Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Passenger and or driver side low beam headlight continues to go out. Mechanic has found connector keeps burning out the socket. Light is burnt out on bott sides. but connector is shorting out. Fire and safety issue. This issue is on a lot of chevrolet malibus and needs a recall initiated to correct these issues. I keep getting pulled over due to need to us high beams and not having low beams. This is reoccurring and getting expensive to be done over and over.
I purchased the vehicle in 2021 . It was running fine at first but recently . been having alot of issues with the vehicle. When parking the vehicle and you put it in park it moves forward . also been having alot of tire blow outs one after another for the past 8 months . also sometimes it drives proper and at times it starts swerving . the ride gets bumpy. I already replaced the arm controls also aligned the car . i believe there mechanically defaulted. Also having issues with the exhaust . fuel sensor also was replaced . Codes P0411 keep popping up. Literally I have put more money then I paid for the car. financially has drained me. When called the manufacturer about recalls they said those recalls were expired . The car has become somewhat dangerous. Also I believe When purchased the vehicle the emissions says 2013 on the bill of sale says 2012 . I just recently found the documents . …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was a burning odor coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the rear defrosted failed to function. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuses and noticed sparks. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who replaced the fuse or junction box. In addition, the contact stated that while driving during inclement weather conditions, the windshield wipers failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the windshield wiper transmission was replaced. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V269000 (seat belts) and was unable to determine when the part would become available for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000. ...updated 02/19/16 updated 10/25/2017
Parked in an intersection old hwy us 301 ocala florida wheels turned left which was dark and poorly lit by the city. No orange lights onto a major thin 2 lane intersection. The vehicle was braked during the left turn south position. The front hood in the middle of north bound lane front bumper and plate were in the highway dividing line. Up to the rear driverside passenger door at the joint of the side street and highway outside line. A bicyclist struck the vehicle his light was thrown into the intersection. He is bleeding hes on the ground. Another female is helping him. The mirror of the vehicle driverside torn off and the front winshield shattered above driverside top. Thrown by impact from his bicycle to the Malibu his backpack on the ground. Hes ambulatory transported sheriffs responded fhp came out
The vehicle was being driven at the speed limit when the tire popped. The impact was as much as a front end collision; the windshield cracked along with the passenger side of the bumper and the wheel was bent. A mechanic said that because the seat belts locked the impact was great enough where the airbags should have gone off, but they did not.
Pulling out of a parking space, all of a sudden my steering wheel does a quick jerk, my traction light luminates and then service ESC comes up on the display and then power steering shows on the display and at that point iost power steering assist and at this point I could not turn the wheel at all, I had no control over the car at this point. I put the car in park, turned it off for several minutes and then turned it back on and power steering was back. This is unexceptable...what if I had been on the free way going 70 miles per hour and lost power steering. This very issue was a recall on the recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu(s) and obviously it is still an issue with the 2012 model. I have had no issues with steering prior to ths day it happened 10/30/16 and no warring power steering assist was going to fail. Fix it once and for all GM. …
I have had issues with my windshield wipers for over a year. The linkage between the arm that moves the wipers and the motor will not stay connected. My first arm failure was due to a rubber bushing deteriorating. During a heavy rainstorm in nov. 2016, the wipers just stopped working completely and I had to be towed home. The second arm I purchased will not stay connected on the driver's side wiper, rendering my system useless. I am able to use my wipers about a dozen times before the arm has to be reconnected. After having it fixed 5+ times prior, they stopped working again this morning. I was in my driveway trying to simply wash my windshield before leaving for work. The system is poorly put together and will not stay connected. It seems to be held together by only tension with gravity working against it. This is extremely dangerous and I don't know how they can get away with it! …
2012 Chevy Malibu, windshield wiper transmission I was driving on the highway today, during a rainstorm, when the wipers failed to operate while driving 70 MPH on mi 696. I was on a 4 lane highway and could not see at all do to the failed wiper transmission bushing. This not only put myself in danger but other drivers as well. I could not see at all and caused many other drivers to swerve out of their lanes at 70 MPH. Plastic bushings are used on the wiper transmission (linkage) which has been a commonly reported event. This is a design flaw which is causing the wipers to fail, making visibility during inclement weather impossible. This is a safety hazard. GM only offers a replacement wiper transmission with the same plastic bushings that keep failing. This is a design flaw that would have a minimal cost if they used metal bushings. …
While driving in snow on 12/23/17, my wipers quit working. The snow was large flakes that turned to water when they hit the windshield, so it was like rain. I was on the ohio turnpike, so rate of speed was fast. I was able to pull over to the shoulder. I couldn't get the wipers to work, so I had to call a tow truck. It was unsafe to drive. After the snow stopped, I was able to complete my journey. I then had the wipers repaired. The wiper transmission failed. I believe this is a safety issue because the wipers can quit at anytime. Additionally I looked online and other Malibu owners have had the same problem. (in fact the tow truck driver said he had towed a Malibu owner 2 weeks earlier with the same problem.) I have never had my wipers fail with any other car I ever owned, and I asked others (non-Malibu owners) if their wipers ever failed, and everyone I talked to said no. …
I was driving on the ohio turnpike in a wet snow, and my wipers quit working. So I pulled to the shoulder to try to get them to start up again and they would not. So I had to call a tow company because it was unsafe to drive, and was towed to a truck stop. I waited till the snow stopped, and I checked the weather radar on my phone to make certain that it was safe to drive to my final destination. I took it to get repaired. The wiper motor/transmission quit working. Chevy has refused to reimburse me for the tow cost and the repair cost. This is a safety issue, because I couldn't see to drive in the snow. The same would've happened had it been raining. I reported this in January, but I believe it is worth reporting again. I have never had wipers quit on me. And I've been told it has happened to other Malibu owners.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 3% of the model year's 907 complaints. The component named most often is glass, side/rear (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Malibu window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 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 Malibu window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.