2012 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System Problems
- 190
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 190 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 3 indicate fire
What owners report
- power steering · 13 records
- fuel pump · 11 records
- keep going · 10 records
- steering wheel · 10 records
- passenger side · 8 records
- several times · 8 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 55 |
| 100–150k mi | 38 |
| 30–60k mi | 31 |
| 1–30k mi | 21 |
| 150–400k mi | 4 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System
Both headlights will not come on (low beam) high beams work fine. Bulbs are new and fuses are working just fine..someone needs to put in a recall because i see i am not the only one with this issue..this is ridiculous! Can't drive without headlights and can't drive with high beams on
ODI 11194442
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System
My chevy malibu would turn over slightly, but then would die. This happened about 3-4 times and then i had the battery replaced; thinking it was that. The car continued to fail, so i had the fuel pump replaced after checking with a fuel gauge and there being no fuel pressure. The car ran about 3 times driving it for shorter and a bit longer distances, but then the car would not turn over at all. The starter would…
ODI 11193799
Electrical System · Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 55-60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle approximately 20-60 minutes later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was an electrical failure and additional diagnostic testing needed to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact…
ODI 11192838
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Driver side headlamps going out. I've had to replace my driver's side headlight 3 times over the last 2 months. No automobile should go through headlamps at that rate. To complicate this issue, the entire front bumper must be removed to change the headlights. I've read on the forums where many malibu owners are having the exact same issue(s) with the headlamps. This is an obvious design flaw and gm/chevrolet should…
ODI 11190209
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlight going out. I purchased this vehicle in 2014 and my low beam headlights have gone out a total of 6 times. Changed the pigtails last time and iam now having to change the wiring harness completely and hopefully that will help. My cars lights are always on auto and always begins with my passanger low beam light going out first then the driver side a couple months after, has happened when turning on…
ODI 11184485
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Exterior Lighting
At 1st my car wouldn't crank every so often then started going drag while driving i googled it and had to beat on fusebox in trunk or wiggle wires so had to run wire straight to battery to fuel pump. My headlights on dim keep shooting and my speakers will go out sometimes
ODI 11242932
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System
My car would turn but not start so i changed the fuel pump. It was started for like 5 days then it started again would turn over but not start so we change the fuel box in the trunk. Worked for like a week and it started acting again. Took it to the chevrolet dealership and the didn't find the problem. So we took it to a technician and they told us it was a wiring problem. Paid to get it fix but it still wasn't it.…
ODI 11187331
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights on both sides of the car are constantly going out. I have to replace them 3-4 times a year. I spend hundreds of dollars on headlamps, even though i install them myself. Installing new headlamps requires you to remove the front bumper. There is an obvious design flaw with the hundreds of complaints i have seen with this same issue.
ODI 11181043
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Steering
Started out when i'm just driving down the road my steering wheel twitches. Now has gone to esc power steering warning indicated and the steering wheel completely locks up. Most of the time just when i start the car however has done it when i'm driving down the road. Thankfully it was a secluded road and i didn't hit anyone. This is super dangerous and according to my search of the internet i'm not alone.
ODI 11180723
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Takata recall unsafe electrical system with unpredictable headlight funtionality and unknown other results may lead to more extensive dafety issues, i.e fire concerns.
ODI 11172777
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System · Unknown Or Other
I've had read so many vehicles with same issues on all these models i just purchased this car put a high down payment to be getting left everywhere all chevy dealers dont know where to start and over price it all you all should look into it because its something serious . Car wont start after being used a while, you have to mess with cables and wires for it to start mess with fuse boxes and also sometimes it doesnt…
ODI 11187408
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
My low beam headlights will not work. I have changed bulbs only to find out it wasnt the bulbs...they still work. I have changed one of the pigtails and it worked for a while and stopped within a month. It started with only the right headlight and now it is both.
ODI 11183556
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Tamara recall my low beams lights keep going out and on, it does this when park, and driving they work sometimes one or the other sometimes they won’t come on at all.
ODI 11183282
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
I have replaced my low beams 3 times this year. The first time i reaplaced all the bulbs. The second time i reaplaced both wiring harness and bulbs. A month ago i replaced the passenger bulb and now the drivers side low beam is out again. It has cost me anywhere from $100-$200 each time to do this! I also have a problem with my dash telling me service esc, esc off, and service traction. A recall in 2014 addresses…
ODI 11222249
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Low beams repeatedly going out, both sockets replaced and bulbs, numerous times. Front bumper facia has to come off for replacement
ODI 11161834
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Exterior Lighting
Head light keeps popping off and on and when running an obd test after clearing codes several times it 1st provided me with 2 codes then 9. Two hours later 32 codes popped up. The buttons on the streinng wheel cut in and out at random. ## vin passed ## chevrolet malibu 2012 ##
ODI 11160574
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Vehicle Speed Control
Service esc, traction control inactive, loss of power/sluggish when driving or stopped at a light. Code 13036
ODI 11157102
Air Bags · Electrical System
1)air bag service light came on.12062018 (2) windows/electric constant problems. Several repair and correction same problem. )1st team mazda hpt va) window sticks, freezes, doesn't work. (3) drives bumpy. Sounds rough. Ran smooth before then several repeated same problems with car. (see maintainability. Log)(3) drive felt awkward. Had new tires, rotation etc. Drive is off. (4) can feel rough run while stationary,…
ODI 11156775
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The passenger low beam keeps going out its not the bulb i've changed it atleast 4 unless this year yet it stills goes out and everybody else has the same problem on same side of the same car. There needs to be a recall for this.
ODI 11156031
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Steering
My power steering just went out on me in the middle.of driving got real stiff on the 10 freeway going home from.redlands to hemet and my power steering eis electrical and its hard my mechanic said its too much to fix and told me that its a high demand in recall for this and that i need it fix i turned it on and ti works for 5 minutes a drive or two and out of no where even while driving will stiffen up again on me
ODI 11164128
Electrical System
Rear fuse block melted at fuse location 23 for rear window defogger 2nd occurrence on vehicle. Rear defogger illuminated on dash indicating that defogger was on. Was not working properly. Opened rear fuse block in truck to examine fuse and found fuse had melted and fuse block is also melted showing potential for fire hazard. Fuse was charred and blacked and hard to distinguish 30 amp rating on fuse. Fuse block…
ODI 11153998
Electrical System
The fuse box in trunk of car has a short in the wire and it is causing a burning smell. The vehicle doesn't start half of the time and when it does start, the car will stall out or completely shut down without warning. This is unsafe especially in traffic with the kids.
ODI 11243100
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Fuse 6 blows when left turn signal is activated. It first blew in oct 2018, then not again until december (several times) and still happening again in jan 2019. Signals will work fine for a day or two after replacing fuse, but then fuse blows again.
ODI 11164883
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
In less then one year the passenger side low beam light is out. I look on line and a lot of 2012 malibu are having the same problem. It cost over $100 to change it because they have to remove the bumper to do it.
ODI 11142312
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Car will shut down. Head lights stop working less then every two months. Fuse inside the car where to charge the phone isn't working both front and middle. Car dies randomly after being left on for a little while. Hot and cold rate stays on cold all day and has the ac unit blow out cold air when on heat and if on cold it just blows air. Car wont drive faster then 5 mph after having the batery rebooted depending on…
ODI 11142398