NHTSA vehicle safety data

2012 Chevrolet Malibu Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 907 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Chevrolet dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2012 Chevrolet Malibu owner complaints

Owners have filed 907 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, describing incidents dated November 17, 2011 to August 24, 2026.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 291 complaints
Exterior Lighting 202 complaints
Steering 191 complaints
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 129 complaints
Engine 103 complaints
Air Bags 101 complaints

Of the 907 complaints on file, 50 report a crash and 13 a fire; across all 907 complaints, owners report 35 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11768102 · Filed September 30, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
ODI #11761110 · Filed August 31, 2026
Car has 161,848 miles and the seat frame broke on the drivers side of my 2012 Chevy Malibu. It had a slight tilt to the right. It was taken to the Chevrolet Dealership and they inspected and verified that the frame welding was broken. I have a video from the service tech showing the broken frame. I…
ODI #11752135 · Filed July 22, 2026
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…

Read all 907 complaints

Owner-reported

2012 Chevrolet Malibu mileage at failure

628 of the 907 complaints on file for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Electrical System	Median 95,000 miles	Middle half 60,000–115,000 miles	Based on 193 complaints
Exterior Lighting	Median 100,000 miles	Middle half 70,000–135,000 miles	Based on 114 complaints
Steering	Median 110,000 miles	Middle half 75,000–140,000 miles	Based on 137 complaints
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	Median 95,000 miles	Middle half 60,000–135,000 miles	Based on 96 complaints
Engine	Median 95,000 miles	Middle half 60,000–125,000 miles	Based on 73 complaints
Air Bags	Median 70,000 miles	Middle half 45,000–100,000 miles	Based on 71 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Most complaints NHTSA received since May 17, 2021 give no mileage. So that they aren't undercounted, each one received since then that gives a mileage also stands in for those that gave none, which can put a component's median above most of the mileages it is based on.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

Steel Cable that Anchors Seat Belt may Fail

NHTSA #15V269000 · Seat Belts · NHTSA notice

Reported May 8, 2015 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 437,045 vehicles

Repair completion: 54.99% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 15031 · Owners notified November 16, 2015 · Vehicles built April 19, 2011 – October 11, 2012 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

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

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Steering Shaft Inadequate Support of U-Joint

NHTSA #14E044000 · Steering · NHTSA notice

Reported July 21, 2014 · Dorman Products, Inc.

Potentially affected: 7,304 vehicles

Repair completion: 30.35% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified September 8, 2014

Defect description

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.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Brake Lights may or may not Randomly Illuminate

NHTSA #14V252000 · Electrical System — Wiring · NHTSA notice

Reported May 14, 2014 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 2,440,524 vehicles

Repair completion: 59.64% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 13036 · Owners notified August 18, 2014 · Vehicles built April 19, 2011 – October 11, 2012 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

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

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 3

Side Crash

Driver: 4, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

11% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

907 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.

Engine and Engine Cooling; Service Brakes; Electrical System

ODI #11768102

Incident: August 15, 2026 · Filed: September 30, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Seats

ODI #11761110

Incident: August 24, 2026 · Filed: August 31, 2026

Car has 161,848 miles and the seat frame broke on the drivers side of my 2012 Chevy Malibu. It had a slight tilt to the right. It was taken to the Chevrolet Dealership and they inspected and verified that the frame welding was broken. I have a video from the service tech showing the broken frame. I took a screen shot of the video and attached it to this incident repot. I would be happy to share the video but it won't allow me to share on this page. I asked the dealership if there was any recall because I find it hard to believe that a seat frame would just break. I have gone online and read that multiple people have had this issue however, Chevrolet has done nothing about it. A few people have at least gotten somewhat of a compensation for having to replace something that should last the life of the vehicle. I was not one of them. I had to pay over a thousand dollars for a USED frame and labor. What is to keep this frame from cracking too? I think Chevrolet should do better.

Electrical System

ODI #11752135

Incident: July 22, 2026 · Filed: July 22, 2026

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 neighborhood with little to no traffic when this happened. I have had crank sensors replaced, fuel pump module replaced, fuses replaced and still problems occur. If this is a common issue with the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, could you please issue a safety recall? Thank you

Electrical System

ODI #11727179

Incident: March 1, 2016 · Filed: March 26, 2026

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.

Air Bags; Seat Belts

ODI #11725989

Incident: March 4, 2026 · Filed: March 21, 2026

My airbag warning light and notification have came on and sometimes seat belt lights come on unexpectedly and will not go off I feel like this is a safety issue

Steering

ODI #11723670

Incident: March 4, 2026 · Filed: March 11, 2026

On March 4, 2026, my wife was driving the vehicle when she suddenly lost power steering. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, creating a dangerous situation that could have resulted in serious injury. She was able to safely pull over and contact me. I carefully drove the vehicle home. The vehicle was taken to Jeff Wyler Chevrolet of Columbus for diagnosis and repair. The dealership confirmed that the problem involved the power steering system. The repair cost was 1,513.03. After researching the issue, I discovered that this 2012 Malibu is subject to a special coverage related to the steering torque sensor. General Motors had reportedly sent notification letters to owners, but we never received one. Had we been aware, we would have addressed the issue immediately. This defect represents a significant safety risk, as sudden loss of power steering could cause an accident or serious injury.

Steering

ODI #11720451

Incident: February 5, 2026 · Filed: February 25, 2026

i was driving and the steering wheel locked, the whole steering column has to be replaced it brought up a code saying torque input sensor i've only put 10,000 miles on this car and have only had it for 11 months

Electrical System; Exterior Lighting; Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11719671

Incident: September 3, 2025 · Filed: February 22, 2026

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

Seat Belts

ODI #11719670

Incident: July 14, 2025 · Filed: February 22, 2026

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

Steering

ODI #11711045

Incident: December 23, 2025 · Filed: January 15, 2026

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”

Other Chevrolet Malibu model years

Check your 2012 Chevrolet Malibu VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Chevrolet Malibu at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Chevrolet VIN