Chevrolet Cruze, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
3,695 Chevrolet Cruzes are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 58% of initial MOT tests, 14.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Cruze? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Chevrolet Cruze at the MOT
58% of 4,375 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Cruze 513th of 575 models. Chevrolet Cruzes aged 6 to 10 years passed 59.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 58%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Chevrolet Cruze tests in 2025.
Where Cruzes fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Chevrolet Cruze tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (9.7%), position lamp not working (8.5%) and malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (4.8%).
The MOT page lists every common Cruze MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Cruze's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.29.3% of Cruze failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.18.2% of Cruze failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.15.3% of Cruze failure items
Chevrolet Cruzes in the UK
3,695 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 56% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −56%from 8,405 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2012half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2012 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 64815% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Chevrolet Cruzes since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 8,405 |
| End of 2015 | 8,322 |
| End of 2016 | 8,148 |
| End of 2017 | 7,910 |
| End of 2018 | 7,579 |
| End of 2019 | 7,224 |
| End of 2020 | 6,857 |
| End of 2021 | 6,398 |
| End of 2022 | 5,944 |
| End of 2023 | 5,411 |
| End of 2024 | 4,793 |
| End of 2025 | 4,078 |
| End of June 2026 | 3,695 |
How old they are
Licensed Chevrolet Cruzes by year of first use.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 413 |
| 2013 | 1,053 |
| 2012 | 1,191 |
| 2011 | 776 |
| 2010 | 422 |
| 2009 | 148 |
Cruze engines and fuel
1.6 litre engines made up 49% of Chevrolet Cruze MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.8 litre at 25%. Petrol accounts for 73% of licensed Cruzes and diesel for 27%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 4,375 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Cruzes
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,697 | 73% |
| Diesel | 992 | 27% |
| Gas | 6 | 0.2% |
Chevrolet Cruze recalls
9 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Chevrolet Cruze. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Cruze is affected.
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Feb 2025 R/2025/036
Chevrolet UK Takata Drivers Airbag
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the chemicals in the Takata airbags may deteriorate over time which may cause the inflator to rupture and lead to serious injury.
- Remedy
- Exchange affected airbag modules as a precautionary measure.
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Jul 2016 R/2016/175
Engine may stall
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility of intermittent loss of ignition. This is a result of fretting at a terminal on the ECU which is caused by movement of the ECU bracket and battery tray and relative movement of the engine wiring harness.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the battery tray and apply electrical contact sealent.
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Mar 2015 R/2015/034
Brake fluid may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The affected vehicles may in some instances experience increased braking distance and potential degradation of braking performance caused by a leak of Brake Fluid from a Front Brake Hose. The Driver may notice a leakage of Brake Fluid on the ground and/or via the Brake Fluid Level warning light in the Instrument Panel with Ignition on.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the front brake hoses.
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Dec 2014 R/2014/180
Vehicle may lose drive when parked in 'p' roll away
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the right hand drive shaft outer CV Joint may fail during harsh cornering / U Turns. This will lead to loss of drive and if only parked in 'P' (autobox) or in gear (manual box) without the parking brake applied the vehicle could roll away.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the right hand drive shaft.
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Sep 2014 R/2014/095
Drive shaft may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been detected that certain MY2013 & MY2014 Cruze and Orlando vehicles equipped with tubular drive shaft may in some instances experience breakage on RH drive shaft neck area. This will result in loss of drive but the driver will still be able to steer and brake the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Examine affected vehicles for type of RH drive shaft fitted. Where necesaary replace driveshaft.
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Jan 2014 R/2014/007
Drive shaft may fracture
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The tubular drive shaft may in some instances experience breakage on RH drive shaft neck area. In the event that the RH drive shaft is broken the vehicle will not be capable of acceleration; however steering and braking will be controllable
- Remedy
- Vehicle drive shafts will be inspected and where necessary replaced free of charge.
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Nov 2011 R/2011/160
Engine may stall
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- As a result of a manufacturing issue at the supplier there is a possibility that a fuel leak may occur which would result in a strong diesel odour the engine may not start properly or the engine may stall.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the fuel feed pipes with ones of the correct specification.
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May 2011 R/2011/058
Seat belt mount may not be secure
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The retaining nut for the centre seat belt stalk may be missing. This concern will make the seat belt ineffective in the event of an accident.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to check and where necessary fit a retaining nut for the centre seat belt stalk.
Other Chevrolet models
The most-tested Chevrolet models in 2025, against the Cruze's 58% MOT pass rate.
Chevrolet Cruze FAQs
How many Chevrolet Cruzes are there in the UK?
3,695 Chevrolet Cruzes were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 648 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Chevrolet Cruze reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 58% first-time pass rate for the Chevrolet Cruze across 4,375 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Chevrolet Cruze had any recalls?
9 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Chevrolet Cruze. The most recent was published in February 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Chevrolet Cruze?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Chevrolet Cruze's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Cruze?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Chevrolet history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.