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GM recalls the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze for steering, trans issues

The Chevrolet Cruze has quickly become one of the top-selling cars in America and to help keep it selling strong, GM is taking no chances with safety issues so the company has issued its second recall of the year for the compact sedan – this time over a possible issue with the steering assembly and transmission linkage.

General Motors points out that while they have announced this new 2011 Chevy Cruze recall, they are doing so without actually receiving any complaints or problems, accidents or injuries from the consumer world to themselves or to the NHTSA. It seems that GM came across something about the intermediate steering shaft covers that they feel could cause a problem and before even a single real-world customer has encountered a problem, GM is calling back 154,112 2011 Cruze sedans. General Motors hasn’t given any explanation as to what is wrong with the steering shaft covers but depending on the problem, when those covers fail they can cause premature wear of the components intended to be shielded from debris and the elements.

In addition to the recall to inspect the intermediate steering shafts, GM has announced a recall running along with the first one that pertains only to Chevy Cruze sedans with an automatic transmission. This second recall, which affects 120,295 Cruze sedans, is based around the proper installation of the transmission shift linkage.

Since GM bundled the two recalls together, anyone with an automatic transmission-equipped 2011 Chevy Cruze will have both inspections done at once. There has not been a clear timeline given as to when this recall begin but once it does, all inspections and repairs needed will performed free of charge to the customer.

In early April, GM announced the first recall of the 2011 Chevy Cruze, as roughly 2,100 models were fitted with steering wheel assemblies that may not have been installed correctly. In that case, there was one accident reported where the steering wheel separated while the vehicle was moving but no injuries were reported from that incident.

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GM CEO Akerson makes $2.3 mil in 2010 – in 4 months

Comments

scott (not verified)    December 25, 2011 - 10:16PM

I bought my 2011 chevy cruz in June The Transmission is absolutely broken they say no it looses power has no pick up it revs high when i take my foot off the gas and it is very slugish. the answer the service man gave me " Its a turbo what do you expect to happen" total bull im about to drive the car through the show room with a sign lol. Any one else experiencing trany problems.

Rajan Gounder (not verified)    December 25, 2011 - 10:16PM

Bought a chevy Cruze 1.6LS in December 2010. This product is absolutely problematic - nothing but ongoing issues. This is a big NO - stay away from this product.
The following issues experienced:
1. Front passenger floor flooded due to air-conditioner mal-function
2. Screeching brake noise
3. Driving at 120km p/h and power steering dont work on a bend (lucky for the big muscles, mananged to take bend
4. Front vents damamged
5. Hazard botton stuck
6. Radio/CD shuttle replaced
7. Software corrupted during upgrade
8. Clutch spring problem
9. Boot lock faulty
10. This is the cherry on the top - vehicle went in for 30000km service and spark plugs were replaced but not tightened. The spark plugs were loose and eventually came off after the 45000km service. Had to be towed in for the repairs.

Charles Brezina (not verified)    December 25, 2011 - 10:35PM

I ordered my Cruze LTZ-RS from the factory mid February, received it mid March, it now has 3500 miles on it and I can tell you it is no "X car". Round trip average to and from work of 52 plus miles it gets 35.5 average as of today. It has been everything it was said to be. Quiet inside at speed to be sure, beautiful interior lay out and seating, it handles extremely well. I would have liked some of the ECO ideas as riding ht. and closing grill area for even better milage to appease my former Boeing model maker tinkering thinking. I have experienced no problems to date with the auto transmission and I do use the select shift more often than most I suspect. I also own Corvettes, the newest one being an 07 Z06. I probably will trade this in for the new Volt when it is available in Seattle but I'd rather have the GM Hy-wire which runs on hydrogen converted from water IN the car, no hydrogen gas stations or batteries, but until people demand it it won't happen.

Seeing the USA in our Chevrolet,
Charles

Anonymous (not verified)    January 12, 2012 - 9:40PM

In reply to by Charles Brezina (not verified)

I own a 2011 cruze also. Its nice to know I'm not crazy. I too have had issues with my cruze not wanting to go when gas is pressed nd have felt the transmission be sluggish. Of course I was told same thing that car is a turbo and that it is normal for it to do that. I love my cruze just wish they would realize there is a problem that needs to be taken care of before someone has a bad wreck because of it. I also have a sticking thermostat.

Anonymous (not verified)    January 25, 2012 - 2:43PM

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

PLS SAVE YOUR MONEY, do not buy Chevy Cruze!!!!!!!!
chnaging Honda Accord for Chevy Cruze was the worst decision in my life, all started just 3 days after i bought the car, problems with streering wheel, then heater, then door.... now transsmision i took to dealer several times i get the same answer: ohh it's new transmission and this is the way it made, Yeah Right. this morning dealer manager stated that the - CLICK- i hear when it chift to 3rd gear is normal and nothing to worry about? and when it s cold it s worst it s sound like transmission touching the ground. What thye think people are stupid or what?
I already meet with GM personal in Detroit, the next step will be a law suit. there s a law in this country and GM need to remember that all the time before selling crap to citizens!

Anonymous (not verified)    January 25, 2012 - 6:40PM

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

good luck i am suing 1800lemonlaw i will get gm financially im 6 months in. i almost died going through an intersection horrible it doent end. My TRANSMISION SUCKS AND because of this so does my gas mileage. well good luck e-mail me with questions.

Anonymous (not verified)    April 20, 2012 - 4:21PM

What everyone needs to understand is that every car is built with the same IDEA but not every car is built the exact same. I have owned my Cruze now for 6 months and I love my car. I had a Cavalier before I bought my Cruze and my Cavalier was a 2001 and it had 100,000 on it when I traded it in. I had ZERO problems with that car. I had to change the battery a couple of times, change the brakes and tires, plugs and all the normal stuff with this car but I had NO problems with that car. BUT a friend of mind had the SAME car and she had alllll sorts of problems. But still today, I live and swear by the Cavalier as being one of the best running cars I have ever owned. You see, my Cruze runs perfectly, but others may have problems. This doesn't say that GM is a bad company for making this car! Some people will have problems with one car and other may have a totally different experience and this is not just with GM but with ANY car company! If you are having problems with your Cruze then you should take it back and have the issues resolved. If you didn't purchase the Major Guard for it then you are stupid in the first place! A car owner should NEVER EVER purchase a newly made car and NOT purchase an extended warranty for the car. This car gives me 37mpg and i live in the city!!!!! If you are not experiencing good gas mileage then you are not taking care of your car properly. My father is a mechanic and he told me that a new car will not reach its ESTIMATED MPG until the car is "broken in" around 3-5,000 miles. So, don't expect to get into your car and have 40mpg when the car only has 50 miles on it. My car wasn't getting the mpg it was ESTIMATED at when I first got my car but now, at 3,000+ miles, I fill my car up every 2.5 weeks. AND I LIVE IN THE CITY. I spend a total of maybe $80/month on gas and thats if gas is really priced high. I love my Cruze and I know that if I have any problems with it, GM will take care of me. I was lucky to have AWESOME customer service at Garber and they treat me like family and they always have since the first time I ever bought my first Chevy when I was 19. And since then, I would NEVER go anywhere else for a car. If you are having problems with your Cruze, it may not be the car for you. It has a tiny engine people! If you want a car that has power maybe you should go with an engine that has more than 1.8 L. This car was meant to help the economy in gas not to drag race it down the street. I have never had any abnormal hesitation with my car and have never "risked my life" driving it. How silly! GM, I love my Cruze you did an awesome job!! THANK YOU!

Anonymous (not verified)    April 28, 2012 - 3:09PM

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You are very fortunate that your car doesn't have any problems But you are still young and have lots to learn You need to understand in a year of a new model being built there are going to be lemons and defects in new cars its common that is why there is the LEMON LAW ask yourg dad about it. Plus there is nothing wrong with cars being lemons or having a defect but when GM purposely neglects to fix the problem or refund the people with lemons then it becomes a big issue at this point the cruze is a worldwide issue. You are right about the customer service they provide great customer service wait until you buy a new GM product with defects and your perception will change of the customer service they provide because they will neglect you like they are doing to everyone in the country with this problem.

John (not verified)    August 18, 2016 - 10:48AM

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

This guy misses the point, just because he has had no problems doesn't mean others have not. Or are simply complainers. These are real problems that GM has not handled properly. Why have I had to replace a water pump 3 times in 30,000 miles? So let's say one was defective. What happened with the other two? Same for a turbo that is now on number two in 30,000 miles? Really, a turbo lasting 30,000 miles. What's wrong with this picture. I suspect this guy has spoken too soon and may face some of these issues much sooner then he had planned.

chris (not verified)    July 1, 2014 - 7:08PM

I have had nothing but problems with my2011 chevy cruise recall after recall the turbo ended up going on it and in my repair sheet they said it was due to a restriction and there was a lack of oil getting to the turbo well it's not rocket science that if there was a lack of oil to the turbo unit then there was a lack of oil to the rest of the engine I've had problems with the wiring the heated seat and much more I could right a book with the repairs that I have had done to this car very disappointed and will never ever buy another chevy

Dawn (not verified)    September 16, 2014 - 12:06PM

I just returned my 2011 Chevy Cruiz, which was leased. Due to the hesitation in the transmission, I had an accident with the car. After that accident, I googled to see if others had similar problems. Apparently, I was NOT alone. I noticed the hesitation before I took it off the lot. When I mentioned it to the salesman, I was told the car had a "smart transmission" and would get used to the way I drove. Well, after three years, the car never learned how I drove. Not a very smart transmission. I had the dealership look into the problem when I took the car in for a recall check. They didn't see a problem. My husband didn't drive the car very often, since I was the primary driver. However, when he did drive it, he couldn't believe the hesitation and called the car a death trap. That hesitation had nothing to do with it being a turbo. A 2-3 second lag is to be expected with a turbo, I was told. However, not the type of hesitation I felt. You never knew if you were going to go or not when you pressed the gas pedal. I was afraid to pull out into an intersection (that's where I ended up having my accident) and I was always afraid to pass other cars...not knowing if I actually had enough time to make it without cutting someone off in the fast lane.

Other than the transmission and hesitation problem, I experienced no other problems with my car.

Gee (not verified)    November 13, 2014 - 11:18PM

The most useless Chevy ever!!! Bought a 2011 1.6 ls in December 2010 and my transmission drives only in reverse and gm aint doing shit bout this

John (not verified)    August 18, 2016 - 10:43AM

Bought a 2011 used a year ago. Only had 31000 miles on it. Shortly after the water pump failed. Come to find out it had already failed twice already. So now three water pumps in 30,000 miles? OK, so got that fixed then a month later check engine light, went to local dealer which diagnosed bad turbo charger.
Fixed that, then it's the little problems like the panel by right drivers leg get's really hot. Or that the Auto climate system in my LTZ stops working on the hottest days. Or that the power is dreadfully lacking too on hot days and the automatic trans is one of the worst GM has ever made. Or that you have to replace the condenser in order to replace the accumulator in the AC system. That's big bucks for what used to be a minor repair. The car rides like a sled on rocks, and the depreciation is SOOO bad I am stuck with this POS until it dies. Which probably won't be too long. I seriously doubt it can make it to 150,000 miles. People should look up what Australian's say about the car, as they have seen recalls for the car catching fire, just stops running, won't shift, and loads of amenity accessory issues. It's convinced me to never buy another GM vehicle ever again. Customer service sucks, dealers suck, and the vehicles are so bad they depreciate faster then most vehicles. Almost as bad as Chrysler's.

Kristie (not verified)    May 3, 2017 - 11:50AM

My Daughter bought her first car when she turned 18 this past February 2017
A 2011 Chevy Cruze she wanted something dependable to get back in forth to school. She had it two months called me Friday night crying it was dropping speed and picking up speed we found out the output speed shat went out. Now trying to figure out how to fix it and what it will cost. she works 16 hours a week. Suck being her first car now she afraid to drive it. But also has to get it fixed. Hope it wont cost arm and a leg. Both of her siblings drive cruzes also

John Shehadeh (not verified)    October 10, 2017 - 10:59AM

I have a Chevy Cruz 2011, just purchased in May 2017, 62,000 miles...beginning stages, recently changed spark plugs and Valve Cover Head Gasket, Brake Pedal Position Sensor, seemed Ok in Beginning..took in Dealership twice thinking problem with transmission delay in shifting no power, service said its a 6 speed Automatic Trans computer adjusting to speed and and stops of user controlling car. sounded a bit funny..didnt think of it at first, now getting Transmission hesitation when Accelerating, and 3 and 4th shift hesitate aswell, not to mention at stop light, car Idles down thinking it wants to shut off, no codes appear...anyone know issue...I'm I going crazy or is this a advertising to sell this car at good deals, also ad says 34 mpg / only getting 24 mpg on highway....whats the deal ?

wang (not verified)    March 22, 2018 - 1:36PM

my chevy transmission just died without any warning as many of you have experienced . its only 50,000 miles always garaged. im so frustrated. if you guys could advice me on whether to buy another chevy or not , give them another chance or just move on