Reliable Auto DB

2012 Chevrolet Malibu reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu holds 906 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 36 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Malibu years here — over the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Seat belts, Steering, and Wiring.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

906

Per year

36

Recalls

3

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (290 of 906), then Exterior lighting (202) and Steering (191). Those filings include 50 that report a crash, 13 that report a fire, and 27 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Malibu has 922 complaints, 57 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Seat belts 2015-05-08 · NHTSA campaign 15V269000
Summary 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.
Recall Steering 2014-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 14E044000
Summary 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.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2014-05-14 · NHTSA campaign 14V252000
Summary 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.

Complaints by component (906 total)

Electrical system
290
Exterior lighting
202
Steering
191
Electronic stability control (ESC)
129
Air bags
101
Engine
99
Service brakes
65
Speed control
52
Fuel and propulsion system
51
Powertrain
49
Seat belts
47
Seats
36
Visibility and wipers
27
Wheels
19
Structure
16
Suspension
10
Traction control
10
Hydraulic brakes
8
Fuel system, gasoline
5
Visibility
4
Engine and engine cooling
3
Equipment
2
Tires
2
Child seat
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

50

Fire-flagged

13

Injury reports

27

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201110201224201374201494201579201679201714620181672019872020412021322022232023252024142025102026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Car has 161,848 miles and the seat frame broke on the drivers side of my 2012 Chevy Malibu. It had a slight tilt to the right. It was taken to the Chevrolet Dealership and they inspected and verified that the frame…"
    Seats · filed 2026-08-31
  • "Electrical system problems that create unsafe driving conditions!! Vehicle has electrical glitches. Internal warning lights flicker on and off. Battery drains. Car randomly will not start. Multiple incidents. Car…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-07-22
  • "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."
    Electrical system · filed 2026-03-26
  • "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"
    Air bags, Seat belts · filed 2026-03-21
  • "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.…"
    Steering · filed 2026-03-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Malibu 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 33 26 MPG $2500
Malibu 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $2500
Malibu 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 17 25 20 MPG $3250

Specs and fitment

8th generation, 2012–2015
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 (most engines); 5W-20 (2.4L where specified) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/60R16 to 235/50R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 15V-164 covers certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles: the slide or tilt switch for the roof panel may not be recessed enough, so the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly and increase pinch-injury risk; dealers update Body Control Module software to remove auto-close for certain switch positions. Recall 13V-024 covers certain 2013 Malibu vehicles: one or more rear suspension bolts may not have been tightened to specification, which can cause sudden handling changes; dealers inspect and retighten the bolts.

Compare

Next year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu See every Chevrolet Malibu model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu holds 906 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 36 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Malibu years here — over the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Seat belts, Steering, and Wiring.

What are common problems with a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (290 of 906), then Exterior lighting (202) and Steering (191). Those filings include 50 that report a crash, 13 that report a fire, and 27 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Malibu has 922 complaints, 57 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu been recalled?

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners have filed 906 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is 24 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did the current Chevrolet Malibu body style debut?

The 9th-generation Malibu launched for the 2016 model year (2016-2025).

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Malibu use?

5W-30 (most engines); 5W-20 (2.4L where specified)

What does NHTSA recall 15V-164 cover on the Chevrolet Malibu?

Recall 15V-164 covers certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles: the slide or tilt switch for the roof panel may not be recessed enough, so the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly and increase pinch-injury risk; dealers update Body Control Module software to remove…