NHTSA Complaint #10516091 — 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE

IN MAY OF 2013, OUR 2012 CHEVY CRUZE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED FLOWING COLD AIR AND WOULD BLOW ONLY HOT AIR. AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED BY DEALER GM MECHANIC IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CONDENSER HAD BEEN HIT BY FOREIGN MATERIAL (ROCK) CREATING A HOLE IN THE CONDENSER AND LETTING ALL OF THE FREON OUT. IT COST ABOUT $600-700 TO FIX. ON MY OWN I FOUND THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS OF CONDENSERS BEING DAMAGED BY ROCKS, AND THAT THROUGH A GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB PI0461B) ISSUED IN THE SUMMER OF 2012 THE PROPER REPAIR FOR THIS WAS REPLACING THE CONDENSER AND INSTALLING A CONDENSER PROTECTIVE SCREEN. SINCE THE TSB INCLUDES ADDING A PROTECTIVE SCREEN AS A DESIGN MODIFICATION IT IS APPARENT THAT GM/CHEVY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE CRUZE, AND THAT THE PLACEMENT OF THE CONDENSER MAKES IT SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE FROM ROCKS. THIS WAS THE POINT THAT I ATTEMPTED TO ARGUE WITH GM WITH NO AVAIL, THAT SINCE THIS DEFECT WAS IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF THE CAR, THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. ALTHOUGH, I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN GETTING GM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR PRODUCT, I HOPE TO HELP ANYONE THAT IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING A CRUZE OR HAS A CRUZE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH CRUZES STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY AND HAVE A DAMAGED CONDENSER MAKE SURE THEY INSTALL THE CONDENSER SCREEN. FOR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO INSIST THAT YOUR CRUZE HAVE THE CONDENSER SCREEN INSTALLED PRIOR TO PURCHASE. *TR