Most common 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport problems
Share of the 80 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Captiva Sport complaints by model year
Best Captiva Sport years: 2013, 2014. Years to avoid: 2012. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport recalls (2)
Parking brake
General motors llc (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet captiva sport passenger vehicles manufactured from April 26, 2012, through May 17, 2012. These vehicles fail to conform to the park brake performance requirements federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and ensure that the park brake cables are connected and secure free of charge. The safety recall began on July 27, 2012.
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Power steering fluid
General motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet captiva vehicles manufactured from October 2, 2009, through April 21, 2011. Driving the vehicle with the transmission in manual mode and in first gear causes the engine and power steering pump to operate at higher speed than is typical.
Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the power steering fluid cooler with an improved version, free of charge. An advisory letter to customers, along with instructions, will be mailed in January 2012.
What 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport owners say
Electrical system all 46 →
I am not sure what component could be one could be several. When I pulled into my driveway and put it in park. The engine light came on and the stereo went off. When checking the stereo would not turn back on and nothing on the instrument panel would work, heater/air conditioning, rear wipers, heated seats, hazard lights, the parking/emergency break literally nothing. So I turned the key in the ignition to the off position took the key out and the engine continued to run? I called onstar from the vehicle and realized that didn't work either so I had called from my cell. They advices me to call a mechanic. Unable to do so as it was 9pm and not was mechanic shop was available I looked online. I ended up pulling the fuel relay switch and waited several minutes for it to finally die then I undid the negative battery cable. Tried again the next day and same thing happened. …
Sometimes when driving all the electrical equipment will turn off for a brief moment. When this happens all the warning lights come on. Sometimes prior to this happening the dashboard lights will begin to flicker. Service lights such as "service traction control" will come on then go off, the headlights would noticably flicker and the cruise control would randomly turn off. This problem has not been replicated by the independent garage it was taken too however there were codes for low and high voltages thrown. The garage couldn't find anything wrong with it but replaced the battery and alternator. The problem went away for a brief period of time but will randomly come back from time to time. The key also would sometimes get in the ignition and this progressed untill the key became fully stuck and the car had to be serviced. Many others have these same complaints.
Engine & cooling all 22 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that while his engine was off, the vehicle had caught fire and burned out on its own. The contact discovered the failure upon the entrance of the vehicle and saw smoke within the cabin. The vehicle would not start and was towed to the dealer. The contact was then informed that the climate control module had caused a fire within the vehicle and the module was replaced. After the repair, the check engine light would intermittently illuminate on the dashboard. The contact took the vehicle to Bob Tyler Toyota(7201 Pensacola Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32505) where they diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The manufacturer was notified and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 125,379
I am not sure what component could be one could be several. When I pulled into my driveway and put it in park. The engine light came on and the stereo went off. When checking the stereo would not turn back on and nothing on the instrument panel would work, heater/air conditioning, rear wipers, heated seats, hazard lights, the parking/emergency break literally nothing. So I turned the key in the ignition to the off position took the key out and the engine continued to run? I called onstar from the vehicle and realized that didn't work either so I had called from my cell. They advices me to call a mechanic. Unable to do so as it was 9pm and not was mechanic shop was available I looked online. I ended up pulling the fuel relay switch and waited several minutes for it to finally die then I undid the negative battery cable. Tried again the next day and same thing happened. …
Stability & traction control
After driving and parking, the vehicle at the store. The vehicle constantly looses all power and will not start and there are no warning signs. Keys will lock in the ignition, remote start deprograms, the car has no power. Positive battery cable is extremely hot and second-degree burns are on hand when touched. Replaced battery, positive battery cable, and 1 week later the problem started again. No problem with the starter, alternator. No loose wires and there is no electrical shortage. Researched the problem on the internet and this appears to be a common problem with this type of vehicle. The battery will not charge from a jump. No power to the car and you are stranded for hours waiting for the positive battery cable to cool down. After hours of waiting the car starts up with no problem, but will do the same thing again when turned off. …
Initially the issue presented as occasional brake light outage. Soon after this became permanent. It also affects the reverse lights making it so that they're always on, even when the car isn't running. In addition, the interior lights (doors and overhead) are affected and no longer work. The backup camera had to be removed because the wiring burnt out. Also the sunroof has stopped working. Front right turn signal also stopped working. It was no longer safe to drive around mid-March 2019. I had to take it in to a auto electric specialist twice starting April 2019. After all this, it was diagnosed as needing a new harness and total rewire and a body control module and programming. Apparently this is a common issue with this vehicle and I was told I would be better off cutting my losses and starting over with a different car. Dates are approximate.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport a good car?
Based on 80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Captiva Sport rates avoid: 33.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Captiva Sport at the same age. It is one of the Captiva Sport years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport?
The electrical system — 46 complaints, 57% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition. Next are the engine & cooling (22) and stability & traction control (12).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, the most recent from June 28, 2012 (parking brake). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Captiva Sport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013 and 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012. See the full Chevrolet Captiva Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 76,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.