← New search

2016 Chevrolet Cruze

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 250.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

149 reports with mileage · 100 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 102 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

19 crash reports6 fire reports12 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

58 reports
Clear category filter
56,639 miles · Aug 18, 2025
Electrical System

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 driver's sid…

Read full complaint

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 driver's side door, the doors locked and failed to unlock. The contact depressed the brake pedal and pressed the Push to Start button, but the vehicle failed to start or unlock. The message "No Key Fob Detected" was displayed. The contact disassembled the key fob and wiped the battery; however, the failure persisted. The contact called his wife, who arrived with another key fob. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The message "Theft Alarm" was displayed. The contact was trapped inside the vehicle for 5 minutes and was sweating due to the temperature inside the vehicle. The contact drove to the residence; however, the instrument panel was partially inoperable. The contact stated that only the RPMs, the speedometer, and the odometer were operable. Upon returning to the residence, the vehicle restarted and operated as needed after several attempts. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,639.

NHTSA ODI #11681263

Mileage unknown · Dec 26, 2024
Electrical System

My tire pressure sensor keeps coming on even after I had it worked on. 3 of them shows the pressure level but one shows 2 lines but no pressure level but there’s air in the tire. The other problem I’m having is the check engine light is on. Please advise if any issues are recalls or do I need to take my car to a service cent…

Read full complaint

My tire pressure sensor keeps coming on even after I had it worked on. 3 of them shows the pressure level but one shows 2 lines but no pressure level but there’s air in the tire. The other problem I’m having is the check engine light is on. Please advise if any issues are recalls or do I need to take my car to a service center. Thank you

NHTSA ODI #11632488

Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2024
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemStructure

Water leak in trunk. Took car in 3 time to have it fixed after them doing the recall( 84279073 f-lamp kit). Every time it went in they found a leak in a different spot. 15Feb17 they found water leaking from right side of the spoiler retainer holes. Dealer removed spoiler applied double back tape and sealer. Reinstalled spoiler…

Read full complaint

Water leak in trunk. Took car in 3 time to have it fixed after them doing the recall( 84279073 f-lamp kit). Every time it went in they found a leak in a different spot. 15Feb17 they found water leaking from right side of the spoiler retainer holes. Dealer removed spoiler applied double back tape and sealer. Reinstalled spoiler 02Mar17 found pin hole leak in weather strip. Dealer replaced weather strip. 01jan24 start having electrical issues. Hard starting/ running weird and finally dead battery. Had les swabs install battery and remove water in trunk. Car starts but shuts off when driving. 05mar24 Dealer finds leak coming from right side spoiler and now 1 licence plat bolt. Charged me 600.00 . to reseal. Here we go again They could never stop/find the leak before and will not warranty previous work. Isn't this a fire/safty issue? That started the recall in the 1st place. And why wasn't drain plugs required for this yr.car. I believe it was in the newer one. I would like to know how many people had to take their car in multiple times to never have the problem truly fixed. Is this a tactic used to make consumers go away and say they fixed the recall, but never really did.

NHTSA ODI #11592463

33,000 miles · Nov 27, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineFuel System, Gasoline

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle inadvertently shut off without warning. The contact stated that soon after the failure, the vehicle independently restarted, and the vehicle resumed normal vehicle operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnost…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle inadvertently shut off without warning. The contact stated that soon after the failure, the vehicle independently restarted, and the vehicle resumed normal vehicle operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed and recommended that the fuel system be cleaned. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

NHTSA ODI #11557053

Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or OtherCrash

At first, and only on cold/rainy/snowy weather, while driving the radio would randomly turn off and turn itself back on (i have videos of this). Sometimes it would last a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes. While this was happening, the blinker sounds wouldn't work. I brought it to Chevy in Geneva, NY for diagnostics. No check…

Read full complaint

At first, and only on cold/rainy/snowy weather, while driving the radio would randomly turn off and turn itself back on (i have videos of this). Sometimes it would last a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes. While this was happening, the blinker sounds wouldn't work. I brought it to Chevy in Geneva, NY for diagnostics. No check engine codes ever. They told me that the radio computer needed to be updated. I had them fix it, only to find out that the problem would still happen. Over a few months, it developed more symptoms. It started to not shut off when I pushed the button, and it also started stalling when it went into auto off, but would turn back on if I put it in park and re started. At first it would stall in auto off at random times. This caused an accident in the summer of 2019. I was at a stop sign, waiting to make a right hand turn, took my foot off the brake and car stalled. The car behind me thought I was going and rear ended me. I had to drive around in the summer with the heat on, as it was the only way to prevent the car from going into auto off. I had the car looked at a few more times after that (paying $100 diagnostic fees every time). Brought it back to chevy and the told me it was because of the damage to my trunk allowing water to get to the battery (it wasn't). Issues then turned into stalling at auto off, but not turning back on once in park. I brought it to the dealership I bought it from and they looked at the alternator and had them clean all battery terminals and replace the battery. This worked for 2 weeks before continuing. It got to the point that I had to jump start my car everytime I wanted to drive it or it stalled. Finally it just wouldnt start, So i had it towed to chevy again in 2021. They determined the issue was the starter and replaced. It worked but as of now (9/13/23) my car has began stalling at auto off. It is very dangerous, car gives no warning!! There is too much to say with limited space

NHTSA ODI #11544286

Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine

Paid thousands of dollars into getting a thermostat housing and thermostat leaking antifreeze a couple months ago started leaking antifreeze again just now

NHTSA ODI #11499313

Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

While at red light, stop signs, or transitioning turns, the engine shuts off and does not restart. Sometimes it shuts down when driving at extremely low speeds. This is dangerous because I have had to push the car while transitioning in multipile lane intersections. Luckily others stop and help me push the car to shoulder or con…

Read full complaint

While at red light, stop signs, or transitioning turns, the engine shuts off and does not restart. Sometimes it shuts down when driving at extremely low speeds. This is dangerous because I have had to push the car while transitioning in multipile lane intersections. Luckily others stop and help me push the car to shoulder or convenience gas stations. The battery and spark plugs are new, and the car has plenty of fuel.

NHTSA ODI #11485101

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2022
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

My car was brought to the dealership around December of 2021because every time I stop at a red light or stop sign the auto stop would cut the car completely off. The dealership said it was because the throttle body needed cleaning out. That is not the case because I can be driving and the car will cut off out of nowhere while dr…

Read full complaint

My car was brought to the dealership around December of 2021because every time I stop at a red light or stop sign the auto stop would cut the car completely off. The dealership said it was because the throttle body needed cleaning out. That is not the case because I can be driving and the car will cut off out of nowhere while driving. Also at times the car seems as if it doesn’t want to crank.

NHTSA ODI #11472463

109,911 miles · Jul 19, 2021
Air BagsElectrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the hydroplane warning light illuminated and the vehicle independently downshifted and decelerated to 50 mph. The contact stated that a couple of weeks later, the contact was driving at 65 mph and the vehicle independently downshifted and decelerat…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the hydroplane warning light illuminated and the vehicle independently downshifted and decelerated to 50 mph. The contact stated that a couple of weeks later, the contact was driving at 65 mph and the vehicle independently downshifted and decelerated to 55 mph. The contact then stated that while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated causing the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,911.

NHTSA ODI #11425461

Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2021
Electrical SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other

MY 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. I HAD TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT AND AFTER A INSPECTION. THE (VVT) VARIABLE VALVE TIMING WHEN TRYING TO START MY CAR, IT WOULD CLICK BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER ALL LIGHTS AND POWER WAS ON BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. ALSO, MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND AND THE METAL WIRE RING INSIDE OF THE START…

Read full complaint

MY 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. I HAD TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT AND AFTER A INSPECTION. THE (VVT) VARIABLE VALVE TIMING WHEN TRYING TO START MY CAR, IT WOULD CLICK BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER ALL LIGHTS AND POWER WAS ON BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. ALSO, MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND AND THE METAL WIRE RING INSIDE OF THE STARTER WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN IN HALF.AND HAD TO BE REPLACED

NHTSA ODI #11408416

Official recalls

4

18V304000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

May 10, 2018

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 vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: 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 June 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18159.

17V057000 · Seats:front Assembly:head Restraint

Jan 26, 2017

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 head-restraints may not function properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 202a, "Head Restraints."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In a crash, the seat-backs for the front seats may break, increasing the risk of injury to the occupants.

Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17035.

16V502000 · Electrical System:ignition; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Jul 5, 2016

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 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:ignition

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 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

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 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

16V498000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Jul 1, 2016

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 fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without the identification code, the headlights may be improperly aimed during service, reducing nighttime visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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 applying the label, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet Customer Service Department at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 50190.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.