The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze's high safety profile includes 6 recall campaigns and 731 owner-reported complaints. Make recall verification part of your pre-purchase checklist.

Recalls

731

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Recall Findings

11V2730002011-06-05

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 6, 2009, THROUGH APRIL 27, 2011 AND EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 102, 'TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT,' AND FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 114, 'THEFT PROTECTION.' THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED. IF THE LINKAGE IS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED, THE PRNDL SHIFT LEVER MAY NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVER COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO PARK AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN PARK.

THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

View at NHTSA

12V2890002012-22-06

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 14, 2012. ATTACHMENT WELDS FOR THE FUEL TANK STRAP SECONDARY BRACKETS MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED.

THE FUEL TANK COULD COME LOOSE IN A CRASH, POSSIBLY ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE TANK. A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

View at NHTSA

11V2210002011-06-04

STEERING

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES. DURING MANUFACTURING THE STEERING WHEEL COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY FASTENED AND MAY DETACH FROM THE STEERING COLUMN.

SHOULD THE STEERING WHEEL DETACH FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

View all 6 recalls

12V2880002012-22-06

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 31, 2012. SPILLED OR DRIPPING OIL (SUCH AS AFTER AN OIL CHANGE) MAY COLLECT IN THE ENGINE SHIELD (BELLYPAN) NEAR HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST SYSTEM SURFACES. AS A RESULT, THE OIL AND THE ENGINE SHIELD MAY IGNITE AND BURN.

EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.

View at NHTSA

11V2700002011-06-05

STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH APRIL 21, 2011. THE BOLT ATTACHING THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT TO THE STEERING GEAR INPUT SHAFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED.

THIS COULD ALLOW THE SHAFTS TO SEPARATE, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF STEERING. LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

13V3600002013-15-08

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engines and 6T40 front wheel drive automatic transmissions and equipped with an electric vacuum pump to provide supplemental vacuum for brake assist, when needed. In the affected vehicles, the pump may not activate, resulting in an intermittent reduction or loss of brake assist.

A loss of braking assistance will require extra pedal force and/or distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Top Complaint Areas

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze has accumulated 731 NHTSA complaints over 1 years, with engine leading the pack. Know what to look for before you buy.

01Engine120

02Power Train98

03Unknown Or Other41

04Service Brakes39

05Electrical System25

731 total across 1 model years (2011–2011)Full data at NHTSA.gov

Chevrolet Cruze Fuel Economy

26–32mpg combined

22-28city

34-40hwy

$2,100-$2,600/yr

With 5 configurations tested, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze ranges from 26 to 32 MPG combined. That's a 6 MPG gap that can add up to hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs.

By Trim

Cruze Eco - Manual 6-spd

32mpg

1.4L 4-cyl Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive

28 city40 hwy~$2,100/yr-1/10 Poor

Cruze Eco - Automatic (S6)

30mpg

1.4L 4-cyl Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive

26 city37 hwy~$2,250/yr-1/10 Poor

Cruze - Manual 6-spd

29mpg

1.8L 4-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive

26 city35 hwy~$2,350/yr-1/10 Poor

Cruze - Automatic 6-spd

28mpg

1.8L 4-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive

24 city35 hwy~$2,400/yr-1/10 Poor

Cruze - Automatic (S6)

26mpg

1.4L 4-cyl Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive

22 city34 hwy~$2,600/yr-1/10 Poor

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Where to Find 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

35States

23%in top 3

If you're near Texas, you're in luck: 8% of listings are there. But with 35 states represented, there's likely one near you too.

TXTexas

1128%

MIMichigan

1108%

FLFlorida

977%

PAPennsylvania

917%

ILIllinois

886%

OHOhio

766%

CACalifornia

745%

DEDelaware

433%

INIndiana

423%

DCWashington DC

393%

WIWisconsin

383%

NCNorth Carolina

363%

MOMissouri

353%

WAWashington

332%

VAVirginia

292%

AZ27

MD26

GA26

NY26

UT24

OKOklahoma

242%

NJNew Jersey

232%

TNTennessee

232%

OR22

MN21

NE19

NV16

CO16

NH15

IA14

KY13

MA11

ID11

Geographic distribution reflects all active listings for this model, not just 2011.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Buyer FAQ

What to know before you buy

Is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze a good car to buy?

Here's the short version on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. There are 6 recalls to verify before purchase. Dig into the safety overview and pricing trends for recall-by-recall detail.

Are there recalls on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?

NHTSA shows 6 recall campaigns for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. Before buying, verify all recalls are complete. The dealer must fix them at no charge. See the safety section for the full list.

What's the gas mileage of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?

You'll get between 26 and 32 MPG combined from the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, depending on engine and drivetrain. That's a meaningful difference over time. The fuel economy table shows exactly which configs get what.

What are common problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze?

ENGINE problems top the list with 731 total complaints filed. Not every car is affected, but it's worth asking about and inspecting. Full details in the known issues section.