2012 Chevrolet Cruze Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 45,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “service brakes hydraulic” (10% of reports).
- 142service brakes complaints
- 45,000median miles at failure
- 25mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 17%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.
- Service brakes hydraulic: mentioned in 14 of 142 complaints (10%)
- Pedal depressed: mentioned in 13 of 142 complaints (9%)
- Brake vacuum: mentioned in 12 of 142 complaints (8%)
- Micro switch: mentioned in 8 of 142 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 121 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 142 complaints, 25 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Chevrolet Cruze service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Cruze | 3 | 13% | 3,500 |
| 2018 Cruze | 12 | 11% | 26,531 |
| 2017 Cruze | 18 | 9% | 52,043 |
| 2016 Cruze | 18 | 7% | 38,600 |
| 2015 Cruze | 17 | 7% | 23,708 |
| 2014 Cruze | 29 | 4% | 30,000 |
| 2013 Cruze | 45 | 8% | 12,903 |
| 2012 Cruze | 142 | 16% | 45,000 |
| 2011 Cruze | 61 | 8% | 47,623 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist
Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engines and 6T40 front wheel drive automatic transmissions and equipped with an electric vacuum pump to provide supplemental vacuum for brake assist, when needed. In the affected vehicles, the pump may not activate, resulting in an intermittent reduction or loss of brake assist.
Risk: A loss of braking assistance will require extra pedal force and/or distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace a microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GM's recall number is 12213.
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
Have called about this starting 2020. Had 137000. Also previous owner since 99000mi. Drive train & Turbo. Brake assist. Oil leaks, shutting off while driving. Now as of Saturday April 25 2026 Car shut off while driving and has been towed to dealership. Car deemed lemon by GM. In 2020 car to have…
Runs like the black stallion with a stud of a hide [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Cruzes have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 142 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze (16% 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 service brakes?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 45,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze?
The most frequent phrase is “service brakes hydraulic”, in 14 of 142 complaints, followed by “pedal depressed” (13).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Cruze problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Cruze problems or service brakes problems across all Cruze years.