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2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Malibu years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

646 reports with mileage · 260 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 290 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 202 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 191 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

50 crash reports13 fire reports27 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

290 reports
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180,000 miles · Oct 12, 2018
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE BATTERY WAS JUMPSTARTED BY THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JAMES CORLEW CHEVROLET (722 COLLEGE ST, CLARKSVILLE, TN 37040, (931) 552-2020) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ANTI-…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE BATTERY WAS JUMPSTARTED BY THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JAMES CORLEW CHEVROLET (722 COLLEGE ST, CLARKSVILLE, TN 37040, (931) 552-2020) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

NHTSA ODI #11140051

180,000 miles · Oct 4, 2018
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT I'M CHANGING THESE OUT EVERY COUPLE MONTHS I'VE RESEARCHED AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER DRIVERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE

NHTSA ODI #11133423

99,000 miles · Sep 21, 2018
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

INTERMITTENT STARTING ISSUES ON THIS VEHICLE. WILL RANDOMLY TURN OVER BUT NOT START. IF WE LET IT SIT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IT WILL THEN START, BUT LEAVES US STRANDED. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. LIGHTS START BLINKING RANDOMLY AS DRIVING, TRACTION CONTROL WILL TURN ON AS WE ARE DRIVING CAUSING REDUCTION IN POWER. THERE AR…

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INTERMITTENT STARTING ISSUES ON THIS VEHICLE. WILL RANDOMLY TURN OVER BUT NOT START. IF WE LET IT SIT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IT WILL THEN START, BUT LEAVES US STRANDED. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. LIGHTS START BLINKING RANDOMLY AS DRIVING, TRACTION CONTROL WILL TURN ON AS WE ARE DRIVING CAUSING REDUCTION IN POWER. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11130544

93,000 miles · Sep 20, 2018
Electrical SystemExterior LightingFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS FAILED TO OPERATE. JEFF WYLER SPRINGFIELD CHEVROLET (2237 W FIRST STREET, SPRINGFIELD, OH) DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED AND RECOMMENDED IT BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS FAILED TO OPERATE. JEFF WYLER SPRINGFIELD CHEVROLET (2237 W FIRST STREET, SPRINGFIELD, OH) DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED AND RECOMMENDED IT BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

NHTSA ODI #11130478

124,000 miles · Sep 8, 2018
Electrical System

HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT

NHTSA ODI #11128263

110,000 miles · Sep 5, 2018
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WARMING MESSAGE READ ENGINE POWER REDUCE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL.. THE CAR SHOOK AND DROPPED DOWN TO 30 MPH WHILE I WAS ON HIGHWAY ..I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY .. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED CAR BACK UP AGAIN MESSAGE CLEARED BUT RIGHT BE…

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WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WARMING MESSAGE READ ENGINE POWER REDUCE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL.. THE CAR SHOOK AND DROPPED DOWN TO 30 MPH WHILE I WAS ON HIGHWAY ..I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY .. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED CAR BACK UP AGAIN MESSAGE CLEARED BUT RIGHT BEFORE I GOT HOME CAR DID THE SAME THING .. I CALLED TRIPLE A AND HAS IT TOWED HOME

NHTSA ODI #11124543

112,000 miles · Aug 24, 2018
Electrical System

WHILE IN MOTION CAR JERKS AND ALMOST STALLS. ROUGH IDLE AGAIN JERKING AND ALMOST STALLING. SERVICE ESC / SERVICE TRACTION /ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. IF CAR IS NOT USED FOR A FEW DAYS, WARNING LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON. THEN ABOUT 30 MILES INTO DRIVE LIGHTS COME ON AND CONDITION DESCRIBED ABOVE OCCUR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIO…

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WHILE IN MOTION CAR JERKS AND ALMOST STALLS. ROUGH IDLE AGAIN JERKING AND ALMOST STALLING. SERVICE ESC / SERVICE TRACTION /ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. IF CAR IS NOT USED FOR A FEW DAYS, WARNING LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON. THEN ABOUT 30 MILES INTO DRIVE LIGHTS COME ON AND CONDITION DESCRIBED ABOVE OCCUR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION.

NHTSA ODI #11122237

115,000 miles · Aug 10, 2018
Electrical System

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED MY LIGHTS SHOWING ENGINE POWER REDUCED FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR.

NHTSA ODI #11118935

110,000 miles · Aug 6, 2018
Electrical SystemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE ENTERED THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE AREA AND NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COMING FROM THE AREA OF THE ENGINE, BUT RATHER THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING WIRES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED FOR DIAGNOSTIC …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE ENTERED THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE AREA AND NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COMING FROM THE AREA OF THE ENGINE, BUT RATHER THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING WIRES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH OURISMAN CHEVROLET OF BOWIE (16610 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716, (301) 262-7600) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ODI #11118079

100,600 miles · Jul 31, 2018
Air BagsElectrical SystemSeat Belts

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CHIMES STARTED DINGING AND THE CABIN FILLED UP WITH SMOKE THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER PULLING OVER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WERE LOCKED IN THE WEARING POSITION

NHTSA ODI #11114996

Official recalls

2

15V269000 · Seat Belts

May 8, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.

14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

May 14, 2014

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

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.

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

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.

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

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.

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights

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.

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Electrical System:wiring

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.

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

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.