98 complaints reported

2012 Chevrolet Malibu Steering

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
98
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2021

ESC LIGHT CAME ON, LOST POWER STEERING WHILE MANEUVERING ON EXTREMELY ICY CURVE ON FREEWAY. FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE MUSCLE THE CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ACCIDENT. FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINANTS ON NHTSA WEB SITE FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, BUT COULDN'T FIND WHERE THERE WAS ANY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE PER MY CARS VIN NUMBER. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO ADDRESS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2021
Sep 2020

POWER STEERING GOES OUT LOW TRAC LIGHT COMES ON SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2020
Jul 2020

STEERING WHEEL STICKS ON OCCASION AND IS HARD TO MOVE. SOMETIMES IT WILL JERK SIDE TO SIDE IN A SHAKING MOTION BEFORE STICKING. MY CAR GOES OUT OF LANE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2020
Jul 2020

"POWER STEERING" MESSAGE COMES ON RANDOMLY AND THE POWER STEERING GOES DEAD WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MALIBU AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN APRIL 2020 AND MULTIPLE TIMES IN MAY 2020. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jun 2020
Jul 2020

ON 2/5/2020 WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO TWITCH WHILE DRIVING . AFTER I ARRIVED TO WORK AND PUT IT IN PARK THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING BACK AND FOURTH. NOW AFTER WORK I COME OUT IT HAD NO POWER STEERING ESC LIGHT ON AND A MESSAGE POWER STEERING PROBLEM. TOOK VIN TO DEALER NO RECALL FOR MY CAR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE GM ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTOMS. THERE ARE RECALLS OUT THERE FOR THIS PROBLEM. 2012 MALIBU INCLUDED JUST NOT MINE. VERY DANGEROUS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2020
Apr 2020

STATIONARY STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, ESC OFF LIGHT THEN IT'S SAYS POWER STEER STEERING WHEEL IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2020
Mar 2020

WHEN IDLING IN PARK MY STEERING WHEEL WILL SHAKE BACK AND FORTH. AND THEN I KEEP LOSING MY POWER STEERING FUNCTION. AND THEN I HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT WILL COME BACK ON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR 2 DAYS. WITH THE ESC LIGHT IN THE POWER STEERING LIGHTS COMING ON ON INTERMITTENT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2020
Mar 2020

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. NOW IT IS GOING IN AND OUT. SOMETIMES I CAN STEER AND SOMETIMES IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2020
Feb 2020

2012 CHEVY MALIBU RECENTLY TURNED 98,000 MILES. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A TURN AFTER STOPPING FOR A STOP SIGN AND THE POWER STEERING SERVICE, ESC LIGHT COMES ON. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND VERY HARD TO TURN. WAS ABLE TO GET CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED ENGINE OFF AND ON AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE. VERY SCARY, I HAVE READ THAT THIS HAPPENS A LOT WITH THESE CARS. HOW CAN THERE NOT BE A RECALL???

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2020
Feb 2020

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR A FEW DAYS AGO ON A CITY STREET AND AFTER I MADE A TURN, THE POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE TRACTION CONTROL PICTURE. MY STEERING WHEEL GOT SUPER STIFF AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN IT. AFTER I PULLED OVER AND TURNED MY CAR OFF, I TURNED IT BACK ON AND EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT I CHECKED ON THE GM RECALL WEBSITE AND PUT IN MY VIN BUT MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL WHICH DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE MUCH SENSE IF OTHER 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU'S HAVE BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF THIS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2020
Jan 2020

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. NOW IT IS GOING IN AND OUT. SOMETIMES I CAN STEER AND SOMETIMES IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. I HAVE LOOKED IT UP AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT MY CAR DOES NOT SEEM TO BE PART OF THIS RECALL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2020
Jan 2020

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND MOTOR FAILED. I WAS ALMOST KILLED. THEY SAID IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE PART NUMBER IS 20821325. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MALIBU. NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS ON THE 2012

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jun 2020
Jan 2020 Crash

SAME POWER STEERING PROBLEM. THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING GOES OUT SOMETIMES MIDTURN. IM AN ADULT MALE AND IVE HIT THE CURB A COUPLE TIMES IF THIS HAPPENED TO A FEMALE OR CHILD IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IM SCARRED TO DRIVE IT. G.M. NEEDS TO STOP SELLING THESE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNITS. MINE IS 2012 MALIBU JUST TURNED 100000. THE ESC LIGHT COMES ON AND SAYS POWER STEERING ON DASH.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2020
Dec 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ECS ACTIVATED WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14E044000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT CALLED VICTORVILLE CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 15425 DOS PALMAS RD, VICTORVILLE, CA 92392, (760) 475-9098) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 204,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2019
Nov 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND FAILED TO STEER. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2019
Nov 2019

WAS DRIVING DOWN A CROOKED ROAD WHEN STEERING FELT LIKE IT LOCKED UP. BARELY MADE IT TO SIDE OF ROAD WITHOUT CRASHING. FLASHED ECS AND POWERSTEERING ON DASH. AFTER I RESTARTED THE ENGINE IT QUIT BUT DID IT AGAIN ABOUT A WEEK LATER BUT THE 2ND TIME IT DIDN'T QUIT AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF, BUT THE NEXT DAY IT WAA DRIVING FINE AGAIN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2019
Sep 2019

THE STEERING WHEEL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN REQUIRING VEHICLE TO BE RESTARTED FREQUENTLY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2019
Sep 2019

POWER STEERING FAILURE. POWER STEERING MOTOR/MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2019
Aug 2019

MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AS I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY AT A BEND AND WHILE I WAS TURNING TO BEGIN DRIVING ON THE CITY STREETS. I HAD MY 2 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER AND 6 YEAR OLD SON WITH ME AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED WHICH FRIGHTENED ME TREMENDOUSLY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2019
Jul 2019

I HAVE ONLY HAD MY CAR IN MY CARE FOR GOING ON 3 YEARS. THE STEERING WHEEL POPS WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. AFTER ABOUT 6 TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL FAILS TO TURN AND GETS STUCK. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID IT IS THE RACK AND PINION. AGTER GETTING AN OPINION I HAVE OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW SAYING THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE IN THE RACK AND PINION IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE YET NO ONE HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR MY PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER/VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2018
Jun 2019

MY VEHICLE IS STARTING TO SHOW A POWER STEERING WARNING.THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS NUMBER 15356, 08/28/2015, CAMPAIGN - ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILURE WARRANTY INFO. I CALLED GM AND THEY SAID MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED. I FEEL IT IS GOING TO LOSE POWER STEERING ASSIST AT ANY TIME. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE MALIBUS COVERED BY THE RECALL. THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT THIS PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD TO 2012 MALIBUS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED AT THIS TIME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Apr 2019

TL* THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN CHEVROLET DEALER IN KENTUCKY WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14E044000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Mar 2019

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON A CITY ROAD AND MY STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THANKFULLY I WASN'T TOO FAR FROM HOME SO I DID GET HOME SAFELY. I HAD IT TOWED TO A (XXXX) DEALERSHIP BECAUSE MY MECHANIC SAID THAT MY WARRANTY SHOULD COVER IT AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND TOLD ME I NEED A NEW STEERING MODULE AND COLUMN AND THAT IT IS NOT COVERED. IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. I AM PREGNANT AND DUE IN A FEW WEEKS AND I NEED A SAFE RELIABLE VEHICLE FOR MY SON AND I. PLEASE HELP US. '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).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Mar 2019

WELL WHILE TURNING ON MY STREET THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND ESC LIGHT CAME ON WHICH ALMOST CAUSE ME TO HIT MY NEIGHBOR FENCE AND CAR TRYING TO TURN..I WAS VERY SCARED HAD CAR PUT IN SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME STEERING WAS GONE OUT..I DIDNT NO ABOUT THIS RECALL STUFF BECAUSE I HAD TO PAY CLOSE TO 1000 TO GET THOS REPAIRED..HOW CAN I GET REFUNDED FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS A RECALL ON

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2019
Mar 2019

POWER STEERING WENT OUT DRIVER THE 2012 MALIBU ON THE STREET. LOCKED UP AND ALMOST WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO FAULTY POWER STEERING.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 98 Steering complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.