2012 Chevrolet Cruze
Trims, performance, features, fuel economy, safety and known problems — with the pros and cons against similar 2012 models.

- Class
- Midsize Cars
- Body styles
- 4dr Sedan Ls/Lt/Ltz/Eco
- Engines
- 1.4L 4-cyl turbo, 1.8L 4-cyl
- Drivetrain
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
- MPG (best)
- 32 combined · 28 city / 40 hwy
- Length
- 181.5 in
- Curb weight
- 3,102 lb
- NHTSA rating
- Not rated
- Recalls
- 7 campaigns
Pros & cons
What's good
- Excellent fuel economyUp to 32 MPG combined — 34% better than the average 2012 midsize car (23.9 MPG).
Watch out for
- Many owner complaints581 complaints filed with NHTSA versus about 137 for similar models — most often about the engine.
Calculated from EPA, NHTSA and vPIC data against 31 similar 2012 models — not a review. How we calculate this →
Overview
The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is a midsize car offered with 2 engines (1.4L 4-cyl turbo and 1.8L 4-cyl) and front-wheel drive.
It measures about 182 inches long and 71 inches wide on a 106-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,102 lb.
EPA rates its most efficient version at 32 MPG combined (28 city / 40 highway), 34% better than the 2012 midsize car average of 23.9 MPG, for an estimated $2,100 a year in fuel.
NHTSA has not published a 5-Star overall rating for this model year.
It has 7 recall campaigns on file and owners have filed 581 complaints with NHTSA since 2015, most often about the engine.
What changed for 2012
No changes to engines, powertrains, drivetrains, size, EPA ratings or NHTSA crash rating compared with the 2011 Cruze — a carry-over year in the data.
Compared with 2011; trim, feature and price changes aren't covered. See the 2011 Cruze →
Dimensions & weight
| Body | Length | Width | Height | Wheelbase | Track F / R | Curb weight | Weight F/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4dr Sedan Ls/Lt/Ltz/Eco | 181.5 in | 70.9 in | 58.3 in | 105.5 in | 60.2 / 61 in | 3,102 lb | 61/39 |
Transport Canada CVS (Open Government Licence – Canada), Canadian-market figures.
Will it fit your garage? Check with your measurements →Engines, MPG & running costs
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | vs. class | Fuel / yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruze Eco | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 28 / 40 / 32 | +34% | $2,100 | 278 |
| Cruze Eco | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | Automatic 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 / 38 / 30 | +26% | $2,250 | 296 |
| Cruze | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 / 36 / 30 | +26% | $2,250 | 296 |
| Cruze | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 / 37 / 30 | +26% | $2,250 | 296 |
| Cruze | 1.8L 4-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 25 / 35 / 29 | +21% | $2,300 | 306 |
| Cruze | 1.8L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 / 34 / 26 | +9% | $2,600 | 342 |
EPA estimates; "vs. class" is combined MPG against the 2012 EPA class average. How we calculate this →
Safety ratings & technology
NHTSA has not published 5-Star ratings for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze.
Similar 2012 midsize cars
| Model | Best MPG / range | NHTSA overall | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Chevrolet Cruze (this car) | 32 MPG | Not rated | 7 |
| 2012 Toyota Corolla | 29 MPG | Not rated | 5 |
| 2012 Honda Civic | 44 MPG | Not rated | 4 |
| 2012 Honda Accord | 27 MPG | Not rated | 8 |
| 2012 Toyota Camry | 40 MPG | Not rated | 2 |
| 2012 Nissan GT-R | 19 MPG | Not rated | 0 |
| 2012 Toyota Prius | 50 MPG | Not rated | 7 |
Recalls (7)
Electrical System › Ignition · Jul 5, 2016
NHTSA campaign 16V502000 · 8,367 vehicles
- Problem
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Risk
- If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Air Bags · Jun 6, 2014
NHTSA campaign 14V300000 · 31,520 vehicles
- Problem
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
- Risk
- If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist · Aug 15, 2013
NHTSA campaign 13V360000 · 292,879 vehicles
- Problem
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with 1.4L DOHC gasoline turbo engines and 6T40 front wheel drive automatic transmissions and equipped with an electric vacuum pump to provide supplemental vacuum for brake assist, when needed. In the affected vehicles, the pump may not activate, resulting in an intermittent reduction or loss of brake assist.
- Risk
- A loss of braking assistance will require extra pedal force and/or distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace a microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GM's recall number is 12213.
Air Bags · Jan 24, 2013
NHTSA campaign 13V023000 · 4,167 vehicles
- Problem
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
- Risk
- If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Air Bags · Oct 31, 2012
NHTSA campaign 12V522000 · 2,949 vehicles
- Problem
- General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
- Risk
- If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
- Fix
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 22, 2012
NHTSA campaign 12V288000 · 413,148 vehicles
- Problem
- GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 31, 2012. SPILLED OR DRIPPING OIL (SUCH AS AFTER AN OIL CHANGE) MAY COLLECT IN THE ENGINE SHIELD (BELLYPAN) NEAR HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST SYSTEM SURFACES. AS A RESULT, THE OIL AND THE ENGINE SHIELD MAY IGNITE AND BURN.
- Risk
- EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.
- Fix
- GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ENGINE SHIELD TO PREVENT FLUID FROM CONTACTING THE SHIELD. ALSO, ON VEHICLES WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, DEALERS WILL APPLY A PROTECTIVE TAPE TO THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WIRE HARNESS. REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE TO THE OWNER. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 10, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE CHEVROLET OWNER CENTER AT 1-866-694-6546.
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Mounting · Jun 22, 2012
NHTSA campaign 12V289000 · 53,239 vehicles
- Problem
- GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH MAY 14, 2012. ATTACHMENT WELDS FOR THE FUEL TANK STRAP SECONDARY BRACKETS MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED.
- Risk
- THE FUEL TANK COULD COME LOOSE IN A CRASH, POSSIBLY ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE TANK. A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
- Fix
- GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE FOR MISSING WELDS. IF THE VEHICLE IS MISSING WELDS, DEALERS WILL SECURE THE BRACKET ATTACHMENTS WITH FASTENERS. REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 9, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE CHEVROLET OWNER CENTER AT 1-866-694-6546.
Not every 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is affected — only a VIN check confirms your car.
Owner-reported problems
Unverified owner reports; best-sellers collect more.
Used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze buyer's checklist
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 7 recalls this year — ask for proof of repairs.
- Engine — 209 owner reports. Cold-start the engine, listen for knocking, and watch for warning lights or hesitation on acceleration.
- Electrical System — 113 owner reports. Test every window, lock, light, screen and USB port; check the battery age.
- Power Train — 99 owner reports. Test-drive through all gears, including reverse; note slipping, harsh or delayed shifts.
- Mileage to watch. Owners typically reported problems around 70,000 miles; ask what was repaired near that point.
- Before you pay: service records, a history report and an independent inspection.
Generated by DecodedCars from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. Not a substitute for a professional inspection.
Other Cruze years
Compare all years →| Year | MPG (best) | Length | Overall | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Cruze | 37 | 183.9 in | ★★★★★ | 2 | 23 |
| 2018 Cruze | 37 | 183.9 in | ★★★★★ | 3 | 109 |
| 2017 Cruze | 37 | 183.9 in | Not rated | 2 | 201 |
| 2016 Cruze | 34 | 183.9 in | Not rated | 4 | 250 |
| 2015 Cruze | 32 | 181.1 in | Not rated | 4 | 252 |
| 2014 Cruze | 32 | 181.5 in | Not rated | 10 | 643 |
| 2013 Cruze | 32 | 181.5 in | Not rated | 5 | 450 |
| 2011 Cruze | 32 | 181.5 in | Not rated | 7 | 424 |
Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Transport Canada, Wikimedia Commons. Not affiliated with NHTSA, the EPA or Chevrolet. How we calculate this →