The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,877,569 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1,471 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS15V2690002015-05-08437,045 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
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…
Consequence
Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
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…
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
281
5crashes9fires4injuries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
195
4crashes6fires2injuries
STEERING
188
9crashes2injuries
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
129
6crashes2injuries
AIR BAGS
99
28crashes25injuries
ENGINE
99
2crashes2fires1injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
65
11crashes4injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
52
4crashes4injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
51
1fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
51
1crashes2injuries
Total complaints1,471
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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”
“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”
“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”
“The “service escâ€� 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 escâ€� and “esc offâ€�”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.