Best and worst Chevrolet Cruze years — which to avoid

Buying a used Chevy Cruze can be a great decision if you are looking for a reliable and cost-effective compact car, but only if you go for the right model year. There are some Chevy Cruze models that received quite a bad rating, so our team wanted to help with some buying advice.

To do that, we listened to what real Cruze owners have to say through their submissions to NHTSA and complaints, as well as the official data from Chevy Cruze recalls. Join us as we go deeper into the best years to buy and worst Chevrolet Cruze years to avoid for an easier time making up your mind on which years are worth your time and money, and which ones are for the “trash it” category.

Why you can trust REREV’s advice on which car model years to avoid: Our car experts look at official data, ask real drivers what they think, and talk to experienced mechanics to make sure our list is useful. This reliable info can make buying a car easier for you. Want to know how we do it? Find out more about our research methodology.

How we rated the best and worst Chevrolet Cruze years

We created this guide to be aligned with verified information on reliable and not-so-reliable Chevy Cruze years, and for that, we used multiplier trustworthy sources. We naturally had to base our search on databases of driving safety organizations like NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

That’s how we got to see whether the Cruze can be considered a safety pick based on driving safety tests including the crash test. After that, we focused on details regarding common issues and driver complaints to see what makes certain Cruze years worse than others.

Finally, we went a step further to deliver double-checked information on what could go wrong with those years as we compared the information from trusted organizations with driver impressions submitted on Chevy Cruze forums. All that has led us to the following conclusion on the best and worst years of the model:

Most common Chevy Cruze problems

For an affordable compact sedan, the Chevy Cruze was a rather well-rounded car built to last with quality interior materials and design. Well, it’s at least true among the lower-scale sedans, and the car mostly lasted up to 250,000 miles with no significant repairs if serviced properly.

However, this is not the case for all the Cruze models, since some production years have shown to be less reliable than others. Most notably, there were some first-generation Cruze problems which included automatic transmission faults, oil leaks, water pump faults, and some minor electrical issues.

1. Problems with automatic transmission

One of the most expensive issues that you might encounter as a Chevy Cruze owner is automatic transmission failure. The worst part is that owners have reported the 6-speed automatic cars from the first generation of Cruze failing within 80,000 miles due to transmission problems.

This often required a complete transmission rebuild which costs between $2,500 and $3,600 for this model. Having in mind the starting price of the vehicle, this repair cost the owners a significant chunk of what they paid for this car. This also caused a recall of certain 2009 to 2011 Chevy Cruze models back in 2011, so you should check if the vehicle had the transmission remanufactured before buying.

2. Oil leaks on some engines

Chevy Cruze was never supposed to be a sporty car, so its engine selection was rather moderate in terms of performance. While 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter engines had decent gas mileage, owners have reported numerous Ecotec engine problems including oil leaks and problems with the blown head gasket.

In the worst-case scenario, this also leads to engine repairs that could go up to $2000 depending on the severity. One of the best options for this car is the 1.8-liter petrol engine or a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that came with the second generation.

3. Water pump leaks

One of the most common problems that Chevy Cruze owners reported is a water pump leak or complete failure. It’s mostly associated with a 1.4-liter Cruze produced between 2011 and 2014 and there’s been a recall in 2015 concerning these models which included replacing the faulty pump with a new one.

The water pump failure problem can easily turn into engine overheating since the coolant won’t be able to move through the system.

4. Electrical system issues

One of the less severe problems you might have with your Chevy Cruze is an electrical system fault. It often included problems with the negative battery terminals, radio malfunctions, or inoperable board computers.

While electrical issues weren’t as bad as oil leaks and transmission faults, it’s still a bothersome problem and it’s common for most petrol-engine Cruze models.

Worst Chevy Cruze years to avoid

Even though Chevy Cruze had its fair share of problems as a model, it’s still highly regarded as a compact sedan by most previous owners. Perhaps that’s why it’s still a shame that the model was officially discontinued in 2019 and the Chevy Malibu sedan somewhat replaced it in Chevy’s lineup.

While the first generation had most of the prominent problems, the second generation of the model came in with big improvements. The engine swap from Ecotec to a 1.4-liter turbo engine proved to be a great move and there were significantly fewer transmission problems, so here are the main model years you should avoid:

• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2016
• 2017

Of course, we’ll go through these model years and stop for a bit to explain why they are best avoided, and why you can get much more value for your money by buying one of the better-rated ones.

First-generation Chevy Cruze (2011 to 2014 model years)

The first generation of Chevy Cruze started production in 2008 and ended in 2016. This generation placed the Cruze as one of the best affordable sedan models, but it also had a lot of issues that were later fixed with the second generation.

These include engine oil leaks, transmission faults, engine cooling problems caused by the faulty water pump, and a few other issues. If you wish to buy a first-generation Cruze model, you should avoid the model years from 2011 to 2014. The 2009 model year received much fewer complaints than other years up to 2015.

During this time, there were several recalls by Chevrolet and they mostly referred to engine cooling issues and the transmission. Drivers commonly reported smelling anti-freeze in the cabin, which was bad for engine overheating as it was mostly caused by leaks. Also, there were braking system recalls and electrical system fault recalls including one concerning airbags.

Second-generation Chevy Cruze (the 2016 model year)

The first model year of the second generation Chevy Cruze also lived through some complaints by drivers, but it’s drastically less when compared to the first generation. Most of the problems were sorted out for the redesigned models after the 2016 model year, and these issues include electrical system faults and misaligned headlights.

Also, there were some problems reported with the start-stop system and vehicle stalling when the system was engaged. If you are buying a second-generation Cruze, it’s best to stick with the later model years.

What are the best Chevy Cruze years to buy?

The second-generation Chevy Cruze comes without the mentioned problems and it’s one of the best-buy family sedans for the price and the features it comes with. The first generation received quite a few criticisms outside the notable problems that the models from 2011 to 2015 faced.

So, still wondering what are the best Chevy Cruze years to buy? The best Chevy Cruze years are 2009 and 2018. But, to help you go around the oil leak, transmission, and water pump problems, here’s a full list of the best Chevy Cruze model years to buy:

• 2009
• 2010
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019

We’ll further explain the two respective models of each generation with the best rating to serve as buying advice for when the time comes for your final decision.

2009 Chevy Cruze

The 2009 and 2010 model years proved to be the best when it comes to the first generation of Cruze. While buying these, it’s best to go with the 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated petrol engine or a 1.7-liter turbocharged diesel engine.

These happened to face the least issues such as water pump failure or problems with oil leaks leading to engine faults. They nearly faced a zero number of complaints made to NHTSA, and most driver reviews vouch for the model’s great dependability in contrast with the following models.

2018 Chevy Cruze

The 2018 Chevy Cruze was redesigned and it’s the best Chevy Cruze model year with the least reported faults.

It also has a fresh new interior and the only problem with these model years is in the start-stop system that sometimes caused vehicle stalling. Sadly, the Cruze was canceled after the 2019 production year, and it’s still produced only in South America. The sedan version of the Chevy Malibu replaced the Cruze in US Chevrolet’s lineup and the company decided to only have one compact sedan on offer.

Is Chevy Cruze worth buying?

Overall, Chevy Cruze is a decent small sedan for city driving purposes, but the problems that the first generation had in certain model years make it a difficult buying decision. You can go for the Toyota Corolla or Hyundai Elantra instead of the 2011 to 2015 Chevy Cruze models for a bit more reliability.

Buying any of the recalled models with fixed water pumps and transmission systems is a worthy option for a used car in this generation, while the second-generation Cruze is an excellent choice. It’s one of the cars with the best price-to-quality ratio and you can drive it up to 250,000 miles with just timely maintenance.

In the hunt for a car that’s both reliable and fun? We’ve sifted through owner feedback and common problems to highlight which ones shine and which ones to avoid. Check out our easy-to-follow guides on the Ford Focus years to avoid, Hyundai Elantra years to avoid, and Nissan Sentra years to avoid to steer your search in the right direction.