VehicleVerdict

Chevrolet Cruze years to avoid

The Chevrolet Cruze years to avoid are 2012, 2011, 2014, 2013 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 2010 is the cleanest year on record.

5,763

Total complaints

26

Recall campaigns

2010–2019

Years covered

4

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Chevrolet Cruze NHTSA complaints by model year1,353 complaints2010: 2 complaints2011: 1,115 complaints2012: 1,353 complaints2013: 934 complaints2014: 1,096 complaints2015: 383 complaints2016: 391 complaints2017: 295 complaints2018: 166 complaints2019: 28 complaints
Chevrolet Cruze NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Cruze years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
2012High complaint rate1,353
2011High complaint rate1,115
2014High complaint rate1,096
2013High complaint rate934

Every Cruze year

YearComplaintsRecalls
2019282
20181663
20172952
20163914
20153834
2014avoid1,09610
2013avoid9345
2012avoid1,3537
2011avoid1,1157
201020

Common questions

What are the worst Chevrolet Cruze years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the Cruze years to avoid are 2012, 2011, 2014, 2013. The cleanest year on record is 2010.

What is the best year for the Chevrolet Cruze?

By complaint volume, 2010 has the cleanest NHTSA record among Cruze years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Chevrolet Cruze have?

Across all model years, the Cruze has 26 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 5,763 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.