Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 202 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 202, in the owner's own words
Was driving home on the parkway and the headlights shut off on their own had to call for roadside assistance to get my vehicle home they will work on dim but brights will not work and if I drive for more than an hour and a half they will not work at all the speed sensor keeps going bad after having it replaced multiple times
Passenger side headlamp burned out took off bumper to inspect and the wiring pigtail to the headlight has melted causing it to malfunction so now in order to make it work you have to disconnect the daytime running lights so that the melting stops this is supposedly happened to a lot of Malibu's why there isn't a recall on this fire hazard is beyond me and it is a safety issue cuz you can't use your daytime running lights any longer. This issue has not been reported because upon investigation it's been reported many times and nothing gets done about it you have to pay for it yourself. This will be the last GM product.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and driving over a pothole or an object on the roadway, the front driver’s side headlight became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed; however, the contact was informed that there was a failure with the electrical wiring inside the front driver’s side headlight. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the wiring harness inside the front driver’s side headlight needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The front exterior low beam bulbs / wiring harness keeps burning out. I have replaced them twice already and they have blown again. What is going on already a headache just to even get to the headlights, now have to spend MORE money to repair.
The headlights keep.going out. I've replaced everything amd it keeps happening and it's not easy to even get to the headlight. This is a hazard as my 16 year old drives this car. We fix it and then it's out all.over again. This has to be a recall as I've done some research and im.not the only one with this problem. We've been pulled over and we just explained our frustration and they've been nice enough to send us on our way.
Electrical problem causing the passenger side low beam to keep burning out. Fourth time in one year. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue causes a safety concern because you can be driving down the highway at night and all of a sudden you have no headlight.
Passenger low beam keeps going out within a couple days charged wire harness and bulbs keeps happening.
My brake lights constantly go out. My fuses keep blowing. Every time I try to adjust my mirrors the fuses blow for the mirrors and brake lights. Also my headlights keep blowing and the headlight harness has been changed and everything. It is very dangerous not having brake lights, or being able to adjust my mirrors.
The brakes light keep going out they won’t blink the won’t turn on fuses are blowing
Passenger headlight caught fire while driving
Passenger side low beam headlight wont work. Replace fuses relays and wiring harness. Ive read online where this is very common with these cars and even replacing the headlight assembky isnt a sure fix.
Passenger headlight continues to go out, replaced bulb and wiring harness multiple times
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the low-beam headlights failed to properly illuminate the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where both headlights were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic on two other occasions, where both headlights were replaced. After the repair, the contact stated that she became aware that the passenger’s side headlight again failed to properly illuminate. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
I bought my chevy Malibu in 2018 from a used car dealership. A couple months after I bought it the radio blew. I tried replacing fuses it would not work. The lights keep blowing. I keep replacing them and have had a new pigtail that's been grounded. That replacement happened last Thursday. Right light has blown again. Short in electrical system. Cause battery to go down. Windows will only work sometimes and the same goes for the door locks. I currently waiting for a tow truck. The new battery will not start.
Passenger as well as driver side headlight continuously pop on and off, not blowing the bulbs but assuming there is a wiring issue
Right (passenger side) lo beam headlight continues to go out. You must remove the bumper to change headlamps, so, time consuming and expensive labor. I have changed this bulb 4 times just for it to go out within a couple hours. There is an entire forum of this same complaint. When you make a large purchase such as a vehicle, you should be assured that you can use your vehicle as intended without the stress and worry of malfunctions that can lead to costly tickets.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, his headlights would intermittently fail to operate as needed without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to several independent mechanics and has had multiple headlight bulb replacements; however, the failure still persisted after each repair. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving, the brake light was illuminated. The contact stated that at the time she was not depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that when she was switching gears from either drive or reverse the brake light only illuminates once in gear and does not turn off. The contact also stated that the traction control warning light also illuminates while driving, however the vehicle does not drive any differently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised her that there was a recall on the same year, make and model vehicle as her vehicle NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) . The contact said she was advised that her vehicle had to be taken to the dealer to have her vehicle reprogrammed. The contact stated that she has not yet contacted the dealer or the manufacturer at this time. The failure milage was 60,000.
I bought the car a year ago from a used car lot. Replaced the cam shaft positioning sensor as per diagnostic reading for check engine light. Since then, svc air bag light has stayed on. Traction control light stays on and is disengaged. When braking ESC warning goes on and off and sliding occurs. The low beam headlights go on and off intermittently and no way of knowing when it will happen. When turning cruise control on or off, the car will accelerate on its own and will increase speed until brake is applied. Regardless of whether cruise control was turned on or off. I have had it looked at at my local Mr.Tire and they cannot figure out what is happening.
Headlights (low beam)keep going out. Bulbs have been changed repeatedly but immediately go out. Sometimes it will go on when I drive over a bump but will be out next time I start my car. Researching message boards this is a known issue with this model.
I have a 2012 Chevy Malibu i bought it in 2014. I have had the Esc light come on in 2016 but no problem with it untill now of this year in 2022. Not knowing the problem i have already put ALOT into it. I took it to a machanic they told me it was the rack and pinion. So got that done . Apparently it wasn't it took it to another machanic they told me it was struts got that done too n still nothing so i looked it up online got CV joint, inner ,tie rod, wheel alignment. All those done n still nothing fix it. I didn't know what else to do until i made more scratch on my vehicle and i found that it could be a recall .
THE CENTER BRAKE LIGHT DOESN'T WORK. I PUT IN A NEW LED LIGHT ASSEMBLY IN AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK.
I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO A CHEVROLET CENTER NEAR ME TO HAVE A 'MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY FIX' DONE TO MY VEHICLE ON 04/17/2021, AS THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THIS FIXED FOR FREE. WHEN I TURNED MY VEHICLE ON AND NOTICED THE POWER STEERING NOTIFICATION ON MY DASH, I TRIED TO BACK MY CAR OUT OF WHERE I WAS PARKED AND MOVE MY WHEEL, BUT COULD NOT MOVE THE WHEEL. WHEN THE PART WAS REPLACED, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE STILL SENSORS ON MY DASH INDICATING THAT I NEEDED THE ESC AND STABILITY TRACTION CONTROL SERVICED FOR MY CAR. ACCORDING TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, THIS HAD 'NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SPECIAL POLICY FIX' AND NOT SOMETHING THEY WOULD BE FIXING FOR ME. AFTER CHECKING THE NHTSA.GOV FOR ANY RECALLS ON MY 2012 CHEVY MALIBU, I FOUND ONE FROM MAY 2014 THAT DESCRIBED EXACTLY THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE: LOSS OF VEHICLE STABILITY TRACTION CONTROL, CRUISE CONTROL AND RANDOM ILLUMINATION OF BRAKE LIGHTS. I CONTACTED CHEVY ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THIS RECALL, TO WHICH THEY SAID THERE 'WAS NO RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE, AND IF THERE WAS IT WAS ALREADY FIXED'. NOT ONLY WAS THIS COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND LACKING CONCERN OF SAFETY FOR MY CHILD AND I, I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO TURN TO FOR THIS TO BE REMEDIED. ATTACHED IS THE TICKET FOR THE INITIAL FIX I HAD DONE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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