Your vehicle report
2012 Chevrolet Malibu
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 907
- Received Dec 2011 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night160 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power steering cuts out while driving74 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Ignition key sticks or will not turn43 complaints · 4.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V269000General 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.
- Recall #14V252000General 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Headlights dim or fail at nightFirst signal: Mar 2017
- Power steering cuts out while drivingFirst signal: Oct 2016
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenlyFirst signal: Jan 2017
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 50 crashes, 13 fires, 35 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Headlights dim or fail at night
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
- Engine won't start or cranks intermittently
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2013 | 24 |
| 2014 | 74 |
| 2015 | 94 |
| 2016 | 79 |
| 2017 | 79 |
| 2018 | 146 |
| 2019 | 167 |
| 2020 | 87 |
| 2021 | 41 |
| 2022 | 32 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2024 | 25 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 11 |
| Total | 907 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 160 | 18% | 10.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2017 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.7% |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 74 | 8.2% | 8.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2016 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 43 | 4.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 39 | 4.3% | 8.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2017 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 36 | 4.0% | – | NHTSA recall #15V269000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 35 | 3.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 30 | 3.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 21 | 2.3% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 21 | 2.3% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 16 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 14 | 1.5% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 12 | 1.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 12 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 11 | 1.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 11 | 1.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 10 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 10 | 1.1% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 9 | 1.0% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 9 | 1.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 9 | 1.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V269000May 8, 2015437,045 vehicles affected
seat belts
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #14V252000May 14, 20142,440,524 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring; electronic stability control (esc); exterior lighting: brake lights; exterior lighting: brake lights: switch; 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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN