I live in a city with many hail damaged cars, and now thinking about it, I can’t remember ever seeing one hail damaged Cruze. The owners must have gotten rid of them the moment they can get an insurance payout.
Build quality differences between factories isn’t really something I’d considered much when researching cars. I’ve had a 2011 Chevy Cruze Ohio-assembled since I was a teenager starting in 2013. I’ve replaced 2 things that weren’t regular maintenance items for about $350 in my 8 years of ownership. Its been completely fine. The steering wheel does definitely wear though.
Before seeing the video, STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAR. This was my sister first new car and the transmission blew up after 3 and half years with 60,000KM on the clock with other minor issues. There was not one year of ownership without going to the dealer at least twice for issues such as injectors and cracking noises in the cabin. This is the worst car after the Astra to own.
I've had a chevy cruze for 8 years, I've replaced the battery, intake manifold , value cover , water inlet, overflow hose, and thermostat housing. All easy fixes and since I did them myself cost was around $500. If you had a shop do them you were probably looking at close to $3000 or $4000.
I own a 2011 Holden Cruze SRI-V and I’ve had no problems with electronics only a problem with the rocket cover and other little things but I keep it looked after and I treat it well and treats me well for a first car.
3:33 The Cruze isn't beautiful but it's not ugly and it has become very rare in Europe. And I own one of them. 5:11 The Steering wheel and the shift knob (manual) is pretty worn, that's true. Everything else is still a in very good condition, built in 2012. 7:29 I own the 4 door sedan and even with the smaller tailgate I've never had a problem with getting my stuff in. 8:34 this tiny space = change for parking meter, shopping cart coins...... 10:50 Well, my (Chevy) cruze was built in South Korea in 2012 and it's the most reliable car I've ever had. Only let me down ONCE when the factory starter battery died after ~8 years. So, this sounds like a (Holden) australian problem.......
Oh thank you. I have somebody doing me a favor and selling me one at a supposed great price. I agreed to it and it's just been delivered but now I'm saying nothing but bad things about this car! I'm scared and I think I just made a huge mistake! I'm in the US and mine is a 2015 diesel.
Speaking as an American; this car was a perfect example of a General Motors shit box. Purchased by people who didn't make good decisions, had terrible credit, and didn't have a local Nissan dealership
"Was it that bad?" No! It was WORSE!!! We had 5 of them at work. Every...Single... One... broke. They broke hard. One of them the turbo failed so hard, it wrote the engine off completely. All of them kept getting warranty rejections by our fleet dealer.. Our fleety had enough and dumped all 100 of them back on Leaseplan. They were ghastly.... No - that's not fair. They were horrific.
I remember seeing the Camira getting a few awards when it was released... almost as many as the first Mitsubishi Magnas (they didn't last long) . That's when I took note of new car awards and stay away from those cars.
@@BobSmith-rp2oz Good point. Most car journalism is pure fantasy at one end and total bullshit at the other. Redriven is the major (and, maybe, the only) exception, good luck to them! 😆😆
i have a 2012 cruze 1.4 L turbo manual, bought it new and 12 years later, just had 1 issue, with 1 key fob that fell apart, because i used to open and close it alot, never had any mechnaical issues, i always get it serviced once a year, its fast, fuel efficient, will keep it untill it dies...
Mine must have been from the same batch. I personally love my Cruze. It's never let me down and 12 yrs old, 145,000 km and runs like a dream, takes off when you need it to, hasn't skipped a beat!
I owned a 2016 Cruze. After 4 years 250kms, transmission died, pcv valve died, head unit and centre console glitched out. Using a obd tool put it onto limp mode. The list goes on
On those door mirror mounts, as someone who works in car parts and accessories, probably 3/4 Cruzes we see at work show this problem to some extent. Unlike most cars where this is a bit of black plastic, for some unknown reason Holden decided to make this out of WHITE plastic then basically plasti-dip it black. UV does seem to have some effect but the #1 culprit seems to be taking them through high pressure non-contact automatic car washes so if by some miracle you have one that still has black mirror mounts, don't do that
I know 2 people who bought the Holden Cruze, both had issie with the oil cooler, what happens is the oil leaks into the cooling system via the oil cooler, you first notice this by oil in the radiator and your engine oil becomes white, yuk, Oh and you think the Cruze is bad do you? Just wait until you hear about the Holden Captiva, My God, a mate of mine who is a mechanic said it should be illegal for those things to be allowed on the road, the list of faults in those things is a mile long.
Jim’s description 😂😂😂 not surprising though, have a mate who bought one new, biggest regret he had! And your back seat measurements again! Love your reviews, AK. Always makes me laugh!
Great review AK. My partner has a MY12 1.8l Equipe auto she purchased new & much to my surprise... it's been reliable as clockwork. She's very much in the 'I don't care as long as it gets me from A to B' demographic & isn't very 'mechanically sympathetic' but it's still going strong after 140,000 hard-ish km's. It's a daily-driver Monday to Friday then turns into a shopping trolley and a bus for the grandkids on the weekend, but other than the door mirror mounts turning white (just like the review vehicle) and chewing through brake pads she's happy as a pig in poo. Personally, I'd rather walk rather than drive it but she loves it. Every manufacturer had crappy examples of a model (the 'built on a monday morning or friday afternoon' syndrome) but Holden fine-tuned their optimum build period to about 20 minutes somewhere mid-week... and I reckon Julie's Cruze was built then. Maybe regular 10,000km servicing has helped... who knows.
@@ReDriven That’s a fair call. It would be ridiculous if every single example out there broke down, here’s hoping that at least a few work, that doesn’t invalidate the fact these have a shit tonne more problems than a Corolla or Mazda3
@@normanafif1268 I’ve noticed people tend to have less problems with Cruzes after 2013. I have a 2013 SRi V and it’s been a great car. Very reliable. It drives so smooth even after 200,000 km.
@@TheJayden3977 That's so good to hear! This review got me a little nervous about mine. I genuinely love the car. I'd like to see it go another 100,000 K. It's always been serviced, I've looked after it.
My Mum owns the unicorn example of this thing you said "surely exists", never had an issue in the almost 10 years she's owned it. It doesn't even have any rattles or anything last time I was in it, it's like the Murphy's Law special edition or something. She got it for a bargain price and I don't think I know anyone else who likes this car as much as she does.
Funny, Satirical, Over exaggerated and most importantly really helpful review. That’s it I’m subscribing and every car that I’m not going to buy I’ll get my review from here. Bang on mate!
In the United States these are one of the most common vehicles on the road. Individual cars are either Toyota like reliable or Yugo like problematic. Owners usually drive them like they are stolen and they never see the inside of a garage for maintenance just when something breaks.
I bought a Cruze last year for $8K. So far I've spent about a further $8K on the damn thing. Even as we speak I have a check engine light on the dash. I dread going to the mechanic every time. Don't buy one of these unless you like haemorrhaging money. Seriously, it would cost you less to buy a new car than what you will spend if you buy a Cruze.
My exact experience as well! Since I got a 2013 model second hand in 2019, I’ve yet to have a single service that didn’t involve some kind of major repair cost alongside the basic service costs.
I was in the market for a car 2 months ago was seriously considering one of these and glad i didnt get it i went a lancer xls and it has been fantastic
Loved the review. Not only did it seem honest but it was also funny as. After this and a few reviews from other people confirming everything you mentioned, I decided to stir clear of these and put my money into a Corolla. Gotta bet on reliability over looks while building up those savings. Keep up the good work and give us merch!
Back in 2011 my daughter bought a chevy cruze eco with 6 speed manual that drove pretty decent. I borrowed for a day trip and drove it normal, my normal doing 80mph and got 45 mpg. We did after 100k run into the typical PCV problem and ended up doing a new intake and PVC valve cover. Learned always warm car up a little before repairing cause when you move all those plastic parts they snap if cold. Car has 150k on it that has original engine, transmission and clutch and runs fine. Every person I've talked to that complained about these cars had an automatic. Car has 150k and still gets 45-47 on highway except in winter when using studded snows on it on all 4 corners. All in all car still rides nice and except for PVC/INTAKE problem which was rectified car has been pretty good. P.S. button for trunk release corroded twice and gave up on that repair. Just use fob to open trunk. 11 years of ownership and cost wise cars been good.
My previous car. 2010 Cruze 1.8 LT Auto. Got it with 35k on the clock and from day 1 had issues. Took car back multiple times. They replaced the ignition 3 times, only to finally realize it had nothing to do with the actual issue which was faulty injectors. After those were replaced car was fine for +- 2 month, then the next issue; noticed strange greasy substance in the coolant bottle. Took it in and they found the automatic gearbox coolant had leaked into the main coolant system. Repaired. Fine for +- 5 months, then as I was driving on the freeway the card suddenly started loosing power and was stuck in 4th gear in a sort of limp mode. Stopped, after cooling down completely I was able to drive home. Found the Auto gearbox oil was low and had to top that up myself. With Chev announcing they would be pulling out of South Africa later that year I got rid of the car as soon as I could. Bought a new Nissan Qashqai and still driving it till today.
Have a 2010 CDX. everything was right in your video, electrical, gearbox, blew head gasket, new sounds Hell even the ants! Mine sat for a year on 195,000km. Currently it's 210,000km after reviving it in January 2021. I love this car, but even Holden and Insurance want nothing to do with it. Accident in November. Insurance or police never followed up, same in June/July when it got keyed. I'm disappointed it never got stolen. Car never leaks though. Even Holden crashed the car during a fix. This cars a joke and I strongly advise against anyone buying one and I'm happy to help people out in the comments with questions about this car. Gotten to the point where I'm gonna finance my bosses spare Mercedes just to get rid of the thing.
@@csjrogerson2377 Heap of Low Down Engineering Nonsense.I noticed all the Daewoo sourced Holdens are piles of crap.Even my late fathers associate from a Toyota dealership would have told me don't even think about buying the piles of garbage they sell to suckers.I know what he would been thinking I'll do you a good deal on a Corolla so you don't have to buy those lumps of Korean sourced Junk.
My dad bought a 2010 Cruze CDX in 2016 despite me telling him not to. Surprisingly he hasn’t had any problems in the 6 years he owned it but still it’s not worth getting one if the odds of finding a reliable one is like finding a needle in a haystack
Some years ago I was given a Cruze as work car. It was brand new which provided no owner comfort at all. It drove really basically and I found it very uncomfortable for any distance driving. It developed mechanical issues with weird and completely erratic gear changes. I gave it back after three months and swapped to a Toyota. Years later I drove my Uncle’s diesel Cruze. It was noisy, showed erratic red lights on the dashboard and stank of diesel. Ugly nasty cars not worth buying new or used.
I never owned one not even as a loaner for the day was I ever given one but I can name one Holden that was worse than this which also existed as a Daewoo and a Chevrolet and that was the Spark.I had a 2017 one of those bought second hand in 2018 which lasted three years but was written off by a truck last May/June.I made it out alive but insurance didn't want to repair it and the cost all up to make it all original given I was partway into a loan for the thing made it cheaper to get an insurance payout and buy something older one class bigger.I have a 2008 Mazda 3 now which is a better car but I turned up to look at that in a 2016 Astra R from an accident replacement vehicle rental place and was impressed(my only regrets was there were more owners than I would have liked and the service book was all over the place)otherwise things like any BK/BL/BM Mazda 3 or Honda Accords or Civics or any Toyota or hyundai or the odd Kia is the better buy used.
My old man had a 1.8L Auto to use as a cheap daily. Sold it within a month. I currently have the SRiV, 1.6T, Manual. Has been adequate while I wait for the current supply madness to get sorted out.
I had a Cruze as a rental in Sydney and the second day of driving it ...it caught on fire from a loose oil filter that was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold...🤣🤣
This car is the argument that all cars should be developed with a true recycling/ end of life plan.. Theres going to be a ton of these shit heaps in dead in backyards and wrecking yards for decades to come
Good news though is anybody who is mechanically savvy and for some ungodly reason still chooses to buy one of these turds on wheels, they'll have plenty of cheap parts.
I've had a 2015 SRI-V Auto,1.6 turbo,sedan since new. Change the oil myself every 5000k. I've replace a temperature sensor $15 and the radiator water bottle $22 in that time. I've only done 54000k and it's been garaged every night since new. Fantastic car.
I looked at these on the Used Car lot warehouses sometime last year after my Spark was written off but also went online and to dealers to look at Mazda's and went to look at a New Fiat 500.Ended up getting a series 2 post update BK Mazda 3 instead which fitted the budget and touch wood has not caused too many problems.I hate to say this but the Cruze is little more than a new age Viva which in turn was derived from a 97-03 Nubira of which Holden was spared the thought of selling here(we got the TR Astra towards the end of it's life 96-98 after the model sharing deal with Toyota ended to give us a taste for the TS AND LATER THE AH)
got my 2010 cd turbo cruze with 45,000k on the clock and never had any issues with it but i do have it serviced regularly! did blow the head gasket once but i was pushing it at 210kph.....
I had a mate and his parents did a bunch of research and bought him a brand new cruze. Me and my other mate knowing nothing about cars from day one said that car is a piece of sh** and we were right hahaha It literally fits his car to a tee
I really like your review style mate. Many times humour is great for explaining faults in things. Good job! I have no intention ever buying one of these cars!
I have one and I’ve never had a problem with it. Must just be me ahaha. Still drives so smooth and it’s done nearly 200,000. It’s pretty quick for a car you can use on your P Plates too.
Hi there. Thanks for your review. Very interesting. I have had a Holden Cruze 2011 4.1 since new in 2011. Gotta say, after a few early $$ horrors replacing both clutch and brakes a year after the warranty expired (which I put down to lack of quality control in the factory), we've had a trouble free run. Moreover, I actually love driving it. The 4.1 turbo coupled with 6 speed manual makes it as responsive as I need and VERY fuel efficient and its manoeuverability is great. But I take your point that whether you get a good one or a lemon depends mainly on luck. I have also driven an equip auto and it's like chalk and cheese. That one was horrible. You have convinced me of one thing though - the sooner I can trade it in on a Toyota, the better. Listening to your mechanic, I'm thinking better not wait for those big things to start going wrong!
Hahaha love to see the cruze appear in another video. I've got a 2009 cruze Turbo diesel Auto 170xxxKms. I had heard stories of reliability issues before I bought the car but took the risk and bought mine for $3k. I've owned the car for about 3 years and the only issue I have had is the aircon stopped working. I live in TAS and it doesn't really get hot here so I barely used it anyway. The turbo diesel engine is torquey and actually kind of fun to drive. I have been waiting for something major to go wrong (given the terrible reputation)but the car just keeps on putting along. Actually pleasantly surprised with my car. It has served its purpose well while I save up for something nicer!!
I have a soft spot for the earlier Suzuki Ignis-based Cruze. It's almost disappointing that they reused the name for this garbage. I always used to make fun of this model of Cruze because it looks like an 8th Gen Civic from Wish
Thanks for this, we were looking for a cheap run around car, we were about to buy one for 4k, with 160k's and a manual. Buuuuut its probably better to avoid. Subbed and liked
If it’s anything like mine (same year), have fun with the never ending repair costs. I almost never get the luxury of a regular service cost because this thing ALWAYS needs some kind of major repair every 10-12 months. Absolute lemon of a car and can’t wait to get something else.
My co-worker had one of these. 160k kms, the rocker cover was leaking, the power window in on of the doors just stopped working, she closed one of the back doors and the interior trim fell off completely, the lights had faded, and the paint was peeling off the doors. If a Japanese car dared do any of this at those ks, they'd be laughed out of the room.
I live in the UK and have a Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 petrol manual shift. It is my daily drive since 2010 when I bought it new. At the time it was the best cheap car available which is why I purchased it. The vehicle has now done 91000 miles with a lot off short journey commuter runs. In all that time it has had only had tow faults, the air conditioning pump and the coil pack, which would be expected on any car. The vehicle is basically an Astra in a different body as such I was expecting reasonable reliability at point of sale and I have not been disappointed . My only criticisms of this vehicle is the suspension has always been a bit basic and clunky, but then it’s a cheap car after all, also the boot has an annoying habit of opening by itself during the night. My car has been kept outside all of its life and the finish is excellent. I really do not identify with any of your criticisms of this vehicle and can only assume that Holden had some serious quality control issues. My car is now 14 years old and I paid £11300 for it new so that works out at £807 per annum and counting ! So I am very happy with my car. 😀
Had one: 2013MY Cruze turbo diesel CDX demo, was very excited, first year ownership was good, then problems: black smoke from exhaust-oil burn, fixed under warranty, then engine overheating if driven over 20 minutes, fixed under warranty, then passenger side window switch no longer work and low speed steering making noise- fixed under warranty, then? I traded the car in for good in 2015, I’m glad that I did
Pro: it's impossible to get a speeding ticket Con: You have to drive it. I'm borrowing my friends until I get my new car. And I feel depressed everytime I have to get in it. 😢😂
Back in 2019 I upgraded my 1989 Lancer (my first car, which I'd driven for ten years and never had any trouble with) to a 2011 Holden Cruze. As soon as I bought it, seemingly everybody started telling me about how they or somebody they knew had a Cruze that was nothing but trouble. Sure enough, it ended up with a fucked engine after just over 140k kilometres. I ended up buying a 2007 Madza 3 which had done plenty more KMs, but isn't a piece of crap. Never again.
IMO, get a Toyota corolla...or a Mazda 3 if you want reliable sports car handling. I have never heard anything good about this car. One of the reasons why the American domestic companies want to stop selling cars there, apart from the fact that trucks and crossovers outsell these by a huge margin. Even their crossovers aren't great either. 2020 ford explorer had many issues at launch, the Bronco seems to be doing great but the hardtop models have roof issues and they can't make enough of those to meet demands. The Chevy traverse has engine issues with the 3.6 V6, the Durango is fair, but it's more than 10 years old and the only thing being done to that is to add more power...and then repeat.
I got a 2017 i30 for $1k less than this Cruze cost, brilliant car. Only issue I've had was wheelspeed sensors, but that was covered under warranty. There are so many better cars out there that cost just as much as any decent Cruze and are leagues better.
The Cruze model name title used to be based on a completely different platform, for example the YG Cruze in the early 2000's it was originally a compact light off-roader crossover looking wagon city car.
I bought a new cruze 1.4t manual in 2011 - it had 2 manual transmission replacements under warranty, plus had the wing mirror rash. I traded it in before warranty ended hoping that it would be sold with a decent used car warranty to the next unsuspecting owner. Would avoid at all costs.
The downside: Nobody will steal it. I mean really, even if someone, for some reason, chose to steal it, it would probably break down by the end of the block anyway.
I own a 2012 2LT RS (which for those outside NA, its one step below fully loaded with a "sporty-ish" exterior appearance package, it adds no actual sportiness to it but the previous owners put sport shocks on mine anyway) with the 1.4l turbo and 6 speed auto. It is my first car and ive had it nearly 5 years now! The only issues ive had so far are with the steering wheel peeling as well, but slap on a cover and you forget about it. The other issue is with the "intelligent transmission" that changes how it responds to throttle with how aggressive you drive, as it tends to make it a lot more jerky than it should be and probably why a lot of the transmissions nuked itself. But at least for me its been a very reliable car for thrashing it on twisty backroads or dirt/mud roads, and for long distance road trips as it has more sound deadening than my moms 2015 Camry. Not sure if that carries over to other world markets either! But at least for NA it was one of the quietest cheap compact cars you could get when it came out. As for the storage bin in front of the shifter, it just tends to be where I just stuff loose change. At least for my model there is no storage cubby to the side of the steering wheel. The other interesting difference for me is US models have 4 more airbags than this AU model has, which I assume are the dual front knee airbags and the rear torso airbags.
So I own a chevy cruze with the 1.8 6speed. Runs good and handles really good. I don't have much electronics, so I don't deal with them issues. I'd say getting a cruze when workers building it definitely questions quality seeing that there losing there job at some point and knowing it, but for the most part a good car.
Got the first model built in Australia as a rental. I drove it from Wagga Wagga to West Wyalong, drove it around there and back to Wagga Wagga. I thought it was a pretty good car back then, drove really well and it had a great spec for the price. Just glad I didn't buy one now.
Wouldn't it have been easier for yourselves and Hullsy to list what doesn't go wrong with the cruze? This was one of the funniest reviews that you guys have done and gave me a much need chuckle so thanks for that. Also with the ants are you sure they were a special edition perk or an after market upgrade for the cruze?🤣 Good work again guys and keep up the good work.
Certainly backs up all the bad things I've heard about these cars over the years AK. Well done to you, Jim and all the crew at ReDriven. Seen several more of your videos and they're great to watch too, particularly the bloopers😄😄 Just an idea for a potential future review, although the Cruze is crap, how about testing out it's predecessor, The Holden Viva/Chevrolet Lacetti? (Top Gear's Reasonably Priced Car for many years if you prefer)😊 Or even the not so long lived Daewoo Lacetti that was sold in Aus between September 2003 & December 2004 perhaps? In hindsight I reckon both are at least worth having a second look at. The Daewoo maybe slightly more so than the Holden/Chevy in fact🙂
I have a 2014 cruze deisel with 205,000 on it, owned since new. No major issues at all. I plan on driving it for as long as I can. 45 mpg is great. Maybe all the issues are in the gas car but everything is holding up great
Here in America the (Chevy) Cruze was praised by auto magazines upon its release for not cutting corners,as they did with the Chevy Cobalt.They were obviously bribed. It turned out to be the ultimate shit car,known for failed turbos and constant coolant leaks.A colleague's girlfriend has one.$700 for replacing the turbo and a leak the mechanic can't find,that is after he fixed a previous coolant leak Chevy could only sell them in high volume when offering drastic rebates.Customers thought they got a good deal,compared to the Toyota Corolla & Honda Civic.The ended up paying far more than the difference in repairs.
I worked for a rental company that had 50 of the 2010 CD sedans. The operations manager said we “ran the country out of transmissions” as the 6 speed autos died at low kms and Holden NZ could not keep up with the problems. Bad cars.
Two people I know that had them had issues galore. We hired a Chevy version in Singapore & it had starting issues after the first day. We had to call them to collect it as we would have missed our flight. A car that makes you suffer for no benefit. I drive an Italian car that has been perfectly reliable & a hoot to drive, but people bought the Cruze thinking it might be boring, but should be reliable. The irony....
My 2013 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ went 120,000 miles without any issues. One time the cooling expansion tank leaked because a seal went bad. That was the only thing that ever went wrong with it. I loved my Cruze just over 60 the turbo was useless. But you get used to it.
Years ago I and my wife rented a Chevy Cruze from enterprise rental car here in the United States. We drove it one summer from Texas to Indiana. Car was gutless on the highway and not very comfortable this coming from a heavy American who likes comfort.
An Adelaide car centre is currently selling a white 2015 Holden Cruze Equipe Auto Sedan with 90,123 km for $13,990! They also have a 2016 model (same specs as the 2015) for $14,990 with 45,109km, just in red!
My elderly neighbour recently upgraded her 96 falcon to a 2012 cruze. Should have kept the falcon. Poor darl only drives it twice a week but has a mobile mechanic here doing something too it every few weeks. Wouldn't wish a cruze on my worst enemy.
I got very lucky with mine, was given to me as a first car, lasted from 250,000km to 410,000 until the gearbox died. Would never own another one though.
Once I did the PCV valve mod on my 2012 RS it’s been brilliant. 228k miles and 30-35 mpg. Did a serpentine belt change (#2) yesterday and replaced rusted exhaust bolts today…hoping for another 200k🎉. Oh and I bought it new.
I had a chilli red diesel sedan Cruze in manual. It looked really flash and I finished it off with some mag wheels. There was noticeable turbo lag in first gear but second gear had some really good torque/pull and was fun to drive. I got some hack device for the OBD port that puts all the windows up automatically when you lock the car with the key/fob. Passengers would always say "are you not going to put the windows up?" I''d then press the lock button and all the windows would roll up. I also updated the stereo with an embedded android tablet. Unfortunately one day it needed a new clutch which from memory cost $4500 for parts and labour. I got it fixed an promptly sold the car. I recently did a rego plate search and its no longer in the system. So I suspect it had other issues not worth fixing for the new owner. Such a shame as I really did like the car.
Having problems with it. Dashboard saying “code 27” (Right front blinker bulb is fine) But this issue caused whole system shut off such as headlights and air condition.
I don't really write comments but I thought I should share I own a 2012 sri sedan model, 1.4L turbo with a 6 speed manual, its second hand and the paintwork is a little bit lack luster. However I doubt thats a fault with the car itself. As a car to learn stick in its a very confidence inspiring ride, it's stiffer than some other cars whilst still being very comfortable, on top of that "very confidence inspiring" its also very direct, as in where ever you point the car, it'll happily go. Since I've owned the car its only ever had 1 issue with the engine, and that being the cooling system. More specifically the water pump, I've been told stories that when holden or i guess GM were making it they made a little part of the thermostat housing plastic, however you can get a metal replacement for it to fix that issue entirely. However the more and more I hear and learn of cruze's it appears to be a luck of the draw type deal, you can either get really lucky and have a solid fine piece of car. Or you can have a sh*tbox worse than the civic with pvc downpipe hanging from the rear bumper. I get a lot of sh*t from my friends for owning a cruze and yeah alright I can see how the car is plain however I think people give it more shade than it really deserves. It's different, but also has its own character. And in my personal opinion, I think having a car with character is a great thing to have. If you plan on using a cruze as a project car like myself. I recommend you reconsider and look at other options. The cruze is a great blank canvas for whatever you want to do to it however it gets expensive quickly. I imagine a lot of the expense is import costs etc etc. However, Gold Coast - Brisbane area has many great workshops who are prepared to work with you on them. In short, if you buy a cruze you're gambling whether you get a good one, or a bad one. I was lucky enough to get a good solid vehicle. I would recommend going with a manual since the automatic transmissions seems to have a lot of issues finding the right gear both under light acceleration and heavy (I'm so gonna regret writing this)
Whenever my reliable shitbox breaks down and i loose faith in my decesion to be a tight arse, it's nice to be reminded of the various shitter newer examples in exsistence .
Had a Chevy Cruze GT (hatchback) as a rental. It looked okay but it was brand new. In Canada, apparently after 100,000 km, not miles, they start to come apart.
Holden/Cruze quite rightly have an abysmal reputation of titanic proportions. The fact that GM sells so many cars in the US tell you how smart your average American is.
Every storm my mate parks his under a huge tree hoping it gets crushed 🤣
Haha! If it ever happens, we hope the tree is ok!
I live in a city with many hail damaged cars, and now thinking about it, I can’t remember ever seeing one hail damaged Cruze. The owners must have gotten rid of them the moment they can get an insurance payout.
Even a tree won't touch a cruze lol
I'm american and I had to read like this 5 times before I read it right. I had to read it with an Aussie accent to understand. lol
@@MakeAmericaGreatFasho 😂😂😂😂😂
Love Jim’s comments 😂 “Servicing costs are reasonable, but most people don’t bother because they hate them” 😂😂😂😂 gold 😂👌
His opening line was gold
I've been watching Redriven For weeks now and that's the first time I've heard him say "They're just crap!"
We got one as a hire car in NZ a few years ago. An alpaca would have been a better option.
Would the alpaca have been more fuel efficient? 🤣
The last Turbo model they made in Australia wasn't bad at all. It had a nice sporty set up and handled pretty well.
@@DEVILTAZ35 So Holden Cruze SRI 2015 are good?
@@ANAND02120 With the 1.6 they are.
With an alpaca at least you get to keep the fleece.
Well, you've convinced me! I'm off to buy the cheapest Holden Cruze that's nearest to me. Wish me luck 😃
Please tell me you got it their a top teir car lol.
Bought mine second hand 4 years ago, good little get around car but I’d never use credit for one
No no no no ....... 😂
Build quality differences between factories isn’t really something I’d considered much when researching cars. I’ve had a 2011 Chevy Cruze Ohio-assembled since I was a teenager starting in 2013. I’ve replaced 2 things that weren’t regular maintenance items for about $350 in my 8 years of ownership. Its been completely fine. The steering wheel does definitely wear though.
Yeah, also for shanghai GM assembled Chevy Cruze quite good quality.
Still it speaks volumes when you have to consider, before buying, where the car was assembled.
Before seeing the video, STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAR.
This was my sister first new car and the transmission blew up after 3 and half years with 60,000KM on the clock with other minor issues. There was not one year of ownership without going to the dealer at least twice for issues such as injectors and cracking noises in the cabin.
This is the worst car after the Astra to own.
At least with Astras, 1 in 10 was a good car.
This and the Astra are basically two variants of the same basic car.
Damn I was really about to buy this car
The honesty in this review is absolute gold. Thanks ReDriven.
Cheers Mark. - AK
When the 'what goes wrong' segment is the longest segment in this review, it says it all really. Great review.
I've had a chevy cruze for 8 years, I've replaced the battery, intake manifold , value cover , water inlet, overflow hose, and thermostat housing. All easy fixes and since I did them myself cost was around $500. If you had a shop do them you were probably looking at close to $3000 or $4000.
Sounds like a lemon to me
3k for 8 years of ownership seems standard to me. Sounds pretty decently normal. Thanks mate
try 35k for a beemer over 6 years, from brand new. 😒 somtimes we only complain based on what we beleive is alot.
Holy clunker city 🌆 😂
Whoever designed that adjustable cupholder in the centre console should get some sort of award, very clever
Honestly, probably the best thing about the car
I own a 2011 Holden Cruze SRI-V and I’ve had no problems with electronics only a problem with the rocket cover and other little things but I keep it looked after and I treat it well and treats me well for a first car.
Rocket cover?
@@sarahferguson-i8h I think he (she) intended "rocker cover", just a little typo. Afterall, "t" is right next to "r" on the keyboard.😄😄😄
3:33 The Cruze isn't beautiful but it's not ugly and it has become very rare in Europe. And I own one of them.
5:11 The Steering wheel and the shift knob (manual) is pretty worn, that's true. Everything else is still a in very good condition, built in 2012.
7:29 I own the 4 door sedan and even with the smaller tailgate I've never had a problem with getting my stuff in.
8:34 this tiny space = change for parking meter, shopping cart coins......
10:50 Well, my (Chevy) cruze was built in South Korea in 2012 and it's the most reliable car I've ever had.
Only let me down ONCE when the factory starter battery died after ~8 years. So, this sounds like a (Holden) australian problem.......
Oh thank you. I have somebody doing me a favor and selling me one at a supposed great price. I agreed to it and it's just been delivered but now I'm saying nothing but bad things about this car! I'm scared and I think I just made a huge mistake! I'm in the US and mine is a 2015 diesel.
Speaking as an American; this car was a perfect example of a General Motors shit box. Purchased by people who didn't make good decisions, had terrible credit, and didn't have a local Nissan dealership
I've had a holden cruze 2009 model bought it at 119000kms 6 speed auto 1.8 never had a problems with it sold it at 214000kms guess I was lucky
I have one of those faultless examples.
2011 auto Sriv aussie built hatch with leather, towball, tints. Happy to let you review it.
"Was it that bad?" No! It was WORSE!!! We had 5 of them at work. Every...Single... One... broke. They broke hard. One of them the turbo failed so hard, it wrote the engine off completely. All of them kept getting warranty rejections by our fleet dealer.. Our fleety had enough and dumped all 100 of them back on Leaseplan. They were ghastly.... No - that's not fair. They were horrific.
This is a throw back from the Holden Camira king of the dog and lemon 🍋
I remember seeing the Camira getting a few awards when it was released... almost as many as the first Mitsubishi Magnas (they didn't last long) . That's when I took note of new car awards and stay away from those cars.
Well, just like the Camira, it does have the FAMlLY engine, Albeit the Cruze has the FAMILY2 engine…
@@BobSmith-rp2oz Good point. Most car journalism is pure fantasy at one end and total bullshit at the other. Redriven is the major (and, maybe, the only) exception, good luck to them! 😆😆
i have a 2012 cruze 1.4 L turbo manual, bought it new and 12 years later, just had 1 issue, with 1 key fob that fell apart, because i used to open and close it alot, never had any mechnaical issues, i always get it serviced once a year, its fast, fuel efficient, will keep it untill it dies...
Mine must have been from the same batch.
I personally love my Cruze. It's never let me down and 12 yrs old, 145,000 km and runs like a dream, takes off when you need it to, hasn't skipped a beat!
@@kellogan1 mine is still going strong
I owned a 2016 Cruze. After 4 years 250kms, transmission died, pcv valve died, head unit and centre console glitched out. Using a obd tool put it onto limp mode. The list goes on
On those door mirror mounts, as someone who works in car parts and accessories, probably 3/4 Cruzes we see at work show this problem to some extent. Unlike most cars where this is a bit of black plastic, for some unknown reason Holden decided to make this out of WHITE plastic then basically plasti-dip it black. UV does seem to have some effect but the #1 culprit seems to be taking them through high pressure non-contact automatic car washes so if by some miracle you have one that still has black mirror mounts, don't do that
A worthy successor to the Holden Camira in reliability and build quality.
The Camira is like a corolla compared to this monstrosity.
I knew someone who had aCamira that seemed to be electrically possessed, just like they say about the Cruze in this review! 😅
Happy with mine.No problems.
I know 2 people who bought the Holden Cruze, both had issie with the oil cooler, what happens is the oil leaks into the cooling system via the oil cooler, you first notice this by oil in the radiator and your engine oil becomes white, yuk, Oh and you think the Cruze is bad do you? Just wait until you hear about the Holden Captiva, My God, a mate of mine who is a mechanic said it should be illegal for those things to be allowed on the road, the list of faults in those things is a mile long.
Exact same thing happened to my sisters car. She fixed it but it cost her 4500. Couple of weeks later the tranny failed.
@@luiss5648 Too many people are buying Holden Captivas and Cruizes because they have a Holden badge on them
Jim’s description 😂😂😂 not surprising though, have a mate who bought one new, biggest regret he had! And your back seat measurements again! Love your reviews, AK. Always makes me laugh!
Haha thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Great review AK. My partner has a MY12 1.8l Equipe auto she purchased new & much to my surprise... it's been reliable as clockwork. She's very much in the 'I don't care as long as it gets me from A to B' demographic & isn't very 'mechanically sympathetic' but it's still going strong after 140,000 hard-ish km's. It's a daily-driver Monday to Friday then turns into a shopping trolley and a bus for the grandkids on the weekend, but other than the door mirror mounts turning white (just like the review vehicle) and chewing through brake pads she's happy as a pig in poo. Personally, I'd rather walk rather than drive it but she loves it. Every manufacturer had crappy examples of a model (the 'built on a monday morning or friday afternoon' syndrome) but Holden fine-tuned their optimum build period to about 20 minutes somewhere mid-week... and I reckon Julie's Cruze was built then. Maybe regular 10,000km servicing has helped... who knows.
For all the hate it gets (and any other unreliable car), there’s always good examples out there. Stoked your partner loves it!
I have a 2014 SRi-Z Manual. Been trouble free. Touch wood. I'm thrilled with it, it's just about to hit 100k.
@@ReDriven That’s a fair call. It would be ridiculous if every single example out there broke down, here’s hoping that at least a few work, that doesn’t invalidate the fact these have a shit tonne more problems than a Corolla or Mazda3
@@normanafif1268
I’ve noticed people tend to have less problems with Cruzes after 2013. I have a 2013 SRi V and it’s been a great car. Very reliable. It drives so smooth even after 200,000 km.
@@TheJayden3977 That's so good to hear! This review got me a little nervous about mine. I genuinely love the car. I'd like to see it go another 100,000 K. It's always been serviced, I've looked after it.
My Mum owns the unicorn example of this thing you said "surely exists", never had an issue in the almost 10 years she's owned it. It doesn't even have any rattles or anything last time I was in it, it's like the Murphy's Law special edition or something. She got it for a bargain price and I don't think I know anyone else who likes this car as much as she does.
Funny, Satirical, Over exaggerated and most importantly really helpful review. That’s it I’m subscribing and every car that I’m not going to buy I’ll get my review from here. Bang on mate!
Same 👍🏼
In the United States these are one of the most common vehicles on the road.
Individual cars are either Toyota like reliable or Yugo like problematic.
Owners usually drive them like they are stolen and they never see the inside of a garage for maintenance just when something breaks.
I have a Holden Cruze and It is always serviced and runs well.
I was just lined up to buy one of these, thank you for this video! Recommending your channel to others
Thanks so much, Mel!
I bought a Cruze last year for $8K. So far I've spent about a further $8K on the damn thing. Even as we speak I have a check engine light on the dash. I dread going to the mechanic every time. Don't buy one of these unless you like haemorrhaging money. Seriously, it would cost you less to buy a new car than what you will spend if you buy a Cruze.
your oxygen sensors probably dead, and parts will cost over $700 to buy and plus labour
My exact experience as well! Since I got a 2013 model second hand in 2019, I’ve yet to have a single service that didn’t involve some kind of major repair cost alongside the basic service costs.
I was in the market for a car 2 months ago was seriously considering one of these and glad i didnt get it i went a lancer xls and it has been fantastic
Never had issues with mine and had it for ages now
Loved the review. Not only did it seem honest but it was also funny as.
After this and a few reviews from other people confirming everything you mentioned, I decided to stir clear of these and put my money into a Corolla. Gotta bet on reliability over looks while building up those savings.
Keep up the good work and give us merch!
Looks? 😂
LOOKS, are you serious? To me the cruise looks cheap and really, really nasty compared to.......... Frankly anything else!
Back in 2011 my daughter bought a chevy cruze eco with 6 speed manual that drove pretty decent. I borrowed for a day trip and drove it normal, my normal doing 80mph and got 45 mpg. We did after 100k run into the typical PCV problem and ended up doing a new intake and PVC valve cover. Learned always warm car up a little before repairing cause when you move all those plastic parts they snap if cold. Car has 150k on it that has original engine, transmission and clutch and runs fine. Every person I've talked to that complained about these cars had an automatic. Car has 150k and still gets 45-47 on highway except in winter when using studded snows on it on all 4 corners. All in all car still rides nice and except for PVC/INTAKE problem which was rectified car has been pretty good. P.S. button for trunk release corroded twice and gave up on that repair. Just use fob to open trunk. 11 years of ownership and cost wise cars been good.
Best video I've seen Jim do, I've had days like that too. Legend.
My previous car. 2010 Cruze 1.8 LT Auto. Got it with 35k on the clock and from day 1 had issues. Took car back multiple times. They replaced the ignition 3 times, only to finally realize it had nothing to do with the actual issue which was faulty injectors. After those were replaced car was fine for +- 2 month, then the next issue; noticed strange greasy substance in the coolant bottle. Took it in and they found the automatic gearbox coolant had leaked into the main coolant system. Repaired. Fine for +- 5 months, then as I was driving on the freeway the card suddenly started loosing power and was stuck in 4th gear in a sort of limp mode. Stopped, after cooling down completely I was able to drive home. Found the Auto gearbox oil was low and had to top that up myself. With Chev announcing they would be pulling out of South Africa later that year I got rid of the car as soon as I could. Bought a new Nissan Qashqai and still driving it till today.
My mum bought one in 2015 and just upgraded to a Toyota Corolla without ever having a single issue! It was a brilliant car! Maybe she just got lucky?
Had a 2.0 diesel since 2015. Still going strong without any issues whatsoever, nothing. Nothing wrong with it.
Have a 2010 CDX. everything was right in your video, electrical, gearbox, blew head gasket, new sounds Hell even the ants! Mine sat for a year on 195,000km. Currently it's 210,000km after reviving it in January 2021. I love this car, but even Holden and Insurance want nothing to do with it. Accident in November. Insurance or police never followed up, same in June/July when it got keyed. I'm disappointed it never got stolen. Car never leaks though. Even Holden crashed the car during a fix. This cars a joke and I strongly advise against anyone buying one and I'm happy to help people out in the comments with questions about this car. Gotten to the point where I'm gonna finance my bosses spare Mercedes just to get rid of the thing.
Not even a tea-leaf is stupid enough to steal a Holden/Cruze. If they did, it would be back on your forecourt in a week with a "My condolences" card.
@@csjrogerson2377 the amount of times I've left the key in the car or on the door is insane. Nobody's ever taken it.
@@csjrogerson2377 Heap of Low Down Engineering Nonsense.I noticed all the Daewoo sourced Holdens are piles of crap.Even my late fathers associate from a Toyota dealership would have told me don't even think about buying the piles of garbage they sell to suckers.I know what he would been thinking I'll do you a good deal on a Corolla so you don't have to buy those lumps of Korean sourced Junk.
My dad bought a 2010 Cruze CDX in 2016 despite me telling him not to. Surprisingly he hasn’t had any problems in the 6 years he owned it but still it’s not worth getting one if the odds of finding a reliable one is like finding a needle in a haystack
He won the Holden Cruze Lottery, that’s all…
Some years ago I was given a Cruze as work car. It was brand new which provided no owner comfort at all. It drove really basically and I found it very uncomfortable for any distance driving. It developed mechanical issues with weird and completely erratic gear changes. I gave it back after three months and swapped to a Toyota. Years later I drove my Uncle’s diesel Cruze. It was noisy, showed erratic red lights on the dashboard and stank of diesel. Ugly nasty cars not worth buying new or used.
I never owned one not even as a loaner for the day was I ever given one but I can name one Holden that was worse than this which also existed as a Daewoo and a Chevrolet and that was the Spark.I had a 2017 one of those bought second hand in 2018 which lasted three years but was written off by a truck last May/June.I made it out alive but insurance didn't want to repair it and the cost all up to make it all original given I was partway into a loan for the thing made it cheaper to get an insurance payout and buy something older one class bigger.I have a 2008 Mazda 3 now which is a better car but I turned up to look at that in a 2016 Astra R from an accident replacement vehicle rental place and was impressed(my only regrets was there were more owners than I would have liked and the service book was all over the place)otherwise things like any BK/BL/BM Mazda 3 or Honda Accords or Civics or any Toyota or hyundai or the odd Kia is the better buy used.
My old man had a 1.8L Auto to use as a cheap daily. Sold it within a month. I currently have the SRiV, 1.6T, Manual. Has been adequate while I wait for the current supply madness to get sorted out.
I had a Cruze as a rental in Sydney and the second day of driving it ...it caught on fire from a loose oil filter that was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold...🤣🤣
Hopefully nobody extinguished the fire then…
@@rsoul7282 I didn't care as they replaced it with a Forrester STI
This car is the argument that all cars should be developed with a true recycling/ end of life plan..
Theres going to be a ton of these shit heaps in dead in backyards and wrecking yards for decades to come
PS plus please lol llrc
Good news though is anybody who is mechanically savvy and for some ungodly reason still chooses to buy one of these turds on wheels, they'll have plenty of cheap parts.
@@raptorjesus3894 cruze is the new VN/P/S/R commodore
Great video. I think there's a lot of value in covering these much cheaper, problem cars.
I've had a 2015 SRI-V Auto,1.6 turbo,sedan since new. Change the oil myself every 5000k. I've replace a temperature sensor $15 and the radiator water bottle $22 in that time. I've only done 54000k and it's been garaged every night since new. Fantastic car.
Thank god I convinced my dad to go with a Civic instead.
I looked at these on the Used Car lot warehouses sometime last year after my Spark was written off but also went online and to dealers to look at Mazda's and went to look at a New Fiat 500.Ended up getting a series 2 post update BK Mazda 3 instead which fitted the budget and touch wood has not caused too many problems.I hate to say this but the Cruze is little more than a new age Viva which in turn was derived from a 97-03 Nubira of which Holden was spared the thought of selling here(we got the TR Astra towards the end of it's life 96-98 after the model sharing deal with Toyota ended to give us a taste for the TS AND LATER THE AH)
got my 2010 cd turbo cruze with 45,000k on the clock and never had any issues with it but i do have it serviced regularly! did blow the head gasket once but i was pushing it at 210kph.....
Got a 2010 diesel with 80k on the clock, no issues.
I had a mate and his parents did a bunch of research and bought him a brand new cruze. Me and my other mate knowing nothing about cars from day one said that car is a piece of sh** and we were right hahaha It literally fits his car to a tee
Is it really that bad car? I'm considering 2009 Cruze but been wary since alot mentioned how shitty it is
I really like your review style mate. Many times humour is great for explaining faults in things. Good job! I have no intention ever buying one of these cars!
I’ve had a diesel one of these, eventually antipsychotic medications were prescribed and I sold it.
Owning a Cruze is like buying shit beer.
More like just buying shit haha
I have one and I’ve never had a problem with it. Must just be me ahaha. Still drives so smooth and it’s done nearly 200,000.
It’s pretty quick for a car you can use on your P Plates too.
Hi there. Thanks for your review. Very interesting. I have had a Holden Cruze 2011 4.1 since new in 2011. Gotta say, after a few early $$ horrors replacing both clutch and brakes a year after the warranty expired (which I put down to lack of quality control in the factory), we've had a trouble free run. Moreover, I actually love driving it. The 4.1 turbo coupled with 6 speed manual makes it as responsive as I need and VERY fuel efficient and its manoeuverability is great. But I take your point that whether you get a good one or a lemon depends mainly on luck. I have also driven an equip auto and it's like chalk and cheese. That one was horrible. You have convinced me of one thing though - the sooner I can trade it in on a Toyota, the better. Listening to your mechanic, I'm thinking better not wait for those big things to start going wrong!
Hahaha love to see the cruze appear in another video. I've got a 2009 cruze Turbo diesel Auto 170xxxKms. I had heard stories of reliability issues before I bought the car but took the risk and bought mine for $3k. I've owned the car for about 3 years and the only issue I have had is the aircon stopped working. I live in TAS and it doesn't really get hot here so I barely used it anyway. The turbo diesel engine is torquey and actually kind of fun to drive. I have been waiting for something major to go wrong (given the terrible reputation)but the car just keeps on putting along. Actually pleasantly surprised with my car. It has served its purpose well while I save up for something nicer!!
Aircon is an easy fix and just needed to be used seasonally.
Buy a lottery ticket! Start saving money it's only a matter of time before something blows up
I owned a 2016 Sports Wagon, loved it, no issues what so ever. Then I sold it as I needed a larger vehicle.
I have a soft spot for the earlier Suzuki Ignis-based Cruze. It's almost disappointing that they reused the name for this garbage.
I always used to make fun of this model of Cruze because it looks like an 8th Gen Civic from Wish
Short answer: Yes! Long answer: Hell yes!
I hear so much bad about them, but the two I’ve owned have gone over 200k with no problems
You are very very very lucky!
Thanks for this, we were looking for a cheap run around car, we were about to buy one for 4k, with 160k's and a manual. Buuuuut its probably better to avoid. Subbed and liked
I just bought a 2nd hand 2013 sedan model for 4.5k with 95,000kms ... so far so good but we shall see how it goes after reading these reviews 😄
How is it after 3 months? Should I buy one or avoid?
Would also like to know how it’s holding up id like to buy one dirt cheap to mod lol
If it’s anything like mine (same year), have fun with the never ending repair costs. I almost never get the luxury of a regular service cost because this thing ALWAYS needs some kind of major repair every 10-12 months. Absolute lemon of a car and can’t wait to get something else.
My co-worker had one of these. 160k kms, the rocker cover was leaking, the power window in on of the doors just stopped working, she closed one of the back doors and the interior trim fell off completely, the lights had faded, and the paint was peeling off the doors. If a Japanese car dared do any of this at those ks, they'd be laughed out of the room.
I own a 2014 Holden Cruze wagon in 2019 and the problems are endless since then.
What about the Craptiva?
Another dog and lemon 🍋 from Daewoo slash gm
It’s coming!
Best relevant car review on TH-cam in Australia 👍
Ah thanks so much Tony. - AK
Great video. I'm currently not in market for a vehicle I just enjoy ReDriven videos. Very entertaining!
Glad you enjoy!
This car is the Leyland Marina of the modern era
I live in the UK and have a Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 petrol manual shift. It is my daily drive since 2010 when I bought it new. At the time it was the best cheap car available which is why I purchased it. The vehicle has now done 91000 miles with a lot off short journey commuter runs. In all that time it has had only had tow faults, the air conditioning pump and the coil pack, which would be expected on any car. The vehicle is basically an Astra in a different body as such I was expecting reasonable reliability at point of sale and I have not been disappointed . My only criticisms of this vehicle is the suspension has always been a bit basic and clunky, but then it’s a cheap car after all, also the boot has an annoying habit of opening by itself during the night. My car has been kept outside all of its life and the finish is excellent. I really do not identify with any of your criticisms of this vehicle and can only assume that Holden had some serious quality control issues. My car is now 14 years old and I paid £11300 for it new so that works out at £807 per annum and counting ! So I am very happy with my car. 😀
Had one: 2013MY Cruze turbo diesel CDX demo, was very excited, first year ownership was good, then problems: black smoke from exhaust-oil burn, fixed under warranty, then engine overheating if driven over 20 minutes, fixed under warranty, then passenger side window switch no longer work and low speed steering making noise- fixed under warranty, then? I traded the car in for good in 2015, I’m glad that I did
Jim! 🤣 Should run for PM. The brutal honesty. ❤️ it!
Ah hope you guys Re-Drive an Epica.
Pro: it's impossible to get a speeding ticket
Con: You have to drive it.
I'm borrowing my friends until I get my new car. And I feel depressed everytime I have to get in it. 😢😂
Back in 2019 I upgraded my 1989 Lancer (my first car, which I'd driven for ten years and never had any trouble with) to a 2011 Holden Cruze. As soon as I bought it, seemingly everybody started telling me about how they or somebody they knew had a Cruze that was nothing but trouble. Sure enough, it ended up with a fucked engine after just over 140k kilometres. I ended up buying a 2007 Madza 3 which had done plenty more KMs, but isn't a piece of crap.
Never again.
IMO, get a Toyota corolla...or a Mazda 3 if you want reliable sports car handling. I have never heard anything good about this car. One of the reasons why the American domestic companies want to stop selling cars there, apart from the fact that trucks and crossovers outsell these by a huge margin. Even their crossovers aren't great either. 2020 ford explorer had many issues at launch, the Bronco seems to be doing great but the hardtop models have roof issues and they can't make enough of those to meet demands. The Chevy traverse has engine issues with the 3.6 V6, the Durango is fair, but it's more than 10 years old and the only thing being done to that is to add more power...and then repeat.
I got a 2017 i30 for $1k less than this Cruze cost, brilliant car. Only issue I've had was wheelspeed sensors, but that was covered under warranty. There are so many better cars out there that cost just as much as any decent Cruze and are leagues better.
The Cruze model name title used to be based on a completely different platform, for example the YG Cruze in the early 2000's it was originally a compact light off-roader crossover looking wagon city car.
I bought a new cruze 1.4t manual in 2011 - it had 2 manual transmission replacements under warranty, plus had the wing mirror rash. I traded it in before warranty ended hoping that it would be sold with a decent used car warranty to the next unsuspecting owner. Would avoid at all costs.
The upside:nobody will steal it.
The downside: Nobody will steal it.
I mean really, even if someone, for some reason, chose to steal it, it would probably break down by the end of the block anyway.
True!
Having it stolen and getting the insurance pay out is probably the preferable option amongst Cruze owners.
Another great video. Shout out to Jim for keeping it real!
I own a 2012 2LT RS (which for those outside NA, its one step below fully loaded with a "sporty-ish" exterior appearance package, it adds no actual sportiness to it but the previous owners put sport shocks on mine anyway) with the 1.4l turbo and 6 speed auto. It is my first car and ive had it nearly 5 years now! The only issues ive had so far are with the steering wheel peeling as well, but slap on a cover and you forget about it. The other issue is with the "intelligent transmission" that changes how it responds to throttle with how aggressive you drive, as it tends to make it a lot more jerky than it should be and probably why a lot of the transmissions nuked itself. But at least for me its been a very reliable car for thrashing it on twisty backroads or dirt/mud roads, and for long distance road trips as it has more sound deadening than my moms 2015 Camry. Not sure if that carries over to other world markets either! But at least for NA it was one of the quietest cheap compact cars you could get when it came out.
As for the storage bin in front of the shifter, it just tends to be where I just stuff loose change. At least for my model there is no storage cubby to the side of the steering wheel. The other interesting difference for me is US models have 4 more airbags than this AU model has, which I assume are the dual front knee airbags and the rear torso airbags.
How many miles?
@@Mabeylater293 just went over 130,000 miles! (209,000km)
So I own a chevy cruze with the 1.8 6speed. Runs good and handles really good. I don't have much electronics, so I don't deal with them issues. I'd say getting a cruze when workers building it definitely questions quality seeing that there losing there job at some point and knowing it, but for the most part a good car.
Got the first model built in Australia as a rental. I drove it from Wagga Wagga to West Wyalong, drove it around there and back to Wagga Wagga. I thought it was a pretty good car back then, drove really well and it had a great spec for the price. Just glad I didn't buy one now.
Wouldn't it have been easier for yourselves and Hullsy to list what doesn't go wrong with the cruze?
This was one of the funniest reviews that you guys have done and gave me a much need chuckle so thanks for that.
Also with the ants are you sure they were a special edition perk or an after market upgrade for the cruze?🤣
Good work again guys and keep up the good work.
Thanks as always you legend! - AK
Certainly backs up all the bad things I've heard about these cars over the years AK. Well done to you, Jim and all the crew at ReDriven. Seen several more of your videos and they're great to watch too, particularly the bloopers😄😄 Just an idea for a potential future review, although the Cruze is crap, how about testing out it's predecessor, The Holden Viva/Chevrolet Lacetti? (Top Gear's Reasonably Priced Car for many years if you prefer)😊 Or even the not so long lived Daewoo Lacetti that was sold in Aus between September 2003 & December 2004 perhaps? In hindsight I reckon both are at least worth having a second look at. The Daewoo maybe slightly more so than the Holden/Chevy in fact🙂
I have a 2014 cruze deisel with 205,000 on it, owned since new. No major issues at all. I plan on driving it for as long as I can. 45 mpg is great. Maybe all the issues are in the gas car but everything is holding up great
Nah, the auto gearboxes paired to the td couldn’t handle the diesel torque and died pretty early. Maybe diesel + manual gearbox is the sweet spot.
Here in America the (Chevy) Cruze was praised by auto magazines upon its release for not cutting corners,as they did with the Chevy Cobalt.They were obviously bribed.
It turned out to be the ultimate shit car,known for failed turbos and constant coolant leaks.A colleague's girlfriend has one.$700 for replacing the turbo and a leak the mechanic can't find,that is after he fixed a previous coolant leak
Chevy could only sell them in high volume when offering drastic rebates.Customers thought they got a good deal,compared to the Toyota Corolla & Honda Civic.The ended up paying far more than the difference in repairs.
I worked for a rental company that had 50 of the 2010 CD sedans. The operations manager said we “ran the country out of transmissions” as the 6 speed autos died at low kms and Holden NZ could not keep up with the problems. Bad cars.
Thankyou thankyou thankyou for making me realise a Mazda 2 is going to be such a better bet then the look of a Holden Cruze. Love the honesty!
Two people I know that had them had issues galore. We hired a Chevy version in Singapore & it had starting issues after the first day. We had to call them to collect it as we would have missed our flight. A car that makes you suffer for no benefit. I drive an Italian car that has been perfectly reliable & a hoot to drive, but people bought the Cruze thinking it might be boring, but should be reliable. The irony....
My 2013 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ went 120,000 miles without any issues. One time the cooling expansion tank leaked because a seal went bad. That was the only thing that ever went wrong with it. I loved my Cruze just over 60 the turbo was useless. But you get used to it.
Years ago I and my wife rented a Chevy Cruze from enterprise rental car here in the United States. We drove it one summer from Texas to Indiana. Car was gutless on the highway and not very comfortable this coming from a heavy American who likes comfort.
An Adelaide car centre is currently selling a white 2015 Holden Cruze Equipe Auto Sedan with 90,123 km for $13,990!
They also have a 2016 model (same specs as the 2015) for $14,990 with 45,109km, just in red!
My elderly neighbour recently upgraded her 96 falcon to a 2012 cruze. Should have kept the falcon. Poor darl only drives it twice a week but has a mobile mechanic here doing something too it every few weeks.
Wouldn't wish a cruze on my worst enemy.
I got very lucky with mine, was given to me as a first car, lasted from 250,000km to 410,000 until the gearbox died. Would never own another one though.
Once I did the PCV valve mod on my 2012 RS it’s been brilliant. 228k miles and 30-35 mpg. Did a serpentine belt change (#2) yesterday and replaced rusted exhaust bolts today…hoping for another 200k🎉. Oh and I bought it new.
I had a chilli red diesel sedan Cruze in manual. It looked really flash and I finished it off with some mag wheels. There was noticeable turbo lag in first gear but second gear had some really good torque/pull and was fun to drive. I got some hack device for the OBD port that puts all the windows up automatically when you lock the car with the key/fob. Passengers would always say "are you not going to put the windows up?" I''d then press the lock button and all the windows would roll up. I also updated the stereo with an embedded android tablet. Unfortunately one day it needed a new clutch which from memory cost $4500 for parts and labour. I got it fixed an promptly sold the car. I recently did a rego plate search and its no longer in the system. So I suspect it had other issues not worth fixing for the new owner. Such a shame as I really did like the car.
It also blows off transmission line to radiator and loses all gear's since we've had ours it's been nothing but trouble
Throw it off a cliff...
But seriously, get rid of it and buy a Toyota, even if it's a little older...
Having problems with it.
Dashboard saying “code 27”
(Right front blinker bulb is fine)
But this issue caused whole system shut off such as headlights and air condition.
I don't really write comments but I thought I should share
I own a 2012 sri sedan model, 1.4L turbo with a 6 speed manual, its second hand and the paintwork is a little bit lack luster. However I doubt thats a fault with the car itself. As a car to learn stick in its a very confidence inspiring ride, it's stiffer than some other cars whilst still being very comfortable, on top of that "very confidence inspiring" its also very direct, as in where ever you point the car, it'll happily go. Since I've owned the car its only ever had 1 issue with the engine, and that being the cooling system. More specifically the water pump, I've been told stories that when holden or i guess GM were making it they made a little part of the thermostat housing plastic, however you can get a metal replacement for it to fix that issue entirely. However the more and more I hear and learn of cruze's it appears to be a luck of the draw type deal, you can either get really lucky and have a solid fine piece of car. Or you can have a sh*tbox worse than the civic with pvc downpipe hanging from the rear bumper. I get a lot of sh*t from my friends for owning a cruze and yeah alright I can see how the car is plain however I think people give it more shade than it really deserves. It's different, but also has its own character. And in my personal opinion, I think having a car with character is a great thing to have.
If you plan on using a cruze as a project car like myself. I recommend you reconsider and look at other options. The cruze is a great blank canvas for whatever you want to do to it however it gets expensive quickly. I imagine a lot of the expense is import costs etc etc. However, Gold Coast - Brisbane area has many great workshops who are prepared to work with you on them.
In short, if you buy a cruze you're gambling whether you get a good one, or a bad one. I was lucky enough to get a good solid vehicle.
I would recommend going with a manual since the automatic transmissions seems to have a lot of issues finding the right gear both under light acceleration and heavy
(I'm so gonna regret writing this)
Have owned a 2013 model for 6 years with it breaking down from various issues an average of every 12 months. Cheap to buy but you make up for it.
Whenever my reliable shitbox breaks down and i loose faith in my decesion to be a tight arse, it's nice to be reminded of the various shitter newer examples in exsistence .
GM doesn't know how to make cars. They make excellent trucks, but their engineers stroke out if it doesn't have a bed.
Had a Chevy Cruze GT (hatchback) as a rental. It looked okay but it was brand new. In Canada, apparently after 100,000 km, not miles, they start to come apart.
Holden/Cruze quite rightly have an abysmal reputation of titanic proportions. The fact that GM sells so many cars in the US tell you how smart your average American is.