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2012 Chevrolet Captiva

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 65.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

53 reports with mileage · 12 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports2 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

65 reports
62,500 miles · Jul 23, 2015
Electrical System

RADIO GOES OFF WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNALS AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT COME BACK ON. HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN OPEN/CLOSE WINDOWS, DASH BOARD LIGHTS FLICKER, PARKING BREAK SERVICE LIGHT GOES ON/OFF RANDOMLY, CAR IS COMPLETELY DEAD WHEN YOU TRY TO RESTART IT AND THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. SOMETIMES CAR WILL RESTART OTHER TIMES IT…

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RADIO GOES OFF WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNALS AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT COME BACK ON. HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN OPEN/CLOSE WINDOWS, DASH BOARD LIGHTS FLICKER, PARKING BREAK SERVICE LIGHT GOES ON/OFF RANDOMLY, CAR IS COMPLETELY DEAD WHEN YOU TRY TO RESTART IT AND THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. SOMETIMES CAR WILL RESTART OTHER TIMES IT NEEDS TO BE JUMPED TO START IT. BATTERY POSITIVE POST IS HOT TO THE TOUCH EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS DEAD FOR OVER 24 HRS.

NHTSA ODI #10736057

42,000 miles · May 19, 2015
Unknown Or Other

I GOT INTO MY CAR AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I DON'T RECALL IF I HAD PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION YET, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD "BOOM" SOUND LIKE THAT OF A EXPLOSION. I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT MY REAR WINDOW THERE WAS ABOUT A 1 FOOT WHOLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDOW IS SHATTERED WAITING TO CAVE IN. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED, THE FORCE…

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I GOT INTO MY CAR AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I DON'T RECALL IF I HAD PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION YET, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD "BOOM" SOUND LIKE THAT OF A EXPLOSION. I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT MY REAR WINDOW THERE WAS ABOUT A 1 FOOT WHOLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDOW IS SHATTERED WAITING TO CAVE IN. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED, THE FORCE BLEW THE MOLDING OFF ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDOW AND IT AND MULTIPLE PIECES OF SHATTERED GLASS WERE ON THE GROUND. MY NEIGHBORS AND I JUST STOOD THERE AND LOOKED BECAUSE WE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. THANKFULLY I HAD NOT PULLED OFF YET, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED.

NHTSA ODI #10717255

58,480 miles · May 18, 2015
Electrical System

VEHICLE DRIVEN IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREA WHEN WITHOUT WARNING SLOWLY LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. INITIAL ATTEMPT TO START VEHICLE FAILED. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS THE VEHICLE STARTED ONLY TO GRADUALLY LOSE POWER AND STALLED AGAIN. ABLE TO ROLL VEHICLE OFF MAIN STREET ONTO SIDE STREET AND CALLED AAA. WHI…

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VEHICLE DRIVEN IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREA WHEN WITHOUT WARNING SLOWLY LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. INITIAL ATTEMPT TO START VEHICLE FAILED. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS THE VEHICLE STARTED ONLY TO GRADUALLY LOSE POWER AND STALLED AGAIN. ABLE TO ROLL VEHICLE OFF MAIN STREET ONTO SIDE STREET AND CALLED AAA. WHILE WAITING FOR AAA I DISCONNECTED BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLES WAITED 10 MINUTES AND RECONNECTED. VEHICLE STARTED BUT WHEN MOVED IT AGAIN LOST POWER AND STALLED. AAA ARRIVED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED AND WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE FLATBED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY HOME AND WHEN THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE FLAT BED IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE OPERATOR WAS ABLE TO START AND DRIVE VEHICLE OFF THE FLAT BED. WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE WE ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE HAD A TRAGIC ENDING HAD I BEEN HIT DURING THIS VEHICLE MALFUNCTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10720908

58,900 miles · Feb 20, 2015
Electrical System

MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM WITH MY 2012 CHEVY CAPTIVA IS THE KEY WAS GETTING JAMMED IN IGNITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE IMMEDIATELY. THIS WENT ON FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS OR MORE. I TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPLACEMENT OF BRAKES ON 2/17/15. ON 2/18/15, LATER IN THE NIGHT, THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM IGNITION AT ALL. I HAVE VEHICLE…

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MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM WITH MY 2012 CHEVY CAPTIVA IS THE KEY WAS GETTING JAMMED IN IGNITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE IMMEDIATELY. THIS WENT ON FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS OR MORE. I TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPLACEMENT OF BRAKES ON 2/17/15. ON 2/18/15, LATER IN THE NIGHT, THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM IGNITION AT ALL. I HAVE VEHICLE AT DEALER AS OF 2/20/15 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND AWAITING THE RESULTS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS THE SAME GM PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH FOR OTHER MODELS THAT ARE BEING "RECALLED." ALSO JUST FOR THE RECORD, I DID EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AS WELL BACK IN 2014; AND PROBLEM WITH ALTERNATOR BACK IN 2013 ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I ALSO NOTICE SOME HESITATION IN ACCELERATION, (SIMILAR TO A SLIGHT/FAINT PULL) ON OCCASIONS. NOT ENOUGH TO THINK ANYTHING SERIOUS, BUT DID OCCUR OFTEN ENOUGH IN 2014. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10689576

35,083 miles · Aug 18, 2014
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION. I TOOK THE CAR INTO GOOD CHE…

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CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION. I TOOK THE CAR INTO GOOD CHEVROLET FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR'S BRAINS WERE BASICALLY SCRAMBLED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PCM, BANK 1 SENSOR 2 OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED AND THAT ALL CODES WERE CLEARED AND THAT THE REPAIR WAS VERIFIED. I PICK THE CAR UP ON 8/14/14 DROVE IT ON 8/15/14 AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ONLY THIS TIME THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. AGAIN I SAT THERE AND WAITED AND ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES LATER THE CAR STARTED. THIS TIME THE CAR SHOW ADDITIONAL ISSUES. THE LIGHTS WHERE THE RPMS ARE SHOWN FLICKERS ON AND OFF, THE CAR SPUTTERS, TRYING TO GET UP TO A CERTAIN SPEED IS TAXING AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE THERE IS A RATTLING COUPLED WITH A SQUEALING SOUND. TODAY IS 8/16/14 AND I WILL BE TAKING THE CAR BACK INTO GOOD CHEVROLET ONCE AGAIN FOR SERVICE. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THEY WILL REPAIR THE CAR THIS TIME AND THAT I DO NOT HAVE SOME MAJOR ISSUE AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD AS THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITHIN THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER COMPONENTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10626129

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.