2015 Chevrolet Cruze: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 251 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (32% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Jul 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 251 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I have replaced my whole engine and the cars fuel system.. my gas was backing into my oil along with the engine failing .. has happened again. This car has been a nightmare and just keeps failing. Strong gas and oil burning smell then car starts smoking. Had to shut it off in the middle of the road.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jun 2026
“The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Service Stabili-trak" message was displayed. The warning light turned on and off, and the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that the vehicle started jerking and rolling while on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Jan 2026
“Radiator leaks, car overheated. Looking online it is obvious that a lot of people have had this same issue, so why no recall. It's a peice of crap car, that is dangerous to drive.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“I have had car repairs done identical with the 2014 models with the same exact issues described in those year recalls, car hesitant and jerking, breaking down on numerous occasions and replacing gaskets hoses and many codes common with fuel and traction control and finally engine blown!”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Apr 2025
“The check engine light came up, after having the code read it was discovered that the turbo charger was bad. My vehicle was fixed by the dealer. Prior to being fixed my vehicle was running rougher and accelerating at a slower speed.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2024
“The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was leaking oil from the top of the engine onto the drive belts. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V288000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2023
“The turbo on the vehicle develops a crack in the exhaust side by the wastegate over time. This is a common problem as reported by forums, that seems to be a near 100% failure rate. The crack causes lost of intake boost pressure that throws a low boost code and reduces engine power significantly.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2023
“Vehicle only has 47939 miles on it and my check engine light came on. I had it coded and it comes up the turbo. It sounds bad and loses power at stop light or going up hill”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2023
“The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2023
“The contact's sister owns a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. After stopping, the driver noticed there was coolant leaking from the vehicle. The driver added additional coolant to the reservoir. The contact removed the water pump and noticed that the housing unit had crumbled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 2023
When filing, owners marked a crash in 20 of these complaints and injuries in 13 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
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."
Remedy: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured November 8, 2013, to March 12, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the inner tie rod may not be tightened to specification allowing the tie rod to separate from the steering gear.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15386.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured February 4, 2015, to February 9, 2015. The left-rear or right-rear parking brake cable brackets may not have been properly fastened during the assembly process. As a result, the fastening bolts may back out completely, causing the parking brake bracket to separate and the parking brake to not hold the vehicle in place. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left-rear and right-rear parking brake brackets bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15135.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured September 24, 2014, to May 29, 2015. In the affected vehicles, one of the driver-side seat belt assembly bolts may not be properly tightened.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2016 Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15777.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2015 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Cruze by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze reliable?
NHTSA has 251 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The most complained-about area is engine (32% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2015 Chevrolet Cruze problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 57,000 miles or less.
Does the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.