Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2013 Chevrolet Cruze: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 586 safety complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

586
Complaints
5
Recalls
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 54 crashes, 8 fires, 32 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling leads the complaint list, cited in 232 of 586 complaints, followed by Electrical.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 32 of the 586 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 586 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
232
Electrical
121
Power train / transmission
112
Brakes & stability
107
Other / unspecified
80
Steering
74
Airbags & restraints
50
Visibility & lighting
42

"I own 3 Chevy Cruze, a 2012, 2013 and 2016. They all partial power down or decelerate while driving. The local Chevy dealers has no recalls for this issue or any other for that matter. Please advise"

Owner complaint filed June 2024 · Power Train,Unknown Or Other,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11593075

"I'm looking into purchasing a Chevy Cruze 2013 Lt from a friend. I am researching and noticing some issues and recalls. I was wondering if this statement is true. Could you let me know more information about this? Thank you for your time. The issues I'm seeing are the turbocharge and coolant at the moment."

Owner complaint filed May 2024 · Seats,Unknown Or Other,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11589343

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
29
108
48
47
54
80
54
47
29
30
29
17
11
3
1314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2013 compares with other model years

Across the Chevrolet Cruze model years we track, the 2012 has the most complaints on file (865); the 2013 ranks 4 of 4.

Total complaints by model year — Chevrolet Cruze
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
731
865
2013
586
702
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 5 recalls

5 recalls apply to some or all 2013 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Sep 201313V-452
Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft

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.

Mar 201414V-151
Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft

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.

Jun 201414V-372
Air Bags

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.

Jul 201414V-417
Equipment:Electrical

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 201…

Jul 201616V-502
Electrical System:Ignition

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-…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 586 complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze have?

The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.