2011-2019 Chevrolet Cruze Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2011-2019 Chevrolet Cruze the front brakes wear out first, usually by a wide margin. The front pads and rotors do most of the stopping, while the rear axle, which on many Cruzes is a set of drum brakes with shoes rather than discs, wears slowly. The smart plan is to replace the front pads (and rotors when needed) as an axle set, and inspect the rear brakes every time you do.

How the Cruze splits braking between front and rear

When any car stops, its weight pitches forward. That puts more load on the front tires, so the front brakes can do more of the work without locking the wheels, and the system is designed around that. The Cruze follows the same pattern as nearly every front-wheel-drive compact: vented discs up front with a caliper and two pads per wheel, and a smaller, lighter-duty setup at the rear.

What sits at the rear depends on the car. GM's owner manuals for both generations cover two possibilities, and the brake care section gives specific instructions for vehicles that have rear drum brakes. Many Cruzes left the factory with rear drums and shoes; others have rear discs with calipers and pads. An NHTSA recall on 2018-2019 Cruze models (18V576000) involved rear brake caliper pistons, which confirms that at least some second-generation cars use rear disc brakes. Do not guess from the model year alone. Look through the rear wheel spokes: a flat rotor face with a caliper clamped over it means discs, a closed round drum means shoes.

What wears first, and how to tell

Expect to buy front pads several times before the rear brakes need anything. The front pads have built-in wear indicators. GM's manual describes them as making a high-pitched warning sound when the pads are worn, a sound that can come and go and that can stop when you press the brake pedal firmly. GM is blunt about it: that sound means the brakes will soon not work well, and continuing to drive on worn pads can turn a pad job into a much more expensive repair.

Front brake symptoms to watch for:

• High-pitched squeal while driving that fades when you brake: the wear indicator touching the rotor.
• Grinding or a metal-on-metal growl: the friction material is gone and the backing plate is cutting into the rotor.
• Pulsation in the pedal or a shaking steering wheel when stopping: uneven rotor thickness or deposits. GM notes that properly torqued wheel nuts help prevent pulsation, so uneven lug torque after a tire shop visit is a common cause.
• A pedal that sits lower or travels further than it used to: GM says to see a dealer if pedal travel increases rapidly or the pedal does not return to normal height.

Rear drum brakes are the trap. The manual states plainly that rear drums do not have wear indicators, so there is no squeal to warn you. If you hear a rubbing noise from the back, GM says to have the rear linings inspected immediately. The manual also says the drums should be removed and inspected whenever the tires come off for rotation or changing, and that when the front pads are replaced, the rear brakes should be inspected too. Drums also have an inspection hole for checking lining wear during scheduled maintenance.

What to replace, and what to replace at the same time

Front axle

Front pads are the most common brake part a Cruze owner buys. Always replace them as a full set for the axle; GM's manual states that brake linings should always be replaced as complete axle sets. For the front pads we carry a Bendix ceramic front pad set for the 2011-2019 Cruze and Sonic, and there are more options in our ceramic brake pads collection. Ceramic compounds suit a commuter car like the Cruze: low dust and quiet operation.

Replace the front rotors along with the pads if they are grooved, have a lip at the outer edge, cause pulsation, or measure below the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor. Putting new pads on a scored rotor is the most common reason a brake job comes back noisy. See our brake rotors for replacements. While the wheels are off, also check:

• Caliper slide pins: they should move freely and be lubricated with brake-specific grease. A stuck slide wears the inner pad faster than the outer one.
• Pad hardware and abutment clips: new clips help new pads stay quiet. A brake hardware kit costs little compared with doing the job twice.
• Brake hoses: look for cracks, bulges or wet spots.

Rear axle

On cars with rear drums, the parts are shoes, the drums themselves, and the spring and adjuster hardware. Shoes are sold as axle sets in our brake shoes collection. Replace a drum if it is scored or worn past the maximum diameter cast into it. Look for brake fluid on the backing plate, which points to a leaking wheel cylinder; fluid-soaked shoes will not grip and must be replaced along with the leaking part.

On cars with rear discs, the job is similar to the front: pads as an axle set, rotors as needed, and clean, lubricated slides. The rear brakes also carry the parking brake, so confirm the parking brake holds once the job is done.

Brake fluid and pedal feel

GM fills the Cruze master cylinder reservoir with DOT 3 brake fluid, and the specification is shown on the reservoir cap. Two points from the owner manual are worth knowing before any brake job:

• The fluid level drops slowly as pads and shoes wear, then comes back up when new linings are installed. That is normal.
• Do not top off the reservoir as the linings wear. If you add fluid to worn brakes, there will be too much fluid once new linings go in, and GM warns that fluid spilled on a hot engine can burn.

A low reservoir with new or half-worn linings means a leak somewhere, and GM is clear that a leak means the brakes will not work well. Find it before replacing pads.

Recalls that affect Cruze brakes

Before you buy parts, run your VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup. Three brake-related recalls apply to Cruze models in this range:

• 13V360000 (2011-2012): Cruzes with the 1.4L turbo and 6T40 automatic use an electric vacuum pump to supply extra vacuum for brake assist when needed. The pump may not activate, causing an intermittent reduction or loss of brake assist. Dealers replaced a microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly. A hard pedal on one of these cars is an assist problem, not a pad problem.
• 15V-113 (2015): A small batch of cars built in early February 2015 may have loose rear parking brake cable bracket bolts, which can keep the parking brake from holding. Dealers inspected the bolts and tightened them as needed.
• 18V576000 (2018-2019): Rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating that lets gas pockets form, potentially reducing rear brake performance. Dealers bled the brake system.

Recall work is done free at a Chevrolet dealer, so rule these out first if your symptom matches.

How hard is the job?

A front pad and rotor job on a Cruze is one of the easier brake jobs a home mechanic can take on: basic hand tools, a C-clamp or piston tool, jack stands, and a torque wrench. Tighten the caliper bolts to the value in the factory service information and the lug nuts to the spec in the owner manual's Capacities and Specifications section, tightening them evenly in the proper sequence. Bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops before hard use.

Rear drum work takes more patience. The springs and self-adjuster must go back exactly as they came out, so work one side at a time and use the other side as a reference. If you are not comfortable with drums, the front brakes are a good do-it-yourself job and the rear can go to a shop. For everything else, browse our full brake parts catalog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Chevy Cruze have rear drum or disc brakes?

It depends on the individual car, not just the year. GM's owner manuals cover both setups. Look through the rear wheel: a caliper over a flat rotor means discs, a round closed drum means shoes. Confirm before ordering rear parts.

Why do my Cruze front brakes wear so much faster than the rear?

Weight shifts forward when you brake, so the front brakes are built to carry most of the load. The front pads wear first on almost every front-wheel-drive car, and the Cruze is no exception.

Do I need to replace rear brakes when I replace the front pads?

Not automatically. GM says to have the rear brakes inspected whenever the front pads are replaced. Replace the rear linings only if they are worn, contaminated, or damaged, and always as an axle set.

Why don't my rear drum brakes squeal when they are worn?

Rear drum brakes on the Cruze have no wear indicators, according to GM's owner manual. A rubbing noise from the rear is your warning, and it means the linings should be inspected immediately.

What brake fluid does a Chevy Cruze use?

DOT 3, as stated in the owner manual and shown on the reservoir cap. Use fresh fluid from a sealed container.

Should I replace the front rotors with the pads?

Replace them if they are grooved, warped, lipped, or below minimum thickness. Rotors in good condition can be reused, but new pads on worn rotors often cause noise and vibration.

Sources

1. 2015 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GM) - disc pad wear indicators, rear drums have no wear indicator, inspect rears at front pad replacement, axle-set replacement, DOT 3 fluid, hand-lever parking brake
2. 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GM) - same brake care guidance for the second generation, GM approved DOT 3 fluid, foot-pedal parking brake
3. NHTSA Recall 13V360000 - 2011-2012 Cruze 1.4L turbo electric vacuum pump brake assist recall and microswitch remedy
4. NHTSA Recall 18V576000 - 2018-2019 Cruze rear brake caliper piston coating recall and brake bleed remedy
5. NHTSA Recall Acknowledgment 15V-113 - 2015 Cruze rear parking brake cable bracket bolt recall