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2012 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/12/2026

281Electrical System complaints
31.1%Of all 904 complaints
#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM281 · 31.1%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING195 · 21.6%
STEERING188 · 20.8%
AIR BAGS99 · 11%

Share of the 904 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE…”NHTSA complaint 10655047 — filed 11/14/2014
“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL , EXTERIOR…”NHTSA complaint 10645042 — filed 10/16/2014
“I HAVE A 2012 CHEVROLET MAILBU WHERE THE KEY IS GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION. REALLY HARD TO GET OFF OF ACC WITHOUT JIGGLING GEAR…”NHTSA complaint 10641092 — filed 10/03/2014

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

12012518201428192016313720185626202021132022792024822026

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu: 281 of 904 complaints on file (31.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu have in total?

904 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 50 involved a crash, 13 involved a fire, 35 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.