2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
158
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
34
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
The 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE has received a total of 158 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE. 34 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (25 complaints), Power Train (23 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (22 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE, potentially affecting up to 516,699 vehicles.
Recall 20V668000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
| 194,105 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Consequence: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service...
View full details →Recall 18V576000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
| 210,628 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or...
View full details →Recall 18V304000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
| 111,966 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
158 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Power Train | 23 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 8 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingheadlights | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengineoillubrication | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingturn Signalbulbs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkagestrunk Lidlock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdisccaliper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
-The engine experienced internal failure resulting in low compression in cylinder 1. The failure has rendered the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle and engine are currently available for inspection upon request. The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by both an independent mechanic and an authorized Chevrolet dealership. Both identified low compression in cylinder 1 due to internal engine failure. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and an authorized Chevrolet dealership at the request of General Motors. The vehicle became undrivable due to the engine issue. There were no significant prior warnings that would have indicated imminent internal engine failure. The check engine light turned on 2/9/26 and was first taken into a shop the next day, 2/10/26.
The steering started to shake. The car seat started to shake as well. It felt very unsafe, but there was no serious injury. John from Feldman Chevrolet in New Hudson, Michigan said that there is a "Cylinder 1 misfire code". After the car started shaking, the engine light came on. John told us that the engine should be replaced.
The steering started to shake. The car seat started to shake as well. It felt very unsafe, but there was no serious injury. John from Feldman Chevrolet in New Hudson, Michigan said that there is a "Cylinder 1 misfire code". After the car started shaking, the engine light came on. John told us that the engine should be replaced.
Hesitate to change gears properly. Engine stalling. RPM will rive up. Sounds like the transmission wants to slip.
My vehicle would jerk while driving and sometimes not want to even go at a stop light when it turned green. Check engine light has been on. Even when I was at a stop light it would just start jerking forward. I took it to an automotive repair shop after replacing multiple parts on the vehicle. Automotive shop ran a compression test and said it failed. Internal cylinder issue. So the vehicle barely runs and I just got it close to three years ago.
Safety Rating for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
The 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
General Motors, LLC has issued 34 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
22-NA-007 — ENGINE
This service bulletin provides procedures to correct customer concerns of Poor Engine Performance in Extremely Cold Weather Conditions, Charge Air Cooler (CAC) Icing - Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated with DTCs P0299, P0234, P0236, P2227, P00C7 Set.
23-NA-021 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This service bulletin advises the tech that the rotational Clicking Noise Heard After Engine Shut Down may be normal characteristics of the vehicle.
PIP5621C — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
This Preliminary information communicates to the dealer technician that TAC recommends the utilization of the GDS2 software to aid in diagnosing automatic transmission concerns. TAC is requesting the GDS2 session logs be sent in before the dealer contacts TAC.
22-NA-007 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This service bulletin provides procedures to correct customer concerns of Poor Engine Performance in Extremely Cold Weather Conditions, Charge Air Cooler (CAC) Icing - Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated with DTCs P0299, P0234, P0236, P2227, P00C7 Set.
21NA150 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of seeing moisture, condensation in one of the headlamp assemblies.
PIP5684C — EQUIPMENT
This Preliminary information communicates the use of air leak diagnostic test tool CH-52250 in addition to the information found in the service manual.
19NA080 — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
This informational bulletin provides information to the tech to discard the PCV drain tube when working on the lower area of the engine.
18NA118 — EQUIPMENT
This Diagnostic tip explains how an air cleaner installed incorrectly can cause the DTCs to set and provides a procedure to correctly install an air cleaner without damaging the air cleaner bracket.
17NA198 — EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to disengage the jammed parts and release the gears for proper function caused by the mechanical of the height adjustment being jammed, not broken creating a condition of difficult to adjust the seat height and/or seat stuck mostly in lowest position.
17NA233 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to correct a condition of an MIL Illuminated with DTC P0446 Set.
Showing 10 of 34 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the CHEVROLET CRUZE
- 2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE — 930 complaints
- 2014 CHEVROLET CRUZE — 1,084 complaints
- 2015 CHEVROLET CRUZE — 381 complaints
- 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE — 383 complaints
- 2017 CHEVROLET CRUZE — 291 complaints
- 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE (current)
- 2019 CHEVROLET CRUZE — 26 complaints
Other CHEVROLET Models
- CHEVROLET MALIBU — 28,991 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 — 22,175 total complaints
- CHEVROLET IMPALA — 15,197 total complaints
- CHEVROLET TAHOE — 12,511 total complaints
- CHEVROLET EQUINOX — 12,135 total complaints
- CHEVROLET BLAZER — 11,032 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SILVERADO — 10,928 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — 10,375 total complaints