2014 Chevrolet Cruze
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 702 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 10 Cruze model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 70 involved a crash and 17 involved a fire. 57 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, side/windowNov 6, 2025
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. The left and/or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflators located on the roof rails above the headliner, may rupture at the inflator weld joint.
An inflator that ruptures may partially inflate the air bag and cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of an injury.
Dealers will replace the left and/or right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252530830. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 23V674 and 23V870.
Campaign 25V764000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowDec 21, 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. The left and/or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflators may rupture at the inflator weld joint. This recall is an expansion of Recall 23V-674.
An inflator that ruptures may partially inflate the air bag and cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of an injury.
Dealers will replace the left and/or right-side RRAB modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 22, 2024. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232425640.
Campaign 23V870000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowSep 20, 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. The left and/or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflators located on the roof rails above the headliner, may rupture at the inflator weld joint.
An inflator that ruptures may partially inflate the air bag and cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of an injury.
Dealers will replace the left and/or right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 12, 2024. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232408490.
Campaign 23V674000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, ignitionJul 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."
If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 16V502000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringJul 10, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured November 8, 2013, to March 12, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the inner tie rod may not be tightened to specification allowing the tie rod to separate from the steering gear.
Separation of the tie rod from the steering gear could result in the loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15386.
Campaign 15V442000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electricalJul 2, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.
Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.
Campaign 14V417000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsJun 26, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the driver's front air bag inflator may have been manufactured with an incorrect part.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's air bag, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike and potentially seriously injure the vehicle occupants. Additionally, if the air bag does not inflate, the driver is at an increased risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side air bag, free of charge. The recall began on June 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14305.
Campaign 14V372000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftMar 31, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with a 1.4L turbo engine, and manufactured between November 28, 2012, and March 7, 2014. On the affected vehicles, the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.
If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move unexpectedly. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the right half shaft, as needed, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. GM will send an interim letter to owners in May 2014. A second owner letter will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-866-694-6546. GM's number for this recall is 14079. This is an expansion of recall 13V-452. NOTE: Some vehicles subject to this recall were subject to the recall campaign initiated in 2013. Some of those vehicles were repaired using defective parts. Those owners will be advised that they must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign and that having the earlier recall completed did not remedy their vehicles.
Campaign 14V151000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionFeb 21, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
Campaign 14V092000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftSep 23, 2013
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with manual transmissions (MF3/MR5) and manufactured January 24, 2013, through August 1, 2013. On the affected vehicles, the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.
If the half shaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move unexpectedly. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
General Motors has notified owners. Dealers will replace the half shaft assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 15, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300. This is General Motors campaign number 13276.
Campaign 13V452000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
233 reports, newest first. Show all
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 16, 2022
The car keeps overheating and it has been to the mechanic multiple times and the problem exist. If I get on the highway my transmission hot engine idle light comes on. I have had a transmission replaced and a lot of other things repaired and the issue continues
Steering, Power train, Engine, Nov 12, 2022
My car often loses power unexpectedly in the middle of a turn in an intersection and once while exiting a busy road. Twice it has died upon arrival at destinations and yet the battery has indicated when tested as fully charged. The key indicator is the radio system turns off for a second or two and then automatically restarts and the car with it. When this occurs the car is unable to be driven as the wheel will not turn. I have informed the local Chevy dealership near me and test was done with no error codes reported. What I have had to do is remove the battery cable and replace it and it seems to make the car work for a little longer until it starts the process again with the radio. I had work done to repair the window motor and that is when I first notified Chevy (I will have to locate the date). I have given permission for my friend to drive the car and he has seen this occur with the radio but did not notice if the car shut down.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 3, 2022
my headgasket blow due to excessive overheating or other problems i’m not 100 percent sure. i’m not sure if my vehicle is available for inspection upon request. my head gasket blown on the highway, this is very unsafe due to cars around me going excessive speeds. chevrolet recalled some 2013/2014 cruze models due too problems with the head gasket. it’s UNKNOWN if my vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. right before my head gasket blown my engine light cut on.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 24, 2022
I was sitting at a red light and my vehicle began to move forward with my foot on the brake. The vehicle began to increase in rpm's like i was pushing on the accelerator but i was not!! Later that day i went to the gm dealer to see what they could find and didn't find anything cause the computer had reset since i had shut the car off. Two days later the car did the exact same thing so i immediately drove to the car dealer. Told them how dangerous that was and i couldn't believe the car was acting like i was giving it more gas when i wasn't!! They hooked it up to the computer and found the problem this time. It had to do with a crack in my pollution canister. With that crack my computer thought my car needed more gas and would give it more gas. I can't believe they let a computer program give your car more gas and you have no control of it and without warning. The first time it did it i was not prepared for it and when the computer gave my car more gas it began to move into the intersection and almost caused a horrible accident. Since the dealer replaced the pollution canister i have not had any problems. I have warned everyone i know about what happened and to be prepared for it. It just amazes me that more people haven't been seriously hurt by this! Hopefully that crack that caused my problems doesn't happen to anyone else!!
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 21, 2022
My vehicle has under 80,000 miles and the catalytic converter is already bad. Its causing engine issues and the vehicle to jerk forward when stopped.
Engine, Oct 14, 2022
The car catalytic converter failed again. It failed once before in 2017. The dealer fixed it as it was under warranty and GM had a recall on it. There was a check engine light that came on. Took it to the Chevy dealer. It was diagnosed the the catalytic converter failed. To repair it the dealership is charging me $3600.00 for it. This should be a manufacturing defect as the same problem happened and should be covered by the manufacture. GM is aware of this problem and still do not want to address it.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 15, 2022
As of today, 9/15/22, I have had to replace my coolant housing system 3 times within one year. There is a crack that is constantly in it. Today, while I’m the highway traveling 75 mph, my car overheated and begin to idle on the highway putting myself and others at risk. It wasn’t due to coolant not being in the car, because it was filled this morning(9/15/22). There were no warning signs that my vehicle gave me. It wasn’t inspected since the last time I got the coolant housing fixed in June of 2022.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated she became aware that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer and catalytic converters were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The catalytic converters were replaced a second time however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Engine, Aug 5, 2022
Turbochager is malfunctioning. The engine could have seized and since its mostly highway driving to get anywhere that could be bad. The problem has been confirmed through a auto shop. Not inspected by anyone else. There are no warning lamps. Message was low oil. checked it and there was no oil in the car.
Engine, Jul 25, 2022
The turbo breaks on all of these cars. Mine caused damage to my transmission and I have spent two months trying to get it working but all of the turbos for sale or broken or break. Now I believe it has caused damage to the converter as the car consistently drops out of high gears and then revs at over 5000 RPMs refusing to upshift. I live in an area with hilly freeways and I have almost been in two accidents because my car can't go over 50 MPH uphill and that's if I was going faster before getting to the incline. If every turbo on this car breaks, causing these issues, why has there not been a recall? This is dangerous to everyone with these cars. Chevy needs to take responsibility to fix this issue.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 23, 2022
The car overheats due to the water pump and coolant leaks .
Power train, Engine, Jun 19, 2022
car is hard to start after getting gas and transmission does not operate correctly to get up to speed from an intersection the engine revs to 7000 RPM to get up to 40MPH and several times coming close to being run into at times transmission did not work put shifter in drive accelerate and nothing suddenly transmission engaged and the car bolted forward
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 8, 2022
Failed catalyst converter due to hot exhaust overload.. cracked ceramic lining in catalyst.
Engine, Apr 27, 2022
I took my car into King Chevrolet last year around August. The car was overheating and the fan was running almost all the time. When they ran the diagnoses which I was charged 100 dollars for, they told me I had a loose plug. About 1 month after that, it started doing it again. I called the service department and was told I should get rid of the car as they are not that good of a vehicle by the service tech. I found the thermostat was broken and replaced it. It helped for a while then I noticed the check engine light and it was code p0420 which stated it was a bad catalytic converter. I noticed a recall in 2018 by GM, recall # 16186. I called them today and they said my car was not affected. It did affect 2014 chevy cruze according to the recall. They wanted me to bring it in to have it diagnosed again for 100 dollars. I have have the valve cover replaced twice as the pvc valve was defective. The car has 116,000 miles now and it had 96,000 when this started happening. I would like to know if they are telling the truth, or just trying to soak me for repairs.
Engine, Mar 19, 2022
The hose that carries the coolant constantly pops off and leaks coolant. I had it fixed in 2019 at a dealership when it first happened. It started happening again last year and it will over heat. A light in my car comes on saying things are shutting down in order to cool the vehicle. I cant afford to keep fixing it. I don't know why it keeps happening.
Power train, Traction control system, Engine, Feb 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle would independently enter into limp mode and downshift as the service traction control, service stabilitrak, reduced engine power, and the check engine warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle would not shift out of first gear once the failure occurred. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on multiple occasions and each time the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, she started to smell a burning oil odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she turned off the heater to stop the odor from entering the cabin. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the turbo oil feed and return line to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with TSB: PI0851B. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine, Dec 27, 2021
While driving check engine light came on and car start losing power and not shifting correctly being close to home attempted to baby vehicle home. Car started to make strange noise immediately pulled over and shut car off. Had car towed to personal mechanic. The turbo has blown apart
Engine, Dec 7, 2021
The car suddenly lacked power and was making a strange noise. The oil level suddenly dropped. Then the engine light came on. We took the car to the dealer. And a few days later we received a letter from Chevrolet about extending the warranty on the PCV valve due to failure. We contacted our personal service person who confirmed that was inline with the PCV failure. We then took it to the Chevrolet dealer who said it would cost 9k to repair despite it being a known issue. This could have resulted in an accident if we had not caught it.
Engine, Dec 3, 2021
My 2014 Cruze has 55600 miles and started to make a ticking noise oil was checked no problem however there was no antifreeze/coolant so I added it. Less than a week later again I had NO antifreeze/coolant I saw that Chevy had a recall on some 2013 & 2014 chevy cruze’s head gasket. My VIN isn’t coming up. I feel after babying my car and servicing her religiously that the issue is the responsibility of the manufacturer.
Engine, Dec 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The traction control and check engine warning lights along with various codes were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle with a cylinder misfire. The contact replaced the ignition coil pack and four spark plugs; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact with a code to provide to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
Engine, Nov 19, 2021
My engine is making whistling sounds, the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV), is failing. This is causing my check engine light to flicker on and off. The diagnostic codes report that the turbo seal may be cracked due to this issue above.
Engine, Nov 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer for an oil change however, upon return of the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's son called the dealer and made an appointment to have the vehicle serviced. The contact informed her son that she would be charged a diagnostic fee and the contact canceled the appointment. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where they discovered a coolant leak related to a defective water pump. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,047.
Engine, Nov 8, 2021
We have discovered a known issue with the pistons cracking. Seems this issue has impacted a huge number of people. We are now left with an unuseable vehicle that requires 8k in repairs. There are tons of articles and complaints about this issue. Chevrolet must repair or reimburse all those that have been impacted.
Power train, Engine, Sep 22, 2021
I have a code p0420 code and engine light keeps comeback on I had the catalytic converter replaced, and everything inspected by Friendship Chevrolet in Forestcity NC 28043. Kept my car for two weeks and still couldn’t find the problem of this p0420 code so my engine light stays on.