Your vehicle report
2016 Chevrolet Cruze
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 250
- Received Feb 2016 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Head gasket leaks coolant into engine24 complaints · 9.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving19 complaints · 7.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes13 complaints · 5.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #18V304000General 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 Integrity."
- Recall #17V057000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. A bracket used in the driver or front passenger seat-back recliner mechanism may have been incorrectly welded to the seat-back frame, as a result, in the event of a crash, the head-restraints may not function properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 202a, "Head Restraints."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 6 fires, 14 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
- Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 21 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 32 |
| 2019 | 42 |
| 2020 | 44 |
| 2021 | 24 |
| 2022 | 27 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 8 |
| Total | 250 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 24 | 9.6% | 7× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 19 | 7.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 5.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 11 | 4.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 2.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 7 | 2.8% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 6 | 2.4% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 6 | 2.4% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 5 | 2.0% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 5 | 2.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 1.6% | – | NHTSA recall #18V304000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Door ajar light stays on when closed | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #18V304000May 10, 2018111,966 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline
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 Integrity."
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 contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18159.
NHTSA recall #17V057000January 26, 201717,197 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: head restraint
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. A bracket used in the driver or front passenger seat-back recliner mechanism may have been incorrectly welded to the seat-back frame, as a result, in the event of a crash, the head-restraints may not function properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 202a, "Head Restraints."
In a crash, the seat-backs for the front seats may break, increasing the risk of injury to the occupants.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seats, replacing any with seat-back frames that are incorrectly welded, free of charge. The recall began on February 28, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17035.
NHTSA recall #16V502000July 5, 20168,367 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition; power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Remedy
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.
NHTSA recall #16V498000July 1, 201632,913 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Cruze vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to May 26, 2016. The headlight assemblies are not marked with a three-digit identifier code used to properly aim the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."
Without the identification code, the headlights may be improperly aimed during service, reducing nighttime visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
GM will mail owners instructions and adhesive labels, with the correct code, to install on their headlight assemblies. Owners may also bring the vehicle to a GM dealership for any assistance with applying the label, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet Customer Service Department at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 50190.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN