Car · Chevrolet problems

2012 Chevrolet Malibu problems

907 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The most reported area is electrical system (32% of them). NHTSA also lists 456 service bulletins and 2 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 35. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 907 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Electrical system291 · 32%
• Exterior lighting202 · 22%
• Steering191 · 21%
• Stability control129 · 14%
• Engine and engine cooling103 · 11%
• Air bags101 · 11%
• Service brakes74 · 8%
• Fuel system56 · 6%

15 smaller areas not shown (327 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 456 repair bulletins from Chevrolet for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. PIP6113Received May 28, 2026

   This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172.

2. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

   Information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

3. 25-NA-156Received December 4, 2025

   Wheels

   Information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.

4. 00-06-01-026RReceived December 3, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.

5. PIT5214GReceived November 28, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer's vehicles that exhibit...

6. 23-NA-153Received October 25, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is...

7. PIC5650MReceived August 12, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.

8. PIT5074RReceived June 4, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer.

1. 14V252000May 14, 2014

   Electrical system

   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.

2. 15V269000May 8, 2015

   Seat belts

   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...

See all 2 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Malibu will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Electrical system 291 complaints · 32%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Exterior lighting 202 complaints · 22%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Steering 191 complaints · 21%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Stability control 129 complaints · 14%

• Wheel speed sensor replacement$110 to $330
• ABS control module repair or replacement$520 to $1,700

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

0 of 17 characters

Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

Get quotes for your Chevrolet Malibu

Tell us the job and your ZIP. Free, takes a minute.

Job

ZIP

WhenAs soon as possibleThis monthJust planning

Your name

Phone

Email

Add a phone, an email, or both.

Anything we should know? (optional) I agree that Fair Price and the car repair shops and lead marketplaces listed on our Partners page, or their agents, may call and email me at the number and email I provided about my request, including by automated technology, even if my number is on a Do Not Call list. Ticking this box is how I give this consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms. Get quotes

Fair Price is not a contractor or a repair shop. Who sees your request

2012 Chevrolet Malibu: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?

Of the 907 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 291 (32%) name electrical system, and 202 (22%) name exterior lighting. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 50 of the 907 complaints as involving a crash and 13 as involving a fire. They also reported 35 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 456 repair bulletins for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.

More

• 2018 Malibu problems
• 2017 Malibu problems
• 2016 Malibu problems
• 2015 Malibu problems
• 2014 Malibu problems
• 2013 Malibu problems
• 2011 Malibu problems
• 2010 Malibu problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Chevrolet recalls
• Chevrolet problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.