2012 Chevrolet Malibu — Known Issues & Recalls

Your power steering suddenly stopped working while driving, making the steering wheel extremely hard to turn and creating a dangerous situation. The dealership diagnosed a problem with the power steering system, specifically related to the steering torque sensor, and charged $1,513.03 for repairs. GM had issued a special coverage notification for this issue on 2012 Malibus, but you didn't receive the letter. The repair likely involved replacing or servicing the steering torque sensor and related power steering components.

Your steering wheel locked up while you were driving, requiring the entire steering column to be replaced. The car displayed a diagnostic code related to the torque input sensor. This happened at just 10,000 miles after 11 months of ownership. The repair will likely involve replacing the steering column assembly and diagnosing the torque input sensor.

Your car's 'Service ESC' warning light appeared while driving on the freeway, and your steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. The ESC system appeared to shut off at the same time. This is a serious issue because losing steering control while driving at highway speeds is dangerous.

Your power steering system may stop working properly, making it hard to steer your vehicle. You'll likely see a "Service Power Steering" warning light on your dashboard. The problem is caused by a faulty power steering control module or torque sensor that needs to be replaced or repaired.

Your rear windshield defroster suddenly stopped working. When you inspected the electrical block in your trunk, you found it had melted and the defroster fuse was stuck inside. The fuse broke when you tried to remove it. This appears to be a known issue with Malibus that could potentially cause a fire. GM has issued a bulletin suggesting you bypass the block, but this requires installing an entirely new electrical block, which costs several hundred dollars.

Your traction control warning light turned on while driving, and both your traction control and ABS system shut down at various speeds. You also noticed your brake lights wouldn't come on reliably when you pressed the brake pedal—you had to press it hard to get them to work. Even after replacing all four brake pads, rotors, and two front tires, the problem happened again.

Your rear defroster has stopped working and hasn't functioned since around 2016. When you took the vehicle to a GM dealer, they indicated you'd need to purchase a specific repair kit to fix it. The repair will likely involve replacing the rear defroster heating element or associated wiring harness.

Your airbag warning light and message are coming on, and sometimes your seat belt warning light also activates unexpectedly and won't turn off. Since these are safety systems, this needs to be diagnosed and repaired by a technician to ensure your airbags and seat belts will work properly in a crash.

While driving, a brake caliper screw came loose and fell out, which damaged your brake line and caused you to lose braking ability. When you tried to use the emergency brake, it didn't work, and the vehicle crashed. This resulted in a loss of vehicle control due to complete brake failure.

While driving at 50 mph, your steering wheel vibrated and then seized up, and your ESC and Traction Control warning lights came on. A diagnostic scan indicated a steering failure. Your car is subject to open recalls, but the manufacturer hasn't made parts available yet—the dealer wanted to charge you for repairs even though this should be covered under recall.

Your power steering system is causing the steering wheel to pull hard to the left on its own, forcing you to grip the wheel firmly to keep the car straight. If you release the wheel, the car will turn sharply left and could leave the road or hit another vehicle or pedestrian. The problem started with vibrations while parked and has recurred multiple times even after repairs, suggesting the electric power steering system may be drawing too much electrical power and failing repeatedly. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and replacing failed power steering assist components or the entire power steering module.

Your low beam headlights keep burning out, and your mechanic found that the connector is shorting out and burning. This is causing both headlights to fail repeatedly, which is a fire hazard and forces you to drive with high beams only, leading to traffic stops. The connector needs to be replaced to stop the electrical short and prevent further damage.

Your power steering may suddenly stop working while you're driving, making it much harder to steer and creating a safety risk. When this happens, your ESC (electronic stability control) warning light turns on. Restarting the engine temporarily fixes the problem, but it may happen again soon after. This issue requires diagnosis and repair of the power steering electrical system.

You've been trying since July 2025 to get a seatbelt recall repaired on your 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, but multiple Chevy dealerships haven't responded to your requests or returned your messages. This is a safety-related recall that needs to be addressed by an authorized dealership. You may need to try contacting Chevrolet's customer service directly or visiting dealerships in person to schedule the recall repair appointment.

Your headlights are shutting off while driving, forcing you to call for roadside assistance. The high beams won't work at all, and even the low beams fail if you drive for more than an hour and a half. Additionally, your speed sensor keeps failing repeatedly despite multiple replacements. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and repairing the headlight electrical circuit and investigating why the speed sensor continues to fail prematurely.

Your power steering warning light came on and you saw an "ESC OFF" message on your dashboard. You experienced intermittent loss of power steering while driving, though restarting the car sometimes temporarily fixed it — eventually the problem became permanent. Your mechanic indicated this may be covered under Chevrolet Special Coverage Number 15356, but the dealer said your vehicle's VIN wasn't included in an official recall.

Your car experienced a problem where it would briefly lose power and stop completely while driving, then resume normal operation — though this happened repeatedly. Your steering wheel angle sensor had failed, which triggered the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) warning light on your dashboard. An independent mechanic replaced the faulty sensor to fix the issue.

Your car's electronic stability control (ESC) system is unexpectedly slowing down the vehicle without you pressing the brake pedal, especially when turning. This happens intermittently at first but becomes more frequent, and in some cases the car comes to a complete stop mid-turn. The ESC warning light illuminates when this occurs. A dealer diagnosed this as a power steering control module (PSCM) failure, but the problem returned even after repair. The fix will likely involve replacing or reprogramming the power steering control module.

Your passenger side headlight has burned out, and you discovered that the wiring connector (pigtail) leading to the headlight has melted, causing the headlight to malfunction. To keep the melted wiring from getting worse, you have to disconnect your daytime running lights. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting multiple Malibus, and you're concerned it poses a fire hazard and safety risk since you can no longer use your daytime running lights. A repair will likely involve replacing the melted wiring harness and headlight connector.

Your power steering system intermittently fails while driving—the steering wheel may jerk on its own, and you'll lose power steering assist without warning. The only temporary workaround is to turn the engine off and back on while manually turning the wheel, but power steering will only work for an unpredictable amount of time before failing again. The repair involves replacing the power steering system components and typically costs around $1,500.