Holden Cruze: Oil cooler leak and cracked cylinder head mixing oil and coolant (1.8 F18D4/2H0)
Oil cooler leak and cracked cylinder head mixing oil and coolant (1.8 F18D4/2H0) is a common engine fault on the Holden Cruze on the 2009–2016 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $700 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 13 documented faults on the Holden Cruze.
- Vehicle
- Holden Cruze
- Engine
- F18D4
- Years
- 2009–2016
- Fuel
- petrol
- System
- Engine
What you are looking at
Example of the part — not this vehicleA six-cylinder diesel head off the engine, valve-gear side up. Cracks run between the valve seats on the face beneath.
What goes wrong
The engine oil cooler on the Family 1 petrol engines sits behind the oil filter housing, and its seals and core commonly fail, pushing oil into the coolant and also leaking oil down the front of the engine. On the 1.8 there is a second, more serious cause of oil and coolant mixing: cracked cylinder heads, for which GM Holden ran Special Coverage A172110231-ZSPP (2017, 6 years or 120,000 km) on 2014-2016 cars, now expired. If a mixing problem is ignored the coolant turns to sludge, blocks the radiator and heater core, and the engine can overheat or lose oil pressure. A cooler repair is moderate, but a cracked head means a replacement head and a full cooling system flush.
What you would notice
- Brown, milky or oily sludge in the coolant expansion tank
- Oil leaking from the front of the engine around the oil filter housing
- Coolant level dropping for no visible reason
- Misfires, overheating or low coolant warning on the 1.8
- Heater losing heat
How to check it
Where to look. Front of the engine: oil filter housing and oil cooler; cylinder head; coolant expansion tank
With the engine cold, open the coolant expansion tank cap and look inside with a phone torch: the coolant should be clean and bright, with no brown film, oily sheen or mayonnaise-like sludge on the tank walls or cap. Pull the dipstick and check the oil is not milky. Use the torch to look at the oil filter housing and oil cooler area at the front of the engine and down the block for fresh oil or dried coolant crust. On the test drive watch the temperature gauge and note any rough running or check engine light. Ask whether the oil cooler has ever been replaced and whether the car had the cylinder head replaced under the Holden program, and ask for the invoice. If a workshop inspection is possible: have a combustion gas (block) test and cooling system pressure test done, and inspect the oil cooler from underneath with the undertray removed.
What it costs to put right
$700 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “Has the oil cooler or oil filter housing been replaced?”
- “Has the cylinder head been replaced under the Holden special coverage?”
- “Has it ever overheated or had oil in the coolant?”
Now check the Holden Cruze you are actually looking at
Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.
Where this comes from
- GM Holden Special Coverage A172110231-ZSPP (Sep 2017): 1.8 LUW cracked cylinder head, via australiancar.reviews JH Cruze recalls and faults
- CarsGuide Q&A: Engine oil is getting in the radiator of my 2016 Holden Cruze (1.8 cracked heads, service program, oil cooler leaks)
- australiancar.reviews JG Cruze recalls and faults (oil cooler cracks letting oil into cooling system)
Holden Cruze buyer questions
Is oil cooler leak and cracked cylinder head mixing oil and coolant (1.8 f18d4/2h0) serious on a Holden Cruze?
We rate it major and common on the Holden Cruze. The engine oil cooler on the Family 1 petrol engines sits behind the oil filter housing, and its seals and core commonly fail, pushing oil into the coolant and also leaking oil down the front of the engine. On the 1.8 there is a second, more serious cause of oil and coolant mixing: cracked cylinder heads, for which GM Holden ran Special Coverage A172110231-ZSPP (2017, 6 years or 120,000 km) on 2014-2016 cars, now expired. If a mixing problem is ignored the coolant turns to sludge, blocks the radiator and heater core, and the engine can overheat or lose oil pressure. A cooler repair is moderate, but a cracked head means a replacement head and a full cooling system flush.
How much does it cost to fix on a Holden Cruze?
$700 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.
Which Holden Cruze years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 2009–2016 Holden Cruze. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.
How do I check for it before I buy?
With the engine cold, open the coolant expansion tank cap and look inside with a phone torch: the coolant should be clean and bright, with no brown film, oily sheen or mayonnaise-like sludge on the tank walls or cap. Pull the dipstick and check the oil is not milky. Use the torch to look at the oil filter housing and oil cooler area at the front of the engine and down the block for fresh oil or dried coolant crust. On the test drive watch the temperature gauge and note any rough running or check engine light. Ask whether the oil cooler has ever been replaced and whether the car had the cylinder head replaced under the Holden program, and ask for the invoice. If a workshop inspection is possible: have a combustion gas (block) test and cooling system pressure test done, and inspect the oil cooler from underneath with the undertray removed. Look here: Front of the engine: oil filter housing and oil cooler; cylinder head; coolant expansion tank