2012 Chevrolet Cruze Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 196 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 50,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “traction control” (10% of reports).
- 196electrical system complaints
- 50,000median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Traction control: mentioned in 20 of 196 complaints (10%)
- Service stabilitrak: mentioned in 15 of 196 complaints (8%)
- Radio display: mentioned in 12 of 196 complaints (6%)
- Turn signals: mentioned in 11 of 196 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 160 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 196 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Cruze electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Cruze | 4 | 17% | — |
| 2018 Cruze | 14 | 13% | 40,000 |
| 2017 Cruze | 33 | 16% | 27,876 |
| 2016 Cruze | 59 | 24% | 40,500 |
| 2015 Cruze | 49 | 19% | 50,450 |
| 2014 Cruze | 187 | 27% | 59,000 |
| 2013 Cruze | 122 | 21% | 45,000 |
| 2012 Cruze | 196 | 23% | 50,000 |
| 2011 Cruze | 96 | 13% | 59,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: 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."
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My breaks do not work in reverse. Pump valve seems to be bad
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and accelerating over a speed bump, the key slid out of the ignition switch. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, and it was determined that the ignition…
My car keeps telling me my trunk is open then it dings constantly going back and forth from tire monitor system to the trunk open. Then Everytime I turn the car off I have to wiggle the battery cable to get my car to start and my power steering keeps going out. I'm aware there are recalls.for my…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Cruzes have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 196 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze (23% of the 865 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 50,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze?
The most frequent phrase is “traction control”, in 20 of 196 complaints, followed by “service stabilitrak” (15).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Cruze problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Cruze problems or electrical system problems across all Cruze years.