Owners have filed 906 safety complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 50 crashes, 13 fires, 35 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, here is how reports break down by system.
"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"
"Passenger and or driver side low beam headlight continues to go out. Mechanic has found connector keeps burning out the socket. Light is fine but connector is shorting out. Fire and safety issue. This issue is on a lot of chevrolet malibu and needs a recall fix."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu peaked later than usual, in 2019.
Across the Chevrolet Malibu model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (1,361); the 2012 ranks 4 of 7.
3 recalls apply to some or all 2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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 …
Dorman 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 vehi…
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 m…
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 906 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA. The most-reported system is electrical.
The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.