2012 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/12/2026

188Steering complaints

20.8%Of all 904 complaints

#3Most-reported category

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

How steering ranks on this vehicle

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM281 · 31.1%

EXTERIOR LIGHTING195 · 21.6%

STEERING188 · 20.8%

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)129 · 14.3%

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

“STARTED MY 2012 CHEVY MALIBU UP AND POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND ALSO SERVICE ESC. CAR HAD NO POWER STEERING. THIS WAS AFTER THE…”NHTSA complaint 10585372 — filed 04/28/2014

“I WAS HEADING SOUTHBOUND COLERAIN.. AS I WAS GOING THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT THIS YOUNG LADY KEPT ON COMING AT ME AND I SLAMMED MY…”NHTSA complaint 10577202 — filed 04/03/2014

“07/2013 SERVICE ESC MSG AND SYMBOL CAME ON , DEALER UNABLE TO FIND 01/07/2014 SAME 01/15/2014 AGAIN, GM PAID HALF OF THE REPAIR, BECAUSE THE…”NHTSA complaint 10560214 — filed 01/16/2014

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

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu have steering problems?

Steering is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu: 188 of 904 complaints on file (20.8%). 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 steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING 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.