Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze, and it carries 2 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 33 | 16% |
| Power train | 23 | 11% |
| Unknown or other | 14 | 7% |
| Electrical system | 14 | 7% |
| Service brakes | 9 | 4% |
| Structure | 7 | 3% |
| Power train | 7 | 3% |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 3% |
| Engine | 6 | 3% |
| Air bags | 5 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
THE ENGINE HAS EXCESSIVE BLOW BY FROM THE OIL FILLER CAP. HAVING A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER NUMBER 1 AND IDLING ROUGH. THERE ARE SEVERAL THREADS ONLINE CONCERNING THIS ISSUE BEING CAUSED BY WORN PISTONS AND PISTON RINGS.
NHTSA complaint: Engine
Recently my car's check engine light and the message "Service Stabilitrak" started coming up on my car, then my car started shaking while idling. I quickly took the car to my mechanic who assessed it, replaced my spark p
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
My airbag light came on. My vehicle has less than 100K miles on it. I took it to the Chevy Dealership that I purchased it from. The dealership indicated that the passenger side rail air bag is the issue. Apparently, that
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Paint bubbling and rusting alone the car even though it’s washed and is no where near salt never even been hit there are tons of issues with GM paint yall need to fix these and recall every gm car with this issue and wip
NHTSA complaint: Structure
Car is currently not drivable due to strong smell of gas coming from under the hood. Findings, gas is leaking into the engine and car will not crank. Diagnostic machine indicates poor fuel to fuel injector causing a ga
NHTSA complaint: Engine
My 2017 Chevy Cruze had the throttle body replaced by STG Auto Group in Montclair, CA. A few months after the repair, my car began shaking violently and then shut off in the middle of the street while I was driving on 11
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Apparently there is a TSB from GM regarding the end for updated/replacement of parts concerning the hydraulic piping, slave cylinder and accumulator. My clutch became spongy then stuck on the floor. This happened unexpe
NHTSA complaint: Power train
My head lights stopped working except the day time running lights. The high beams don’t work nor the actual head lights. They just went out.
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Cruze LS vehicles, equipped with a gasoline engine and a tire inflator kit instead of a spare tire. The vehicles may leak gasoline following a rear-impact crash and a rollover. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirem
Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a lock-ring on the fuel tank that will shield the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor from damage in a rear-impact crash, free of charge. The recall began
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles. A bracket used in the driver or front passenger seat-back recliner mechanism may have been incorrectly welded to the seat-back frame, as a result, in the event of a crash, the head-restraints may not function properly.
Risk: In a crash, the seat-backs for the front seats may break, increasing the risk of injury to the occupants.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seats, replacing any with seat-back frames that are incorrectly welded, free of charge. The recall began on February 28, 2017. Own
| Reliability raw | 68 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 69 | good |
| Maintenance | 79 | good |
| Depreciation | 80 | excellent |
| Performance | 45 | below average |
| Efficiency | 57 | average |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and engine is the most reported area with 33 of them (16%). There are 2 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 68/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 69/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2017 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 70/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.