Worst 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
STEERING
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 281 | 5 | 9 | 84,797 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 195 | 4 | 6 | 96,803 mi | |
| STEERING | 188 | 9 | — | 101,373 mi | |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 129 | 6 | — | 90,455 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 99 | 28 | — | 63,718 mi | |
| ENGINE | 99 | 2 | 2 | 83,869 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 65 | 11 | — | 51,413 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 52 | 4 | — | 66,222 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 51 | — | 1 | 89,127 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 51 | 1 | — | 91,264 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 49 | — | — | 71,823 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 47 | 7 | 1 | 66,224 mi | |
| SEATS | 34 | 2 | — | 81,169 mi | |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 27 | 2 | 1 | 120,789 mi | |
| WHEELS | 17 | 2 | — | 82,283 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 14 | 7 | — | 77,809 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 10 | 1 | — | 74,176 mi | |
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM | 10 | — | — | 69,396 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 7 | — | — | 98,110 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 6 | 1 | — | 22,000 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 4 | — | 1 | 62,528 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 3 | — | 2 | 97,667 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT | 2 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE | 2 | — | — | 137,630 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | — | — | 118,000 mi | |
| TIRES | 2 | 1 | — | 100,944 mi | |
| VISIBILITY | 2 | — | 1 | 28,800 mi | |
| CHILD SEAT:LATCH ADJUSTER | 1 | — | — | 200,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 | — | — | 77,100 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 | — | — | 60,000 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~12,639,665 vehicles.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Other Chevrolet Malibu Years
Wider context: See the full Chevrolet Malibu reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
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