NHTSA Complaint #11365853 — 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE

NEW 2016 CRUZE LIMITED, 2 YEARS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR, WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING REPLACEMENT(COVERED BY THE DRIVE-TRAIN WARRANTY),2 YEARS LATER, CAR OVERHEATS AGAIN, I AM APPARENTLY LOSING WATER BUT NOT EVIDENT IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER, TOLD THEM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING AGAIN AND THEY CONDUCTED AN ANALYSIS FOR WHICH I HAD TO PAY $96.00, (CAR HAS 72,000 MILES, OUT OF WARRANTY) TELLING ME THE SAME THING I HAD ALREADY FIGURED OUT, THAT I NEED A NEW WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING. THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $870.00. TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT. NOW UNDERSTAND, MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON GOOD FAITH THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD RELY ON. I AM RETIRED AND SHE IS DISABLED. I NEEDED A DEPENDABLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT IT, IT WAS GREAT. BUT BACK TO OUR DILEMMA, AFTER I WAS GIVEN THE ESTIMATE, I TOLD THEM I DID NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR THE REPAIR, AND THEY MADE SURE THE COOLANT WAS FULL AND I LIMPED IT BACK TO MY HOUSE. I PURCHASED A NEW WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT HOUSING, AND A WATER OUTLET ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED IT MYSELF. I AM AN EXPERIENCED MECHANIC. AFTER REPLACEMENT, WHILE ON OUR WAY TO AN APPOINTMENT THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR OVER HEATED AGAIN. GOT IT BACK TO THE HOUSE, FOUND NO LEAKS, BLED THE SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO AIR IN THE LINES. DROVE IT THE NEXT DAY AND THE ENGINE STOPPED ON ME ON THE ROAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IT WOULD NOT RE-START. CHECKED THE OIL DIPSTICK AND FOUND WATER IN ENGINE! SOME ANALYSIS I WAS GIVEN. HAD IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE. HERE WE ARE WITH A 4 YEAR OLD CAR, 72,000 MILE ENGINE AND IT IS DONE. WE LIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND I STILL OWE PAYMENTS. WHY WEREN'T THESE CARS RECALLED IF THEY KNEW SO MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS COOLING PROBLEM ON THE CARS? NOW WHAT DO WE DO? I DON'T WANT TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A BROKEN CAR!