2012 Chevrolet Malibu

2012 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (3)

• 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.

  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.

• 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.

  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.

• STEERING

  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 vehicles. The affected steering shafts may have a yoke that inadequately supports the u-joint bearing resulting in a premature failure.

  Remedy: 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.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu owner complaints (15)

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Rear defrost stopped working. Hasn't worked in years. I took it to GM, they had a print out of a kit that I had to purchase to repair. This stopped working back around 2016.

• AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS

  My airbag warning light and notification have came on and sometimes seat belt lights come on unexpectedly and will not go off I feel like this is a safety issue

• STEERING

  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. She was able to safely pull over and contact me. I carefully drove the vehicle home. The vehicle was taken to Jeff Wyler Chevrolet of Columbus for diagnosis and repair. The dealership confirmed that the problem involved the power steering system. The repair cost was 1,513.03. After researching the issue, I discovered that this 2012 Malibu is subject to a special coverage related to the steering torque sensor. General Motors had reportedly sent notification letters to owners, but we never received one. Had we been aware, we would have addressed the issue immediately. This defect represents a significant safety risk, as sudden loss of power steering could cause an accident or serious injury.

• STEERING

  i was driving and the steering wheel locked, the whole steering column has to be replaced it brought up a code saying torque input sensor i've only put 10,000 miles on this car and have only had it for 11 months

• SEAT BELTS

  I have tried since July of 2025 to have a recall fixed I have been in contact with multiple dealerships for Chevy and none have contacted me to fix my recall I've left messages and still no response

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  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

• STEERING

  The “service ESC” light came on while I was driving on the freeway causing the steering wheel to lock up and I couldn’t turn the wheel. It was really stiff after it said “Service ESC” and “ESC Off”

• STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

  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. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as intended; however, the failure initially became a persistent failure upon restarting the vehicle and then became a permanent failure. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for a tire replacement, the contact was also informed that the steering failure was related to Chevrolet Special Coverage Number: 15356. The contact was referred to the dealer, who informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

• STRUCTURE,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES

  The brake caplier screw came out why driving the vehicle and broke the brake line and the vehicle lost control try to use the emergency brake and it didn't work vehicle crash

• ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),STEERING

  The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly lost motive power and came to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the ESC warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering wheel angle sensor. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

  The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH and following a slight right turn on the highway, the ESC warning illuminated, and the vehicle slowed down without the brake pedal being depressed. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The contact stated that the vehicle also slowed down unintentionally while making a left or right turn at slow speeds. The contact stated that in the middle of the turn, the vehicle slowed to a stop without the brake pedal being depressed. The ESC warning light illuminated while the vehicle was still in drive(D) and running. The vehicle came to a stop, and the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle continued driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed with PSCM failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  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 this is supposedly happened to a lot of Malibu's why there isn't a recall on this fire hazard is beyond me and it is a safety issue cuz you can't use your daytime running lights any longer. This issue has not been reported because upon investigation it's been reported many times and nothing gets done about it you have to pay for it yourself. This will be the last GM product.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Rear windowed defroster suddenly start working upon inspection the rear electrical block that's inside the trunk had melted in the fuse to the defroster had gotten stuck and went on pulling it out it broke and after looking up complaints it seems to be an issue with Malibu and it could cause a fire but GM is doing nothing about it you have to pay for it yourself they released a bulletin to bypass the block but you have to install a whole new block which costs hundreds of dollars

• POWER TRAIN

  The problem started with the steering wheel jerking by itself then the power steering went out. The only way to get power steering back is to turn the car off then turn it back on while turning the steering wheel manually then it’s hard to say how long you have power steering for. To get it fixed is around 1,500 for a 3 hour job.

• STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) and 15V269000 ( SEAT BELTS); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the steering wheel vibrated and seized. The "ESC" and “Traction Control" warning lights were illuminated. The contact used a scanner and diagnosed the vehicle with steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue and wanted to charge the contact for the parts. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000. Parts distribution disconnect.