Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Engine light came on lost compressions. Engine wouldn't turn off. Steering was loose like we were on water. Traction control and stabilitrac were disabled and unable to turn bsvjninuiHas to press breaks to the floor. If I was going any faster I could have lost control. The repair shop replaced the fuse box and Bcm not even 3 miles engine light came back on and it misfires, pistons problems, compression. I called the dealership I bought it from and they state it's safe!
Vehicle has a know oil useage problem. Have to check to make sure it is not low between oil changes. In the past I had it start to cut out if I was sitting at a stop light & had to put my foot on the brake & the gas pedal to keep it from quitting. Only happened occasionally & never gave it more thought till about a month ago. Was sitting in my car while it was idling and it just quit. Started it back up & it did it again. Thank goodness I was sitting in a driveway not on a highway. It drove terrible on the way home. Sputtered at every stop sign. Got it home a mile away and parked it. I was lucky to get home because it had started to leak oil just before my driveway so you could see it on the road. I lost the rest of the oil in my driveway! …
Transitioning from low beam to high beam would cause radio and associated controls/display to go out completely. Fix parking break and onboard emissions control sensor light would go on/off intermittently over the course of several weeks, sometimes flickering and other times staying on for a few hours. Drove car 1.5 hrs and turned off for 1/2 hr, when came back it was completely dead and key stuck in ignition. Few min later it started. When brought to dealership they said there were 18 error codes and 1 was for ECM and 1 for BCM. They replaced both. Car was 100% fine for 6 days. Then, cruise control would turn off when a call came in over Bluetooth, radio and associated controls and display would go out completely when using turn signal. Various dash panel lights would come on signifying repairs needed. …
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. …
1. After driving to any locations, for example, grocery stores, train station parking lot in my neighborhood, the key would not come out of the ignition, but shut down the engine. Then after 15-30 minutes, there is always a click, and once I turned the key , it starts the car suddenly. This has occurred twice the past few months, and my chevyl dealership had worked on this issue. Yet, it has started curring again the past 2 days 07/19/2020, after they worked on it since12/04/2019. 2. There is also a jump surge when slowing down to stop when traffic is moving slowly, and as I tried to drive forward or when turning from a stop sign.
Tl* the contact owns 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport. The contact stated that the steering wheel vibrated abnormally whenever the vehicle exceeded 60 MPH. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated constantly. Stew hansen Hyundai (11344 hickman rd, clive, ia 50325, [phone]) was contacted and stated that the steering wheel sensor module needed to be replaced at a cost of $1,000. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the dealer on four other occasions where the camshaft was also replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport. While driving 5 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle seized. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to mobile Chevrolet (located at 2900 government blvd, mobile, al 36606, [phone]), but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the engine was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 70,000.
While driving - or even sitting still - radio and clock will shut off, "service stabilitrack light" illuminates on dash with the message showing on the message center dash display. After 5 seconds or so, it disappears; however occurs often but no consistent (sometimes none at all, some times 4 or so times in a 20mi drive). Battery and alternator are brand new (alternator has been replaced twice in 12 months). Vehicle is owned outright and has 142,000+ miles.
Engine complaints in other Captiva Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, 28% of the model year's 80 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.