The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze is associated with 109 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Powertrain, accounting for 16 reports (15% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 10 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.6l 4-cyl and 1.4l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 31 to 37 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 109 reports
  • Safety Recall Campaigns: 3 campaigns
  • Top Reported Defect Area: Powertrain (16 / 15%)
  • Safety Incident Signals: 17 crash / 3 fire / 6 injury reports
  • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • EPA Efficiency: 31–37 MPG (10 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
31–37MPG
10 EPA certified variants (1.6l 4-cyl and 1.4l 4-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
109
109 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
3
3 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Cruze Diesel 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 31 MPG 47 MPG 37 MPG $2,150 / yr
Cruze Diesel 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 30 MPG 52 MPG 37 MPG $2,150 / yr
Cruze Hatchback Diesel 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 30 MPG 45 MPG 35 MPG $2,300 / yr
Cruze Hatchback Diesel 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 29 MPG 48 MPG 35 MPG $2,300 / yr
Cruze 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 29 MPG 40 MPG 33 MPG $1,850 / yr
Cruze Premier 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 29 MPG 39 MPG 33 MPG $1,850 / yr
Cruze 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 27 MPG 40 MPG 32 MPG $1,900 / yr
Cruze Hatchback 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 29 MPG 38 MPG 32 MPG $1,900 / yr
Cruze Premier Hatchback 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 28 MPG 37 MPG 31 MPG $2,000 / yr
Cruze Hatchback 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 27 MPG 38 MPG 31 MPG $2,000 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
5 DR FWD 10.7%
4 DR FWD 10.7%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Chevrolet Cruze models.
View complete 2018 Chevrolet Cruze crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze?

Summary of 109 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
109
Crash Reports
17
Fire Reports
3
Complaints w/ Injury
6
Total Injuries
7

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Powertrain 16 complaints (2 crashes)
Engine 10 complaints
Service Brakes 6 complaints (5 crashes)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 complaints
Visibility & Wipers 4 complaints (1 crash)

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Chevrolet Cruze problems & component breakdown (47 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #20V668000 Active Recall
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Defect Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
NHTSA Campaign #18V576000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

Defect Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
NHTSA Campaign #18V304000 Active Recall
Affected Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Defect Summary: 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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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 June 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18159.
View all 2018 Chevrolet Cruze recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.