2013 Chevrolet Cruze — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $4,000–$7,500. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
Deciding between model years? Compare the 4 Chevrolet Cruze years we've written up →
Kestrel Take
Cheap and pleasant to drive, with a 1.4L turbo whose brittle plastic cooling parts and PCV diaphragm make it a steady trickle of small repairs. Individually affordable, collectively tiresome. Buy one with a folder of receipts, or budget to become its mechanic.
What we checked
Partly reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11
NHTSA holds 586 owner complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, across 5 recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 40% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
5 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Not written up yet: electrics and electronics (121 complaints), the transmission and drivetrain (112 complaints). Those groups are in the public record and are not covered by the issues below. Treat them as something to ask about, not as absent.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
Water outlet housing, thermostat housing, coolant cap, and turbo lines all crack with heat cycles. Most cars need several over their life; ignored, a leak overheats and warps the head.
Repair cost (estimate): $200-$700 per leak
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (235), steering (74).
A torn diaphragm creates a vacuum leak, rough idle, and whistling, and can push out the rear main seal. The oil-cap suction test finds it fast.
Repair cost (estimate): $150-$450
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (235).
Coked oil feed lines starve the turbo. Whine and lost boost.
Repair cost (estimate): $900-$1,800
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (235).
Common by 80k-100k miles.
Repair cost (estimate): $400-$700
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (235).
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Coolant low with no puddle
- ✗Whistling at idle
- ✗Any overheating history
- ✗A cheap price with no service records
Good Signs
- ✓Cooling parts already replaced with updated versions
- ✓Full receipt history
- ✓Coolant clean and at the full line
Found a specific Chevrolet Cruze?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
Get My Verdict — $7.99No account required. Delivered to your inbox, usually within minutes.
Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
Other Chevrolet Cruze years
More from Chevrolet
Similar cars & sedans
No bullshit, no upsells, no affiliate links. One report, one price — we'll never charge you rent for your own thinking.
Think we got something wrong? Tell us — a real person reads every message.