Chevrolet
Chevrolet Cruze years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2014. Best years: 2018 and 2019.
The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze draws the most owner complaints for its age: 643, or 49 for each year on the road, against a median of 21 a year across the 6 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2014 is stalling (93 reports).
- 1,455complaints
- 17recall campaigns
- 5model years with a page
Newest report Sep 20, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2014
Most reported: stalling (93 reports, median 60,000 miles) and infotainment (77 reports, median 61,000 miles).
Best years
2018
Most reported: misfire (14 reports) and brake wear (13 reports, median 28,561 miles).
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2014 alone holds 643 of the 1,455 complaints across the 5 model years with a page here (44%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Stalling leads in 2 of the 5 model years and has the most reports overall, 199. Pooled across the years, half of the 139 owners who gave a mileage for stalling were under about 57,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 11% of Chevrolet Cruze complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2018, 19 of its 109 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 5 model years where owners report stalling has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 261 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 56. So far in 2026, 38 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Cutlass, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2019 (22).
Year by year
2018 Chevrolet Cruze best
109 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (14 reports), brake wear (13 reports, median 28,561 miles) and stalling (10 reports). 17 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 18V-304 on the fuel system and 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 Chevrolet Cruze
201 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (37 reports, median 62,000 miles), stalling (26 reports, median 36,000 miles) and brake wear (19 reports, median 59,238 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 18V-304 on the fuel system and 17V-057 on the seats.
2016 Chevrolet Cruze
250 owner complaints, 23 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (41 reports, median 53,825 miles), misfire (37 reports, median 71,600 miles) and overheating (34 reports, median 73,000 miles). 19 reports involved a crash and 14 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 18V-304 on the fuel system and 16V-502 on the electrical system.
2015 Chevrolet Cruze
252 owner complaints, 21 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (44 reports, median 68,648 miles), misfire (30 reports, median 69,000 miles) and traction control light (30 reports, median 60,000 miles). 20 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 16V-502 on the electrical system and 15V-876 on the seat belts.
2014 Chevrolet Cruze avoid
643 owner complaints, 49 for each year on the road (2.4 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (93 reports, median 60,000 miles), infotainment (77 reports, median 61,000 miles) and overheating (71 reports, median 78,000 miles). 64 reports involved a crash and 51 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 16V-502 on the electrical system and 14V-417 on the equipment.
Recalls that cover several model years
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."
As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
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.
In the affected vehicles, the inner tie rod may not be tightened to specification allowing the tie rod to separate from the steering gear.
Compare the Cruze with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Cruze vs Toyota Corolla2014 to 2018
- Cruze vs Honda Civic2014 to 2018
- Cruze vs Hyundai Elantra2014 to 2018
Questions
What Chevrolet Cruze years should you avoid?
The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze draws the most owner complaints for its age: 643, or 49 for each year on the road, against a median of 21 a year across the 6 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2014 is stalling (93 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Cruze?
The 2018 and 2019 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2018 has 109 (12 a year) and 2019 has 22 (3 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Cruze?
Stalling, with 199 reports across the 5 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014 and 2016.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Cruze have?
17 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Cruze model years 2014 to 2018 on this site. The widest, 16V-502 on the electrical system, covers 3 model years.
How many Chevrolet Cruze complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
11% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2018 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for stalling on the Chevrolet Cruze?
No. None of the 5 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.