‘Better than the Ford Freestyle I have’: Woman buys Chevrolet Cruze. Then it snows

It’s no surprise that the Chevy Cruze has long been a popular choice for budget-conscious drivers. Known for its fuel efficiency, spacious interior, and remarkable safety features, the car offers a lot.

But sometimes, the weather gets cold.

One driver has just reached her breaking point with her Cruze. After seemingly persistent mechanical issues, she’s begun to question the car’s reputation for reliability.  

“This has been the worst week of my life,” the woman precedes.

Posted recently, creator Breanna McBay (@bremcbay) opened up about vehicular problems via her TikTok platform. In the 6-second clip, she documents her struggles with battery failure and other costly repairs. After already amassing more than 780,900 views and 84,500 likes, it quickly became clear that McBay wasn’t the only victim to these frustrating and reoccurring issues.

“No hate,” McBay states in the caption of the video. 

Without any words, McBay shares footage of her 2013 Chevy Cruze parked in front of what seems to be a college dormitory. The maroon car struggles to turn-on as inches of snow pile on the hood and between the crevices of its tires. Hood lifted, McBay tries to jump her car battery with an external generator, however her endeavors seem to be unsuccessful.

While no other context was provided from the clip, just 24-hours prior, McBay posted a precursor video, explaining the setbacks further.

What's wrong with her car?

“Car won’t start. Jumping it didn’t help. I want Taco Bell. I’m cold. This has been the worst week of my life,” McBay exclaims. 

According to the 2-part series, McBay has already put an excess amount of money into keeping her car running. Yet, once the snow started to get heavy, she found herself with another problem.

“Bought mine for $5,000, I've put at LEAST $10,000 in,” McBay claims in her comment section.

Unable to restart her battery, McBay found herself not knowing what to do next. While she blamed the car, one self-described mechanic in the comments gave her some insight into the issue.

“Your battery is old and the cold weather kills it,” the viewer begins. “Get a new battery.”  

Believing that this was not at the fault of the car’s make, the mechanic then explained that he rarely finds issues with the Chevy Cruze other than problems with the coolant hose. 

However, many disagreed. 

“There's so many other things that go wrong with these on a consistent basis,” another viewer clapped-back.  

And because McBay’s video grew viral with such little explanation on the issue, this viewer may be on to something. Scrolling through her comment section, it’s clear McBay’s TikTok stirred quite the online discourse.

What about other Chevy Cruzes?

“This was my first car, I got stranded on the side of the road so many times I forgot how many. It genuinely traumatized me,” one viewer says.

“They’re cheap for a reason,” others chimed in.

After its debut in 2008, the Chevy Cruze has had a mix of reliability ratings, with a variation in performance across different models. However, it seems as though the 2012 model may be one of the worst. With many flaws and recalls, it wasn’t until 2014 until all were addressed. 

“The 2013-2016 have several known weaknesses,” a Reddit user shares. “Especially with the 1.4T. At higher mileage (90K+).”

“Water pump, thermostat, water outlet housing, and the coolant reservoir are notorious for leaking,” another shares.

According to Reddit users, the list of issues continue, with some even regarding the electrical system of the cars. Many users, however, explain that if well taken care of, these problems can sometimes be avoidable.

“These cars can be trouble-tree if maintained well,” Reddit users share.

Yet still, McBay’s audience still held firm in their opinions.

“Absolutely hated, our worst car we have ever owned. I made sure we kept up on oil changes, filters, filters.etc.” 

@bremcbay no hate to penny tho #fyp ♬ sad SpongeBob music - michael

Chevrolet discontinued the Cruze in the U.S. and in Mexico in 2019. However when considering purchasing a used car, like McBay, it pays to take the time and be well-informed on which model you decide. 

“So grateful I got rid of mine,” a commenter concluded. 

The Daily Dot reached out to Breanna McBay (@bremcbay) via TikTok direct message for comment. The Daily Dot also reached out to Chevrolet’s media services for comment.

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