2012 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
87/100
#3 most-complained of 16 Malibu years
The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu ranks 3rd worst of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 87 and 906 NHTSA complaints, mostly Electrical System (45%) and Steering (21%) issues. It carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Malibu years.
- Complaints
- 906
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes / fires
- 50 / 13
- Injuries / deaths
- 35 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 26
- 22 city / 32 hwy
Top 2012 Chevrolet Malibu problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System407 (45%)
- Steering191 (21%)
- Brakes186 (21%)
- Engine144 (16%)
- Airbags101 (11%)
- Fuel System56 (6%)
- Other53 (6%)
- Structure & Body53 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain49 (5%)
- Seat Belts47 (5%)
What owners report
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in side and frontal crashes, in one case with the entire airbag assembly detaching and injuring the driver's face and chest.
- Owners report brake lights failing, leading to rear-end collisions from following vehicles.
- Some drivers described sudden unintended acceleration where the vehicle would not stop despite no pressure on the accelerator, resulting in a crash.
- Seat belts reportedly failed to lock during a rear-end collision, allowing the passenger to strike the dashboard.
- Owners waiting on the 14V252000 brake-related recall repair said dealers had no parts available, delaying the fix beyond a reasonable time.
2012 Chevrolet Malibu recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 15V269000May 8, 2015Seat Belts437,045 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.
- NHTSA 14V252000May 14, 2014Brakes2,440,524 vehicles
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.
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.
2012 Chevrolet Malibu fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 22 MPG
- Highway
- 32 MPG
- Combined
- 26 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,500
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2012 Malibu has a Complaint Index of 87 and ranks 3rd worst among 16 model years, so it is rated Avoid relative to other Malibu years.
- What is the top problem area for the 2012 Malibu?
- Electrical System complaints lead with 407 complaints, 45% of the total, including 12 reported fires, followed by Steering at 191 complaints (21%) and Brakes at 186 complaints (21%).
- Does the 2012 Malibu have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2012 Malibu: one for Seat Belts (campaign 15V269000) involving flexible steel cables, and one for Brakes (campaign 14V252000) involving the wiring harness and BCM.
- At what mileage do 2012 Malibu problems typically appear?
- Median mileage at failure across all complaints is 86,000 miles, though Brakes issues showed a lower median of 78,000 miles and Airbags issues showed 67,000 miles.
- How does the 2012 Malibu compare to other years?
- The 2012 model's Complaint Index of 87 is worse than 2013 (80), 2014 (53), and most later years, but slightly better than 2010 (100) and 2011 (93), which rank worse.