Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2012 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems

99 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu11% of all complaints for this model year.

99
Engine complaints
11%
share of all complaints
84,000 mi
median reported incident mileage
2 / 2
crash / fire reports

What owners report

  • The catalytic converter and exhaust manifold are suspected to be malfunctioning. These components are part of the vehicle’s exhaust system, and their failure is believed to be contributing to hesitation and skipping during operation. Both components are available for inspection upon request. The…

    filed Dec 31, 2024

  • For 4 years the car intermittently would turn on all warning lights, shake, become hard to steer and steer in unintended directions. We paid $1500 for the dealer to fix it and we still had the problem. Today, the car will drive less then a mile and die. When we start the car all warning lights come…

    filed Jul 13, 2024

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Engine problems in other Malibu years

YearReportsShare
2024 Malibu39%
2023 Malibu1119%
2022 Malibu2831%
2021 Malibu1316%
2020 Malibu5930%
2019 Malibu6132%
2018 Malibu27740%
2017 Malibu25236%
2016 Malibu30136%
2015 Malibu6926%
2014 Malibu12536%
2013 Malibu20424%
Malibu engine problems by year →

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.