2012 Chevrolet Cruze Recalls, Complaints & Specs
7 safety recalls list the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, and owners have filed 865 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
7 safety recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Ignition (electrical system) and power train: 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…
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…
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Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at…
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Power assist (service brakes)
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…
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace a microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.…
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Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
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Air bags
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
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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…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will modify the engine shield to prevent fluid from contacting the shield. Also, on vehicles with a manual transmission, dealers will apply a protective tape to the electronic power…
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Mounting (fuel system)
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds. If the vehicle is missing welds, dealers will secure the bracket attachments with fasteners. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The…
865 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze have filed 865 complaints with NHTSA; 62 describe a crash and 18 describe a fire. Reports cite 30 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 60,470 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 161 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“I was driving and the engine caught on fire. The flames came from the turbo gasket compartment not sure why or how it ignited. Thankfully the damage was not that extensive the car was towed to my resi”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 31, 2026 · Engine
“Was driving and my car literally wouldn't go forward. Prior to I had an oil change and I would smell burning oil”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 16, 2026 · Engine
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze (Cruze Eco). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 26–32 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 22–28 / 34–40 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Midsize Cars |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.4/1.8 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S6); Automatic 6-spd; Manual 6-spd |
Compare Chevrolet Cruze model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Chevrolet Cruze model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Chevrolet Cruze | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 Chevrolet Cruze | 7 | 732 |
| 2012 Chevrolet Cruze | 7 | 865 |
| 2013 Chevrolet Cruze | 5 | 587 |
| 2014 Chevrolet Cruze | 10 | 702 |
| 2015 Chevrolet Cruze | 4 | 252 |
| 2016 Chevrolet Cruze | 4 | 250 |
| 2017 Chevrolet Cruze | 2 | 201 |
| 2018 Chevrolet Cruze | 3 | 109 |
| 2019 Chevrolet Cruze | 2 | 23 |
Checking a specific 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
How do I know if my 2012 Chevrolet Cruze has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 7 campaigns currently list the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Chevrolet dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 12V288000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Chevrolet models
- Malibu19,364 complaints
- Silverado 150018,029 complaints
- Impala10,434 complaints
- Tahoe10,032 complaints
- Equinox9,161 complaints
- Silverado8,799 complaints
- Blazer8,192 complaints
- Suburban8,164 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.