Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet cruz. The contact was driving approximately 25 MPH when a second vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered injuries to the head, back, neck, left groin and left shoulder. Additionally, the contact sustained blurred vision and numbness in the left arm. The passenger suffered…
2013 Chevrolet Cruze airbags problems
severe 39 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
39
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
27crashes
1fire
26injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 39 airbags complaints filed for the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 39 airbags complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Among the 8 model years of Chevrolet Cruze in our records for airbags problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2013 Cruze has a documented pattern of airbag non-deployment in crashes serious enough to cause hospital-level injuries, combined with recurring sensor faults and warning lights that dealers struggle to diagnose. Several owners report Takata recall involvement and weight-based passenger-airbag disabling.
Airbag failures dominate this complaint set. The most dangerous pattern is non-deployment: owners describe crashes at 10–70 mph—animal strikes, collisions, tree impacts—where airbags never fired, leaving drivers and passengers striking the steering wheel and dashboard hard enough to fracture facial bones, cause cervical spine strain, require hospitalization, and produce serious head trauma. Multiple reports involve heavy damage (totaled vehicles) with zero airbag activation.
The second pattern is sensor faults. Airbag warning lights illuminate unprompted during normal driving, sometimes accompanied by loss of power and a message saying "airbag sensor" that forces the vehicle to shut down. Dealers have diagnosed faulty sensors and broken steering-wheel inflation mechanisms but repair costs are high (one owner quotes over $800 with extended backorder). The Takata recall (Campaign 14V372000) surfaces in at least one complaint; manufacturer offered only a 10% discount.
A smaller but real issue is unintended deployment: side-curtain airbags firing at highway speed with no crash or collision. One dealer told an owner that a 105-pound passenger is too light to trigger front-seat protection, requiring 130 pounds.
When owners have contacted Chevrolet or the manufacturer after non-deployment, they typically receive no solution or assistance, even after police-report accidents.
Same Chevrolet Cruze airbags reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes
Airbags do not deploy despite significant frontal and side-impact collisions causing serious injury and vehicle damage. Owners report multi-vehicle pileups, deer strikes, telephone pole hits, guardrail crashes, and rear-end collisions at speeds ranging from 10–70 mph where airbags should have activated but did not.
When: During crashes at various mileages; reported incidents from 5,600 to 165,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment during high-impact crashes; Occupants striking steering wheel, dashboard, or other interior surfaces; Multiple serious injuries including fractured bones, head trauma, cervical spine strain, whiplash, and internal injuries; Vehicle heavily damaged or totaled but no airbag activation; Some occupants reporting back, neck, shoulder, and groin injuries from impact
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented in narratives; dealers unable to diagnose root cause in several cases
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified in some cases but offered no solution; no recalls or TSBs mentioned for non-deployment failures
Airbag warning light illumination and sensor faults
Check airbag warning light comes on without crash occurrence. Owners report airbag sensor indicators illuminating unexpectedly while driving at normal speeds, sometimes accompanied by loss of vehicle power or the airbag system not communicating with the vehicle computer.
When: Reported at 15 mph, 25 mph, 47,000 miles, 100,000 miles; one instance with no mileage specified
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light illuminates during normal driving; Strange odor present in vehicle (one report); Airbag system fails to recalibrate and loses communication with vehicle computer; Loss of vehicle power and electrical systems (lights and flashers inoperative); Message appears randomly saying 'airbag sensor' causing vehicle to shut down
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement of driver-side airbag and/or airbag harness required; dealership quoted cost but owner declined; one owner paid over $800 for sensor replacement with part on backorder
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Recall Campaign 14V372000 mentioned (Takata recall); manufacturer offered 10% discount toward repair cost in one case; no other recall or warranty assistance documented
Unintended airbag deployment
Airbags deploy without any crash or collision occurring. Owners report side-curtain airbags deploying while driving at highway speeds on normal road conditions with no accident.
When: At 68 mph and 120,000 miles on open road
Symptoms owners cite: Side-curtain airbags deploy without warning during normal highway driving; No collision or accident involved; Vehicle not damaged
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle examined by dealer; no repair performed
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer informed contact there was no merit for restitution claim; manufacturer contacted via email with no additional assistance provided
Passenger-side airbag disabled or not deploying
Passenger-side airbags fail to deploy or are disabled based on weight sensors that fail to recognize lighter occupants as needing protection. One owner reports dealer stating a 105-pound passenger requires 130 pounds to activate the airbag.
When: Discovered during normal ownership; one passenger-rear impact sensor failed at 25,360 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag indicator shows 'airbag off' for light-weight passenger; Passenger-side airbag does not deploy during side-impact collision; Passenger-rear impact sensor warning light illuminates
Repairs/costs cited: Passenger-rear impact sensor component replaced at dealership
Defective steering-wheel airbag (non-deployment)
Steering-wheel airbag does not inflate despite front-impact crashes. One owner reports being sold a car with a non-functional steering-wheel airbag; another reports all airbags deployed except the driver's steering-wheel airbag during a side-impact slide.
When: At initial purchase (one case); during low-speed slide at unknown mileage (one case)
Symptoms owners cite: Steering-wheel airbag fails to deploy in crashes; Driver striking steering wheel on impact; Dealership confirms airbag inflation mechanism defective
Repairs/costs cited: Steering-wheel airbag part identified as broken; repair costs not documented
Synthesized from 39 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Just a short time after I bought this car, which I love, I hit a deer. I was going 45 MPH at the time and the impact did $10,000 damage but the air bag did not go off. Thankfully I was not hurt and I was wearing my seat belt. To this day the car just isn't the same. *tr
The road was icy and I slammed into back of dump truck that already crashed into fence of cemetery,and my air bags never deployed (I couldv'e been seriously hurt) but I wasn't. *tr
Had airbags trouble with your 2013 Chevrolet Cruze?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze?
It's a meaningful issue. 39 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Across the 32 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 22,000 and 96,826 miles, with the median around 50,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 22,000; a quarter make it past 96,826. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2013/Chevrolet/Cruze.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.