2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT 1.4 turbo I4
Summary:
Underrated vehicle. Keep the oil fresh
Faults:
- Sunroof position sensor replaced at 5000km under warranty.
- Water crossover outlet leaked and replaced at 150,000km. Easy 30 minute DIY. $25 part and flushed and replaced coolant at this point.
- Valve cover gasket leaked on exhaust manifold. 20 minute DIY and $80 replacement part from dealer.
General Comments:
This was a great quality vehicle for my wife and I. We kept up on the standard regular maintenance and it served us well. Overall build quality was solid and incredible for a small car. A 10 fold step up from the wife’s previous 2006 Pontiac Pursuit. Whisper quiet cabin with the right tire selection. Excellent control on snowy and icy Canadian roads, and very comfortable for a car purchased brand new for under $25k. Lots of power to handle its own on the roads, great on fuel, and very little wear on braking, suspension, and chassis components at the 165k km mark.
The only downside is the plastic cooling system components, but that’s been something we’ve been seeing on vehicles for a long time now.
This car still had 30% brake pad life left on original factory pads at 165,000kms. All suspension components were original and still tight, and the first alignment was performed at 165k and was a minor toe adjustment (Canadian winter roads). I never even had to change a single light bulb with this thing. These are exceptionally easy cars to work on yourself if you understand the basics.
Just a great overall vehicle which can be picked up relatively cheap now. Excellent winter vehicle which could give our Outlander and Avalanche a run for their money if the winter tires were installed. Started right up no matter the temperature.
Just be wary of one where regular maintenance and care was neglected. Regular oil changes are an absolute must with these cars, especially the turbo models. Synthetic oil and every 5-7000km.
The car gets a bit cramped with 2 kids if you are over 5’10” and have car 2 seats.
We upgraded to an Outlander to accommodate our growing family. Sad to see it go, but no use keeping it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th January, 2022
5th May 2015, 16:36
A family member had the 2012 turbo version. The turbo just went out at 61,000km, and the GM dealer want $1980 + tax to replace (the part was $500 + labour $1500).
There's no recall on the 2012 version of the turbo. The 2013 and 2014 have a recall.