IllustrationPASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE VEHICLE COULD BE STATIONARY OR IN MOTION AND IT DOES NOT MATTER. SOMETIMES THE LIGHT WILL GO OUT AND BACK ON WHEN MOVING OVER A BUMPY ROAD. *TR
2012 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Malibu years
Owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
880–25K
7125–50K
11250–75K
12475–100K
187100–150K
64150K+
646 reports with mileage · 260 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 290 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 202 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 191 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
50 crash reports13 fire reports27 injury reports
What owners actually said
906 reportsMY VEHICLE HAS 86,200 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE TO HAVE BOTH HEADS REBUILT BECAUSE OF A BURNT EXHAUST VALVE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT THIS LOW MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE IDLES REALLY ROUGH WHEN IN PARK OR NOT IN DRIVE OR MOTION. WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, THE "SERVICE TRACTI…
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MY VEHICLE HAS 86,200 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE TO HAVE BOTH HEADS REBUILT BECAUSE OF A BURNT EXHAUST VALVE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT THIS LOW MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE IDLES REALLY ROUGH WHEN IN PARK OR NOT IN DRIVE OR MOTION. WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, THE "SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE ESC, ESC OFF" COMES ON. THIS GOES AWAY ONCE YOU START DRIVING AGAIN. *TR
"POWER STEERING" MESSAGE COMES ON RANDOMLY AND THE POWER STEERING GOES DEAD WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MALIBU AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN APRIL 2020 AND MULTIPLE TIMES IN MAY 2020. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. *…
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"POWER STEERING" MESSAGE COMES ON RANDOMLY AND THE POWER STEERING GOES DEAD WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MALIBU AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN APRIL 2020 AND MULTIPLE TIMES IN MAY 2020. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR
WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND CAR MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYED ENGINE SPEED REDUCED THEN IT DISPLAYED WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF THE FIRST MESSAGE ENGINE DISABLED . CAR WHILE NOT START.
THIS IS MY THIRD COMPLAINT BECAUSE MY CAR HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT NEED REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, WOULD HAVE TO TAP ON FUEL BOX LOCATED IN TRUNK TO GET IT TO START. IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE CAR, THE CAR WOULD LOSE POWER AND ESC, TRACTION CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND POWER STEERING WOULD LOCK U…
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THIS IS MY THIRD COMPLAINT BECAUSE MY CAR HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT NEED REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, WOULD HAVE TO TAP ON FUEL BOX LOCATED IN TRUNK TO GET IT TO START. IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE CAR, THE CAR WOULD LOSE POWER AND ESC, TRACTION CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND POWER STEERING WOULD LOCK UP. TOOK IT TO NEAREST CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAID 'THE WIRING IS BURNT UP FROM THE FUEL PUMP/FUSE BOX LOCATED IN TRUNK' THIS IS BECAUSE GM USED CHEAP WIRING. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT, REAR DEFROST DOESN'T WORK, AND MY DOOR SPEAKERS DOESN'T NOT WORK. THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF THE WIRING LOCATED IN THE TRUNK. I REFUSE TO PAY OVER $2,000 TO FIX MYSELF WHEN THIS IS CLEARLY A GM ISSUE. EVERYBODY ON HERE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR MALIBU'S. AND IT REALLY SUCKS BECAUSE I'M MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CANNOT DRIVE. THIS IS REALLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE MY KIDS IN THE CAR AND IT JUST LOSES POWER AND CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC.
I HAVE A 2012 CHEVY MALIBU LT AND MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS EVERYBODY ELSE'S. IT WOULD CUT OFF AND LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND AT FIRST I WOULD BEAT THE FUSE BOX IN THE TRUNK AND IT WOULD RUN. NOW IT DOESN'T EVEN WORK AT ALL. HAD IT DIAGNOSED AT MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAID THE WIRING LEADING FROM THE FUEL PUMP AND …
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I HAVE A 2012 CHEVY MALIBU LT AND MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS EVERYBODY ELSE'S. IT WOULD CUT OFF AND LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND AT FIRST I WOULD BEAT THE FUSE BOX IN THE TRUNK AND IT WOULD RUN. NOW IT DOESN'T EVEN WORK AT ALL. HAD IT DIAGNOSED AT MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAID THE WIRING LEADING FROM THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL BOX IS ALL BURNT UP. I REFUSE TO PAY $2000 OR MORE TO FIX WHEN THIS IS CLEARLY A GM ISSUES. IT NEEDS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY USED CHEAP WIRING. THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT AND I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE COMPLAINS UNTIL IT IS FIXED. ESC, POWER STEERING WOULD LOCK UP WHICH MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS IN THE VEHICLE.
AT RANDOM I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN ANY ROAD AND THE POWER STEERING, TRACTION CONTROL, ECS LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND I WILL LOSE POWER STEERING. I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND COMPLETELY STOP AND TURN OFF IGNITION AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND TURN BACK ON AND THE PROBLEM IS RESET. THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM WITH NO PATTERN.
CAR WOULD RANDOMLY NOT START UP. STARTER WOULD ENGAGE WITH KEY TURNED, BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT FIRE OFF AND RUN. NO CODES FROM DIAGNOSTICS. NEVER HEARD FUEL PUMP ENERGIZE WITH PROBLEM PRESENT. CAR WOULD EVENTUALLY SUCCESSFULLY START. BENCH TESTED FUEL PUMP RELAY WITH NO ISSUES. DISASSEMBLED FUSE BOX IN TRUNK AND FOUND THE BROWN WIR…
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CAR WOULD RANDOMLY NOT START UP. STARTER WOULD ENGAGE WITH KEY TURNED, BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT FIRE OFF AND RUN. NO CODES FROM DIAGNOSTICS. NEVER HEARD FUEL PUMP ENERGIZE WITH PROBLEM PRESENT. CAR WOULD EVENTUALLY SUCCESSFULLY START. BENCH TESTED FUEL PUMP RELAY WITH NO ISSUES. DISASSEMBLED FUSE BOX IN TRUNK AND FOUND THE BROWN WIRE CONNECTING THE FUEL PUMP TO ITS RELAY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HEAT STRESSED. THE BLACK PLASTIC WIRE HARNESS THAT HOUSES THE BROWN FUEL PUMP WIRE WAS ALSO STRESSED AND DEFORMED, AND WAS NO LONGER RETAINING THE CRIMPED CONNECTOR FOR THE BROWN WIRE. I HAD TO CLEAN UP THE METAL CRIMP CONNECTOR AND PINCH DOWN ON THE END SO THAT IT WOULD "GRAB" THE RELAY TERMINAL ONCE REASSEMBLED. CAR HAS YET TO REPEAT THE STARTING PROBLEM A YEAR LATER.
DOORS KEEP UNLOCKING AND LOCKING ON THEIR OWN. DOES IT CONSTANTLY NO MATTER WHAT I DO.. THE ALARM DOESNT DO ANYTHING AND THE DOORS JUST KEEP UNLOCKING AND LOCKING BACK AND FORTH ALL DAY AND NIGHT EVEN WITHOUT THE KEYS INSIDE WHILE PARKED
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND WHEN I HIT A STOPPED LIGHT IT SUDDENLY MY CAR TURNED OFF AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. ALSO SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE ESC, ESC OFF ON THE HEADBOARD. I ALREADY FIXED THE THROTTLE BODY, MAP SENSOR, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, GAS PEDAL, ALTENATOR, AND ITS STILL DOING THE SAME PROBLEM…
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I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND WHEN I HIT A STOPPED LIGHT IT SUDDENLY MY CAR TURNED OFF AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. ALSO SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE ESC, ESC OFF ON THE HEADBOARD. I ALREADY FIXED THE THROTTLE BODY, MAP SENSOR, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, GAS PEDAL, ALTENATOR, AND ITS STILL DOING THE SAME PROBLEM. I NEED HELP ON FINDING OUT WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS. I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW.
Official recalls
215V269000 · Seat Belts
May 8, 2015
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.
Consequence & remedy
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 at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.
14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control
May 14, 2014
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.
Consequence & remedy
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 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.
Additional source detail variants (5)
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
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.
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 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.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
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.
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 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.
Electrical System:wiring
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.
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 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.