2015 Chevrolet Cruze Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
44/100
#6 most-complained of 10 Cruze years
The 2015 Chevrolet Cruze has 252 NHTSA complaints, 4 recalls, and a complaint index of 44, ranking 6th worst out of 10 model years and earning a "Good" verdict relative to other Cruze years. Engine issues are the top problem area at 45% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 252
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 20 / 4
- Injuries / deaths
- 13 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 30
- 26 city / 37 hwy
Top 2015 Chevrolet Cruze problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine114 (45%)
- Electrical System49 (19%)
- Brakes46 (18%)
- Other46 (18%)
- Transmission & Powertrain37 (15%)
- Steering24 (10%)
- Fuel System23 (9%)
- Airbags20 (8%)
- Visibility & Wipers9 (4%)
- Seat Belts4 (2%)
What owners report
- Steering wheel reportedly seized during a turn at 40 mph, leading to a crash and an engine-fire.
- Brakes with the automatic braking/traction feature engaged failed to slow the car despite hard pedal pressure at low speed.
- Owners describe unexpected forward lurching when slowing to a stop, requiring hard braking to avoid hitting objects.
- Smoke and oil leaks from the engine area were reported, with repairs failing to fully resolve the recurring issue.
- Brake line failures from the master cylinder caused fluid leaks and loss of braking ability, resulting in a rear-end crash.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in multiple crash scenarios, including a high-speed rear impact and a T-bone collision.
2015 Chevrolet Cruze recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V502000Jul 5, 2016Electrical System8,367 vehicles
Electrical system:ignition
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 15V876000Dec 23, 2015Seat Belts15 vehicles
Seat belts:front:anchorage
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured September 24, 2014, to May 29, 2015. In the affected vehicles, one of the driver-side seat belt assembly bolts may not be properly tightened.
Risk: An insufficiently torqued bolt may prevent the seat belt from holding the required load in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2016 Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15777.
- NHTSA 15V442000Jul 10, 2015Steering10 vehicles
Steering
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured November 8, 2013, to March 12, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the inner tie rod may not be tightened to specification allowing the tie rod to separate from the steering gear.
Risk: Separation of the tie rod from the steering gear could result in the loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15386.
2015 Chevrolet Cruze fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 26 MPG
- Highway
- 37 MPG
- Combined
- 30 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,150
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2015 compared with other Cruze years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze reliable?
- Compared to other Cruze model years, 2015 ranks 6th worst out of 10 with a complaint index of 44 and a "Good" verdict, meaning it performs better than several earlier Cruze years like 2011 and 2012.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze?
- Engine complaints make up 45% of all reports for this year, with a median failure mileage of 62,500 miles, the largest single problem area.
- Does the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2015 Cruze covering seat belts, steering gear assembly, and parking brake cable brackets, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2015 Cruze compare to other years?
- The 2015 Cruze's complaint index of 44 is lower than 2011 (78), 2012 (100), 2013 (67), and 2014 (89), but higher than 2016 (56), 2017 (33), 2018 (22), and 2019 (11).