Review restyling Chevrolet Cruze. Bad reviews from owners about the Chevrolet Cruze I restyling The main problems that the Chevrolet Cruze has

30.10.2019

Miscellaneous

Have a good day and night, I want to briefly share my experience of owning a Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 on the handle. Before her, I owned my first car VAZ-2107, but I can’t say anything but good, for 199,000 runs I never failed, then there was a Prior, an Opel Astra, also a super car, and finally a Chevrolet Cruze sedan. Bought from OD at the end of the year for 658t.r. + additionally installed fog lights, an alarm system with feedback, total: 677t.r. From the amenities in the car: air conditioning, MP-3, AUX input, heated seats and mirrors, 12V socket, front power windows.

At first, I could not get enough of the car, so big and beautiful compared to classmates, an aggressive look suggests good dynamics, but it's not. For future buyers: if you like to drive from traffic light to traffic light, then this car is not for you, any non-chip prior will upset you very much, it's all about email. gas pedal, very thoughtful on the bottoms, but enough on the highway, once overtook the prior at a speed of 210 km / h. The car is more inclined to drive on highways than in the city, you constantly need to turn the engine, well, this engine is too small for it, the owners will understand me, although I am not a racer, I drive very carefully. Our hackers advised to chiponut and transfer to Euro-2 and there will be 165 horses, the issue price is 30t.r., I would like to, but I don’t like to rape the car, and I didn’t want to lose the guarantee.

In winter, I practically don’t operate the car, unless for long distances, but for every day there is a reliable VAZ transport. For all the time I drove only 18900 km., While everything is working fine, the only thing is that the rear pillars break through badly on a bad road. Look, everything is normal. Holds the road well, without any buildups and rolls when cornering, brakes. I think it's too soft and the pedal travel is too long, but it works with a bang, you just need to get used to it. Fuel consumption city 9-10, highway 7-8l., I measured it myself, since I don’t have such a function. That's all, we'll drive more — I'll write. Thanks ALL!

Chevrolet Cruze is a coup for marketers and designers. They managed to create a spectacular car at an affordable price. But how durable and practical the final product turned out to be, only time can judge. And enough time has passed to draw conclusions about the reliability of the used Chevrolet Cruze. Read about them in the article below.

History and equipment

Chevrolet Cruze was developed and introduced in 2008 to replace Lacetti, but they have little in common, only a 1.6-liter engine (F16D3). Otherwise, the new model has become head and shoulders above its predecessor. Although it has not lost its simplicity of design, which made the Chevrolet Cruze affordable and desirable for the masses of motorists. The first generation went through two restylings, was sold in three types of bodies and different trim levels. Therefore, the choice in the secondary market is quite extensive with many nuances. Differences in configurations can be dramatic:

From 2 to 6 airbags. Cruze earned 5 stars on Euro NCAP (with six cushions);
Air conditioning or climate control;
The MyLink multimedia system, which appeared after restyling in 2012. Many owners of pre-styling Cruises also installed it. And the number of “crickets” in the cabin will depend on the level of work performed, since it was necessary to disassemble the entire front panel;
Attributes of the richest LTZ configuration are light and rain sensors, heated seats, 17-inch wheels, parking sensors, a rear-view camera, keyless entry and a course stability system.

Restyling in 2012 brought not only changes in appearance, but also added three engines to the range. One turbocharged petrol 1.4 liters and two diesels - 1.7 and upgraded 2.0 liters. In Russia, cars were assembled only with gasoline engines.

Salon and body

The oldest Chevrolet Cruze today is not so old as to speak of serious corrosion. But there are no particular problems with this. GM over the past decade has significantly improved the issue of anti-corrosion treatment of the body. Potential risk areas (as with most cars) are wheel arches and sills. But the thickness of the metal let us down. It bends at the slightest pressure and over time the car is covered with many small dents. Therefore, there are many tinted cars on the secondary market without an accident. Moreover, some owners of credit cars did this at the expense of CASCO insurance.

The external trunk release button is poorly protected from moisture, so its service life is limited. Depending on the weather and the way the car is stored, it can work from 10 to 50 thousand mileage. If it starts to “fail”, then it is better to replace it, since damaged contacts can close and completely discharge the battery.

Salon without outside interference (remember MyLink) behaves quietly. But there are also weaknesses. These are the steering wheel, gear knob and decorative panel overlays. The steering wheel began to “climb” already by the 50,000th run, so for many it has been replaced or sheathed in leather. After restyling, the coating composition was improved, but this did not fundamentally fix the problem. There are two types of lining on the front panel - fabric and eco-leather (more precisely, leatherette). The former get dirty quickly and are difficult to clean, while the latter can blister in strong sunshine.

In frosty or rainy weather, the Chevrolet Cruze fogs up all the windows, along with the windshield. It will not be possible to fix this, since a design miscalculation. The air currents blow like that.

Chevrolet Cruze engines

The most common engine is a 1.6-liter gasoline. There were two types of them on the Chevrolet Cruze. Old familiar to all service masters F16D3, which was installed on the Lacetti and Nexia. The motor has already been studied up and down, but there are weaknesses:

Be sure to change the timing belt with a roller every 60,000 runs. Otherwise, the pistons will meet the valves and the engine will have to be overhauled;
A "snotty" valve cover gasket should be replaced immediately. Otherwise, oil can fill the candle wells and “kill” high-voltage wires and ignition coils.

The relatively new ECOTEC F16D4, also known as Opel's Z16XER, is a little more progressive and more complex. Its 1.8-liter modification Z18XER was installed on the Opel Vectra since the 2002 model year. Such a motor pulls harder and eats a little less gasoline, but it is technologically more complicated and can be more expensive to maintain. Features of Z16XER/Z18XER:

The timing belt needs to be changed less frequently, every 90-120 thousand run;
Every 100,000 km, the valves need to be adjusted, since there are no hydraulic lifters;
The weak point is the heat exchanger. The housing bursts or the gasket leaks and oil flows onto a hot collector. Most often this happens with a regular and heavy load on a cold (cold) engine;
There was a recall campaign due to depressurization of the fuel rail (there were cases of fire under the hood), check with the seller if this problem has been fixed;
If the engine rumbles like a diesel engine, then you will have to change the camshaft gears and the phase shift solenoid valve. The problem is not "general", but pay attention to the sound of the motor before buying.

The most modern in the line of Chevrolet Cruze engines is the 1.4-liter A14 with a turbine. He inherited from the Opel Astra 2009 model year and was installed on the Cruze after restyling. A fairly reliable unit with a timing chain drive. The chain resource is enough for 120-180 thousand km, and the spare parts themselves with work are inexpensive (about $ 200). The turbo shouldn't be a problem for the first 200,000 km either, with proper maintenance of course.

Diesel units are a rarity on our roads. They can be 1.7 or 2.0 liters. Moreover, the power of the latter can also be different - from 125 to 163 hp. After 100,000 runs, the particulate filter may become the main problem. It is expensive, and because of the quality of our diesel fuel, it fails much earlier than its due date. It will be cheaper to carry out the procedure for the complete removal of the particulate filter. For 200-300 dollars you will forget about this problem forever (the main thing is that Greenpeace does not find out).

After 150,000 km, the turbine may disturb. With poor maintenance, this can happen much sooner. The part is expensive, so check first when buying. But the diesel Cruise can give you a combination of dynamics (especially the two-liter 165 forces) and efficiency. But it will be very difficult to find such a copy, also in good condition.

Checkpoint Chevrolet Cruze

The Chevrolet Cruze has only two types of shift boxes - a five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. The mechanical box does not cause any complaints, except for one weak point - the drive seals. They often flow, especially in late autumn or early spring, when there are sudden changes in temperature. It is impossible to ignore such a breakdown. Without oil, even the most reliable mechanics will completely fail.

With an automatic transmission, everything is more complicated. In the first years of production there were a lot of breakdowns. The automatic transmission failed after 30,000 km. The main problems arose with the valve body and solenoids. But Chevrolet engineers (or Daewoo, or Opel) worked hard on the bugs, and after restyling in 2012, the reliability of the unit increased significantly. At least 150 thousand km without breakdowns has become quite realistic. If you do not forget about regular oil changes, of course.

Some owners installed an additional cooling system for the Chevrolet Cruze automatic transmission. But according to the reviews of the owners, this does not make much sense. Additional cooling helps the box only under extreme loads, in normal operation there is no difference.

Suspension and steering

The chassis of the Chevrolet Cruze is reliable and comfortable. Behind the usual beam, but with modifications. The Watt mechanism made it possible to obtain a comfortable overcoming of irregularities with a general simplicity of design. Up to 100,000, only silent blocks of the rear levers may not survive. The front suspension on normal roads can "live" and 150,000 km. The ball joint on Cruz is changing as an assembly with a lever (restoration is possible).

There are a couple of problems that technically do not affect anything, but psychologically wildly annoy Cruze owners:

The sound of calipers. Packing the guides with grease helps best. You need to repeat regularly.
The sound of shock absorbers. It helps to replace it with non-original ones, most often Bilstein. In the secondary market, 90% have already been changed.

After restyling, the manufacturer eliminated both problems.

In the steering of the Chevrolet Cruze, weak points are also associated with sound. Often the power steering pump starts to make a lot of noise. Sometimes it helps to tie up the hydraulic hoses and change the fluid, more often the pump needs to be replaced. After 2012, the system became hydroelectric and there were fewer problems.

Outcome

Chevrolet Cruze is a beautiful car with a comfortable suspension and good equipment. Another advantage is the favorable price compared to. In many ways, the lower price is due to the image of a rather “fragile” and unreliable car. But in reality, most problems are easily and inexpensively solved even in your own garage. For a purchase, it is better to choose a Cruise after restyling with a manual transmission and a 1.8-liter engine. So, you will shorten the list of potential problems and get at least some margin under the gas pedal. The body requires careful treatment, but does not rot. The difference in price between the minimum and maximum equipment in the secondary market is not significant, take it in full.

Good luck on the roads!

In Russia, Chevrolet Cruze cars are incredibly popular. Since official sales started here in 2009, many cars of this brand are currently traveling on the roads of our country. The car is also popular in the secondary market.

In this regard, motorists who want to buy a Chevrolet Cruze from their hands, the question arises, which car is better, restyling or dorestyling? In order to answer it, you need to carefully consider all the differences between the modifications produced at different times.

ATTENTION! Found a completely simple way to reduce fuel consumption! Don't believe? An auto mechanic with 15 years of experience also did not believe until he tried it. And now he saves 35,000 rubles a year on gasoline!

Overview of improvements after restyling 2012-2013

Restyling of any car is a constant process associated with the addition and refinement of various components. In addition, restyling makes the appearance of the car more modern and attractive. The first generation of the Chevrolet Cruze went through several restylings, and the appearance was changed for both the sedan and the hatchback. Since the car competed with the Ford Focus in its price category, the designers and designers tried to get around their main competitor. To do this, in 2014 they even released the Cruz station wagon, which was a complete surprise for buyers.

There were several upgrades of the first generation in the back of the J300. The first one started in 2012, and in 2013 the car was already sold in Russia. After this modernization, the Chevrolet Cruze-1 received the following differences:

Changed front optics;
The radiator grille diffusers have slightly changed their shape;
Taillights and regular wheels also have minor differences. At the same time, all optics can be installed both on restyle and on dorestyle;
The shape of the fogs has changed a lot, which can be immediately seen in the photo;
Three new engines appeared, one 1.4-liter turbo gasoline and two 1.7 and 2.0-liter diesel engines. The only worthy among them is a two-liter diesel. 1.7 is too old, and the turbocharged 1.4 liter has a low resource;
The MyLink system appeared.

Diesel Chevrolets were not assembled in Russia, so they are very rare on our roads.

Restyling 2014

In 2014, restyling greatly changed the appearance of a popular car in Russia. The front of the car began to look more modern. The radiator grille received a new shape.

In 2014, the second generation of the Chevrolet Cruze-2 debuted this way. This car was not officially delivered to Russia, as GM engineers significantly improved it, significantly increasing the price. In 2017, a restyled model of the Chevrolet Cruze-2 appeared. It has become even bigger, more massive and more comfortable. The black car looks especially beautiful.

Tuning Chevrolet Cruze

Many car owners of cars of the first years of production are independently engaged in external tuning of their cars, turning them into restyled versions. Contrary to popular belief that the new body kit is produced by the manufacturer, this is not the case.
All such kits are produced by third parties that have nothing to do with the manufacturer. Despite this, the external tuning of the Chevrolet Cruze is very popular in Russia, because in this way you can change the look of your car.

Salon and car body before and after restyling

Since the very first models appeared in Russia only in 2009, even they do not have any particular problems with corrosion. The manufacturing company seriously took care of anti-corrosion treatment, so if the car did not get into serious accidents, the body is quite resistant. But the thickness of the metal is the weak point of all modern cars of this class. Dents on it appear even from pressing. Pre-styling models became famous for low-quality interior materials, which very quickly lose their appearance. After restyling, this problem was partially solved, although it is possible that this is due only to the age of the car.

In frost or rain, the glasses fog up a lot, and both old and restyled models suffer from this problem. In general, for those who care about the appearance and condition of the Chevy interior, it is better to take a closer look at the newer modifications of the car.

Chevrolet Cruze engines and their reliability

The most popular Chevrolet Cruze engines are 1.6 liter gasoline. The most common is F16D3. It is very well studied by domestic servicemen, and its repair is not difficult. If you monitor its condition and service it in a timely manner, there will be no problems during operation. F16D3 has the following weaknesses:

The timing belt changes along with the rollers with a run of 50-60,000 km. If this is not done, a broken belt can result in an engine overhaul, as the pistons will meet the valves;
Valve covers often leak, which are deformed from the heat under the hood.

The second engine with a volume of 1.6 liters is the ECOTEC F16D4. It is characterized by increased power, lower fuel consumption and increased resource. The 1.8 engine is more modern, its resource is higher, although it is much more expensive to repair.

The 1.4 engine with a turbine is not popular in Russia, although it has a timing chain drive. Some restyled models were equipped with such engines. Domestic motorists do not like this motor, since its repair is expensive, and servicemen do not know how to work with it.

Diesel engines are very rare in the CIS. They come in 1.7 and 2.0 liters. Diesel engines are found only on restyled models. Buying a used diesel car is always a risk. Given the quality of domestic diesel fuel, cars often stop starting. This is especially true in winter. In addition, the turbine can also fail after 150,000 km.

Suspension and steering Chevrolet Cruze

The chassis of cars of any year of manufacture is reliable. The rear suspension easily takes care of about 100,000 km, after which, most likely, you will have to change the silent blocks. The front suspension of the car is even more reliable, according to the owners, it begins to require repair after 150,000 km of run. Repairing a Chevrolet Cruze suspension is not difficult, and most service stations can easily handle it.

On models of the first years of production (dorestyle), the following problems occur:

When driving, calipers rattle;
Native shock absorbers knock when driving on bad roads. This problem is eliminated by replacing them with non-original shock absorbers;
Often the power steering is too noisy. It has to do with his pump. Sometimes it is enough to change the fluid in the hydraulic booster, but most often you have to change the pump.

After the first restyling, the manufacturer listened to consumers and eliminated these three problems. In the case of the power steering pump, it helped to replace the system with a hydroelectric one.

As for the gearbox, a mechanical gearbox is recommended for cars of this class. The automatic machine is expensive to repair, and the dynamics of a 1.6 or 1.8 liter engine with automatic transmission will be noticeably less. Therefore, a restyled model with a 1.8-liter engine and a manual transmission is recommended for purchase. For those who are limited in funds and prefer to repair the car with their own hands, it is better to purchase a dorestyle, with a simple F16D3 engine, with a volume of 1.6 liters.

Drove Bole 40,000 will not complain.

There are claims to any car. I traveled to Lake Baikal and the South, and even helped out at work. I’ve been exploiting it for 2 years soon, as I already wrote, there are no special complaints. True, the interior has such a feature as fogging of glasses in gloomy weather. Conder settings do not coincide with the desire to warm the glass as soon as possible. But with a certain game with the heater keys, everything goes back to normal.

Yes, I will also say that the trunk lock lives its own life. Sometimes it doesn't open when needed. I'll go to the officials for that-4, I'll write a claim. And then, I think, no more to go to them. It's a bit pricey though. And you can easily change the oil, candles and pads yourself

Strengths:

Normal honest car.

Weak sides:

I want 140 horses to be real, and not in the passport

Review Chevrolet 1.8MT-141l.s. 2011 (Chevrolet Cruz) 2011

Strengths:

Design
Consumption
Reliability

Weak sides:

Clearance and only asphalt
The motor is very weak for 1456kg.

Review Chevrolet Cruze (Chevrolet Cruz) 2012

Great car, very beautiful design, in comparison with other cars of the same class - Focus3, Skoda Octavia, much more beautiful inside, very ergonomic and very beautiful panel (torpedo), glows amazingly, so all smart, in a sports and youth style, by design body and interior design is an incomparable leader! Excellent audio training, the bass is such that a subwoofer is not needed, I listened to it in a Corolla, Polo Sedan, Skoda, Focus 3.2 - there is nothing like it anywhere! Here are just a Mazda music more or less falls short.

Comfortable fit, but there is not enough protruding piece in the back of the seat for the lower back. Uncomfortable rear seats, like on a stool, high, hard, not enough space. It is not very convenient to turn on foglights, you need to be distracted and find this button somewhere on the bottom left, you can mix it up, press something else. Up to 9500, the salon did not strum a bit, no extraneous sounds from either the interior or the suspension. Excellent behavior and handling on the track, 170 as 120, the speed is not felt at all, does not sway, does not jump on waves and bumps, enters turns due to the mass like on rails. Excellent handling, large comfortable rear-view mirrors.

Cons - a weak engine 1.6, 109 horses, for almost one and a half tons it’s obviously rather weak, it’s enough for a quiet ride, 160-170, although with difficulty, is gaining, so the average speed on the highway is 140-130, it pulls well. You switch to 4 and you can overtake quite briskly. My advice is to take it with a 1.8 engine, if you want to blow it up from a traffic light ... then you will even be left behind dozens .. somehow got into trouble with a nine, it didn’t work out) It’s also euro4, solid limiters, there is no sharpness, that is, you won’t be able to start with a train, even if gasnut and throw the clutch, there will be one disappointment. In general, while driving, the dynamics are quite normal, it will come down around the city, but it does not press into the chair.

Strengths:

beauty
Dynamics

Weak sides:

Consumption
Power

The Chevrolet Cruze has been produced by General Motors for over 10 years. The popularity of this car in Russia and the CIS countries is enormous. Since the start of sales, Chevrolet Cruze has not only not lost its leading position, but has also strengthened it. Neither crises nor other economic problems prevent people from buying this model. In today's article, our resource would like to tell readers about all the Chevrolet Cruze restyling, supplementing the information with many high-quality photographs.

What is restyling

Restyling of any model is a change in the appearance of the car, aimed at improving and updating it, according to the current trends. In the usual sense, restyling activities do not include the modernization of cars, from the point of view of its technical part. The main task in their implementation is to update the design of the model.

Regarding the Chevrolet Cruze, the manufacturer resorted to several types of restyling. Over the years, small-scale modernization of the model was carried out, consisting in a slight change in the optics and body kit, medium design improvements with a modification of the basic body parts and large-scale restyling, affecting both the exterior and interior.

Note that the modifications of the car from General Motors were well received by its fans. So, the restyling of the Chevrolet Cruze in 2013 caused a huge stir and provoked even greater interest in this model among buyers. Now the auto manufacturer does not pay much attention to modifying the design and interior, but has high hopes for new, fundamentally different generations of this line. What will come of this - time will tell.

Note! In general, restyled upgrades are a kind of fitting the appearance of a car to the trends of modern fashion in the auto industry. They do not carry anything else to improve the design and interior.

Overview of specific improvements

Restyling of the Chevrolet Cruze took place both within the same generation and between them, respectively. Note that all types of models were subject to change - from sedans to hatchbacks and station wagons. As for the first generation of the Cruise line marked J300, it had two more or less significant restylings:

Modernization 2012-2013, the essence of which was to change the front optics and small changes in the structure of the grille, taillights and discs. In addition, the interior has been slightly improved and the MyLink entertainment system has been added.

Modernization 2014, marked by a complete update of the "front end" of the model. Particularly noticeable were the improvements in the grille.

Perhaps the largest restyling of the Chevrolet Cruze happened in 2013-2014. During these time periods, the second generation of the line was introduced, labeled J400. The differences between generations are more than significant. They are visible to the naked eye and consist in changing the general concept of the body, the interior.

Note! Despite the long-launched start of production, it is not often possible to meet the second generation of a General Motors car in the post-Soviet space. This is due to the fact that the model is simply not produced in Russia and the CIS countries, as a result of which it is not easy to find it. Recall that the first generation of the Cruz line was actively produced in the Russian Federation.

Restyling kits for the Cruz line

At the end of today's article, our resource decided dispel one myth associated with Chevrolet Cruze facelift kits. Neither in 2013, nor in 2015, nor in other years did General Motors produce such kits for its model. Of course, you can find restyled parts for the Chevrolet Cruze, but they will have nothing to do with the official manufacturer. You shouldn't forget about it.

By the way, among the unofficial restyling kits there are quite good ones. When they are used by restyling, the change in the Chevrolet Cruze can no longer be called, but it will do for external tuning. A considerable number of owners have changed their car in this way, without resorting to buying an updated model in the cabin.

Perhaps on this note, the most important information on the topic of today's article has come to an end. As you can see, the Chevrolet Cruze had quite a few restylings. We hope this review has helped to understand them and understand the differences between models of different years. Good luck on the roads!