2013 Chevrolet Cruze reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze has 586 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 62 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Cruze years here — over the median of the other years, which is 22. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Ignition, Electrical, and Air bags.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze — Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

586

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (211 of 586), then Electrical system (121) and Powertrain (112). Those filings include 54 that report a crash, 8 that report a fire, and 25 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Cruze has 865 complaints, 95 per year, and the 2014 has 702 complaints, 57 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall electrical system, ignition 2016-07-05 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000

Summary 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."

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.

Recall equipment, electrical 2014-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V417000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall Air bags 2014-06-26 · NHTSA campaign 14V372000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall powertrain, axle assembly, axle shaft 2014-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 14V151000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall powertrain, axle assembly, axle shaft 2013-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 13V452000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (586 total)

Engine

211

Electrical system

121

Powertrain

112

Steering

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Air bags

Service brakes

Speed control

Fuel and propulsion system

Engine and engine cooling

Visibility and wipers

Structure

Exterior lighting

Visibility

Suspension

Hydraulic brakes

Seat belts

Wheels

Fuel system, gasoline

Tires

Traction control

Latches, locks, and linkages

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Back-over prevention

Equipment

Lane departure

Seats

Show 19 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I’d like to report this vehicle and its engine as I did not know I could before we have had this car since 2015 This engine has chronic repeated issues that Chevy would patch once under “special coverages” or “extended…"
Speed control, Engine · filed 2026-08-29
"The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact felt ill and pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that a passerby stopped and found the…"
Engine · filed 2026-02-26
"When I accelerate my rpm goes up but car dosent move as speed says and takes for me to let off the gas to speed up , and my steering when I turn it pulls away n it keep popping up service traction and going off"
Steering, Speed control · filed 2025-11-09
"My car over heats at least over 300 degrees. Afraid that my vehicle is In danger of catching fire due to the high temperature causing tension belt and hose components to melt."
Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2025-10-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Chevrolet Cruze 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Cruze	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	26	36	30 MPG	$2150
Cruze	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	34	26 MPG	$2500
Cruze	1.4L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	37	30 MPG	$2150
Cruze	1.8L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	35	29 MPG	$2250
Cruze Eco	1.4L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	28	40	32 MPG	$2050
Cruze Eco	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	37	30 MPG	$2150

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2012–2016

Body styles Sedan, Hatchback

Oil 5W-30 (1.8L); 5W-30 (1.4L turbo where equipped) , 4.2 qt capacity

Tire size 215/60R16 to 225/45R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 12V-288 covers certain 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles: spilled or dripping oil may collect in the engine shield near hot surfaces and ignite. Recall 13V-360 covers certain 2011-2012 Cruze vehicles with the 1.4L turbo and electric vacuum brake assist pump: the pump may not activate, reducing brake assist on some starts. Recall 14V-151 covers certain 2013-2014 Cruze vehicles with the 1.4L turbo: the right front half shaft may fracture and separate.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Next year 2014 Chevrolet Cruze See every Chevrolet Cruze model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze?

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze been recalled?

The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze?

Owners have filed 586 complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze is 29.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did Chevrolet stop selling the Cruze in the US?

The US catalog ends with the 2019 model year.

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Cruze use?

5W-30 (1.8L); 5W-30 (1.4L turbo where equipped)

What does NHTSA recall 12V-288 cover on the Chevrolet Cruze?

Recall 12V-288 covers certain 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles: spilled or dripping oil may collect in the engine shield near hot surfaces and ignite.