2012 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems
Owners have filed 191 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 103,794 miles. The words owners use most often: “service esc” (18% of reports).
- 191steering complaints
- 103,794median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Service ESC: mentioned in 34 of 191 complaints (18%)
- Traction control: mentioned in 15 of 191 complaints (8%)
- Lost power steering: mentioned in 13 of 191 complaints (7%)
- Wheel became: mentioned in 10 of 191 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 141 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 191 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 5 | 7% | 54,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 29,901 |
| 2021 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 16 | 8% | 61,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 2 | 1% | 48,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 42 | 6% | 15,484 |
| 2017 Malibu | 47 | 7% | 65,782 |
| 2016 Malibu | 42 | 5% | 51,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 9 | 3% | 71,500 |
| 2014 Malibu | 26 | 7% | 36,731 |
| 2013 Malibu | 181 | 22% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 191 | 21% | 103,794 |
| 2011 Malibu | 214 | 22% | 89,500 |
| 2010 Malibu | 454 | 33% | 100,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 768 | 51% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 460 | 47% | 83,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 667 | 68% | 105,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 811 | 73% | 85,142 |
| 2005 Malibu | 506 | 52% | 91,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 798 | 70% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 21 | 4% | 67,623 |
| 2002 Malibu | 13 | 2% | 92,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 41 | 6% | 94,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 45 | 5% | 108,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 37 | 5% | 68,500 |
| 1998 Malibu | 74 | 8% | 82,500 |
| 1997 Malibu | 80 | 18% | 82,827 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On March 4, 2026, my wife was driving the vehicle when she suddenly lost power steering. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, creating a dangerous situation that could have resulted in serious injury. She was able to safely pull over and contact me. I carefully drove the vehicle…
i was driving and the steering wheel locked, the whole steering column has to be replaced it brought up a code saying torque input sensor i've only put 10,000 miles on this car and have only had it for 11 months
The âservice ESCâ light came on while I was driving on the freeway causing the steering wheel to lock up and I couldnât turn the wheel. It was really stiff after it said âService ESCâ and âESC Offâ
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Malibus have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 191 owner complaints about steering for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu (21% of the 907 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 103,794 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “service esc”, in 34 of 191 complaints, followed by “traction control” (15).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Malibu problems or steering problems across all Malibu years.