2012 Chevrolet Malibu seats problems

Filed Aug 31, 2026 · Seats · NC

Car has 161,848 miles and the seat frame broke on the drivers side of my 2012 Chevy Malibu. It had a slight tilt to the right. It was taken to the Chevrolet Dealership and they inspected and verified that the frame welding was broken. I have a video from the service tech showing the broken frame. I took a screen shot of the video and attached it to this incident repot. I would be happy to share the video but it won't allow me to share on this page. I asked the dealership if there was any recall because I find it hard to believe that a seat frame would just break. I have gone online and read that multiple people have had this issue however, Chevrolet has done nothing about it. A few people have at least gotten somewhat of a compensation for having to replace something that should last the life of the vehicle. I was not one of them. I had to pay over a thousand dollars for a USED frame and labor. What is to keep this frame from cracking too? I think Chevrolet should do better.

Filed Dec 31, 2024 · Airbags, Engine · SC

The catalytic converter and exhaust manifold are suspected to be malfunctioning. These components are part of the vehicle’s exhaust system, and their failure is believed to be contributing to hesitation and skipping during operation. Both components are available for inspection upon request. The hesitation and skipping reduce the vehicle’s responsiveness, creating a safety risk in traffic. This issue could hinder safe merging, overtaking, or maintaining consistent speeds. Additionally, malfunctioning exhaust components may lead to increased emissions and pose a risk of toxic gases entering the cabin if leaks are present. Check engine light displays. The problem has been confirmed by a professional auto mechanic during their inspection and diagnosis. The components have been inspected and diagnosed by an independent service center (the auto mechanic). They have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps or error messages were displayed on the dashboard prior to the diagnosis. The symptoms, including hesitation and skipping, began approximately [insert timeline, e.g., two weeks ago] and have been recurring during normal driving, particularly during acceleration or at lower speeds.

Filed Mar 15, 2023 · Seats · AZ

Driver seat frame bar broke. Is weld and the weld broke when I was on the road. Safety concern when I turn left or right driver seat moves a lot. I can’t drive my malibu like that, Im putting myself in risk and other drivers. First time happens to me this kind of situation. I had other oldest vehicles and driver seat never broke. Not good for a 2012 malibu with a broken frame bar driver seat. GM should fix this problem that comes from manufacure. I did a research about this and Im not alone there is a lot of people complaining about this safety concern issue that chevy malibus from 2009 and 2012 had and dealers dont want to pay attention to this problem.

Filed Aug 17, 2021 · Seats · OH

Driver side seat is broken and the frame is cracked on the right side which makes it lean towards the middle console. Which causes my seat to be crooked and definitely feels unsafe and worries me that the airbags may not deploy if ever in an accident.

Filed Aug 3, 2021 · Seats · CA

The driver side seat bottom portion left side caved in it says if the webbing underneath the seat that holds it up it broke and I just wanted to see if it was cause do the recall that was fixed on it or what not because I did read other complaints with the exact same issue I just want to know if there is a investigation or a way to be fixed

Filed Jan 13, 2021 · Seats · 15 miles · WV · crash

I hit a deer on the drive side and seat broke. It moves when I sit it it and the insurance won't but to have it fix because they state it is a problem that the malibu's have.

Filed Dec 29, 2020 · Seats · 73,000 miles · TX

The weld on the drivers side seat has broken making the seat unstable. I was getting into the car and heard it snap then fall toward the middle of the car. This is a safety issue and gm needs to take care of the problem and not charge people $1000+ to fix it. The car has never been in a major accident, only a minor rear end collision that did minimal damage to the rear bumper.

Filed Aug 1, 2020 · Seats · NY

There was a recall on the seat belt assembly for my car in 2019 and I took it to davidson chevrolet in watertown ny. They fixed the recall and mentioned it could affect the seat assembly. Shortly after I got a postcard regarding the seat. A few days later my seat no longer moves back or forth. I tried calling and they said it was a fuse and they had to order it. I kept calling every few weeks and they wouldn't give me an answer or call me back. I finally got ahold of someone and went into the shop thursday july 30, 2020 to get the fuse in. They later came out and said it was because my lever broke, however my lever was not broke when I brought my car in. It looks like it is a clean cut. Then they turned around and said that it was the buckle assembly and proceeded to tell me to go to the junkyard to replace my seat and then I can pay them to install it. I feel as though I should not have to pay for it as it was originally from the recall. I also feel like I shouldn't have to go to the junkyard when they should be fixing it.

Filed Nov 11, 2019 · Seats · 154,336 miles · CA

Driver seat weld broke at the rigjt rear and left front without being in an accident. I was sitting in the seat and went to adjust it and it broke on the way up, then the left side on the way down. I have seem on the internet that there are several complaints to gm and nearly all are denied to be repaired at dealers cost. This is a safety issue that should be looked at asap.

Filed Sep 13, 2019 · Lights, Seats · 80,000 miles · IL

Passenger low beam headlight keeps failing every couple of months this is a big problem with all chevy malibus. Driver seat back breaks and causes the seat to be unsafe.