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2012 Chevrolet Cruze recalls
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, filed between June 22, 2012 and July 5, 2016. Each one is below with what is wrong and the free fix.
| Campaign | Filed | Part |
|---|---|---|
| 16V502000 | July 5, 2016 | Electrical system: ignition |
| 14V300000 | June 6, 2014 | Air bags |
| 13V360000 | August 15, 2013 | Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist |
| 13V023000 | January 24, 2013 | Air bags |
| 12V522000 | October 31, 2012 | Air bags |
| 12V289000 | June 22, 2012 | Fuel system, gasoline: mounting |
| 12V288000 | June 22, 2012 | Engine and engine cooling |
Electrical system: ignition (16V502000)
Filed July 5, 2016
What is wrong. 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."
What could happen. If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
The 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 (14V300000)
Filed June 6, 2014
What is wrong. 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.
What could happen. 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.
The 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 (13V360000)
Filed August 15, 2013
What is wrong. 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.
What could happen. 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.
The 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 (13V023000)
Filed January 24, 2013
What is wrong. 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.
What could happen. 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.
The 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 (12V522000)
Filed October 31, 2012
What is wrong. 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.
What could happen. 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.
The 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.
Fuel system, gasoline: mounting (12V289000)
Filed June 22, 2012
What is wrong. 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.
What could happen. 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.
The 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.
Engine and engine cooling (12V288000)
Filed June 22, 2012
What is wrong. 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.
What could happen. EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.
The 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.
Check that your car is on the list
Most campaigns cover only cars built in a certain date range or at a certain plant, so a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze may or may not be included. The VIN is the only sure test. It is 17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield and on the driver door jamb sticker. Look up your VIN.
How to confirm the repair is free
- Call any authorized Chevrolet dealer service desk and give them the VIN and the campaign number from the list above.
- Ask them to confirm the campaign is open for your car. If it is, the parts and labor are covered.
- If the dealer says the part is not in stock, ask for a written note with the date, and ask about a loaner if the notice says not to drive the car.
- Keep the repair order. It shows the campaign number and proves the work was done.
If you already paid for a repair that a recall later covered, Chevrolet may owe you a refund. Ask the dealer or Chevrolet customer service about reimbursement, and keep your receipts.
Other model years of the Cruze
More: all Chevrolet recalls, check-engine codes, car repair costs.
2012 Chevrolet Cruze recall questions
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze have?
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. A campaign can cover only some cars of that model year, so check your VIN to see whether yours is included.
Is a recall repair on a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze free?
Yes. A safety recall repair is free at an authorized Chevrolet dealer, whatever the age or mileage of the car and no matter who owns it now.
How do I know if my 2012 Chevrolet Cruze was already fixed?
Enter the VIN on our recall page. If a campaign is still open, it shows as open. You can also ask a dealer to run the VIN, or look at the service history paperwork for the campaign number.
Source: NHTSA recalls API, checked 2026-10-28. Text is NHTSA's wording of each campaign. New campaigns are added over time. Not a repair shop, estimates only.