Problems with 2012 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle would not start. dealership changed fuse box and wiring in trunk due to melting. now low beam headlights not working. replaced one months ago, now both not working again. noticed similar complaints on your website.

Driving my vehicle with my 3 month old daughter in the car. turned the wheel as i was taking a turn and the power steering completely stopped. this forced me to apply the brake because i almost wemt off the road!! i see this isn't the only incident involving the esc and power steering!! vehicle currently has "service esc" and "power steering" messages displayed in the info messages.

Driver side headlight kept going in and out until completely going out and not working. when getting a new bulb put it it did the same thing a week later. the wiring in the headlight is faulty. the same thing goes for the front speakers of the car. the front speakers will come on and off on their own as well.

I have replace my headlights about 10 within two years. firestone have replaced the wiring, and my headlight still goes out. i'm beyond frustrated. if you go to cargurus.com, everyone is having the same problem. this is ridiculous!

I was sold a car priced at $4,995 but when the initial contract was signed the car representative failed to keep the price the same and without consent overcharged me for the car $10,000 i called back a week later to notify them the car had went out, was in bad condition, wasn't driving, and put me and my family in harms way. car shutoff twice in motion once while actually driving on the freeway. i asked to have it repaired due to the fact that i was forced into purchasing their warranty that he stated came with the car but put in the contract later that i would pay $1000+ dollars for it when it's an expired warranty from 2017 when the dealer first got the car so it's only a extended warranty and doesn't help with anything. he came once to repair the car by putting some fluid inside to make it run & instead told me he changed the battery which turned out to be false the car kept cutting off and going out i kept seeking help it was david and abn motors who refused to fix any mechanical issue i was having with the vehicle and in return the car put me and my family in harms way it is a danger to have or drive with my kids cops said so also it cut off on the highway while driving and leaked an extremely large amount of oil while me and my kids were inside the vehicle i was forced to merge over completely to get out the way of traffic as the car just stopped motion. something under the hood popped and the vehicle was smoky state officials order me and my family out the vehicle in toledo a hour drive away from my home. they stated it was a safety hazard and that i could not enter my vehicle and took it away. i had even sent over a message to the dealer representative i purchased the car from a month earlier stating i was having problems he refused to respond or help he stated that i already signed the contract and i should deal with it myself.

Passenger side low beam headlight keep going out i have replaced bulb and socket several times ..it work only for 2 weeks and problem keep coming ..this is fifth time i'm having to fix the issues

Car suddenly failed to accelerate as i pulled on the the interstate. car filled with a burning smell. dealer said the rear defrost malfunctioned and melted the fuse block located in the trunk damaging all wiring on the fuse block. i'm concerned that this bypassed the fuse and the relay with such a surge that it was hot enough to melt the entire fuse block. this could have led to a very serious fire where i was trapped in the car. i was fortunate to be able to pull off the interstate, but if i were in the far lane, i could have been stuck in a high speed lane resulting in injury to myself or others. the car is very low mileage and garage stored, so it is in very good condition and maintained regularly. was just in to the dealer less than 10 days prior (power steering esc recall) with no indication that there was a problem. this is a very serious safety issue. car currently at phillips chevy in frankfort, il.

Three times in two months the passenger low beam has gone out. i work nights and each time it has gone out it has been while i am driving to work in the dark. i have researched the issue and no clear answer has been given on how to fix the issue.

For no reason interior and exterior lights go on and off by itself. neighbor reported car lights on 3:30 am. we also caught while keys were on table and locked the lights came on and off twice in the evening. this is while parked for the night.

The car seems to run fine once it starts. the problem is getting it to start. sometimes the car starts without any problems and then sometimes it won't. it has left me stranded multiple times. we replaced the fuel pump, which seemed to fix the problem for a few days and then the same thing started to happen. we replaced a couple of fuses. again this seemed to fix the problem for a few days and then the same thing started to happen. my husband and i noticed that there is some wiring that is always hot leading from the fuse box to the fuel pump. basically we believe that chevrolet used cheap crappy thin wiring. because of this, the car won't start. we did some research online and it seems that everyone who owns a 2012 chevy malibu has had a similar problem that has cost consumers hundreds of dollars. we have always owned a chevy and this is the first vehicle that we have ever had a problem with. we are seriously considering switching to toyota or nissan since chevrolet has been receiving complaints and thus far has chosen not to do anything. chevrolet manufactured the 2012 chevy malibu and was aware of the issues surrounding the fuse box, fuel pump, and the wiring. one of these days, the car is going to catch fire because of the faulty system. it is extremely frustrating to see all of these chevy malibu owners experiencing the same issue and chevrolet does nothing. we never know if the car is going to start; it's literally a guessing game. sometimes we tap the fuse box, sometimes we kick the side of the rear passenger door, and sometimes we have to sit and wait 15 minutes and then the car will start. chevrolet needs to have a recall and fix the issues surrounding the 2012 chevy malibu. eventually the wiring is going to catch fire.

Was driving and my car stopped accelerating. i pushed on the gas and it would not go. i was on the free way and almost had an accident. also car would no longer start after stopped. would act like it was going to start and does not. i've had several toes with my children in the vehicle. a huge safety concern.

2012 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to nhtsa safety recall 14v-252. *ld the consumer stated after the vehicle was repaired under the recall, the failure recurred. * js

I have a 2012 chevy malibu and since november we have had headlight problems and changes bulbs and got a new wire harness and we still have problems with passenger side low beam light going out. it is a real pain cause it takes a bit to even get to the headlight. have to take the bumber off and real frustrating.

My car will randomly not start. i have bought a brand new battery. that wasn't the problem. a week later, my gear shift wouldn't move. i had to stay in my vehicle and miss an appointment because of this. i couldn't get it to move from drive to park. after several tries and 30 minutes, it finally moved. it's gotten stuck a few times trying to move it from park to drive as well. and when i'm driving, the emergency lights will randomly illuminate and wipers won't work. i was driving when it was pouring rain and the wipers wouldn't turn on with all emergency lights illuminated as well. this can happen anytime i'm on a city street going from 25 to 45 mph. i have had to have it towed several times to different shops and they can't tell me what's wrong.

My car won't turn over after i turn it off sometimes. sometimes it will be most other times it doesn't. the battery is new, spark plugs are new, sensors are new. starter isn't the problem. don't know what it could be? it was stationary when this happens, when i try to turn the car back on.

Takata recall when my vehicle started having issues it started with lagging to start i would turn the key and literally let go and then it would start. now it's to the point where it doesn't always want to start . when it does my sensors are all messed up . first time my airbag warning was coming up . next my sensors on my tires were not working then i started to notice when i was driving and i would stop pushing the gas the gauge will go up and down. the last thing that happened was the check engine came on but turned off. i tried to get a diagnostics done but of course nothing came of it . so now my car is just sitting in my garage until i figure it out. but there are no type of check engine light or anything that comes on before the car starts not functioning properly

Headlamp harness keeps burning causing headlamp to fail to illuminate. have replaced multiple bulbs as well as both harnesses within the last 6 months and again, harness has burnt and my low beam headlamps do not work. reading similar complaints, i believe it has to do with the daytime running light feature. i've noticed the issue both when the vehicle is moving and when it's stationary. while there hasn't been a fire as a result of this issue yet, i'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated upon starting the vehicle. the contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 12v224000 (electrical system). the contact called apple chevrolet (8585 w 159th st, tinley park, il 60487, 708-429-3000) and was informed that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Electrical part shuts down the car can't go sometimes you can change fuse will go and here we go again have it in and out of shop to be work on no body can't figure it out . and even shuts down when driving down road in traffic very dangerous on highway. had in different shops for help.getting very sick of it read other have same problem with the same type car.why isn't something being done about it ready to start buying honda cars.this has been going on all summer still november. so tired of it and wasting money on it. this has happen more than one time

Head lights keep going out

My driver side light continues to keep going out after a couple weeks and the bulb is not blowing this is a common problem with the chevy malibu definitely needs to be recalled and fixed because if you don't have headlights can cause a bad accident. if you hit a bump it goes out. i was on a back road at night and both lights went out almost causing me to crash

Replaced low beam lights multiple times, had the wiring harness replaced due to a shortage that was supposedly leading to the low beams light blowing out constantly. low beam lights still keep going out. ongoing issue

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the speedometer was faulty and would not display the correct data. pat o'brien chevrolet (3880 pearl rd, medina, oh 44256, (330) 460-0718) diagnosed that the instrument panel cluster needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. the failure mileage was 77,100.

Without warning the cluster of gauges start going crazy and all warning lights are illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle loses power steering and vehicle speed will not exceed 20mph. eventually the vehicle stalls out.

Car would turn over but not crank. go back a little later and it crank fine. after this happening several times had someone take a look at it and there was no codes and the car would crank fine so couldn't find the problem. then when i was out somewhere it would crank and run sluggish and go dead and after a while it would crank and run. got to researching it and people having same problem. said that you could wiggle fuel pump relay and it would crank. sure enough tried this and it worked. i'm pretty sure this is same problem. and also if you had been running the car and it wouldnt crank the fuel pump relay will be hot which suggest the wiring and or fuse box is problem. people talk about replacing fuel pump , fuse box , and cheap low gauge wiring from fuel pump to fuse box. now i'm taking to mechanic to try to get this fixed before it catches fire and someone gets hurt . try to get fixed and buy a honda or anything except gm.

Passenger head light has been replaced several times it keeps turning off. light bulb is not burned. when taping on or moving wires light goes on replaced wires and still having same issue. vehicle can not be driven at night time. all this happens when vehicle is turned on.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 55-60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle approximately 20-60 minutes later. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was an electrical failure and additional diagnostic testing needed to be performed. the vehicle was not repaired. additionally, the contact stated on two separate oil change intervals, metal shavings were found in the oil filter and oil pan. crews chevrolet (located at 8199 rivers ave, north charleston, sc 29406, (843) 820-7800) was informed of the failures. the contact stated that the failure recurred five times. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system, exterior lighting, vehicle speed control, electronic stability control). the manufacturer was not contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

My chevy malibu would turn over slightly, but then would die. this happened about 3-4 times and then i had the battery replaced; thinking it was that. the car continued to fail, so i had the fuel pump replaced after checking with a fuel gauge and there being no fuel pressure. the car ran about 3 times driving it for shorter and a bit longer distances, but then the car would not turn over at all. the starter would try, but there was no ignition of the car. at my local chevy dealer, don mccue, they diagnosed that the rear fuse box and a few terminals were burnt out. they replaced the rear fuse box and a few terminals, and the car now runs successfully.

Both headlights will not come on (low beam) high beams work fine. bulbs are new and fuses are working just fine..someone needs to put in a recall because i see i am not the only one with this issue..this is ridiculous! can't drive without headlights and can't drive with high beams on

Driver side headlamps going out. i've had to replace my driver's side headlight 3 times over the last 2 months. no automobile should go through headlamps at that rate. to complicate this issue, the entire front bumper must be removed to change the headlights. i've read on the forums where many malibu owners are having the exact same issue(s) with the headlamps. this is an obvious design flaw and gm/chevrolet should issue a recall with corrective action.

Low beam headlight going out. i purchased this vehicle in 2014 and my low beam headlights have gone out a total of 6 times. changed the pigtails last time and iam now having to change the wiring harness completely and hopefully that will help. my cars lights are always on auto and always begins with my passanger low beam light going out first then the driver side a couple months after, has happened when turning on the vehicle and during driving. my high beams work fine with no problems at all. the first two times i have had a proffesional mechanic change them and the last couple times i've changed them myself now due to cost. removing the whole bumper really makes this even more difficult to change. i have read many forums and they have also the same problem, its actually become very common to see many chevy's with a head light out. i just want to make sure this is noted cause it appears to be a common problem with this vehicle company. please help!

At 1st my car wouldn't crank every so often then started going drag while driving i googled it and had to beat on fusebox in trunk or wiggle wires so had to run wire straight to battery to fuel pump. my headlights on dim keep shooting and my speakers will go out sometimes

My car would turn but not start so i changed the fuel pump. it was started for like 5 days then it started again would turn over but not start so we change the fuel box in the trunk. worked for like a week and it started acting again. took it to the chevrolet dealership and the didn't find the problem. so we took it to a technician and they told us it was a wiring problem. paid to get it fix but it still wasn't it. still having the problem

The low beam headlights on both sides of the car are constantly going out. i have to replace them 3-4 times a year. i spend hundreds of dollars on headlamps, even though i install them myself. installing new headlamps requires you to remove the front bumper. there is an obvious design flaw with the hundreds of complaints i have seen with this same issue.

Started out when i'm just driving down the road my steering wheel twitches. now has gone to esc power steering warning indicated and the steering wheel completely locks up. most of the time just when i start the car however has done it when i'm driving down the road. thankfully it was a secluded road and i didn't hit anyone. this is super dangerous and according to my search of the internet i'm not alone.

Takata recall unsafe electrical system with unpredictable headlight funtionality and unknown other results may lead to more extensive dafety issues, i.e fire concerns.

I've had read so many vehicles with same issues on all these models i just purchased this car put a high down payment to be getting left everywhere all chevy dealers dont know where to start and over price it all you all should look into it because its something serious . car wont start after being used a while, you have to mess with cables and wires for it to start mess with fuse boxes and also sometimes it doesnt work.. do something about it i'm annoyed of this crap

My low beam headlights will not work. i have changed bulbs only to find out it wasnt the bulbs...they still work. i have changed one of the pigtails and it worked for a while and stopped within a month. it started with only the right headlight and now it is both.

Tamara recall my low beams lights keep going out and on, it does this when park, and driving they work sometimes one or the other sometimes they won’t come on at all.

I have replaced my low beams 3 times this year. the first time i reaplaced all the bulbs. the second time i reaplaced both wiring harness and bulbs. a month ago i replaced the passenger bulb and now the drivers side low beam is out again. it has cost me anywhere from $100-$200 each time to do this! i also have a problem with my dash telling me service esc, esc off, and service traction. a recall in 2014 addresses this issue and my vin says the recall has been serviced but i am still having this issue. it happens with the car in park and while driving. sometimes it stays on for hours sometimes minutes.

Head light keeps popping off and on and when running an obd test after clearing codes several times it 1st provided me with 2 codes then 9. two hours later 32 codes popped up. the buttons on the streinng wheel cut in and out at random. ## vin passed ## chevrolet malibu 2012 ##

Low beams repeatedly going out, both sockets replaced and bulbs, numerous times. front bumper facia has to come off for replacement

1)air bag service light came on.12062018 (2) windows/electric constant problems. several repair and correction same problem. )1st team mazda hpt va) window sticks, freezes, doesn't work. (3) drives bumpy. sounds rough. ran smooth before then several repeated same problems with car. (see maintainability. log)(3) drive felt awkward. had new tires, rotation etc. drive is off. (4) can feel rough run while stationary, drive is not as smooth. (5) 1 recent incident. parking lot female drive along drivers side front bumper. repair 1st team mazda hpt va. 23666

Service esc, traction control inactive, loss of power/sluggish when driving or stopped at a light. code 13036

The passenger low beam keeps going out its not the bulb i've changed it atleast 4 unless this year yet it stills goes out and everybody else has the same problem on same side of the same car. there needs to be a recall for this.

My power steering just went out on me in the middle.of driving got real stiff on the 10 freeway going home from.redlands to hemet and my power steering eis electrical and its hard my mechanic said its too much to fix and told me that its a high demand in recall for this and that i need it fix i turned it on and ti works for 5 minutes a drive or two and out of no where even while driving will stiffen up again on me

Rear fuse block melted at fuse location 23 for rear window defogger 2nd occurrence on vehicle. rear defogger illuminated on dash indicating that defogger was on. was not working properly. opened rear fuse block in truck to examine fuse and found fuse had melted and fuse block is also melted showing potential for fire hazard. fuse was charred and blacked and hard to distinguish 30 amp rating on fuse. fuse block plastic at wires is also melted. pulled fuse and defogger relay to prevent further damage to fuse block. this is the second time this has happened to my vehicle as first was still under factory warranty (2015). known timeline for fuse finally blowing and preventing system to work is 11/24/18. system worked prior to that. search of internet has reviled more vehicles having similar problem. possible safety issue. can provide pictures of fuse and block upon request.

The fuse box in trunk of car has a short in the wire and it is causing a burning smell. the vehicle doesn't start half of the time and when it does start, the car will stall out or completely shut down without warning. this is unsafe especially in traffic with the kids.

In less then one year the passenger side low beam light is out. i look on line and a lot of 2012 malibu are having the same problem. it cost over $100 to change it because they have to remove the bumper to do it.

Fuse 6 blows when left turn signal is activated. it first blew in oct 2018, then not again until december (several times) and still happening again in jan 2019. signals will work fine for a day or two after replacing fuse, but then fuse blows again.