repaired · 2017 Q1
Seat belts
Risk. If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
2012 Chevrolet MalibuProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 907 owner complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-269 the manufacturer reports only 53% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 30, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has problems
907 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
291Electrical system16 crash/fire/injury
202Exterior lighting10 crash/fire/injury
191Steering9 crash/fire/injury
129Electronic stability control (ESC)6 crash/fire/injury
101Air bags28 crash/fire/injury
99Engine5 crash/fire/injury
66Service brakes
52Vehicle speed control
51Fuel/propulsion system
24117 other systems27 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 291 | 16 |
| Exterior lighting | 202 | 10 |
| Steering | 191 | 9 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 129 | 6 |
| Air bags | 101 | 28 |
| Engine | 99 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 66 | 11 |
| Vehicle speed control | 52 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 51 | 1 |
| 17 other systems | 241 | 27 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2012 Chevrolet Malibu recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2015 Q4
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
88kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 197 electrical system complaints. 63% were reported before 100,000 miles.
21under 30k miles124under 100k miles73100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Electrical system
10 owners mentioned a cost$750median
Middle half: $250 – $1,875
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2012 vs. every other Malibu year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Malibu median. How we score
0120245321134439767899227215675691,1489751,1199779891,5111,36397890783735127084170570119320390100734612
'73'74'75'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'86'89'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2012 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings
2012 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (10.9% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Malibu owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Electrical system problems that create unsafe driving conditions!! Vehicle has electrical glitches. Internal warning lights flicker on and off. Battery drains. Car randomly will not start. Multiple incidents. Car stalled on roadway without warning and would not crank. Luckily I was in a residential…
Rear defrost stopped working. Hasn't worked in years. I took it to GM, they had a print out of a kit that I had to purchase to repair. This stopped working back around 2016.
Was driving home on the parkway and the headlights shut off on their own had to call for roadside assistance to get my vehicle home they will work on dim but brights will not work and if I drive for more than an hour and a half they will not work at all the speed sensor keeps going bad after having…
Own a 2012 Malibu?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.