Home · 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Eco · Complaints

What 905 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (905)Crash / fire / injury (65)Electrical system (290)Lights (202)Steering (191)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (129)Airbags (101)Engine (99)Brakes (73)Fuel system (56)Speed control (52)Transmission & drivetrain (49)

10 of 905 complaints match · Lights · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 8, 2025Electrical systemLightsVisibility & wipersFire

Passenger and or driver side low beam headlight continues to go out. Mechanic has found connector keeps burning out the socket. Light is burnt out on bott sides. but connector is shorting out. Fire and safety issue. This issue is on a lot of chevrolet malibus and needs a recall initiated to correct these issues. I keep getting pulled over due to need to us high beams and not having low beams. This is reoccurring and getting expensive to be done over and over.

NHTSA ODI 11647143

Jan 7, 2025Electrical systemLightsFire

Passenger and or driver side low beam headlight continues to go out. Mechanic has found connector keeps burning out the socket. Light is fine but connector is shorting out. Fire and safety issue. This issue is on a lot of chevrolet malibu and needs a recall fix.

NHTSA ODI 11634698

Jul 28, 2023Electrical systemLightsFire

Passenger headlight caught fire while driving

NHTSA ODI 11534949

Mar 24, 2021Electrical systemLightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT CONNECTORS WERE MELTED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED 7 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST THREE MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH VOLTS GOING TO THE HEADLIGHT WIRING CONNECTORS CAUSING THE CONNECTORS TO MELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VAN CHEVROLET (100 NW VIVION RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64118, 816-527-8564) TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, A WEEK LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT EMAILED THE MANUFACTURER AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE WHICH STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11404656

Aug 22, 2019Electrical systemLightsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash1 injury

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NHTSA ODI 11245942

Sep 20, 2018Electrical systemLightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS FAILED TO OPERATE. JEFF WYLER SPRINGFIELD CHEVROLET (2237 W FIRST STREET, SPRINGFIELD, OH) DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED AND RECOMMENDED IT BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11130478

Apr 27, 2016LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS MELTED THE HALOGEN CONNECTORS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 10861777

Nov 4, 2014BrakesElectrical systemLightsAirbagsSpeed controlElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash1 injury

2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BODY CONTROL MODULE RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND CAUSED HIM TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. THE CONSUMER SENT IN A RECALL NOTICE ALONG WITH HIS COMPLAINT. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10651200

Oct 14, 2014LightsCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED CAUSING ANOTHER VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. AFTER THE CRASH, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ODI 10644666

Oct 3, 2014LightsBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) HAD EXCEEDED THE REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10641318

Working with the data? Download all 905 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Eco verdict →