Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Captiva owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My Captiva did not want to start. The key was locked in the ignition. All the lights were off and there was no lights on the instrument panel. I disconnected the negative battery cable for a minute and then plugged it back on to the battery. When I went to open the door the horn started honking and all the lights came on. I deactivated the alarm with the remote on the key but accidently hit the lock button. I stated the vehicle and went to close the hood. But when I went to open the door the doors had locked and my vehicle was running. I had to break the window because my year old baby was in the car. My wife complained that the radio will some times turn off and the instrument lights will come on. One is the traction control need to be serviced and engine light will come on. Also the service light will turn on. Also the lights inside the vehicle will dim at times. …
I purchased the Captiva after my van was totaled, in feb 2017, problems started in April, car would die, everywhere, drs office, grocery store, driveways, library, restaurants, rain, snow, day or night. Could not take key out, gear froze in park, no electrical working at all, at 1st car would start after a while, then it would not, called aaa, no 1 could figure out what the problem was, I have spent $453.00 with no results, used up my free calls from aaa plus. Every mechanic had a different reason for the problem. Bought car at a carfax...they said they could do nothing....took car to Chevy dealer, they could do nothing as they had not sold that many captivas, would check it for $500.00. I wrote to Chevrolet to tell them of the problem, was told very nicely that it was my fault because I had not taken the car into a dealership sooner. …
While driving on interstate highway 40 in OK at 70 MPH the vehicle starting doing strange things. At first every time you enabled the turn signal it would disengage the cruise control. Approximately 45 minutes later the brake light came on and then a message appeared stating a fault with the traction control and then within a few more minutes the engine fault light came on, then the radio went off and the clock display went away. We pulled off the highway at a mcdonald's and when I turned the vehicle off I could not remove the key from the ignition. Everything electrical would not operate and the vehicle would not start. At this point we decided to have breakfast before calling a tow service. When we finished with breakfast we returned to the vehicle and it started. …
My Captiva has approx 40,000 miles on it, it randomly will not start, the first time this happened I called aaa, then while waiting for triple aaa, I tried it again and it turned on. It randomly happens and when I put the key in the ignition, I cannot get the key out and it gets stuck. This has happened multiple times. Also, the radio randomly doesn't work or, randomly all the stations are changed, the remote key opener doesn't work when all this is happening as well. In 2015 the ac was not working, it took three different repair shops to finally fix it, the battery has also been replaced. This morning the key got locked in, never returned to being able to start. …
While driving the car, the radio will shut off & all lights on radio will go out. After some time approx. 3 to 15 minutes the radio will come back on by itself. The air conditioner fan would be blowing on high and suddenly drop to a low setting and then come back on in a few about about 20 sec. These problems became simultaneous along with the emergency brake indicator light coming on, both the red & amber emergency indicator light. The dealership called me and said there were bulletins written on this problem. They told me the fix is a new alternator and all new battery cables all the way around, would fix the problem. The cost would be $990. I have just finished paying $776 for an air conditioning tensioner belt installation because the engine was shaking significantly and making loud noises. The entire front of the engine needed to be disassembled for access. …
The vehicle was turned on and we started driving and then car it acted like it was going to die out, and we shut the vehicle off and turned it back on again. Then after we were driving the car it stopped and locked up all the doors keys nothing worked as we were driving right in the middle of the intersection. The police and tow truck were called and the tow truck driver got the key out of the ignition and he got the vehicle to start again. Then we drove to a nearby gas station and it completely shut off again when we were entering the gas station while driving the vehicle. We only had the vehicle for 4 days until it did all this while driving. The tow truck driver took it back to the dealership where it came from. …
I have read several complaints about Chevy captivas online today as I was searching for an answer for why my car died on me twice while driving home this evening. Once was on a hill turning onto the road before my home and the second time was pulling into my apartment complex. If I was on the highway or there was a car coming over the hill I could have been injured in an accident. Lately the parking break and check engine lights have been coming on and going off, also I've had times when I'd go to start my vehicle it would act as if the battery was dead. The battery was replaced a year to year and a half ago so I don't suppose that's the problem. Also the dashboard lights often flicker. With all of the complaints on these problems I feel there is something really wrong with the Captiva and a recall should be issued to address the problems due to safety concerns. …
Have owned the car less than 1 year, it has 57000 on it.. Started with turning signal disengaging the cruise control. Then lights coming on the dash and the radio going off. Then having ignition chime coming on and the car slowing like it would stall. Door locks going up and down and the car feel like it would stall, it finally died in a parking lot. Could not remove the key form the ignition. Got to the dealer.. Changed a fuse box under the hood. . Two days later, it just stopped but I had electric to restart. Towed again. GM dealer was great at trying to fix this. Replaced a modual in the console of the car by shifting lever. Car was great for 3 days, then check engine light came on, went off, parking break light came on and radio went off.. Then battery light came on and was registering low voltage. …
Vehicle driven in high traffic area when without warning slowly lost all power and stalled in the middle of the street. Initial attempt to start vehicle failed. After several more attempts the vehicle started only to gradually lose power and stalled again. Able to roll vehicle off main street onto side street and called aaa. While waiting for aaa I disconnected both positive and negative battery cables waited 10 minutes and reconnected. Vehicle started but when moved it again lost power and stalled. Aaa arrived and the vehicle started and was driven onto the flatbed. The vehicle was towed to my home and when the operator attempted to drive the vehicle off the flat bed it would not start. After several attempts the operator was able to start and drive vehicle off the flat bed. We have not driven the car since we are unable to determine the cause of the problem. …
Problems started with radio going off. Then lights dimming when using the window switch. Then while using the turning signal, the cruse would shut off. Then driving at night the lights started flickering then seemed to turn off. The car seemed to loose power. The break light would come on then go off. The seat belt light and check engine. The warning bell that sounds while the key is in ignition would go off and messages would flash across the radio and the information on the dash would scroll with out you scrolling them. Today the car decelerated in a busy intersection and the car locks went up and down. On the way home, the car was dead and I could not remove the key. Called a tow, they jumped the car, it started. On the way to the repair garage, the car died in the road. Called for a second tow, but was able to start the car by hitting the external fuse box. …
Electrical complaints in other Captiva years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva, 66% of the model year's 65 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery › cables (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Captiva electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva. 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.