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Problems with 2012 Chevrolet Malibu POWER TRAIN

On average, the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu starts to “feel” problems with the POWER TRAIN and its various aspects after 62 637 miles.

Components Affected by POWER TRAIN Issues

We have classified the 38 complaints from 2012 Chevrolet Malibu about POWER TRAIN into the following categories.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1

Recently reported POWER TRAIN problems on 2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle shuddered, but did not completely shut off. also, when the vehicle was turned off, it would not restart. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic three times, but the cause of the failures could not be determined. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 97,686.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving 70 mph, the vehicle experienced acceleration failure and stalled. in addition, the gear had a difficult time shifting from park into reverse or drive when attempting to move out of a parked position. the vehicle was taken to bergstrom chevrolet of madison (1345 applegate rd, madison, wi 53713, (608) 271-2212) where it was diagnosed that the body control module and an electric brake control module needed to be installed. in addition, a rear passenger side wheel speed sensor alternator circuit needed to be installed. the vehicle remained at the dealer since july 16, 2019 and the contact was informed that the repair would cost $2,700. the manufacturer provided a case number and referred the contact to a manager. the contact had not yet spoken with the manager. the contact was trying to find out what repairs were completed by the previous owner and was concerned that the repairs were not done properly. the dealer could not provide a service repair history for the vehicle. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving low speeds, the vehicle decelerated without warning. the contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to dean arbour ford lincoln (1001 us-23, alpena, mi 49707, (989) 356-6366) where it was diagnosed and repaired twice, but the details were unknown. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 68,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the engine overheated, stalled, and various warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was later taken to master chevrolet (3625 richland ave w, aiken, sc 29801, (806) 353-6343) for diagnostic testing and repairs. the contact stated that the dealer was unable to determine a specific cause of the failures, but stated that the vehicle was a flood vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle had electrical wiring issues, the transmission failed to switch gears correctly, and the brakes had been replaced at least twice since owning the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 99,500.

Transmission only go when it's cool

Takata recall i purchased a 2012 chevy malibu 2 years ago for my graduating senior and this car has practically been a nightmare since the day we purchased it. the current mileage is 43,000 and there has been so many problems with this car. the car previously shut down while riding on the highway, our mechanic stated the car has electrical issues. okay, so he tampered with a few wires, and the car started right up. two days ago, the car wouldn't start, it's currently displaying "check airbag" emergency lights are flashing, wipers began going back and forward. my husband began to shake a few wires (per our mechanic) , and long behold the car has started!!! talk about buyer's remorse!!!! this car is now parked in our garage until we figure out what to do with it!!! i'm now concerned for my son's safety and will not allow him too drive the 2012 chevy malibu.

This is my second incident report for the same vehicle. while driving on the highway the vehicle suddenly lost all mobility. no warning at all just stopped running. fortunatly i was not at a very high rate of speed but was getting ready to make a turn off the highway. no indication that anything was wrong at all. my concern is why does someone need to get hurt or killed before this prolem is addressed? having taken this to be serviced i encountered others who have had the same experience with their vehicles, all chevrolets of one model or similar to it. basically the same motor. this happened to me before and i have not been given a reason for the problem.

Vehicle was in motion at about 60 mph on a highway and the rpms dropped drastically, the anti skid indicator light came on, the vehicle lost power temporarilly. i pulled over and slowed down and the car returned to normal. same evening vehicle was in motion about 55 mph on a highway when there was a loss of power, steering got sluggish,all indicatorlights on dash blinked on and off engine light came on and stayed on, anti skid indicator light came on, was knocking in motor and car would not accelerate over 20 mph. completed a diagnosis of the vehicle and a code p0068 was noted by diagnostics. p0068 the engine and transmission system is not performing as expected. an issue has been detected in the throttle control system that connects the accelerator pedal with the throttle and integrates features such as cruise control, traction control, stability control, and pre-crash systems. if the check engine light is flashing, a misfire condition has been detected. a misfire increases vehicle emissions and could damage the emission control system on the vehicle. please reduce vehicle speed, avoid hard accelerations, avoid steep uphill grades, and reduce any cargo loads such as a trailer. if the vehicle is continually driven with the check engine light on, the emission controls might not work as well, the vehicle fuel economy might not be as good, and the engine might not run as smoothly. this could lead to future repairs

My car has 53000 miles and the transmission is downshifting very hard. my concern is once i am driving it for about 15 minutes this starts happening and im not sure what it is. i have read online a lot of other people have this exact problem so i am pretty sure it is a defect on the transmission itself from the dealer.

Stop at light, knocking noise starts & hesitation at next light. a mile later, check engine light turns on.codes p00011,p00014 p00366- from dealership #1. had previous engine work done under warranty (which dearlership #1 tried to charge me $400. until i pressed the warranty).i bought it there.service person reported:foreign debris on the screen of the cam position actuators she also reported: filter broke, or someone where i had the oil changed (valvoline) put a rag or bottle cap in my engine,needed a new one. she advise me to take the car to valvoline.after persistent questioning, she suggests, engine flush but no guarantee. refused flush. paid $133. for "diagnostic". took to valvoline - they spoke to tech at dealership #1 who said filter intact but tilted.they viewed the filter, said it was fine but showed me the metallic sparkles in it. they mentioned it was tilted.they took pictures and have a video where they said a rag or bottle cap was not near engine. i have not view this tape.called gm - made a compliant against dealer - they escalate gm calls back. advised take to dealership. anyone, took to another - do not trust the original.gm dealership #2 - said filter had metal parts in it - they said it was crushed,asked to drop pain,quoted $350.dealer #2 - drops pan and says the following in an email and sent pictures:the following pictures show the vehicles oil pan removed and foreign debris in the bottom. technician believes the plastic from the timing chain guides and visible metal in the oil itself. advised need engine. rebuilt is approx: $6000, or $7500 new. car has 33k miles.timing chain belt failure.gm will not stand by their products that destroyed engine.two engine issues prior to current: stalled approaching a highway. towed to dealership#1. driving on highway/slowed from 50 to 20mph, trying to pull over then it accelerated.

After owning the car only 3 weeks, the circuit board blew a wire connector causing my fuel pump to go out after the dealership just had these exact parts replaced himself at time of purchase. the car has lost power, has issues with blinker sticking or relay. the car drains rapidly when a.c. is turned on. radio sometimes shuts off sound. the vehicle has cost me over 3000 within my 3 months of ownership has only 140000 miles on engine. electrical issues everywhere am fearful it may catch fire while driving down the road with my 3 children! youtube has many complaints on same make model vehicle with same occurring issue's! luckily when circuit board blew a compactor the vehicle was stationary in the parking lot at dollar general. we were forced to have it towed to destination.

Driving on the freeway @ 70 mph dry roads service esc, service traction control messages flashing alternately. parked the vehicle next morning 20 minutes of driving again on the freeway @ 70 mph dry roads same 2 flashing messages. park the vehicle. started vehicle unable to move shifter from park while depressing brake pedal. flashing message lights appear randomly as well as unable to move shifter out of park. very frightening after parking vehicle.

While driving on the highway the transmission failed. check engine light went on after it failed. in motion.

2012 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to multiple safety defects with vehicle. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle has several safety defects including the electric stability control, brakes, sensor lights, steering, suspension, wheels, engine lights, power train. updated 10/23/2017*js

Service esc traction keeps coming up.

My car won't go when stepping on the gas peddle in drive. when i stop at the light or to brake the car won't go when pushing the gas peddle in drive it doesn't do anything. i had to have the car towed 2x due to this issue. i only have 67k miles on this car. i've been told it's the transmission problem and need a new one. this should not be happening with the car. this is danegerous and unable to drive at this point. the dealer won't do anything about it. i should still have the warranty of driver train and nothing is being done. i've read several complaints of the same exact car having this issue obviously it's a defect. i want to contact gm about this i was almost killed when my car won't go stuck at a intersection. also the recall on my seatbelt : steering the dealer is saying no active recalls which there is. i'm getting frustrated with these issues and nothing is being done. i'm reaching out to every entity possible before something happens to me or someone else with this faulty car. the airbag fault like occasionally comes on for no reason at all, then goes off then comes back on. these are issues that the gm needs to rectify. after reading online about the many same issues the 2012 malibu has gm needs to intervene and help the owners get these faults fixed. there are way too many online complaints. [xxx] please help information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

This is the second time this happened. i was driving on i-75 in michigan doing 75 miles an hour. suddenly that esc service, traction control and reduced engine power display showing on the dash. the car started to shake violently. it immediately slowed itself down in heavy traffic. barely making it off the side of the road without causing an accident. dealership tells me there's nothing they can do about it.

My car has been making a horrible sound for a couple months now and the last week it's gotten really loud when i go over 20 it sounds the worst of slow down i can't go over 40 without it sounding like it's taking off and my front end shakes like my tires gonna come off i replaced the breaks and it's still making the sound it's to the point i can't drive my car because i don't want it to die on me my battery has been dying a lot and my service esc light comes on and goes off please can someone tell me why my car is doing this or an idea it sounds like an airplane that's the best way i can describe it and my right rear tire is always saying my tire is low i rotated my tires and it's still not reading it right there brand new tires to boot please please help me

When going from 0 to 20 miles per hour vehicle shifts constantly and unexpectedly. i had the problem diagnosed by rick hendricks chevrolet @ 6252 virginia beach blvd norfolk, virginia. the dealer printed out the diagnosis stating the transmission cooler needed to be replaced. i took my vehicle to priority chevrolet @ 1495 south military highway chesapeake,virginia to have transmission problem repaired and this dealer diagnosed the lower cooler line and radiator transmission cooler lines needed replacement which i had done by priority chevrolet that day however the transmission problem still exists .

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 65 mph, the traction warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. in addition, the "engine disabled" warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 5 mph, the gear shifter skipped and the vehicle jerked as the sec warning indicator illuminated. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

The engine light came on and a code read engine power reduced service esc. my car was shaking and would not gain speed. i was finally able to make it off the highway and stopped to see if i could figure out what was wrong. could not see anything wrong. we got back in the car and everything seemed to be working okay now so we headed home. we got almost home when once again my car lost all speed and we were almost hit by another car.this has happened on several occassions.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving at approximately 45 mph, the service esc and service traction warning indicators illuminated. on one occasion, the vehicle did not shift out of the park position. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake modulator sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the service stability control warning light illuminated as an unknown chime sounded. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle decelerated and stalled. the vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where the failure was unable to be duplicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage 17,000 and the current mileage was 17,200. after the dealer removed the plastic engine cover, the vehicle performed as designed. updated 11/17/14

I was just arriving home and while driving i felt a change in the gears of my car but when i arrived home and place the car in park the ignition would not turn completely off and i had to leave my car on for approximately 4 hours before i left for work. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate from a traffic stop when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the failure recurred twice. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

2012 chevrolet malibu with horrible shifting - 1st to 2nd is a hard shift and 2nd - 3rd isn't a whole lot better. when it down shifts while coming to a stop it again shifts hard and sometimes abruptly. the rpm gauge also flares when shifting down. i have been jutted out into oncoming traffic when it decides to slip shift. i am afraid to drive this car with my family. the worst part is that the dealership cannot find anything "wrong" with it or tell me why it does this because the poor shifting is intermittent, not constant. not happy! *tr

I purchased the car in march 2013. it only had 18,000 miles on it. while slowing, such as exiting the interstate, as the car down shifts, it down shifts hard. especially going from 3rd gear to 2nd and then 1st. it seems to have a slight delay when trying to pick up speed. more so when you have slowed and then sped back up, like when someone is turning and you have to slow for them. there is an awful noise in the dash around the steering column. if you are on a gravel road, it sounds like the dash/steering column is going to fall onto your feet. its a rattle type sound. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 3,128.

Transmission constantly slips, when trying to accelerate it does not catch up and revs really high. transmission has locked up once and it has been replaced by the dealership; however that issue still happens on a regular basis. 2012 malibu lt, i would like this issue investigated and gm held responsible for selling me a lemon car with a defective transmission that has not run correctly ever since my purchase in 2011. i have the paper work that shows the replacement of a defective transmission on a new 2012 malibu that i purchased. *tr

Experiencing erratic throttle response time and hard transmission shifts. when the accelerator is pressed you don't know if the response will be immediate or delayed. the inconsistent delays in the throttle response time pose a safety hazard. *tr

While driving car have noticed that it shifts hard either up or down. this has happened too many times to count. also car feels like it is trying to stall and i can not accelerate. this has happened several times once on a very busy intersection in my city. have taken car to dealer and was told could not find anything was probably bad gas and to put premium gas in. this did not help either. car continued to have same issues. called dealer to let them know. said nothing wrong. i have two small children and worry about our safety each time i drive this car. hoping that gm does something to fix this issue soon. looks like we are not alone with this issue. *tr

I am experiencing erratic throttle response and erratic transmission shifts in my 2012 malibu. the inconsistent delays in throttle response pose a safety hazard. this issue is compounded when it affects the transmission shifts. when you push the accelerator you do not know if you will get immediate response, or delayed response, nor how sudden that response might be to the extent of almost losing control of the vehicle. the transmission shifts are not consistent. while driving down the interstate i have had it shift 2 gear down, and other times it has not shifted up to a higher gear. when both issues occur at once it is extremely hazardous. the only reason there was no accident is the other drivers realized something was wrong and were able to slow down and avoid hitting me by driving around me on the shoulder. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the front end of the vehicle started to wobble at 55 mph and above. the contact also stated that the dealer did an alignment four times and replaced the steering column once but the failure recurred. the rear right wheel had been leaning outward from the time the vehicle was purchased and had not been corrected by the alignment. the failure mileage was 11 and the current mileage was 19,500. the consumer stated from the day she purchased the vehicle, the steering was difficult to control. as time went on, the problem became worse. the vehicle was wobbly, choppy and careening . it was difficult to control on uneven pavement roads and streets and extremely difficult to maintain at 55 mph and higher. each time the consumer went to the dealer, the vehicle was out of alignment. at times, the steering was very loose. also, the shifting was erratic and lagged. it lagged from stop signs. it often failed to down shift to gain power needed on highway upgrades. when the consumer attempted to pass semi-trucks on an uneven pavement on the interstate, the vehicle pulled to the right, jerked to the left with almost an uncontrollable shifting and swaying. if there were curve , the vehicle would dangerously swing wide out into the curves. the steering wheel, would then freeze up and would become difficult to turn and steer safely. on one occasion, while driving on the interstate highway, the consumer had just passed a semi at a speed of 70 mph and as she was returning to the right lane, the vehicle stuttered and started to stop. she pushed the accelerator pedal to the floor and there was a dangerous lag before enough power came to the vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. while driving 20 mph, the transmission slipped without warning. on several occasions, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the transmission sensor and transmission seals needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the contact stated that the failure was intermittent. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 600.

From day 1 of purchasing the 2012 chevy malibu, the transmission has had a shifting problem. gears 1 to 3 seem to be the worst (including acceleration and deceleration). the transmission shifts "hard" upon accelerating and decelerating. also on occasion while driving i will be going about 45mph and try to accelerate and it is hesitant like it does not want to so i am forced to push on the gas pedal to the point of a rev from the engine. i have researched and noticed i am not alone with this issue, there are very many other people with the same issue. *tr

This car suddenly lost power as it began to slow down on a busy street, and then would not drive. the car continued to run, but would not go forward, even after gas pedal was pushed to the floor. it, in fact, started coasting backwards when it was on a slight incline. no indicator light came on. it happened suddenly, and without warning. service dpt. at dealership can find nothing wrong. we feel that this brand new car has a faulty computer system and is very dangerous to drive. the car is running fine at present, but there are no guarantees that this will not happen again. it poses a safety hazard, and neither chevy or gm are willing to do anything about it. my daughter is afraid to drive the car. *tr

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