"How reliable is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?"

"Based on 1470 NHTSA complaints, the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has a median complaint mileage of 87000 miles. The most common issue is Electrical System."

"What are common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is Electrical System, accounting for a significant portion of the 1470 total complaints filed."

2012 Chevrolet Malibu: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1470 complaints

1470

Total Complaints

87,000mi

Median Mileage

Electrical System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

48,662 25th Percentile

87,000 Median Mileage

120,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System

281

Exterior Lighting

195

Steering

188

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

129

Air Bags

Engine

Service Brakes

Vehicle Speed Control

Unknown Or Other

Fuel/Propulsion System

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THIS CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AS IT BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN ON A BUSY STREET, AND THEN WOULD NOT DRIVE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN, BUT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD, EVEN AFTER GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. IT, IN FACT, STARTED COASTING BACKWARDS WHEN IT WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. NO INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. IT ..."

"A BRAND NEW VEHICLE WITH 64 MILES. WHILE DRIVING ON A RURAL ROAD, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE ACCELERATOR STOPPED WORKING. AFTER I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, IT WOULD NOT COME BACK ON. THIS CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE HAD I LOST CONTROL ON A MORE TRA..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Electrical System 281 complaints

25th: 55,000 mi Median: 86,000 mi 75th: 120,000 mi

Exterior Lighting 195 complaints

25th: 69,211 mi Median: 100,000 mi 75th: 132,500 mi

Steering 188 complaints

25th: 68,000 mi Median: 103,897 mi 75th: 137,750 mi

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 129 complaints

25th: 51,199 mi Median: 93,437 mi 75th: 135,000 mi

Air Bags 99 complaints

25th: 33,000 mi Median: 67,000 mi 75th: 92,090 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 118 MI: 111 OH: 97 CA: 93 IL: 90 NC: 63 GA: 61 NY: 56 MO: 54 VA: 54

Who Files Complaints?

0.7%

Original Owners

99.3%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Malibu — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	693	82,750	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	34
1998	1480	70,000	Rotor	53
1999	1227	60,000	Rotor	61
2000	1379	65,000	Electrical System	71
2001	1005	70,000	Electrical System	51
2002	754	68,607	Electrical System	28
2003	772	70,000	Electrical System	52
2004	1639	69,000	Steering	78
2005	1385	89,000	Steering	67
2006	1473	85,000	Steering	59
2007	1252	100,000	Steering	53
2008	1482	80,000	Steering	54
2009	2354	100,000	Steering	64
2010	2193	82,000	Steering	72
2011	1512	79,632	Electrical System	71
2013	1367	70,000	Electrical System	50
2014	561	60,000	Engine	32
2015	389	50,000	Engine	30
2016	1424	50,000	Engine	37
2017	1157	51,000	Engine	25
2018	1166	44,700	Engine	34
2019	293	41,750	Power Train	9
2020	307	70,000	Engine	15
2021	99	21,000	Unknown Or Other	0
2022	116	42,000	Electrical System	6
2023	48	34,853	Electrical System	5

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Seat Belts

Campaign 15V269000 | 08/05/2015

If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

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 rec

Wiring

Campaign 14V252000 | 14/05/2014

Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

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 let

Steering

Campaign 14E044000 | 21/07/2014

A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Maintain Your Electrical System

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu parts on Amazon

→

Affiliate link

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28