2012 Chevrolet Malibu: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2012 / chevrolet / malibu
known issues6 clusters (reviewed 2026-09-03)
complaints906 on file (2011-12-05 → 2026-08-31)
recalls3
investigations0
fars260 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Seat belt cable and anchor failureSEAT BELTS6 complaints2020-10 → 2026-02malibu-2012-seat-belt-cable-failure
  • 11532634 Driver safety belt lap anchor cable has broke and recall 15031 was already done not fixing the problem
  • 11456514 The cable that connects the drivers side seatbelt to the frame of the car completely severed in half (possibly due to repeated bending/fatigue when buckling the seatbelt)
  • 11558294 The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while using the driver's side seat belt, the attachment on the seat belt fractured. The seat belt became inoperable
Driver seat frame fractureSEATS6 complaints2020-06 → 2023-03malibu-2012-seat-frame-fracture
  • 11512046 Driver seat frame bar broke. Is weld and the weld broke when I was on the road. Safety concern when I turn left or right driver seat moves a lot
  • 11385380 THE WELD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HAS BROKEN MAKING THE SEAT UNSTABLE. I WAS GETTING INTO THE CAR AND HEARD IT SNAP THEN FALL TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR
  • 11329221 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT METAL FRAME FRACTURED, CAUSING THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE WHILE DRIVING
Power steering loss with ESC warningSTEERING, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)55 complaints2020-04 → 2026-03malibu-2012-power-steering-loss
  • 11710607 The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated, and the message "ESC OFF" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced an intermittent loss of power steering while driving
  • 11723670 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
  • 11546085 Attempting to pull out of my parking lot, I was suddenly unable to steer my car. Immediately warning lights went on in the dashboard the car would not move
Headlight wiring harness melting and low-beam failureELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING40 complaints2020-05 → 2026-02malibu-2012-headlight-wiring-melt
  • 11664223 Passenger side headlamp burned out took off bumper to inspect and the wiring pigtail to the headlight has melted causing it to malfunction so now in order to make it work you have to disconnect the daytime running lights so that the melting stops
  • 11647143 Passenger and or driver side low beam headlight continues to go out. Mechanic has found connector keeps burning out the socket. Light is burnt out on bott sides. but connector is shorting out. Fire and safety issue
  • 11341114 MY 2012 CHEVY MALIBU PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HAS GONE OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE FOR THE CHEVY MALIBU
Fuel pump wiring overheating and engine stallELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM25 complaints2020-04 → 2026-07malibu-2012-fuel-pump-wiring-stall
  • 11572808 Vehicle will intermittently not start, have to tap on trunk fuse box to get the Malibu to start, the wire is too small and burns up, can’t find anyone to replace it, is a big issue with this generation of Malibu
  • 11322490 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
  • 11321634 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
Air bag warning light and sensor faultAIR BAGS9 complaints2020-08 → 2026-03malibu-2012-airbag-warning-sensor
  • 11621232 The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while a passenger was seated in the front passenger’s seat, the passenger’s side air bag warning light intermittently illuminated while driving at various speeds
  • 11567700 Air bag disabled light came on got the code checked the connector for the air bag on the drivers side either came disconnected or is defective and it disabled all my air bags
  • 11390226 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAG OCCUPANT SENSOR HAD BECOME DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE ANY OCCUPANT UNDER 130 POUNDS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
9062011-12-052026-08-315013ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:290; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:202; STEERING:191; ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):129; AIR BAGS:101

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
15V26900008/05/2015SEAT BELTSGeneral 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.If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.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.
14V25200014/05/2014ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRINGGeneral 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.Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.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.
14E04400021/07/2014STEERINGDorman 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.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.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.

Investigations all years →

none listed

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-2024260legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2012/chevrolet/malibu
@misc{wrenchpro_2012_chevrolet_malibu_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2012 Chevrolet Malibu},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2012/chevrolet/malibu}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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