Problems with 2013 Chevrolet Cruze ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I had an issue starting the car a week after purchasing it in february. random warning lights would turn on and off. i read through the owners manual and it said it may be a security issue if the key isn't clean. i cleaned the key it seemed to have fixed the problem but after a few months it came back briefly and i'd clean the key and it would be fine. on the morning of july 30th the car grinded the gears and then had trouble starting as if the battery were dead. the key was clean. after a couple tries it started. later that day the power steering alert came on and the engine bogged down and i lost control of the vehicle for a brief moment. the light went back off and it worked fine for the rest of the day. the next day after running fine all day while on an exit ramp of a highway multiple alerts began going off and all the warning lights came on and a moment later the car stalled. it would not even crank to restart. the rear caution lights would not work unless the key was turned. the radio and dash work and light up but the power windows wouldn't operate.

Multiple times, about 6 times now. with key in ignition but car turned off, and i made sure car was off, car ingine tries to start up.

My cruze died on the restaurant parking lot in the midle of the busy friday. came out to drive , put the key in to the ignition, turned to start and "boom" everything went out. no power was comming to any little or vital component of the car! checked the battery - was good! tryed to pull the key out - no way! it was almost like glued inside the ignition lock! everything remained dark for some time, i could not retrive a single signal so had to tow to nearest chevrolet dealership. no word on it yet!

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. while driving at various speeds, the radio turned on and off intermittently, the gauges fluctuated, and the interior lights and headlights turned on and off intermittently. the contact stated that the engine stalled. when the ignition was turned to the off position, the key did not release. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure was unknown. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. while driving approximately 2 mph and trying to make a u-turn, the power steering seized and the vehicle came to stop. all the warning lamps illuminated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 21,000.

2013 chevrolet cruze. consumer writes in regards to vehicle shutting off momentarily, with the cruise control set. *smd

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. while driving 55 mph, the gauges and the meters on the instrument panel failed. the contact stated that the parking assist, service battery terminal was displayed across the message board. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the battery cable needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. the mechanic diagnosed that both side object detection systems needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 56,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. when the key was in the off position, the vehicle started independently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 39,000. updated 04/06/15*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. the contact received a warranty letter from the manufacturer for the battery connections. the vehicle was repaired, but the air conditioning failed. the dealer could not determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 35,000.

Radio will shut off and turn back on. if blinker is activated at time the blinker will also quit working. i can go an entire trip without it doing it, or it can happen every minute or so repeatedly in a trip. this is not safe. *tr

While driving the lights in the radio began to flash on and off and radio would also come on and off, the windows became stuck while trying to roll them up, lights would go on and off as well. *tr

I bought my 2013 cruze in june 2014, with around 40k miles on it. in september the car began having issues. at first it was just that the radio and all dash lights would shut off. then i had multiple service lights that would flash randomly. those included stabilitrak, traction control, power steering and security system. at one point, while driving in a parking lot, my power steering completely locked up. my car eventually stopped starting. i was stranded at school and had to call a tow truck. when this happened, my key actually got stuck in the ignition. i was able to jump the car after several minutes of trying, but it would not keep power. i had it towed to the dealership, but they were not able to find anything wrong with it (no codes even came up on the computer) and it ran just fine for them. i drove the car home, and the next day had the same problem. this time after about 30 minutes of trying to get the car to start, it did, so i drove it straight to a chevy shop. again, they couldn't find any codes, but said they replaced some wiring and cleared the computer. i didn't have anymore problems until last week, when it all started happening again. i've had the power steering lock up on me in the middle of an intersection! the weird thing is, when my car doesn't want to start, all i have to do is use the little electrical knob that moves the drivers side seat back and forth, and everything fires up. gm needs to figure this out because it's bound to kill someone! *tr

I was driving home and hit an 8 point buck that weighed about 180lbs head on that caused damage from the middle front center of the car extending to the drivers side of the car and smashing up into the motor. the instrument panel immediately illuminated to service airbag but the airbag never deployed. i was told if i was going slower, the deer would have went through the windshield. i could have been seriously hurt since the airbag didn't deploy. i bought this car brand new with only 17 miles on it. i have driven it for 2 years and now have to wonder if my family and i were put at risk for the last two years, while traveling to ohio, from iowa and out to boise 3 times. of course i will be told there is nothing wrong and the car will be repaired, and i will be forced to continue driving a car that i won't really feel safe in because i won't know for sure if the airbag system is fixed, and will work right if this unfortunately will ever happen again. somehow this will be pushed under the rug and there will be nothing i can do about it. *tr

Dash lights and radio flashing off and on, no sound when signal is on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph with the heating system activated, there was a odor of fumes emitting from the vents. the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was unknown.

Coming to stop light doing only 15 mph from where i was coming from and all electrical went down. the radio was still on but couldn't : turn up/down music, use any controls on steering wheel, the infotainment screen was black. had to turn the car off at a stop light and it didn't want to start until i did it twice. after that it was fine and hasn't done it since- but now i see others are having same issues. also, notice the lights inside do sometimes get brighter then duller on their own- everything including the dashboard and infotainment center. car also does have an odor with the heat on. *tr

On 10-1-14 my cruze eco would not start. after multi tries and hearing only clicking sounds it did start. after getting to my destination and letting the car sit for hours it did the same thing again. contacted dealer was told to bring car in which i did on 10-3-14. after a week, they stated they showed the alt was not charging and replaced it then again because 1st one they received from g.m was defective. on 10-10-14 picked up car started it up went home and let sit for about a hour then tried to start and again it only clicked but this time there was 3 messages and one was to roll window up and down? why? does these cruzes have electrical issues or computer issues? contacted selling dealer again and was told to bring it back which i did on 10-13-14. waiting on my new cruze again to be fixed and wondering why do these 5 star cruzes have so many problems according to what i have been reading the last few days without g.m doing something. i am not satisfied with this car. *tr

I drive a chevy cruze 2013 model. i went to the garage in the am and the car was attempting to start itself with the key in the ignition. took the vehicle to the dealer and they said all they can do is watch it to see if it does it again. i called gm and they said that it is exactly the symptoms that they have had happen with their other vehicles and that is why there is an ignition recall. i asked them well mine isn't on the list and they said that since it isn't on the list then they wont fix it, i explained to them that my car is doing the exact same thing and that it is a safety hazard and that they should fix it, they said that they wont because it isn't on the list to be recalled and the only way they will is if it is on the list. my complaint with gm is that it is obviously happening on other vehicles as well and mine is one of them and they wont fix it cuz it isnt on their list to be fixed. *tr

I bought my 2013 cruze ltz about three months ago and i was sure that it was the perfect car, now, i'm fully aware that i was wrong.. i got in my car to leave for work on august 1, 2014 and when i started my car, the on dash maintenance reminders all went crazy telling me to "service power steering" and "service stabilitrak".. i knew this couldn't be right so i turned off the engine and restarted the car, the screen went crazy again with the service notifications. i didn't have time to have it checked out before work so i went ahead with my day, i got all the way to the interstate (which is about a mile and a half from my driveway) and noticed the steering was getting stiff so i pulled over and restarted the car again and the lights didn't come back on so i, again, went on about my day... issue number two-- about three days later, and every day since, my on dash touch screen goes completely black, which wouldn't bother me so bad if it didn't make all of the "service" lights come back on. i don't "need" a touch screen but it would be really nice if i didn't feel like i was driving a ticking time bomb every day since the vehicle clearly has wiring issues. now, if i touch the brakes or roll down a window, the screen goes completely black, the dash lighting flickers and the service lights come on. i've been searching forums for almost a month and it seems that numerous people are having these issues, not only myself. i'm so disappointed with my purchase, its almost unreal.. the perfect car, in the perfect color with more recalls (and other issues that haven't been recalled) than i even know how to deal with it. never again will i buy a chevrolet vehicle. it is out of control to not be able to feel safe in a vehicle that you've worked extremely hard to get. *tr

Driving down the highway @ 65 mph our 2013 chevy cruze died suddenly. as we coasted, i tried starting it and it started and we continued. a few minutes later it did the same thing, we coasted to the side of the road, stopped, and again it restarted. we continued our 3 hour journey home without any other incidents. *tr

Radio shuts on and off at random, problem worsens and starts to include service warnings including service stabilitrak and service security system, power steering stops working at random, also have issues starting the car on occasion. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruz. the contact stated that while driving various speeds and making a turn, the vehicle would suddenly shut off for approximately 3 seconds before restarting. the contact also indicated that in a separate incident the power steering malfunctioned making the steering wheel very difficult to turn. the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 40,000. rk

8:30am on my way to get on i74 highway to go to work..about 2 minutes from highway. pulled out of kroger after getting gas. my car made a horrible noise and then stopped abruptly. my engine was till running, radio on, lights on etc. the car just stopped like as if you had slammed the breaks. police officer parked behind me to make sure no cars hit me from behind. we finally pushed it, in neutral, into kroger parking lot where i waited for tow truck..awhile. my car was towed to hirlinger chevrolet dealership. the dealership called me later that day and told me my right front axle had broken in half. meaning the axle was no longer attached to my wheel...now i know why the abrupt stop! if it had been another two minutes, or, if there had been a car behind me when this broke, i and whomever could have been killed! there was no warning..it just stopped. hirlinger chevrolet has had my car since april 22,2014, day of the breakdown, with no epa on the part to fix it, or do something! i called gm, they tell me there no recall, but, they are aware of the problem!! i was told 30% of the 2013 cruzes have this potential problem..which could have been disaster, but mine was the first incident of an actual breakage. are you kidding me?? they knew of the problem, ive never received a recall, and my car still sits at the dealership 20 days later and i have no answers of when its getting fixed, or what gm plans to do!! in the meantime, im making my car payment, onstar payment, sirius radio payment, on a car i don't know when is ever going to get fixed. plus they knew of this problem!! *tr

Intermittent electrical problem. power steering shut off during turn. lack of power steering lasted approximately 30 seconds. *tr

There are times when the car will shut off while i am driving. the radio goes off and on, and the warning of check stability trac, i have video of this happening. i have taken it in many times and have been told that they cannot do anything about it because they can replicate what i am speaking about. this has happened on many occasions. *tr

Intermittent electrical problem. power steering shut off on interstate. lack of power steering lasted about 30 seconds. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. while at a stop light and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed, but the failure could not be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 47,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. while the vehicle was idling at a red light, it lost power and the brakes failed. as a result, the contact crashed into the preceding vehicle. a police report was not filed. there were no injuries. the contact was able to drive the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to paradise chevrolet (6350 leland st, ventura, ca 93003). the manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. the contact experienced the same failure intermittently for four years. the vehicle was never diagnosed or repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

Intermittent electrical problem. power steering shut off during turn. lack of power steering persisted approximately 30 seconds. *tr

The cars radio and other electrical components (ex. on-star, phone chargers, usb products) will turn on and off at random. it occurs randomly and intermittently. this has happened a number of occasions roughly 15-20 times over a couple of months. it mainly happens at a red light and then will turn back on once i accelerate. this has happened on a highway going 60-70mph and the every light on the dashboard went on and on the display screen it stated stablitrax is off. immediately pressed my onstar button and asked them to run diagnosis and the whole conversation was going in and out of being able to hear them. my radio was going on and off the entire time when the radio was on i could hear when it was off and all power was off. we did loss connection to onstar and i repressed the button. i have had them run their "diagnosis" multiple times when this happens and they never have anything come up wrong. they advised me to tale the dealer. i have been to the dealer where they advised me that unless it was happening at that time it would pretty much be impossible to figure out the problem. i have heard some clicking or switching sounds come from under the hood while i have been driving occasionally not sure if and my engine temp always runs cold not sure if either of those relate. it would be nice to feel safe in my new car and it would be nice to be paying for onstar and not have a doubt they would be reachable if this causes a bigger problem! be safe fellow chevy cruze drivers! *tr

Letter from congressman johnson on behalf of constituent re 2013 chevy cruze. *smd the consumer stated there was very little heat in the vehicle. the temperature gauge fluctuated, and the windows and instrument panel would fog up. *jb updated 04/28/14 *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet cruze. after inserting the key in the ignition switch, the vehicle turned on independently. the contact mentioned that the transmission shifted independently from drive into neutral on multiple occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was not available. mailed out 01/13/15*lj

After changing oil filter, oil sprayed in engine compartment approximately 10 minutes into drive, causing a fire in the engine compartment. all occupants were safe, but the damage is expensive. wiring harnesses, as well as master cylinder were melted. the top mounted filter is a pleated cartridge that snaps into a threaded plastic oil filter cap. a blue o-ring, included with the filter, slips over the plastic oil filter cap, past the threads. the issue seems to that two "grooves" exist after the threads towards the end by the flange. if the o-ring is placed in the wrong location (i.e. all the way to the end) this provides an inadequate seal, posing a fire hazard as described above. correct procedure is to apply the blue o-ring on the second to last groove immediately after the threads. basically, if after tightening the oil filter assembly the blue o-ring is visible, it's in the wrong location. source: local dealer. this is not related to the plastic shield modification advised in a previous service bulletin from gm regarding the 2011-12 model years. *tr

Since purchasing my car it has done strange things with what i thought was the breaks. when stopping at a light etc.. the car will jump forward.. sometimes only once and others it does it over and over until i accelerate again. i took it to the dealership where i purchased it. david maus in sandford fl. the service tech took a ride with me.. he stated that he's heard this from other chevy cruze owners and it's just what these cars do. it did demonstrate the jumping, thrusting forward while the service tech was driving. i was not happy with this answer but believed he knew what he was talking about. yesterday i get in my car and it will hardly go. the service stabiltack light was on. then every light on the dash came on. obviously i understand things go bad on cars as it's 4 years old. but after reading hundreds of these complaints online i believe this is a problem with these cars that can be dangerous. and it's unbelievable to me that there is no recall after all the reports and complaints. when it jumps hops thrust forward you never know if it's going to be a little or a lot. this problem has been ongoing with no help from the certified mechanics. i put the date as 2013 because as i said it's been on going and now it's completely broken. which could have been prevented had the mechanics helped me in 2013

Car was jerking, then stalled, then stablitrack and traction control warning light came on. *tr

Just a few months after purchasing our cruze, is has failed to start on numerous occasions. after 2 or 3 key turns, it does start. this has occurred a dozen or so times in the 16 months we have owned the car. *tr

When starting my car from any stationary position, 0 mph (flat parking, on a hill or at an angle) the starter will engage and continue to run and run without starting the engine. in order to start the car, i have to turn off the ignition and try again. the second time the car will start (so far). also, when i use the air conditioner (car in motion, any speed 0-65mph, on city streets and on highways) there is a coolant smell that comes out or the vents. it is a strong smell and i cannot figure out a pattern for when it happens. it happens when i have the car running, sometimes when i first turn on the air conditioner and them it will happen randomly as i am driving and the air conditioner has been on for a while. i have never tried to see if it happens when i don't have the engine running (don't know if the air conditioner can run without the engine running).

i could smell coolant/antifreeze when the heater was on and the temperature was set to a high setting. i didn't think anything was wrong, just thought it might be a break-in issue. as of today's date nov 9, 2014 i still can smell the coolant smell when the heater is on. recently i received a letter from gm concerning possible coolant loss. at my last service of the vehicle i asked the dealer to check for this problem. nothing was reported to me from the dealer. i assumed that there was no problem. the other issue i have noticed is dash lights dimming or brightening on their own. the latest problem was that the car would not start this morning. drove perfectly yesterday, this morning dead. jumped the car and everything seems fine. making an appointment with the dealer. noticed that the coolant level is about 3 inches low in over flow tank. looked on the internet about cruze cars and found many posts about electrical problems. gm tells them all that they are not aware of any electrical problems but you tube videos show gauges and radios cutting out when driving. some videos describe cars shutting down when driving and not restarting. others have service messages appearing on the information screen and the dealers find nothing wrong. it is starting to sound like the infamous jeep grand cherokee electrical problems. i am seriously thinking it is time to get rid of my 2013 cruise as the factory warranty will expire soon. current mileage is 27490 on nov 9, 2014. *tr