What 145 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva

WHILE DRIVING - OR EVEN SITTING STILL - RADIO AND CLOCK WILL SHUT OFF, "SERVICE STABILITRACK LIGHT" ILLUMINATES ON DASH WITH THE MESSAGE SHOWING ON THE MESSAGE CENTER DASH DISPLAY. AFTER 5 SECONDS OR SO, IT DISAPPEARS; HOWEVER OCCURS OFTEN BUT NO CONSISTENT (SOMETIMES NONE AT ALL, SOME TIMES 4 OR SO TIMES IN A 20MI DRIVE). BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR ARE BRAND NEW (ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN 12 MONTHS). VEHICLE IS OWNED OUTRIGHT AND HAS 142,000+ MILES.

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INITIALLY THE ISSUE PRESENTED AS OCCASIONAL BRAKE LIGHT OUTAGE. SOON AFTER THIS BECAME PERMANENT. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE REVERSE LIGHTS MAKING IT SO THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS ON, EVEN WHEN THE CAR ISN'T RUNNING. IN ADDITION, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS (DOORS AND OVERHEAD) ARE AFFECTED AND NO LONGER WORK. THE BACKUP CAMERA HAD TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE THE WIRING BURNT OUT. ALSO THE SUNROOF HAS STOPPED WORKING. FRONT RIGHT TURN SIGNAL ALSO STOPPED WORKING. IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AROUND MID-MARCH 2019. I HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO A AUTO ELECTRIC SPECIALIST TWICE STARTING APRIL 2019. AFTER ALL THIS, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW HARNESS AND TOTAL REWIRE AND A BODY CONTROL MODULE AND PROGRAMMING. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE BETTER OFF CUTTING MY LOSSES AND STARTING OVER WITH A DIFFERENT CAR. DATES ARE APPROXIMATE.

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CAR HAS RANDOM TIMES IT WONT START. NOW MY RADIO CUTS IN AND OUT WHILE DRIVING. LIGHTS FLASH ON AND OFF

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AFTER DRIVING AND PARKING, THE VEHICLE AT THE STORE. THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY LOOSES ALL POWER AND WILL NOT START AND THERE ARE NO WARNING SIGNS. KEYS WILL LOCK IN THE IGNITION, REMOTE START DEPROGRAMS, THE CAR HAS NO POWER. POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE IS EXTREMELY HOT AND SECOND-DEGREE BURNS ARE ON HAND WHEN TOUCHED. REPLACED BATTERY, POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE, AND 1 WEEK LATER THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. NO PROBLEM WITH THE STARTER, ALTERNATOR. NO LOOSE WIRES AND THERE IS NO ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE. RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE BATTERY WILL NOT CHARGE FROM A JUMP. NO POWER TO THE CAR AND YOU ARE STRANDED FOR HOURS WAITING FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE TO COOL DOWN. AFTER HOURS OF WAITING THE CAR STARTS UP WITH NO PROBLEM, BUT WILL DO THE SAME THING AGAIN WHEN TURNED OFF. NOTHING IS LEFT ON TO DRAIN THE POWER FROM THE CAR. THIS IS HAPPENING CONSTANTLY AFTER DRIVING. *TR

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LOSS OF POWER DURING STEERING - STEERING NOT STABLE - STALL OF ENGINE WHEN TURNING A CURVE. CAUSED MINOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON INTERSTATE

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ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. WILL NOT START AFTER TURNING OFF. 3RD TIME

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SERIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES CAUSES SUV TO SHUT DOWN WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING. ALL LIGHTS ON DASH LIGHT UP, RPMS GO TO 0 CAR SHUTS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, CAR CAN'T BE STEERED AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AND THE HAZARD LIGHTS ARE DEAD. KEY CAN'T BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION. COMPLETELY DEAD VEHICLE.NEW BATTERIES, NEW ALTERNATORS AND MULTIPLE MECHANICS CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. DISCONNECT BATTERY CABLES, RECHARGE THE BATTERY AND IT RUNS FOR A FEW MONTHS. NO ONE CAN TELL US THE ISSUE AND WE ARE STUCK WITH NO RECALLS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME DANGEROUS ISSUE. CAR IS DRIVABLE TODAY BUT TO DANGEROUS TO PUT MY FAMILY IN ANYMORE. ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED?

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WHEN DRIVING DOWN STREET OR EVEN IN A PARKED POSITION THE SUV WON'T START. NO LIGHTS, NO AUDIO. CANNOT REMOVE KEY. UNABLE TO ENGAGE ALARM. RADIO ON & OFF INTERMITTENTLY; TRIGGERED BY USING HAZARDS, TURN SIGNALS, HI-BEAMS, CRUISE CONTROL. ALSO, 'SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL', 'ABS', AND A CAPITAL 'P' WITH WRENCH ICON FLICKER INTERMITTENTLY IN THE DASH PANEL. 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT APPEARS PERIODICALLY BUT EVENTUALLY CLEARS. SUV HAS DIED SIMPLY DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WITH THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS. ALL FUSES IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND INTERIOR FUSE PANEL ARE IN TACT. AFTER WIGGLING THE BATTERY HARNESS, SUV WILL RESPOND POSITIVELY.

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THIS CAR HAS SO MANY ELECTRICAL CODES WHEN TESTED. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS AND HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE CAR A YEAR. WHY HADN'T GM DID A RECALL ON THESE CARS. PLEASE HELP ALL OF US WHO HAVE THIS CAR. I HAVE 3 KIDS AND WOULD LIKE A ANSWER TO WHY THERE ISNT A RECALL WITH SO MANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS!

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KEY GETS STUCK AND WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND GO .IF YOU CAN GET CAR TO TURN OFF IT WON'TSTART BACK UP.

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STABILITRAK SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON YESTERDAY. THEN THIS MORNING, THE PARKING BRAKE SERVICE LIGHT. ANYTIME I APPLIED THE BRAKE, MY SHIFTER WOULD CLICK LOUDLY. ANYTIME I WENT OVER 20 MPH, THE CARE WOULD REV LIKE IT WAS HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE SHIFTING. TWICE IT WOULDN'T GO RIGHT AWAY EVEN IF I WAS HARD OR EASY ON THE GAS AND I ALMOST GOT HIT FROM BEHIND IN TRAFFIC. THE D SYMBOL ON DASH WOULD EVEN FLICKER. THIS CAR HAS HAD SO MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE ISN'T FURTHER RECALLS!

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INTERMITTENTLY THEN PANEL LIGHTS COME ON (TRACTION CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS) TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WORK, . YOU LOSE POWER TO CAR AND CANNOT EVEN TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. AFTER SOME TIME, YOU CAN FINALLY GET THE KEY OUT. SOMETIMES IT'S MINUTES, SOMETIMES IT'S HOURS. THIS STARTED HAPPENING A FEW WEEKS AGO, HAPPENING FEW TIMES A WEEK. NOW, IT'S HAPPENING DAILY, EVEN FEW TIMES A DAY. WE FOUND A CHEVY FORUM ONLINE AND SHOCKINGLY THIS IS HAPPENING TO 2012 CAPTIVA'S. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL? THIS CAN BE FATAL TO LOSE POWER TO THE CAR IF WE ARE ON THE HIGHWAY AND LOSE FUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES WHEN I GO TO START THE CAR NOTHING HAPPENS AND I CAN'T GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION.

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I PURCHASED THE CAPTIVA AFTER MY VAN WAS TOTALED, IN FEB 2017, PROBLEMS STARTED IN APRIL, CAR WOULD DIE, EVERYWHERE, DRS OFFICE, GROCERY STORE, DRIVEWAYS, LIBRARY, RESTAURANTS, RAIN, SNOW, DAY OR NIGHT. COULD NOT TAKE KEY OUT, GEAR FROZE IN PARK, NO ELECTRICAL WORKING AT ALL, AT 1ST CAR WOULD START AFTER A WHILE, THEN IT WOULD NOT, CALLED AAA, NO 1 COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, I HAVE SPENT $453.00 WITH NO RESULTS, USED UP MY FREE CALLS FROM AAA PLUS. EVERY MECHANIC HAD A DIFFERENT REASON FOR THE PROBLEM. BOUGHT CAR AT A CARFAX...THEY SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING....TOOK CAR TO CHEVY DEALER, THEY COULD DO NOTHING AS THEY HAD NOT SOLD THAT MANY CAPTIVAS, WOULD CHECK IT FOR $500.00. I WROTE TO CHEVROLET TO TELL THEM OF THE PROBLEM, WAS TOLD VERY NICELY THAT IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I HAD NOT TAKEN THE CAR INTO A DEALERSHIP SOONER. THEY COULD DO NOTHING, I COULD PAY THE $500.00 MAYBE WITH NO RESULTS. I KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS...1 OF THE MECHANICS SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE LEFT HAND NODE ON THE BATTERY..NOW I START THE CAR BY HITTING THE RED PLASTIC COVER!!! I AM A 84 YRS OLD F, LIVE ALONE & WORK. SO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE I WILL BE DOING THIS TO START THE CAR. HAVE HAD GMA & CHEVY CARS ALL MY LIFE, I WILL TELL ALL MY FAMILY (20) NEVER BUY GM. I CANNOT EVEN SELL THIS LEMON EVEN IF I COULD AFFORD IT. I AM REPORTING THIS TO THE BBB AND TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

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I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT CHEVY CAPTIVAS ONLINE TODAY AS I WAS SEARCHING FOR AN ANSWER FOR WHY MY CAR DIED ON ME TWICE WHILE DRIVING HOME THIS EVENING. ONCE WAS ON A HILL TURNING ONTO THE ROAD BEFORE MY HOME AND THE SECOND TIME WAS PULLING INTO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX. IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY OR THERE WAS A CAR COMING OVER THE HILL I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT. LATELY THE PARKING BREAK AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN COMING ON AND GOING OFF, ALSO I'VE HAD TIMES WHEN I'D GO TO START MY VEHICLE IT WOULD ACT AS IF THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED A YEAR TO YEAR AND A HALF AGO SO I DON'T SUPPOSE THAT'S THE PROBLEM. ALSO THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS OFTEN FLICKER. WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THESE PROBLEMS I FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING REALLY WRONG WITH THE CAPTIVA AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND I DON'T WANT TO WORRY ABOUT MY CAR DYING WHILE DRIVING THEM TO OR FROM DAYCARE AND SCHOOL AND US GETTING IN AN ACCIDENT.

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UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARK. THIS IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. STARTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. NORMALLY YOU HAVE TO RUN THROUGH THE GEARS SEVERAL TIMES OR RESTART. NOW IT'S MUCH HARDER AND TAKES LONGER TO GET THE KEY OUT. ALSO, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL ISSUES. WE REPLACED A THE BATTERY AND STILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT TURNS ON, STABILITY-TRACK LIGHT COMES ON, A/C GOES ON AND OFF AND BLINKERS, CRUISE AND ALL DASH LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING, AS WELL AS RADIO GOING ON AND OFF. WHEN THIS GOT REALLY BAD, I UNHOOKED THE BATTERY AND THEN EVERYTHING SEEMED TO RESET AND WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS BUT STARTED AGAIN. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO BUT THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO

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THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND WE STARTED DRIVING AND THEN CAR IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE OUT, AND WE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AGAIN. THEN AFTER WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR IT STOPPED AND LOCKED UP ALL THE DOORS KEYS NOTHING WORKED AS WE WERE DRIVING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THE POLICE AND TOW TRUCK WERE CALLED AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER GOT THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND HE GOT THE VEHICLE TO START AGAIN. THEN WE DROVE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION AND IT COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AGAIN WHEN WE WERE ENTERING THE GAS STATION WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 4 DAYS UNTIL IT DID ALL THIS WHILE DRIVING. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT CAME FROM. IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 5 DAYS FROM THE 15TH OF JULY WENT THE TOW TRUCK BROUGHT IT THERE UNTIL THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US IT WAS OK TO COME PICK THE VEHICLE BACK UP ON JULY 20TH. THEY EXPLAIN TO US THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AS TO WHY THIS ALL HAPPENED. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN TO BRING IT BACK.

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I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY. IN MARCH THE RADIO STARTED GOING OFF AND ON SOMETIMES WHEN BLINKER IS TURNED ON SOMETIMES NOT. TRACTION LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO REASON. ONE DAY JUST STARTED ACTING LIKE BATTERY WAS GOING DEAD. TURNED IT OFF COULD NOT GET KEY OUT OF EGNITION. HAD IT TOLLED TO CHEVY SAID IT WAS MY BATTERY. 400.00 HUNDRED FOR THAT TRIP .THAT WAS THE 4TH TIME IN SHOP IN TWO MONTHES. THIS IS THE THIRD BATTERY IN 4 YEARS. HAD IT REPLACED IN APRIL. IT STARTED THE SAME THING LAST WEEK RADIO, LIGHTS GO DIM, TONIGHT GET HOME AGAIN KEY STUCK IN EGNITION. THE SAME THINGS I HAVE READ ABOUT HAPPENING TO OTHER CAPTIVA . MY HUSBAND READ ON OTHER SITE TO MOVE ELECTION SEATS UP AND DOWN AND KEY WOULD COME OUT HE TRIED IT AND IT WORKED. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP MORE THEN I HAVE DROVE IT. I BOUGHT THE EXTRA WARRANTY BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. ONE MECHANIC SAID IT COULD BE THE BATTERY CABLE IN WHICH THE EXTRA WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER COST FOR CABLE IS 600.00. JUST SPENT 400.00 ON BATTERY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I WISH I WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT CONSUMER REVEIWS. 13,00.00 DOLLAR MISTAKE. BACK IN THE SHOP AND DEPENDING ON A RIDE AGAIN! OH AND EXTRA WARRANTY NOT WORTH IT STILL HAD TO PAY TO HAVE CAR TOLLED TO SHOP ,AND TO HAVE IT ANALYSISED. SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A FORD.

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MY CAPTIVA DID NOT WANT TO START. THE KEY WAS LOCKED IN THE IGNITION. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE OFF AND THERE WAS NO LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I DISCONNECTED THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE FOR A MINUTE AND THEN PLUGGED IT BACK ON TO THE BATTERY. WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR THE HORN STARTED HONKING AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON. I DEACTIVATED THE ALARM WITH THE REMOTE ON THE KEY BUT ACCIDENTLY HIT THE LOCK BUTTON. I STATED THE VEHICLE AND WENT TO CLOSE THE HOOD. BUT WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR THE DOORS HAD LOCKED AND MY VEHICLE WAS RUNNING. I HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW BECAUSE MY YEAR OLD BABY WAS IN THE CAR. MY WIFE COMPLAINED THAT THE RADIO WILL SOME TIMES TURN OFF AND THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WILL COME ON. ONE IS THE TRACTION CONTROL NEED TO BE SERVICED AND ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. ALSO THE SERVICE LIGHT WILL TURN ON. ALSO THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE WILL DIM AT TIMES. MY WIFE ALSO COMPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL STALL ON HER AND SHUT OFF ON HER ONCE. SHE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CHURCH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND STOPPED ON HER. I HAVE READ FORUMS AND CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS OF OTHER CAPTIVA SUV'S HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ONES SUGGESTING THAT ITS THE BATTERY CABLES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT COULD BE A REAL PROBLEM IF THESE VEHICLES START TO STALL ON BUSY HIGHWAYS. REGARDS [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

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KEY STICKS IN IGNITION AND WILL NOT COME OUT WHEN IN PARK. AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT EVEN SHUT OFF. IGNITION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. LESS THAN 3,000 MILES AND IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION UNLESS YOU RESTART THE CAR. HAVE MOVED THE SHIFTER AND STEERING WHEEL AND PUSHED THE KEY IN AS ADVISED BY DEALERSHIP. STILL NOT WORKING. ALSO, STABLITRACK AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE CAR TO JUMP AND BUCK. DEALERSHIP ADVISED TO TURN OFF TRACTION CONTROL, BUT WHILE THE LIGHTS ARE ON AND THE CAR IS JERKING, YOU CANNOT DEACTIVATE. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS AN ENGINE MISFIRE PROBLEM BUT NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT TAKING CAR APART TO FIX.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA SPORT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE STABILITY TRACK INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

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