Chevrolet Cruze 2016–2019 problems by year and mileage
2nd generation (J400)
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026581 complaints, 330 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze
Close- Median failure report
- 57,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 250
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
Most reported on the 2016
- Engine102 reports · median 66,000 mi
- Electrical system59 reports · median 40,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise43 reports
4 recall campaigns name the 2016: Fuel system, gasoline; Seats — front assembly; Electrical system — ignition. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
Close- Median failure report
- 28,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 201
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2017 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2017
- Engine73 reports · median 32,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline39 reports
- Electrical system33 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2017: Fuel system, gasoline; Seats — front assembly. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze
Close- Median failure report
- 24,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 109
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2018 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2018
- Engine27 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise24 reports
- Transmission and driveline23 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2018: Power train — automatic transmission; Service brakes, hydraulic — foundation components; Fuel system, gasoline. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2019 Chevrolet Cruze
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 21
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2019
- Transmission and driveline6 reports
- Engine5 reports
- Electrical system4 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2019: Power train — automatic transmission; Service brakes, hydraulic — foundation components. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. † marks a year whose median likely understates the mileage: much of its reporting came after 2020, when most complaints stopped recording an odometer reading. The 2016 reports latest and the 2018 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2016 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage. 1 of these years carries fewer than 30 reports with an odometer reading and shows no median at all, rather than one computed from a handful.
The short answer
“Is the 2016–2019 Chevrolet Cruze reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 36,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 90,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 330
- Recalls
- 6
At least 40% of this generation’s complaints were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading, so the median likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported
- Engine35.6% of complaints · median 53,000 mi
- Electrical system18.9% of complaints · median 33,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise17.2% of complaints · median 35,000 mi
Documented problems
- Engine (1.4L LE2 Turbo)2016–2019
- Engine (1.4L LE2 Turbo)2016–2019
- Emissions (1.6L Diesel)2017–2018
Owners filed 581 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016–2019 Chevrolet Cruze; the engine leads with 35.6% of them, and half of the 330 that record an odometer reading came by 36,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 14,000 and 67,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2016–2019 Chevrolet Cruze last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2016–2019 Chevrolet Cruze, half of the 330 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 36,000 miles and 90% by 90,000 miles.
2 reports came in past 150,000 miles — each one proof that a Cruze reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Chevrolet Cruze 2016–2019 · 330 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 66 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 2,000
- 25%
- 14,000
- Median
- 36,100
- 75%
- 67,000
- 90%
- 90,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 66 | 20.0% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 42 | 12.7% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 35 | 10.6% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 28 | 8.5% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 21 | 6.4% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 26 | 7.9% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 33 | 10.0% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 21 | 6.4% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 24 | 7.3% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 11 | 3.3% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 9 | 2.7% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 5 | 1.5% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 3 | 0.9% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Cruze problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Chevrolet Cruze 2016–2019
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Electrical system110 reports33,00013,000–61,000Electrical system: 110 reports, median 33,000 miles, middle half 13,000 to 61,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise100 reports35,00012,000–60,000Problems owners could not categorise: 100 reports, median 35,000 miles, middle half 12,000 to 60,000 miles.
- Fuel and propulsion system57 reports36,0008,000–67,000Fuel and propulsion system: 57 reports, median 36,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 67,000 miles.
- Brakes51 reports40,00014,000–62,000Brakes: 51 reports, median 40,000 miles, middle half 14,000 to 62,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline99 reports45,00025,000–72,000Transmission and driveline: 99 reports, median 45,000 miles, middle half 25,000 to 72,000 miles.
- Engine207 reports53,00019,000–75,000Engine: 207 reports, median 53,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 75,000 miles.
- Airbag system39 reports58,00021,000–91,000Airbag system: 39 reports, median 58,000 miles, middle half 21,000 to 91,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 207 | 35.6% | 53,000 | 19,000–75,000 |
| Electrical system | 110 | 18.9% | 33,000 | 13,000–61,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 100 | 17.2% | 35,000 | 12,000–60,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 99 | 17.0% | 45,000 | 25,000–72,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 57 | 9.8% | 36,000 | 8,000–67,000 |
| Brakes | 51 | 8.8% | 40,000 | 14,000–62,000 |
| Airbag system | 39 | 6.7% | 58,000 | 21,000–91,000 |
| Steering | 33 | 5.7% | 43,000 | 21,000–61,000 |
| Body structure | 28 | 4.8% | 42,000 | 18,000–75,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 28 | 4.8% | 30,000 | 10,000–60,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 36,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 35.6% of complaints (207 reports, 105 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 53,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 75,000 miles.
A single system taking 35.6% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The electrical system accounts for 18.9% of complaints (110 reports, 67 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 33,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,000 and 61,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 17.2% of complaints (100 reports, 55 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 35,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 60,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 17.0% of complaints (99 reports, 47 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 45,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 72,000 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 9.8% of complaints (57 reports, 26 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 36,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 67,000 miles.
The brakes account for 8.8% of complaints (51 reports, 29 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 40,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,000 and 62,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2016–2019 Cruze
Engine (1.4L LE2 Turbo) 2016–2019
Coolant leaks from the plastic thermostat/water-outlet housing and turbo coolant lines, plus continued PCV-system and valve-cover failures inherited in concept from the LUJ.
Engine (1.4L LE2 Turbo) 2016–2019
Head gasket failure and coolant loss reported at moderate mileage, often following the cooling-system leaks above.
Emissions (1.6L Diesel) 2017–2018
DEF/SCR and DPF regeneration faults triggering limp mode and no-start countdowns.
Before you buy a 2016–2019 Cruze: the 3-minute check
Generated from 330 mileage-tagged complaints, 6 recall campaigns, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 6 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine (1.4L LE2 turbo) on 2016–2019 cars. Coolant leaks from the plastic thermostat/water-outlet housing and turbo coolant lines, plus continued PCV-system and valve-cover failures inherited in concept from the LUJ.
- Check engine (1.4L LE2 turbo) on 2016–2019 cars. Head gasket failure and coolant loss reported at moderate mileage, often following the cooling-system leaks above.
- Check emissions (1.6L diesel) on 2017–2018 cars. DEF/SCR and DPF regeneration faults triggering limp mode and no-start countdowns.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 14,000 and 67,000 miles, with a median of 36,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The electrical system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 33,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Cruze problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi66% below | At 90k mi90% below | At 120k mi97% below | At 150k mi99% below | At 200k mi100% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 19,000–75,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 13,000–61,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 12,000–60,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 25,000–72,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 8,000–67,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Brakes | 14,000–62,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Airbag system | 21,000–91,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Chevrolet Cruze 2016–2019 · 330 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 66% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 90% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 97% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 100% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2016–2019 Chevrolet Cruze recalls (6)
NHTSA records 6 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Oct 2020 · 2018–2019 · Power TrainMissing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress…
The defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC…
What can happen. Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the…
The free fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact…
Aug 2018 · 2018–2019 · Service Brakes, HydraulicA reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The…
What can happen. A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The free fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac…
May 2018 · 2016–2018 · Fuel System, GasolineA fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
The defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Cruze LS vehicles, equipped with a gasoline engine and a tire inflator kit instead of a spare tire. The vehicles may leak gasoline following a rear-impact crash and a rollover. As such, these…
What can happen. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
The free fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a lock-ring on the fuel tank that will shield the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor from damage in a rear-impact crash, free of charge. The recall began…
Jan 2017 · 2016–2017 · SeatsIn a crash, the seat-backs for the front seats may break, increasing the risk of injury to the occupants.
The defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. A bracket used in the driver or front passenger seat-back recliner mechanism may have been incorrectly welded to the seat-back frame, as a result, in the event of a crash, the…
What can happen. In a crash, the seat-backs for the front seats may break, increasing the risk of injury to the occupants.
The free fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seats, replacing any with seat-back frames that are incorrectly welded, free of charge. The recall began on February 28, 2017.…
Jul 2016 · 2016 · Electrical SystemIf the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting…
The defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011…
What can happen. If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
The free fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer…
Jul 2016 · 2016 · Exterior LightingWithout the identification code, the headlights may be improperly aimed during service, reducing nighttime…
The defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Cruze vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to May 26, 2016. The headlight assemblies are not marked with a three-digit identifier code used to properly aim the headlights. As such, these vehicles…
What can happen. Without the identification code, the headlights may be improperly aimed during service, reducing nighttime visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. GM will mail owners instructions and adhesive labels, with the correct code, to install on their headlight assemblies. Owners may also bring the vehicle to a GM dealership for any assistance with…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 581 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 48 (8.3%)
- Fires
- 16
- Injury reports
- 25
- Fatality reports
- 1
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Cruze problems by model year
The 2016 drew the most complaints of this generation, 250, most of them about the engine, and the 2019 the fewest, 21. A typical year drew about 155.
The first year of the generation, 2016, drew more complaints than a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 250 | 149 | 57,000 | Engine (102) | 4 |
| 2017 | 201 | 114 | 28,000† | Engine (73) | 2 |
| 2018 | 109 | 61 | 24,000† | Engine (27) | 3 |
| 2019 | 21 | 6 | under 30 reports | Transmission and driveline (6) | 2 |
What Cruze owners reported
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield wiper compartment inadvertently opened. There was a failure with the seat belts. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt was excessively loose, and the front passenger’s side seat belt was…
2018 · 67,000 miles · Seat belts
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that upon returning to the parked vehicle, while attempting to unlock the doors with the key fob, the doors failed to open. The contact was able to open the door manually using the key. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and closing the front…
2016 · 57,000 miles · Electrical system
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the door latches independently unlocked and locked. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had occurred with all four doors. The contact stated that the RPM occasionally increased unintendedly. The contact…
2017 · 17,000 miles · Electrical system
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). The contact pulled over, added water to the coolant…
2016 · 104,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 330 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Cruze generations
- Cruze 2011–2015 2,366 reports with mileage, most about the engine