NHTSA Safety Recalls
2012 Chevrolet Malibu Recalls
The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on May 8, 2015.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 3
- Owner complaints
- 907
- Crashes reported
- 50
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
13 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
3 recalls on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
Seat belts
- Campaign
- 15V269000
- Reported
- May 8, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 437,045
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2011 Malibu
Electrical system: wiring
- Campaign
- 14V252000
- Reported
- May 14, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,440,524
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2004–2011 Malibu, 3 other models
Steering
- Campaign
- 14E044000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2004–2011 Malibu, 2 other models
2012 Chevrolet Malibu complaints by year
NHTSA has received 907 owner complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, the newest on September 30, 2026. Of these, 50 describe a crash (6%) and 13 a fire; owners reported 35 injuries.
In complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, the component group named most often is the electrical system (32%), followed by the exterior lighting (22%) and the steering (21%).
1 of the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu's 3 recalls also concerns the electrical system.
Where 2012 Chevrolet Malibu owners gave the mileage (646 complaints), the median was 86,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Electrical System291
- Exterior Lighting202
- Steering191
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc)129
- Air Bags101
- Engine99
Complaints received, by year
| 2011 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 10 | |
| 2013 | 24 | |
| 2014 | 74 | |
| 2015 | 94 | |
| 2016 | 79 | |
| 2017 | 79 | |
| 2018 | 146 | |
| 2019 | 167 | |
| 2020 | 87 | |
| 2021 | 41 | |
| 2022 | 32 | |
| 2023 | 23 | |
| 2024 | 25 | |
| 2025 | 14 | |
| 2026 | 11 |
Complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu peaked in 2019, when NHTSA received 167. 22% arrived between 2011 and 2015, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2012 vehicles, the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu drew 1.2× the complaints of the median Chevrolet Malibu year in the same window: 6th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★☆
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 907 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Chevrolet Malibu by model year
Other 2012 Chevrolet models
Newest record on this page: September 30, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted