Chevrolet Cruze vs Dodge Dart: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Cruze is ahead of the Dodge Dart on the federal record, 77/100 against 71/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Chevrolet Cruze
- 9 model years scored
- 3,958 owner complaints on record
- about 31 complaints per year on the road
- 44 recall campaigns, 31 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (92/100) · worst 2014 (54/100)
Dodge Dart
- 4 model years scored
- 2,315 owner complaints on record
- about 48 complaints per year on the road
- 16 recall campaigns, 3 safety-critical
- best year 2016 (84/100) · worst 2013 (47/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Cruze against Dart
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Cruze
- Engine — 1,356 complaints
- Electrical System — 816 complaints
- Power Train — 707 complaints
Dodge Dart
- Power Train — 907 complaints
- Engine — 483 complaints
- Service Brakes — 446 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Cruze's complaints concentrate in Engine, the Dart's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Cruze: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
Dodge Dart — avoid: 2013.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chevrolet Cruze prices at about $14,300 and a Dodge Dart at about $10,800 — the Dodge Dart is roughly $3,500 less, and they return 32.0 against 30.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Cruze or the Dodge Dart more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Cruze scores 77/100 against the Dodge Dart's 71/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chevrolet Cruze and Dodge Dart years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Cruze: no year scores below 45. Dodge Dart: 2013. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Cruze and the Dodge Dart?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Cruze is Engine (1,356 complaints); on the Dodge Dart it is Power Train (907).
Is the Chevrolet Cruze or the Dodge Dart cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Cruze prices at about $14,300 and a Dodge Dart at about $10,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.