This man knows what he is talking about. Several of these things happened to my car. Even the wife was right they didn’t torch mine I had to do that valve cover twice. This was years ago but. I’m only going back to my Cruze which I hadn’t driven in 4 years, because I totaled my beautiful brand new Honda. I cranked my Cruze up after almost 4 years and it drove just like it did the day I parked it. It’s not a bad car just take care of it!
What clued you into the valve cover needing g to be changed? My son bought one and there is smoke in the engine compartment quite frequently. Like a fair bit of smoke. He changed the water pump - the old one was leaking
I could be wrong but usually I’m pretty good at this and you sir sound like a decent respectable and honest mechanic and my god we need them especially where I’m from.
I'm a tech in Japan, and I'd say this is pretty good for the mileage. The Toyotas I've owned (I'm a Toyota fan) have had more go wrong with them at the same mileage. Free oil changes though?
Thanks man. Started dating a girl who goes 1000s of miles past her oil change. Gotta do some up keep for her. You are solid as hell. An honest mechanic. Folllow him ladies and gentlemen.
2015 Cruze LT here, bought it used and I swear it could have been my car behind him when he was talking about the coolant lines and the turbo cracking. Just replace both, 129,000 kms. It's honestly a great car, especially for commuting, just need to take care of it.
How do you not take care of it? Why is anyone not giving a specific? Like are people building it to where they fuck it up trying to have fun? Are they doing dumb shit with it like teens? Or just excessively speeding and driving stupid? Don’t want to sound like an ahole, I’m looking for a car I have a budget but I want to spend less until I build up my credit another year so I can get the car I really want, but a Chevy Cruze 2012 is the option I’m looking to go for as he is giving me a deal on it.
@@adrian111-hey I’m in your position just bought a 2013 Chevy Cruz LT it is a good running car but he’s correct, I had issues he mentioned besides the other major stuff . I recently just had my idling problem fixed is because my turbo had to be replaced and I needed a new cooling system you have to let your car sit a few minutes before pulling off that’s with any car really you don’t wanna just drive it through the ground but unfortunately there’s a lot of people that don’t take care of their car .
just take care of it and it will be an amazing car. People always talk shit about my Cruze...meanwhile Ive had it 12 years and they all have gone through multiple cars so......
I have a 2016 cruze and literally everything you mentioned in the video has already failed in my car. But hey, its paid off. Turbo charger failed twice already, due to oil buildup.
My wife and I, we own 4 and she just went to buy our 5th Cruze. These cars are great the issues I’ve seen with these cars all come down to one thing and one thing only, the owner. PM maintenance or the lack of, is what causes all the issues. If you replace parts before they break, these cars will last a long time. The one thing you can’t prevent is the turbo. They crack and there’s nothing you can do to avoid it. Out of the 2 engines I think the 1.8L is the better of the two. Horsepower is almost identical, plus no turbo issues. 1.4 also has oil leak issues unlike the 1.8. All in all these are good cars. Just replace parts when they’re suppose to, don’t wait till it breaks.
Yeah he is definitely not wrong about the turbo issue I'm on my third turbo in The last 5 years in my 2011 1.4 l Chevy Cruze. I also had my water pump replace two days after I bought it. And I've had many water hoses replaced as well this is a very informative video.
Another plus, I drive me 15’ Cruze 40-50 minutes to work and 40-50 minutes back; 5 days a week and as of today feb 2024 it only takes $65 gas (including local minor outside of work trips) for an entire week
I’m on a budget rn but I want to spend less then my budget on a down payment so I can build my credit a bit more to get the car I really want. This car is in the option. Do you think it’s a bad car problem wise? Not too worried about how much I’m going to spend on gas.
2014 Cruze LT owner, this video is super accurate. My valve cover gasket is leaking into 1 and 4, I just replaced the water pump today, and I replaced the plastic water inlet by the turbo a few months ago. There is oil in my throttlebody too so I suspect turbo problems also.
I'm glad i upgraded or replaced all these issues. I believe my 1.4 sonic is just about bullet proof. Metal coolant reservoir , metal water inlet, metal thermostat metal valve cover, pcv fix kit with a oil catch can, replaced water pump and serpentine belt, purge valve, upgraded to billet motor and trans mounts, i got the ultra gauge to monitor temps and boost level.
My stepdaughter has a 2011 Malibu with the 1.8 and I've gotta replace the thermostat and housing. Didn't think about looking for other plastic components in the cooling system. Glad I watched this video. Gotta follow the doctor's orders. Thanks Doc!
I just bought a used 2014 with the 1.4 at 150k miles Overheating, coolant housing water outlet was broken and a hose had a hole leaking coolant. replaced the plastic coolant housing with the aluminum upgrade and runs fine, while changing it out I noticed the hoses are just old, I’m going to replace all the parts suggested, Excellent video, I bet I’ll get another at least another 60k miles on it at least
I have a 2014 cruze 1.4, no problems with the turbo yet, but all the other problems talked about yes, these problems are inexpensive fixes, it was my Daughter's car for 8 years, I still like the car, over 30 mpg, runs like new, nice video!!
Buick encore has this same engine.. cheap plastic parts do break. Check your coolant regularly for leaks and make sure you change the oil full synthetic 5k intervals. The water pump and evap are common issues. If you maintain the car it can be a decent little car.
Alex is spot on!! I really like my 2015, 1.4 turbo. Been driving it for years. Have had a few of theses problems. But I feel like it's a reliable car. I plan on driving it many more miles!!
My wife has 2012 LT with 178K, I did some work on it sometime back that it improved the power. It feels great driving it but boy it has too many leaking issues. I have replaced most of the parts mentioned in this video. Now got to replace the gasket on the oil filter house for the second time in a year. Very annoying but I still enjoy driving the car when it has no issues
I have a Chevy Cruz 2014 1.4 . It’s giving me some little issues now . I replaced the coolant reservoir it was leaking then replaced the starter . Geez American car. Thank you for sharing
Dude. The biggest problem on the 1.4 turbo is the pcv check valve inside the intake manifold goes missing. Once that happens, you have positive crankcase pressure. Thus, oil has nowhere to do go leaks everywhere. Including the valve cover.
I got a 2012 eco it has a weird "tink" noise when i cut it off and stay in the car for over 15 min. Bought it off my uncle's friend in 2022 and it had 120k miles and currently at over 180k miles. Most recent thing I got fixed was the intake manifold; rly need to get brakes n a new rim BADLY. I don't maintain my car well, but always try to learn something from RUclips. Kudos to you for this video 👏👏✊🏾
Alex, you rock. I WISH the factory engineers would listen to you and make the changes you recommend. Keep up the awesome work here. Have a super day, sir.
I wanted this car for a new driver. Your information changed my mind, plastic parts and turbo charger makes this car a no-no for me. Thanks for the video.
My 2014 Chevy Cruze had over 36,000 miles on it when I bought it used. Several months after I bought it, it needed $1700 in engine repairs. It needed a new cooling fan, water pump, valve cover gasket and a new vacuum hose. Thank goodness it was all covered under the extended warranty. I think the reason this happened to me is that the last owner didn't bother to address the repairs it needed before they traded it. Performance wise, it was a good car. I just wish the quality was there.
Be sure to use the right oil cartridge when you change your oil 2013-2016. Read TSB 17-NA-184 and know what kind of oil cartridge cap you have. Hengst vs. UFI.
My cruze has 228k on it and just now the waste gate is going bad. So im getting a new turbo also my ac don't work ill be getting that fixed also. But I love driving this little 6 speed manual turbo it's a fun work car.
(Don't know if you already had it done) it could be the freon sensors(one on the radiator on the passenger side, one topside by the return lines). More expensive problem could be the water pump or the ac compressor. Could just be the ac clutch but better to just replace the whole thing
I had a 2018 Buick encore (same engine) which i sold at 122k. Blew a water pump but caught it immediately so no overheating occurred then the plastic cooling parts cracked small leak at 100k miles fixed it and evap canister threw a CEL at 50k miles. You exactly correct on common issues. Again if you maintain engine and avoid any overheating and 5k intervals synthetic oil this can be a decent car. But someone the continues to drive with leaking coolant will blow the turbo and head gasket again avoidable with proper maintenance.
Hi have a 2014 model Cruze, with 5 speed Manuel. Thank God it's been good for last 2 years. Only problem I had is top radiator hose and heater hoses were wearing out and changed them then 2 weeks later another common problem not mentioned is radiator coolent reservoir tank burst a hole in the back of it and the coolent leaked into the car slowly on to my wife's feet as I was driving. Car is eight hand drive.im in Sydney Australia. Replacement tank installed and fixed problem with correct coolent level. After market tanks are made stronger than originals as a common problem to be rectified as they run too hot from factory. Ultimately what they need is an after market cooler operating thermostat. All the best friends.
I have a 2016 Cruze limited 1.4 L with roughly 70,000 miles on it. I’m on Check engine light number 16 since July 2023. So far I’ve replaced thermostat, intake manifold and cover, 2 starters, Spark plugs, coolant tank and hoses, battery and connectors (badly eroded) and purge valve twice! I get oil changes regularly. I’ve had the car since 2017 when it had about 32,000 miles on it. Lots of in town driving. Last couple of weeks, my car will hesitate when accelerating. Almost stalls completely when I’m trying to give it some gas. Only lasts for a second and it doesn’t do it very often. CEL was showing a P0171 code. Had the mechanic look at it while getting oil changed. It was the purge valve (#2) and they changed it for me. Got my car back and next day it did the hesitation thing again while I was merging into traffic but no CEL. Didn’t drive car for a couple days. Had someone drive around with me to show them what was happening and of course no issues with car. lol Next day, CEL popped back up with P0171 code again. It cleared away again. Any ideas what else this could be? I was thinking Mass air flow sensor or fuel injectors but when I look them up those seem to give different codes. I’m at a loss! Please help!
Alex wanted you to know Summit racing now has the the complete line of Walbro fuel pumps, they have tank units for gm cars and trucks they will last forever, I had something to do with that over 600 part numbers, I do not know how far that new retail store just south of Atlanta is from you, but I would highly recommend them over the parts store pumps
Bought mine new. Turbo went out at 180k and head gasket blew at 207k. Had some other minor issues along the way but overall i condsider mine to be reasonable for reliability.
I got the 1.4 turbo for commuting and its cool. I do my own oil changes with quality synthetic. In hot summer days i will put midgrade fuel in it. Seems to like that batter than regular in the summer heat. I get 40mpg on the highway driving the speed limit. Decent little car.
Just bought an identical Cruze to the one in the shop. I got mine with 101k miles (price was reasonable and they gave me a super through inspection prior to purchase). This will be a point A to B car for me as I'll be attending school starting this month around 30 miles roundtrip per M-F days. Have a feeling I'll be seeing issues (boy did my 2015 Versa have those) so I might as well save this for future use. Thank you for being straight to the point, and teaching us how and what usually goes wrong. Should help diagnose any issues I do end up seeing (hopefully I don't have that many but things break down that's just how the world works). Super happy I have my 2023 Corolla to be the long distance traveler as needed for me and my wife. I'll take the older one as I have shorter drives to school than her to work.
Oil cooler and timing belt is definitely the common problems with the 1.8. Just gotta check up on the car every couple thousand miles, I think they’re reliable.
Im going to be replacing my turbo soon but at idle my turbo tings i was told its the wastegate. It dont effect the performance at all just an annoying sound it may give a little less boost but it still drives fine. Im glad i seen this video because when i have the turbo replaced im changing all plastic pieces under the hood.
I’ve had my 2013 Cruze for 5 years.. I’ve replaced the turbo 2 times, the transmission, the water pump, about 5 head lights, the battery, the ignition coil, ball joints.. currently I need to replace my heater core, coolant reservoir is cracked, a/c compressor is out, my fan only blows out of the dash, and I have a misfire when I’m at an idle in drive, not at an idle in park, and my struts just started to rattle a couple hundred miles ago.. But I’m still averaging 36 mpg….. this is the only great thing about the Cruze… The maintenance is high
Subbed because I appreciate the perspective of a mechanic. There are plenty of car reviewers that tell how nice/bad a car feels. The most important thing for me, is how hard is the car to repair.
I am having the same issues what Alex saying in the video, I have chevrolet cruze 2014, the biggest issues that I have facing of aircond. During rainy or when I wash my car then the aircond is not working.
So my partner has one of these and so far the list as followed. 1. 3 coolant res bottles cracked. 2. 4. Water pumps. 3. 1 valve cover. 4. 1 turbo which I am currently changing
A lot of the Chevy Cruze has had a diagnosis of a head gasket gone when in fact the head gasket is not gone it is the oil cooler nine times out of 10 leaking oil into the radiator fluid not the head gasket
The last GM vehicle my Wife and I bought was a new 2006 Pontiac Torrent AWD in May of 2006, which we still own with less than 72K Original Miles in pristine condition. Suffice to say it is the very best vehicle my Wife and I have ever owned. And since I do most of my own maintenance and replacement of parts, Rock Auto has been a real money saver as well on parts, and Walmart on Filters and Petroleum Products. *HOWEVER..* We refuse to ever buy another GM vehicle because GM is notorious for taking the cheapest way out in favor of the bottom line instead of quality. Alex presents a great example by pointing out all of the plastic parts GM uses in their vehicles, which not only saves them money, *BUT,* still charge you as if they are quality parts. Another reason why we will never buy another GM vehicle? It's because *GM IS OWNED BY CHINA.*
How about smoking out the exhaust when over 2500 rpm? It was really bad, thick until replaced the oil cooler assembly . Not as bad but still doing it . And eating oil..
What state are you in? I live in MI near Detroit and cannot find an honest mechanic for the life of me. I've got a 2014 Cruze eco, red color. I just had spark plugs and coil replaced recently for exorbitantly high amount but it is still having problems. I think the belt might be one issue because it's got a high pitched squeak at times especially noticeable when in park.
Hey i dont know to much about cars so i was wondering if the cheap plastic components mention could be swap with something of better quality? Great video by the way! 🤝
They do make an aluminum water outlet for the 1.4T. I already replaced mine with a plastic one before knowing this. Next time it will be the aluminum one.
Chevrolet Cruze 2015 1.4 owner here and I once got changed overflow hose for water, water pump, valve cover gasket Rear break pad holders Crankshaft oil seal, and I almost got robbed for that but thankfully I ordered all the parts online but still the labor was expensive
its exactly that, my cruze I had to change the water outlet housing and the valve cover gasket along with the coolant reservoir. all were reasonable cheap to fix so not terrible.
I rented a black Chevy Cruz LTZ I was impressed with the handling and fuel economy and there stylish 5hours after renting I smelled coolant burning brought the car back and the guy gave me a Red ltz 2014 with almost 200k on it can’t believe how good it ran he apologized about the black one and explained the same thing Alex the car doctor said about the car But they are highly reliable if you take care of them…..
271k on my 1.8l and the only real issues I've had were the oil cooler and coil pack. Everything under the belt is still original. just normal maintenance items for the most part. I didn't think this would be more reliable than my series 2 3800 but so far it has been.
Changed the coolant outlet on my 2013 Sonic THREE times between 50k and 85k miles. Now at 92k miles. Just replaced the camshaft cover and installed a PCV fix kit. Pretty sure my head gasket is blown now and I've never run it hot.
Where does the temperature sensor sit in these cars. My fan does not switch on when over heating so we bridged the fan to run continues. How do we fix this problem even after diagnosis they cannot fix it
I have a 2014 and a 2015 Chevy Sonic 1.4l LTZ Turbo and love them, I do my own oil changes and other small things at home. I use the 2014 for doing door dash and that only has 38,600 miles on it purchased it with 13,500 both cars have been great. There is one thing you didn’t mention in this video and that is the expansion tank they crack at the bottom and I have had to do them on both cars thank you Alex for sharing this. I also would like to see more on the Sonic 1.4l turbo.
I financed one of these.. worst decision lol it gave me alot of issues at first. valve cover failed and the pcv system did aswell but i ended up replacing those, then had some coolant outlet pop on me thankfully i caught it the moment it happened, just shut it off and pulled over. didnt over heat! been good to me since then..... knock on wood lol.
Informative video. I am from Canada and have a 2016 Chevy Cruze LT with only 44,000 miles, (original owner) and last week had to get the camshaft cover replaced. ($900 usd cost parts+labor)) Pretty disappointing because I get all the recommended service and oil changes, but it is the first repair I had to do on the car....I will keep an eye out for all the other things you mentioned.
What mileage you recommend changing purge valve? Thanks for the video and great info. My daughters Cruze is at 89 thousand miles and getting a little paranoid something going wrong
It gets more gas miles than that I have one I drove from Illinois to Ohio on full tank of gas filled up 2 days after I drove to Ohio . How good they are on gas . Also I keep my maintenance up on it . Mine has 170 thousand miles and it’s still running good . Just replaced the vacuum pump because it was going out . And put new spark plugs in I have the 1.4
I have a 2013 Chevy Cruze I have replaced the spark plugs and speed sensors on my vehicle and my stability track control light still keeps on coming on what should I do
Crazy the first liece you mention the cooling housing thing when i bought mine and got it home sure enough it was and had to replace after just buying it!!! But thabkfully thats all the problems ive had so far if i could afford better bar i wouldve but 😢 but any ays back to the video o only stopped it at 1:32 just to say YOU ARE RIGHT
Scrolling through youtube looking for music and having viewed many videos for use alongside a Haynes repair manual. Randomly see the title of this video. First thought - I bet I can easily give you ten more. At least it's a fun learning experience in repairing my own vehicle.
Thank you for your video, I just boguht one of these and oh boy, the maintenance issues i uncovered is crazy. I have so far maintained it. I do have a question about a code I have been getting. A p2261 code about bypass valve getting stuck. I went to a shop so they can test the valve but it works. A mechanic mentioned replacing the turbo boost sensor and map sensor? Would that fix it, Let me know and thank you for your informative video. I have the 1.4 Turbocharged Engine for the sonic 2014 ltz
Dam... i am thinking or really close to getting a 2014 Chevy Cruze, with close to 300km on it. From what i have seen so far, these cars are really good on gas. Thats one of the reason why i wanted to get one. But, i am getting it for $2500k CAD. Still worth it?
Alex, I like your videos and have subscribed. However, I think you should do a update to this video. You stated in a lot of other videos that you hate to see customers waste money. Well, With respect, I think recommending this car to anyone or at least coming off making it sound like they are a decent car does not serve the customer well. These cars are for sale everywhere and at highly discounted pricing - used of course. However, They have a bad history of recalls and repairs. The one that really caught my eye is the recall for Steering wheels breaking away from the steering column. I drive a 2008 Buick Lucerne with the 3800 series III engine. I bought it back in 2010 and now have 164,000 miles on it. While I have done a lot of work on it, Its mostly because of lack of maintenance and some GM flaws like the back seat fuse box problem. However, I bought it because it has Buick's best made engine in it. My GF had a 2003 Malibu with the 3100 in it. She ran it up to 190,000 miles and had to rethread the rocker arm bolt holes in the heads (just two) and pretty much thats it. Pretty impressive for that car. She now drives a 2007 Buick Lucerne. Thank you for the video(s) and hope you had a good Christmas/New Years. :)
I've got the 1.8 and it's a manual. I do kind of like this car because of the fuel economy. If I'm on the interstate I can get between 42 and 48 miles per gallon and in town it's about 30 to 35. Ava right now I've got a misfire happening and I'm getting 33 miles per gallon in town. I do have over 200,000 mi on it and you bet I've replaced all of these things except the water pump. We can't figure out the stabilitrak issue and I think I just need to check out the spark plugs for the misfire but it's still just goes.
My thinking was the list would be shorter if you mentioned the problems it didn't have 😆the 1.8s run forever but the 1.4ts seem to be endless for problems. Granted the fixes are well known and relatively affordable and easy to do with some knowledge and tools and can more or less be prevented with good maintenance and proactiveness.
Hello, please help me out her. I washed my engine and since then I have been facing problems. I find it difficult to move the car on first gear but it works perfectly after moving but I can move I have to continuously steps on the gas pad like four time before the engine will respond but it shakes before the fire raise
aluminum foil tape for ducts/insulation, wrap it on the cooling pipes and it reflect off the heat from the engine and gives it better thermal conduction to cool the rubber part. i made heat sinks for my cheap chinease led headlight powersupplies for my volt and they lasting forever
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This man knows what he is talking about. Several of these things happened to my car. Even the wife was right they didn’t torch mine I had to do that valve cover twice. This was years ago but. I’m only going back to my Cruze which I hadn’t driven in 4 years, because I totaled my beautiful brand new Honda. I cranked my Cruze up after almost 4 years and it drove just like it did the day I parked it. It’s not a bad car just take care of it!
I call bs, how can a battery or starter not die after 4 years of sitting?
@@pricetagcitrus You do realize you can disconnect the battery right?
@@pricetagcitrus Trickle charger? It's what I use on stored cars and motorcycles
I also had to do my valve cover twice
What clued you into the valve cover needing g to be changed? My son bought one and there is smoke in the engine compartment quite frequently. Like a fair bit of smoke. He changed the water pump - the old one was leaking
I could be wrong but usually I’m pretty good at this and you sir sound like a decent respectable and honest mechanic and my god we need them especially where I’m from.
My 2014 Cruze with 120,000 miles has had a new water pump, new purge valve, 2 batteries, 4 tires and free oil changes every 5,000 miles.
I love it.
@@GeraldGardiner-tw8xo lol some people love throwing money away. You do you. 🤣
@@looneyyang1326 Well, I don't. That's why I own a Toyota Camry.
@@looneyyang1326 so basic maintenance is throwing money away to you?
@@austinbusher8063 yeah that’s kinda what i got out of it 😹
I'm a tech in Japan, and I'd say this is pretty good for the mileage. The Toyotas I've owned (I'm a Toyota fan) have had more go wrong with them at the same mileage.
Free oil changes though?
Thanks man. Started dating a girl who goes 1000s of miles past her oil change. Gotta do some up keep for her. You are solid as hell. An honest mechanic. Folllow him ladies and gentlemen.
2015 Cruze LT here, bought it used and I swear it could have been my car behind him when he was talking about the coolant lines and the turbo cracking. Just replace both, 129,000 kms. It's honestly a great car, especially for commuting, just need to take care of it.
How do you not take care of it? Why is anyone not giving a specific? Like are people building it to where they fuck it up trying to have fun? Are they doing dumb shit with it like teens? Or just excessively speeding and driving stupid? Don’t want to sound like an ahole, I’m looking for a car I have a budget but I want to spend less until I build up my credit another year so I can get the car I really want, but a Chevy Cruze 2012 is the option I’m looking to go for as he is giving me a deal on it.
@@adrian111-hey I’m in your position just bought a 2013 Chevy Cruz LT it is a good running car but he’s correct, I had issues he mentioned besides the other major stuff . I recently just had my idling problem fixed is because my turbo had to be replaced and I needed a new cooling system you have to let your car sit a few minutes before pulling off that’s with any car really you don’t wanna just drive it through the ground but unfortunately there’s a lot of people that don’t take care of their car .
I was told this by a mechanic I know. Anytime I buy a car, I take a mechanic with me on the test drives.
just take care of it and it will be an amazing car. People always talk shit about my Cruze...meanwhile Ive had it 12 years and they all have gone through multiple cars so......
Facts. Preventative maintenance goes a long way
I have a 2016 cruze and literally everything you mentioned in the video has already failed in my car. But hey, its paid off. Turbo charger failed twice already, due to oil buildup.
My wife and I, we own 4 and she just went to buy our 5th Cruze. These cars are great the issues I’ve seen with these cars all come down to one thing and one thing only, the owner. PM maintenance or the lack of, is what causes all the issues. If you replace parts before they break, these cars will last a long time. The one thing you can’t prevent is the turbo. They crack and there’s nothing you can do to avoid it. Out of the 2 engines I think the 1.8L is the better of the two. Horsepower is almost identical, plus no turbo issues. 1.4 also has oil leak issues unlike the 1.8. All in all these are good cars. Just replace parts when they’re suppose to, don’t wait till it breaks.
EXACTLY!!!!!! I have taken regular care of mine and it's been amazing to me for 12 years!
Yeah he is definitely not wrong about the turbo issue I'm on my third turbo in The last 5 years in my 2011 1.4 l Chevy Cruze. I also had my water pump replace two days after I bought it. And I've had many water hoses replaced as well this is a very informative video.
Is that the only issues you had with it, no transmission issues or jerking problems
Another plus, I drive me 15’ Cruze 40-50 minutes to work and 40-50 minutes back; 5 days a week and as of today feb 2024 it only takes $65 gas (including local minor outside of work trips) for an entire week
I’m on a budget rn but I want to spend less then my budget on a down payment so I can build my credit a bit more to get the car I really want. This car is in the option. Do you think it’s a bad car problem wise? Not too worried about how much I’m going to spend on gas.
@@adrian111- the 2015 is the best year of the 1st generation cruze models and just one of their best year models in general.
2014 Cruze LT owner, this video is super accurate. My valve cover gasket is leaking into 1 and 4, I just replaced the water pump today, and I replaced the plastic water inlet by the turbo a few months ago. There is oil in my throttlebody too so I suspect turbo problems also.
I'm glad i upgraded or replaced all these issues. I believe my 1.4 sonic is just about bullet proof. Metal coolant reservoir , metal water inlet, metal thermostat metal valve cover, pcv fix kit with a oil catch can, replaced water pump and serpentine belt, purge valve, upgraded to billet motor and trans mounts, i got the ultra gauge to monitor temps and boost level.
The Cruze drives great but has so many issues. Love your videos Alex, I have learned a ton from them. Thank you!
Most engine parts for the 1.4 turbo ecotech are available on Amazon at greatly reduced prices and is where I have bought all our parts
I worked for GM for a long time, all these issues you talked about, yup, I saw a bunch of those. Great video
I have had my car for years and I have replaced all these with OEM parts and it’s still running strong.
My stepdaughter has a 2011 Malibu with the 1.8 and I've gotta replace the thermostat and housing. Didn't think about looking for other plastic components in the cooling system. Glad I watched this video. Gotta follow the doctor's orders. Thanks Doc!
People don't want to pay for towing ,and then find out it cost not to tow,but repair engine 😂
I just bought a used 2014 with the 1.4 at 150k miles
Overheating, coolant housing water outlet was broken and a hose had a hole leaking coolant. replaced the plastic coolant housing with the aluminum upgrade and runs fine, while changing it out I noticed the hoses are just old, I’m going to replace all the parts suggested,
Excellent video, I bet I’ll get another at least another 60k miles on it at least
I have a 2014 cruze 1.4, no problems with the turbo yet, but all the other problems talked about yes, these problems are inexpensive fixes, it was my Daughter's car for 8 years, I still like the car, over 30 mpg, runs like new, nice video!!
I love mine. People have stopped me to ask what kind of Chevrolet it is and such a pretty car.
Buick encore has this same engine.. cheap plastic parts do break. Check your coolant regularly for leaks and make sure you change the oil full synthetic 5k intervals. The water pump and evap are common issues. If you maintain the car it can be a decent little car.
Alex is spot on!!
I really like my 2015, 1.4 turbo. Been driving it for years. Have had a few of theses problems. But I feel like it's a reliable car. I plan on driving it many more miles!!
I had all the problems you mentioned with my Chevy Cruze except for the last one
You will have it soon haha.
Upgraded to a 2021 Corolla so nope lol
i found a 200km 2009 chevy cruze, can it be good?
@@enricoianniello5611 go for it. If it sounds good take for a ride and check the oil. I check the oil on any car I buy. 😊
@@enricoianniello5611stay away from these things
My wife has 2012 LT with 178K, I did some work on it sometime back that it improved the power. It feels great driving it but boy it has too many leaking issues. I have replaced most of the parts mentioned in this video. Now got to replace the gasket on the oil filter house for the second time in a year. Very annoying but I still enjoy driving the car when it has no issues
Thanks for sharing! They are decent cars. I see them with over 200,000 often. Maintenance is key!
I'm buying a 2013 1.8l tomorrow and you just helped me by knowing what to look for. Greatly appreciated.
People won't stop driving when you are leaking and don't fix them is stupid 😂
The 1.8 litre engine is made by Toyota and virtually bulletproof.
@@harrywood8196 can you use semi synthetic oil in it?
I have a Chevy Cruz 2014 1.4 . It’s giving me some little issues now . I replaced the coolant reservoir it was leaking then replaced the starter .
Geez American car. Thank you for sharing
Do you think it is worth it to get it?
Underrated channel by far
Thanks man 🙏🏽 I’m just patiently waiting for the algorithm to pick me 🙋🏽♂️😩
Dude. The biggest problem on the 1.4 turbo is the pcv check valve inside the intake manifold goes missing. Once that happens, you have positive crankcase pressure. Thus, oil has nowhere to do go leaks everywhere. Including the valve cover.
I got a 2012 eco it has a weird "tink" noise when i cut it off and stay in the car for over 15 min. Bought it off my uncle's friend in 2022 and it had 120k miles and currently at over 180k miles. Most recent thing I got fixed was the intake manifold; rly need to get brakes n a new rim BADLY. I don't maintain my car well, but always try to learn something from RUclips. Kudos to you for this video 👏👏✊🏾
Alex, you rock. I WISH the factory engineers would listen to you and make the changes you recommend. Keep up the awesome work here. Have a super day, sir.
I wanted this car for a new driver. Your information changed my mind, plastic parts and turbo charger makes this car a no-no for me. Thanks for the video.
8:58 - the manual calls for a timing belt change at 97,500 miles or every 10 years, whichever comes first, on the Sonic 1.8l engine.
My 2014 Chevy Cruze had over 36,000 miles on it when I bought it used. Several months after I bought it, it needed $1700 in engine repairs. It needed a new cooling fan, water pump, valve cover gasket and a new vacuum hose. Thank goodness it was all covered under the extended warranty. I think the reason this happened to me is that the last owner didn't bother to address the repairs it needed before they traded it. Performance wise, it was a good car. I just wish the quality was there.
Be sure to use the right oil cartridge when you change your oil 2013-2016. Read TSB 17-NA-184 and know what kind of oil cartridge cap you have. Hengst vs. UFI.
My cruze has 228k on it and just now the waste gate is going bad. So im getting a new turbo also my ac don't work ill be getting that fixed also. But I love driving this little 6 speed manual turbo it's a fun work car.
(Don't know if you already had it done) it could be the freon sensors(one on the radiator on the passenger side, one topside by the return lines). More expensive problem could be the water pump or the ac compressor. Could just be the ac clutch but better to just replace the whole thing
I had a 2018 Buick encore (same engine) which i sold at 122k. Blew a water pump but caught it immediately so no overheating occurred then the plastic cooling parts cracked small leak at 100k miles fixed it and evap canister threw a CEL at 50k miles. You exactly correct on common issues. Again if you maintain engine and avoid any overheating and 5k intervals synthetic oil this can be a decent car. But someone the continues to drive with leaking coolant will blow the turbo and head gasket again avoidable with proper maintenance.
Very informative and honest you don't see that all the time 👍👍👍👍
I had 2014 Chevy Cruze LT turbo. Just traded in with 176k miles. Great mileage and small engine oil leak towards the end
Hi have a 2014 model Cruze, with 5 speed Manuel. Thank God it's been good for last 2 years. Only problem I had is top radiator hose and heater hoses were wearing out and changed them then 2 weeks later another common problem not mentioned is radiator coolent reservoir tank burst a hole in the back of it and the coolent leaked into the car slowly on to my wife's feet as I was driving. Car is eight hand drive.im in Sydney Australia. Replacement tank installed and fixed problem with correct coolent level. After market tanks are made stronger than originals as a common problem to be rectified as they run too hot from factory. Ultimately what they need is an after market cooler operating thermostat. All the best friends.
I have a 2016 Cruze limited 1.4 L with roughly 70,000 miles on it. I’m on Check engine light number 16 since July 2023. So far I’ve replaced thermostat, intake manifold and cover, 2 starters,
Spark plugs, coolant tank and hoses, battery and connectors (badly eroded) and purge valve twice! I get oil changes regularly. I’ve had the car since 2017 when it had about 32,000 miles on it. Lots of in town driving.
Last couple of weeks, my car will hesitate when accelerating. Almost stalls completely when I’m trying to give it some gas. Only lasts for a second and it doesn’t do it very often. CEL was showing a P0171 code. Had the mechanic look at it while getting oil changed. It was the purge valve (#2) and they changed it for me.
Got my car back and next day it did the hesitation thing again while I was merging into traffic but no CEL. Didn’t drive car for a couple days. Had someone drive around with me to show them what was happening and of course no issues with car. lol Next day, CEL popped back up with P0171 code again. It cleared away again.
Any ideas what else this could be? I was thinking Mass air flow sensor or fuel injectors but when I look them up those seem to give different codes. I’m at a loss! Please help!
Alex wanted you to know Summit racing now has the the complete line of Walbro fuel pumps, they have tank units for gm cars and trucks they will last forever, I had something to do with that over 600 part numbers, I do not know how far that new retail store just south of Atlanta is from you, but I would highly recommend them over the parts store pumps
Bought mine new. Turbo went out at 180k and head gasket blew at 207k. Had some other minor issues along the way but overall i condsider mine to be reasonable for reliability.
I got the 1.4 turbo for commuting and its cool. I do my own oil changes with quality synthetic. In hot summer days i will put midgrade fuel in it. Seems to like that batter than regular in the summer heat. I get 40mpg on the highway driving the speed limit. Decent little car.
owner 2012 Cruze YOU ARE THE MAN! KUDOS
Just bought an identical Cruze to the one in the shop. I got mine with 101k miles (price was reasonable and they gave me a super through inspection prior to purchase). This will be a point A to B car for me as I'll be attending school starting this month around 30 miles roundtrip per M-F days. Have a feeling I'll be seeing issues (boy did my 2015 Versa have those) so I might as well save this for future use. Thank you for being straight to the point, and teaching us how and what usually goes wrong. Should help diagnose any issues I do end up seeing (hopefully I don't have that many but things break down that's just how the world works). Super happy I have my 2023 Corolla to be the long distance traveler as needed for me and my wife. I'll take the older one as I have shorter drives to school than her to work.
@@BHenz1006 How much did you pay for it?
@@sanibelt $6k and they replaced the windshield as well
My Cruze has over 180k miles and still going strong. The easiest thing you can do for your car is change the oil.
I agree ours has over 160,000 miles I've dealt with all the leaks fixed most myself but still runs good.
You got 1.4? Should I do the PCV fix kit ?
He me mentioned synthetic. Any particular?
What synthetic oil do you recommend?
fully synthetic oil, doesn't really matter what brand tbh
Oil cooler and timing belt is definitely the common problems with the 1.8. Just gotta check up on the car every couple thousand miles, I think they’re reliable.
Im going to be replacing my turbo soon but at idle my turbo tings i was told its the wastegate. It dont effect the performance at all just an annoying sound it may give a little less boost but it still drives fine. Im glad i seen this video because when i have the turbo replaced im changing all plastic pieces under the hood.
As a Cruze 1.4 owner zzperformance has a lot of part for the Cruze and sonic 1.4 including the water outlet in aluminum
I’ve had my 2013 Cruze for 5 years.. I’ve replaced the turbo 2 times, the transmission, the water pump, about 5 head lights, the battery, the ignition coil, ball joints.. currently I need to replace my heater core, coolant reservoir is cracked, a/c compressor is out, my fan only blows out of the dash, and I have a misfire when I’m at an idle in drive, not at an idle in park, and my struts just started to rattle a couple hundred miles ago..
But I’m still averaging 36 mpg….. this is the only great thing about the Cruze…
The maintenance is high
Subbed because I appreciate the perspective of a mechanic. There are plenty of car reviewers that tell how nice/bad a car feels. The most important thing for me, is how hard is the car to repair.
This guy is a smooth comedown from watching Scotty Kilmer. Instant subscribe.
Thanks for the sub! 👨🏽🔧
@@CodyRichards 😁
😂
My turbo went out at 77k miles. Luckily it was under warranty so only paid the deductible.
I have the 1.4L, coolant leak are very annoying. I have fixed it about 4 times already.
Checking the list....yeah you covered it all 👍
Constant cooling issues, turbo tore itself apart, but the airbag worked just fine so all is good now 😂
I am having the same issues what Alex saying in the video, I have chevrolet cruze 2014, the biggest issues that I have facing of aircond. During rainy or when I wash my car then the aircond is not working.
So my partner has one of these and so far the list as followed.
1. 3 coolant res bottles cracked.
2. 4. Water pumps.
3. 1 valve cover.
4. 1 turbo which I am currently changing
Mine leaked at 100k. It was the valve cover and gasket, got that fixed and new air filters. Leak fixed. Smell was gone and it ran better
I have a 2011 cruz with the 1.4 and mine has 225000 on it its had most of these issues already but not a bad car if you take care of it
A lot of the Chevy Cruze has had a diagnosis of a head gasket gone when in fact the head gasket is not gone it is the oil cooler nine times out of 10 leaking oil into the radiator fluid not the head gasket
The last GM vehicle my Wife and I bought was a new 2006 Pontiac Torrent AWD in May of 2006, which we still own with less than 72K Original Miles in pristine condition. Suffice to say it is the very best vehicle my Wife and I have ever owned. And since I do most of my own maintenance and replacement of parts, Rock Auto has been a real money saver as well on parts, and Walmart on Filters and Petroleum Products.
*HOWEVER..* We refuse to ever buy another GM vehicle because GM is notorious for taking the cheapest way out in favor of the bottom line instead of quality. Alex presents a great example by pointing out all of the plastic parts GM uses in their vehicles, which not only saves them money, *BUT,* still charge you as if they are quality parts.
Another reason why we will never buy another GM vehicle? It's because *GM IS OWNED BY CHINA.*
I love those Pontiac Torrent
How about smoking out the exhaust when over 2500 rpm? It was really bad, thick until replaced the oil cooler assembly . Not as bad but still doing it . And eating oil..
What state are you in? I live in MI near Detroit and cannot find an honest mechanic for the life of me. I've got a 2014 Cruze eco, red color. I just had spark plugs and coil replaced recently for exorbitantly high amount but it is still having problems. I think the belt might be one issue because it's got a high pitched squeak at times especially noticeable when in park.
Hey i dont know to much about cars so i was wondering if the cheap plastic components mention could be swap with something of better quality? Great video by the way! 🤝
My mom bought one kislux and she loves it. It had been there for over 10 years when she went out with it.
They do make an aluminum water outlet for the 1.4T. I already replaced mine with a plastic one before knowing this. Next time it will be the aluminum one.
Chevrolet Cruze 2015 1.4 owner here and I once got changed overflow hose for water, water pump, valve cover gasket Rear break pad holders Crankshaft oil seal, and I almost got robbed for that but thankfully I ordered all the parts online but still the labor was expensive
Did it stop your leaking
@@SusieBell-hk2up hope so
Sounds like he put $ into it
its exactly that, my cruze I had to change the water outlet housing and the valve cover gasket along with the coolant reservoir. all were reasonable cheap to fix so not terrible.
I like this guy's style!!! And having your sweetie put in her point of views was pretty cool too! 😎
I rented a black Chevy Cruz LTZ I was impressed with the handling and fuel economy and there stylish 5hours after renting I smelled coolant burning brought the car back and the guy gave me a Red ltz 2014 with almost 200k on it can’t believe how good it ran he apologized about the black one and explained the same thing Alex the car doctor said about the car But they are highly reliable if you take care of them…..
suggestion: when replacing the reservoir hose, save the old one… it works perfectly to drain the coolant.
The 1.4 is nice because power and timing chain, they tend to go through coil packs
271k on my 1.8l and the only real issues I've had were the oil cooler and coil pack. Everything under the belt is still original. just normal maintenance items for the most part. I didn't think this would be more reliable than my series 2 3800 but so far it has been.
Changed the coolant outlet on my 2013 Sonic THREE times between 50k and 85k miles. Now at 92k miles. Just replaced the camshaft cover and installed a PCV fix kit. Pretty sure my head gasket is blown now and I've never run it hot.
Where does the temperature sensor sit in these cars. My fan does not switch on when over heating so we bridged the fan to run continues. How do we fix this problem even after diagnosis they cannot fix it
@@misslee6878 passengers side on top of plastic outlet
I have a 2014 and a 2015 Chevy Sonic 1.4l LTZ Turbo and love them, I do my own oil changes and other small things at home. I use the 2014 for doing door dash and that only has 38,600 miles on it purchased it with 13,500 both cars have been great. There is one thing you didn’t mention in this video and that is the expansion tank they crack at the bottom and I have had to do them on both cars thank you Alex for sharing this. I also would like to see more on the Sonic 1.4l turbo.
I financed one of these.. worst decision lol it gave me alot of issues at first. valve cover failed and the pcv system did aswell but i ended up replacing those, then had some coolant outlet pop on me thankfully i caught it the moment it happened, just shut it off and pulled over. didnt over heat! been good to me since then..... knock on wood lol.
Thanks for sharing your expertise, Alex! A big help ... I've got a 2012 1.8L with 120K miles that needs some maintenance work.
Glad to help
Informative video. I am from Canada and have a 2016 Chevy Cruze LT with only 44,000 miles, (original owner) and last week had to get the camshaft cover replaced. ($900 usd cost parts+labor)) Pretty disappointing because I get all the recommended service and oil changes, but it is the first repair I had to do on the car....I will keep an eye out for all the other things you mentioned.
What mileage you recommend changing purge valve? Thanks for the video and great info. My daughters Cruze is at 89 thousand miles and getting a little paranoid something going wrong
It gets more gas miles than that I have one I drove from Illinois to Ohio on full tank of gas filled up 2 days after I drove to Ohio . How good they are on gas . Also I keep my maintenance up on it . Mine has 170 thousand miles and it’s still running good . Just replaced the vacuum pump because it was going out . And put new spark plugs in I have the 1.4
I have a 2013 Chevy Cruze I have replaced the spark plugs and speed sensors on my vehicle and my stability track control light still keeps on coming on what should I do
I just bought a 2016 Chevy Cruz and so far no problems
Crazy the first liece you mention the cooling housing thing when i bought mine and got it home sure enough it was and had to replace after just buying it!!! But thabkfully thats all the problems ive had so far if i could afford better bar i wouldve but 😢 but any ays back to the video o only stopped it at 1:32 just to say YOU ARE RIGHT
I have a 2014 with 1.4L and slightly over 200k miles. I've had a few of those issues. Now I'm dealing with DTC P0011.
I actually had the 2014 cruze diesel greatest of all 3 engines best Mpg as well was just too small for me
I would love to drive one or get one in the shop!
Scrolling through youtube looking for music and having viewed many videos for use alongside a Haynes repair manual.
Randomly see the title of this video.
First thought - I bet I can easily give you ten more.
At least it's a fun learning experience in repairing my own vehicle.
Thank you for your video, I just boguht one of these and oh boy, the maintenance issues i uncovered is crazy. I have so far maintained it. I do have a question about a code I have been getting. A p2261 code about bypass valve getting stuck. I went to a shop so they can test the valve but it works. A mechanic mentioned replacing the turbo boost sensor and map sensor? Would that fix it, Let me know and thank you for your informative video. I have the 1.4 Turbocharged Engine for the sonic 2014 ltz
Hi Alex. How much is a head gasket job normally?
I'm having the same problems with my 2014 Chevy Cruze one problem after the other. And I keep up with my maintenance.
Dam... i am thinking or really close to getting a 2014 Chevy Cruze, with close to 300km on it. From what i have seen so far, these cars are really good on gas. Thats one of the reason why i wanted to get one. But, i am getting it for $2500k CAD. Still worth it?
Great video Alex
Thank you for presenting these common problems which are totally true.😊
Alex, I like your videos and have subscribed. However, I think you should do a update to this video. You stated in a lot of other videos that you hate to see customers waste money. Well, With respect, I think recommending this car to anyone or at least coming off making it sound like they are a decent car does not serve the customer well. These cars are for sale everywhere and at highly discounted pricing - used of course. However, They have a bad history of recalls and repairs. The one that really caught my eye is the recall for Steering wheels breaking away from the steering column.
I drive a 2008 Buick Lucerne with the 3800 series III engine. I bought it back in 2010 and now have 164,000 miles on it. While I have done a lot of work on it, Its mostly because of lack of maintenance and some GM flaws like the back seat fuse box problem. However, I bought it because it has Buick's best made engine in it. My GF had a 2003 Malibu with the 3100 in it. She ran it up to 190,000 miles and had to rethread the rocker arm bolt holes in the heads (just two) and pretty much thats it. Pretty impressive for that car. She now drives a 2007 Buick Lucerne.
Thank you for the video(s) and hope you had a good Christmas/New Years. :)
I've got the 1.8 and it's a manual. I do kind of like this car because of the fuel economy. If I'm on the interstate I can get between 42 and 48 miles per gallon and in town it's about 30 to 35. Ava right now I've got a misfire happening and I'm getting 33 miles per gallon in town. I do have over 200,000 mi on it and you bet I've replaced all of these things except the water pump. We can't figure out the stabilitrak issue and I think I just need to check out the spark plugs for the misfire but it's still just goes.
Spot on assessment! Lots of these on used car lots now
I bought a Cruze 2 months ago. I already need an O2 sensor and a Mass Airflow sensor. Should bought a Ford I guess
My thinking was the list would be shorter if you mentioned the problems it didn't have 😆the 1.8s run forever but the 1.4ts seem to be endless for problems. Granted the fixes are well known and relatively affordable and easy to do with some knowledge and tools and can more or less be prevented with good maintenance and proactiveness.
Hello, please help me out her. I washed my engine and since then I have been facing problems. I find it difficult to move the car on first gear but it works perfectly after moving but I can move I have to continuously steps on the gas pad like four time before the engine will respond but it shakes before the fire raise
About to switch out my plastic outlet for an aluminum outlet.
aluminum foil tape for ducts/insulation, wrap it on the cooling pipes and it reflect off the heat from the engine and gives it better thermal conduction to cool the rubber part. i made heat sinks for my cheap chinease led headlight powersupplies for my volt and they lasting forever
Good tip thanks
I have a 2013 1.4 turbo. It’s shy of 200k miles. I’ve done everything he mentioned plus more. Love driving it but terrible reliability.
Alex thank you for the awesome, informative video, 👏 really did learn a few things . As always keep up the excellent work/videos. GOD BLESS .