2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
1,466
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
20
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
The 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU has received a total of 1,466 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 7 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SEAT BELTS, STEERING, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC). 20 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (280 complaints), Exterior Lighting (195 complaints), and Steering (186 complaints).
Recalls for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
NHTSA has recorded 7 recalls for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, potentially affecting up to 12,646,969 vehicles.
Recall 15V269000 — SEAT BELTS
| 437,045 vehicles affected
Defect: 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....
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...
View full details →Recall 14E044000 — STEERING
| 7,304 vehicles affected
Defect: Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2009 Saturn Aura vehicles. The affected steering shafts may have a yoke that inadequately supports the u-joint bearing resulting in a premature failure.
Consequence: A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
View full details →Recall 14V252000 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
| 2,440,524 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 14V252000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
| 2,440,524 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 14V252000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
| 2,440,524 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 14V252000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
| 2,440,524 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 14V252000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
| 2,440,524 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
1,466 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
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 it replaced multiple times
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 it replaced multiple times
I have tried since July of 2025 to have a recall fixed I have been in contact with multiple dealerships for Chevy and none have contacted me to fix my recall I've left messages and still no response
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 it replaced multiple times
The “service ESC” light came on while I was driving on the freeway causing the steering wheel to lock up and I couldn’t turn the wheel. It was really stiff after it said “Service ESC” and “ESC Off”
Safety Rating for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
The 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
General Motors, LLC has issued 20 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
PIP4902Q — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician that General Motors Technical Assistance Center may ask for Global Diagnostic System 2 Session Log. Technician will need use Global Diagnostic System 2 to send the session logs to General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance on the vehicle in...
19NA134 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
This informational bulletin informs the technician and provides a Service Procedure to correct a shifter sticking or Difficulty selecting Desired Gear condition, possibly caused when field action 14152 was previously performed.
PIE0427A — EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
This engineering informational bulletin ends the need for information from the field on vehicles that have the condition of HVAC Not Functioning as Intended or Smell of Burnt Plastic and/or Smoke.
16-NA-033 — VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the sunroof window motor for vehicles with the condition of sunroof or sunshade inoperatice and DTC U151B
PI0096 B — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Some customers may comment on finding wet carpet in the driver or passenger footwell area. Upon further inspection, a technician may note water spotting or water accumulation within the IP structure and/or hush panel. This condition may occur due to incomplete sealing within the roof to windshield header, A-pillar and/or...
GCUS-9-939 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
14582 - Special Coverage. On some 2008 model year (MY) Saturn Outlook; 2008-2009 MY Buick Allure, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac G8, Pontiac Montana SV6, Pontiac Torrent, and Saturn VUE; 2008-2010 MY Hummer H3 and Pontiac G6; 2008-2011 MY Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, and Chevrolet Impala; 2008, 2011-2012 MY Chevrolet...
PIC4310L — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicle that may have an OnStar system that has progression tones when pressing the blue or red button. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center with the scan tool data from the OnStar system.
PIC6047B — TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that will go into a learn mode after a tire rotation but a sensor or sensors will not activate with the Tire Pressure Monitoring tool. Technician will need to remove the fuse for the OnStar system then complete the...
02-07-30-029W — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
This informational bulletin provides information to the technician on what parts of an engine or transmission will require the PQC to be notified.
PI1152 — EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
HVAC Stuck in Defrost Mode, DTCs B0248, B0268 or B0408 Set Condition/Concern Some customers may comment that the HVAC system is stuck in the defrost mode. When checking the vehicle for DTCs, the HVAC control module may report B0248, B0268 or B0408 set as current. Once the DTC(s) are cleared,...
Showing 10 of 20 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the CHEVROLET MALIBU
- 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1,252 complaints
- 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1,483 complaints
- 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 2,349 complaints
- 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 2,195 complaints
- 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1,512 complaints
- 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU (current)
- 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1,358 complaints
- 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 560 complaints
- 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 388 complaints
- 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1,419 complaints
- 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1,156 complaints
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- CHEVROLET EQUINOX — 12,135 total complaints
- CHEVROLET BLAZER — 11,032 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SILVERADO — 10,928 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — 10,375 total complaints
- CHEVROLET COBALT — 10,106 total complaints