Problems · by component

2012 Chevrolet Cruze air bags problems

34 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze cite air bags, 4% of all 865 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 3 recalls on this component.

Complaints
34
4% of all complaints
Crashes
18
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The "service airbag" alert comes up every time the vehicle is turned on. My mechanic told me that this may have been due to a faulty seat belt. This car has never been in a collision, is clean title, and otherwise is in good working conditions. The estimate for this repair was $950 parts and labor.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 23, 2022Air bagsODI 11465813
“I just recently had an accident, a deer ran out and hit me and I was going 60 mph. Once we impacted the airbag sensor came on and said airbags deployed. Then the sensor went off but you could smell the powder of the airbags but the airbags did not deploy.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 28, 2021Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11434609
“WE WERE IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND ENDED UP REAR-ENDING A VEHICLE THAT HAD ALREADY STOPPED. WE HIT AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF 20-25MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WERE TRAVELING AT 45MPH WHEN THE BRAKES WERE HIT. IT SEEMS LIKE THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AT THIS SPEED. WE ONLY HAVE MINOR INJURIES, BUT IF THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OTHERS COULD GET HURT BECAUSE OF A SIMILAR ISSUE I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST LOOKED INTO. YOU WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO TELL IF THE ANGLE OR THE CRASH OR SOMETHING FAULTY THAT PROHIBITED THE AIRBAGS FROM DEPLOYING.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2020Air bags, StructureCrash reportedODI 11365340
“CAR WAS HIT ON BACK DRIVERS DOOR AND WHEEL WELL, IT PUSHED THE BACK BOTTOM SEAT IN. CAR SPUN THREE TIMES IN THE RAIN AND NONE OF THE 10 AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I HIT MY HEAD ON THE SIDE DRIVERS WINDOW 3 TIMES DUE TO SIDE SEAT AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING. GM CAME OUT WHILE CAR WAS IN AUTO SHOP PUT SOME MACHINE ON IT TO ADDRESS MY ? WHY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN IT WAS HIT HARD ENOUGH TO PUSH CAR FRAME IN AND SPIN WHOLE CAR THREE TIMES. THEY TOLD BODY SHOP THAT IT WAS HIT IN SUCH A WAY THE TWO SEAT AIR BAGS WERE NOT SENSORED. I HAVE NOT FELT SAFE IN CAR SINCE. CAR WAS ON A RUAL STREET WHEN HIT AT ABOUT SPEED OF 40 MILE AN HOUR. I CAN EMAIL PICTURES OF CAR DAMAGE IF NEEDED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 24, 2019Air bags, Structure, SeatsCrash reportedODI 11203387
“I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW AND ITS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. STILL OCCURS WITH A NEW BATTERY AND TERMINALS. ITS UNDER NO RECALLS OR FIXES. IT GENERATES ZERO CODES. 2012 CHEVY CRUZE TWO CHEVY CERTIFIED DEALERS LOOKED AT IT AND WERE LIKE, WE'LL HAVE TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG AND THAT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT'LL COST ABOUT $900 AND THE MECHANICS CAN NOT PROMISE IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM OR IF THE AIRBAG IS SAFE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 21, 2018Air bagsODI 11153008
“VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. VEHICLE IS SPILLING OIL CAUSING SMOKE TO BE EXHAUSTED OUT OF ENGINE WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. ENGINE HAS HAD COOLANT LEAKS AND ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS BLOWN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 18, 2018Electrical system, Air bags, EngineFire reportedODI 11141307

Showing 6 of 34 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

3 recalls on this component

Air bags

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Jun 6, 2014NHTSA 14V300000

Air bags

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Jan 24, 2013NHTSA 13V023000

Air bags

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Oct 31, 2012NHTSA 12V522000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.