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Regretting 2nd cruze

3K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  Patman 
#1 ·
I had bought a 2011 eco and that car was great. 40+ MPG and no issues. I took a great deal after 2 years and 60k miles to get a 2014 eco with the touchscreen. I have never been able to get close to as good of gas economy. The turbo went bad about 18 months ago, the water pump blew 13 months ago and now there are a new set of issues.

The car wouldn't start the other day until the 3rd attempt, and while it is winter it has not been that cold here. Then the car would start and turn off within 5 seconds for several attempts. Once started a rough idle would last until the car warmed up. Driving to work yesterday the temperature needle would bounce very quickly in short movements. I checked the coolant levels which were very low so I refilled and proceeded to the dealer. The fan kicked on and the temperature needle never moved off of cold as the car drove the 20 miles to the dealership. Rude service department aside I am waiting to hear the diagnosis from the dealership. I really am put off by the whole experience and a car I had anticipated being reliable has turned me off of chevy. Venting aside has anyone experienced similar issues to mine?

Thanks
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the links! I just got off the phone with the dealership and this is what they came up with:
Battery cable with a memo for the 2014 Cruze that needed to be replaced
Thermostat went bad and needs to be replaced
They are checking on a vacuum leak currently as my Cruze has that "Chirping" noise that other have had on the forum

Honestly I am really nervous about holding onto this car for another few years. Seriously debating trading it in within the next few months.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the update and I did inform them the chirping is likely from the PCV. I ended up not being able to pick up the car as the thermostat did not fix the problem and they have moved forward to replace the water pump thankfully covered under warranty. I am hoping that this does the trick.

I appreciate the feedback from everyone here. I do understand that people can have very different experiences with the same make and model of vehicle. I am at 85k miles so I will be out of warranty soon which is what makes me nervous. I also realize that if I had another Chevy everything could go great, but that feels like a riskier gamble at this point.
 
#10 ·
it all sounds reasonable, not like the car is a lemon. I sure liked my 2011 cruze manual-shift LS. My son is driving it now and really likes it too. it's got maybe 140k miles now and has all the expected/routine maintenance, not many random issues.

trading to get a new car under warranty is a great idea, i've done it countless times... the gen2 cruze is awesome over its first 7k miles in arctic conditions. gen2 cruze is especially awesome if you like torque and stickshifts and opt for the way-more-torque-and-way-more-mpg engine option.
 
#11 ·
My car (2012) has been one of the biggest pieces of garbage on the road, but I have a coworker with the exact 2012 with the exact miles I do, and he has had 0 issues. No water pump, no PCV yet, nothing.

So it's the luck of the draw!
 
#12 ·
My 2012 was the 2nd worst car I've ever owned for needing constant repairs. The other was 15 years old. It really made me want to swear off GM/ever getting a Cruze again.

My 2016 has (so far) been the best I've owned...except it keeps hitting/getting hit by things. 18" wheels are pretty, but extremely fragile. It has made me want to buy another GM in the future (we'll see if things change)

Luck of the draw, unfortunately.

I still think that Chevrolet service departments, at least in my area, are among some of the worst and most incompetent dealerships that you'll find. Warranty work is never fun, but at least some dealers TRY to make your experience a good one.
 
#13 ·
#17 ·
Update for everyone: Got the car back after they replaced the thermostat, negative battery cable, waterpump and replaced a belt. The next day I noticed the engine "stuttering" on load. Yesterday I got a check engine light which indicated misfire. The dealership is telling me that it is a coil and spark plug. It feels like this has to be connected to the last time I took in the car for service but I can't find a connection. The dealership is saying there is no way the two can be connected.

Any help here connecting the dots?
 
#18 ·
I now have my 4th Cruze all with minimal issues. First 2 2011 LS and 2012 Eco(had tranny go out 2 times replaced under warranty) were bought new then the 2014 had a turbo go out under warranty and now I have my 2013 only problem is a humming/road noise at 40 mph and bent rear z-link prior to that really never had problems all "luck of the draw"
 
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