners are considered maintenance.

 

[20131pz69]

got less than 1000 miles on my 2013, have had no trouble with it so far. I would make the purchase again. The car drives well and has great features for the price, the combination of economy/ power and safety are unmatched in this class as well. Am sure there will be some issues with my cruze as well eventually- in today's world, there is no such thing as a trouble- free car .

fyi- my friend bought a new corolla a few months back- the auto transmission is from the 80s, it's horrible! I had a 95 & think that was better ...

good luck with your hunt

 

[obermd]

Wait, they have those?!

They used to. My Pontiac Transport was trouble free until about 150K miles. Once my Pontiac Montana AWD (1st year model) got the ABS wheel sensor power and HVAC tubing fixed it was trouble free until 170K miles.

 

[Hoon]

The only issue i have with my car is the coolant smell....which is good considering i beat on it quite a bit, have drag raced it, tow regularly a bit over its capacity, have dyno'd it a couple times, etc.

Brakes look new after 14K miles even with the towing. Tire wear is a little faster than i thought but that's my fault not the car's. So far it looks like it's going to be a reliable car for years to come unless i get crazy with the tuning, but again, not the car's fault.

If the coolant smell (which seems better lately) is the only issue i have over the life of the car i'll be very happy.

 

[jblackburn]

Buy another Corolla. It sucks as a car, especially by 2013 standards, but they make good appliances.

 

[titan2782]

Wow, 250,000k with just maintenance.

Honda goes the distance: 1 million miles | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

It's a Honda, but whatever.

 

[Ru5ty]

i have had no problems and i have roughly 7000 km

 

[jblackburn]

Honda goes the distance: 1 million miles | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

It's a Honda, but whatever.

Psh, a Volvo p1800 did that a long time ago.

Those old Accords are fantastic cars though. Don't build em like that anymore.


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App

 

[titan2782]

I'm going to state that a "trouble free car" is a relative term. The more mechanically inclined you are, the more you'll tolerate. So if you have no skills, any little thing is going to be an issue. Especially if you buy the car new.

If you buy it used, well, that's what you get. Expect it.

 

[Camcruse]

The only issue i have with my car is the coolant smell....which is good considering i beat on it quite a bit, have drag raced it, tow regularly a bit over its capacity, have dyno'd it a couple times, etc.

Brakes look new after 14K miles even with the towing. Tire wear is a little faster than i thought but that's my fault not the car's. So far it looks like it's going to be a reliable car for years to come unless i get crazy with the tuning, but again, not the car's fault.

If the coolant smell (which seems better lately) is the only issue i have over the life of the car i'll be very happy.

From past experience, I'm sure you realize that GM/Chevy reps read this web site and saying that you've beat on your car really isn't to smart, especially if you ever happen to take it in for service.

And believe me, they have their ways of finding out.

 

[steve333]

I don't own one but have been researching the Cruze and other compacts for a while now. Cars are more complicated than they used to be so more little things will go wrong. If I were to base it on my experience with my Cobalt I would say Chevy doesn't make the most reliable cars out there but that's not a secret.
If you are going strictly for reliability than go for a Corolla. The car is backwards in many ways and not a good driver but if you just want to go from point A to point B and don't care how you get there this is the one to get.
If you are going for reliability plus a good driving car pick the Subaru Impreza. I drove the Cruze, Impreza, Focus and Civic. To me, the Impreza had the best seats and handled very well but was a little noisy, the Cruze was second best but I didn't like the seats (everyone is different though) and was the quietest and rode nicely, the Focus shifted harshly and felt cramped, the Civic had the worst seats and there was a vibration in the steering column and I didn't like it at all.
The most glaring reliability issue right now for the Cruze is the anti-freeze smell. For me that's a deal breaker but if they fix that issue than you could expect middling reliability but have a much better driving vehicle than the Corolla.

 

[30 Ounce]

My ECO 6mt has had zero problems with almost 18,000 miles and 8 months. We average 40 mpg and love driving it. The Corolla on the other hand is boring, uninspired, bare bones transportatin. Might as well buy a toaster. One of the reasons I think they get such high marks is their buyers aren't car enthusiasts, want basic transportation (which it provides reliably) and arent very demanding of their cars. The Cruze is hands down a better car. Just an aside, my 1999 GMC work van has 385,000+ miles on it and all I've ever done is maintanance and replace worn out items like shocks, water pump, fuel pump.

 

[obermd]

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/9-ch.../10645-my-ytd-avg-mpg-after-76-416-miles.html. Read the first post in this thread.

 

[sciphi]

Wow, 250,000k with just maintenance.

15 years fixing cars, I've never run into a Corolla or any other car that could do that.

Unless struts, sway bar links, wheel bearings or belt tensioners are considered maintenance.

I consider that stuff maintenance. It's suspension and accessory belt stuff that wears out and needs to be replaced every so often. And wheel bearings wear out after 100-150k miles, especially the fronts on a FWD car since they have so many roles to play in acceleration/steering/braking and suspension, often 2 or 3 of those things at once. The hubs are pretty easy to replace on the Cruze. 3 18mm bolts, although the top one's a bit of a bugger that benefits from a wobble or U-joint being placed under the strut as it is.

Our Fit has needed little in the way of unexpected repairs in 60k miles and 3.5 years. Some ATF drain/fills, yearly brake cleanings/relubing, a new battery after 2 years, a set of tires, and oil changes are all it's needed. It also acts like a giant automatic transmission go-kart with all the positives and negatives one can imagine from that description. Mind-reading steering and excellent cornering along with a bumpy, stiff ride. It's very noisy even around town with a low-rent interior that has worn like iron and cleans up nicely. I like that car for being what it is, and not pretending to be something it's not.

If having a trouble-free car is a priority above all else, a Prius or Corolla has proven to be excellent at being trouble-free. Both of those are older, well-proven technology.

 

[ConsideringACruze]

The most glaring reliability issue right now for the Cruze is the anti-freeze smell.

This is my first day looking at this board. I see the anti-freeze smell thread is huge. Can someone give me a quick summary of the issue & if it's fixable?

It's not just smelling the smell of anti-freeze that would concern me, but the continual inhalation of the chemicals in the anti-freeze. I wouldn't want to find out the long term effects of breathing that in whenever I'm driving the car.

If there's a Chevy or GM rep here, I'd be interested in a reply from you as well as the others on the board.

Thanks again for all your help folks. I really do want to get this car but I need to find out what's going on first.