Showing the 2012 Malibu 2LZ. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
About every 2012 Malibu
The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has 907 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most often for electrical system (291). Its combined fuel economy is 20 to 26 mpg, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,490 to $16,240 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA's overall rating is 4 stars. There are 2 recall campaigns, covering seat belts, electrical system, stability control, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
20–26 mpgcombined; city 17–22, highway 25–33; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,490–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $11,160–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Malibu. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 907 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Malibu. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
291
5
11
4
Exterior lighting
202
4
6
2
Steering
191
9
0
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
129
6
0
2
Air bags
101
28
0
25
Engine
99
2
2
1
Service brakes
66
11
0
4
Vehicle speed control
52
4
0
4
Fuel/propulsion system
51
0
1
0
Unknown or other
51
1
0
2
Power train
49
0
0
0
Seat belts
47
7
1
13
15 more parts
Seats
36
2
0
1
Visibility/wiper
27
2
1
1
Wheels
19
2
0
0
Structure
16
7
0
4
Suspension
10
1
0
0
Traction control system
10
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
8
1
0
1
Fuel system, gasoline
5
0
1
0
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Visibility
4
0
1
0
Tires
2
1
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Malibu over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
Risk: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,339 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Malibu, the latest on Sep 4, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (610), electrical system (251), engine and engine cooling (144), engine (118), power train (111).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Malibu.
See used 2012 Chevrolet Malibus for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: midsize cars. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Malibu Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 32 / 26
Malibu Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
22 / 33 / 26
Malibu Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 25 / 20
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data