2012 Chevrolet Malibu electrical system problems
290 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu — 32% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Electrical system problems that create unsafe driving conditions!! Vehicle has electrical glitches. Internal warning lights flicker on and off. Battery drains. Car randomly will not start. Multiple incidents. Car stalled on roadway without warning and would not crank. Luckily I was in a residential…”
filed Jul 22, 2026
“Rear defrost stopped working. Hasn't worked in years. I took it to GM, they had a print out of a kit that I had to purchase to repair. This stopped working back around 2016.”
filed Mar 26, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Electrical System problems in other Malibu years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Malibu | 15 | 45% |
| 2023 Malibu | 12 | 21% |
| 2022 Malibu | 31 | 34% |
| 2021 Malibu | 25 | 31% |
| 2020 Malibu | 56 | 29% |
| 2019 Malibu | 61 | 32% |
| 2018 Malibu | 191 | 28% |
| 2017 Malibu | 160 | 23% |
| 2016 Malibu | 222 | 27% |
| 2015 Malibu | 66 | 25% |
| 2014 Malibu | 86 | 25% |
| 2013 Malibu | 375 | 45% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.