2012 Chevrolet Malibu problems, complaints & recalls

2012 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (2)

• Recall 15V269000May 8, 2015437,045 vehicles
  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.

  Risk: 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.

• Recall 14V252000May 14, 20142,440,524 vehicles
  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.

  Risk: 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.

NHTSA 5-Star safety ratings

Recent 2012 Chevrolet Malibu complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Aug 31, 2026NCSeats & Seat Belts

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11761110 · source
2. Filed Jul 22, 2026SCElectrical System

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11752135 · source
3. Filed Mar 26, 2026ILElectrical System

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11727179 · source
4. Filed Mar 21, 2026TXAirbagsSeats & Seat Belts

   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

   NHTSA complaint #11725989 · source
5. Filed Mar 11, 2026OHSteering

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11723670 · source
6. Filed Feb 25, 2026TNSteering

   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

   NHTSA complaint #11720451 · source
7. Filed Feb 22, 2026KYElectrical SystemLightingAcceleration & Cruise Control

   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

   NHTSA complaint #11719671 · source
8. Filed Feb 22, 2026KYSeats & Seat Belts

   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

   NHTSA complaint #11719670 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology