There are 10 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his daughter was operating the vehicle, there was a loud sound coming from the front driver’s side of the vehicle. Upon inspection it was discovered that the front driver’s side wheel spokes were cracked and damaged. The contact indicated that four of the five-wheel spokes were cracked and one had completely severed and the wheel needed to be replaced. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,160.
NO TRACTION, CAR SLID INTO ANOTHER CAR. NOT THE FIRST TIME LOST TRACTION, JUST COULDN'T CONTROL IT. TIRES ARE ONLY 1 YR AND 3 MONTHS OLD. HAVE PASSED 2 STATE INSPECTIONS. ABOUT OF TREAD STILL ON THEM. HAVE LOST TRACTION EVEN IN GOOD WEATHER. WHEN I COMMENTED TO SOMEONE AT FIRESTONE THAT I KEPT LOSING TRACTION THEY REPLIED THEY AREN'T GOOD TIRES.
FIXED SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL THE SERVICE TIRE MONITOR IS ON AS IF IT WAS THE TPMS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE FAULTY WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE TIRE INFORMATION WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,987. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.
A LEFT FRONT FLAT TIRE IN DECEMBER 2016 (FOUR TIRES BOUGHT NEW IN MAY 2016) WAS DISCOVERED TO NOT BE A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE, BUT THE FACTORY-INSTALLED, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT RIM WITH A SEAM CRACK. NOW TODAY IN JANUARY 2017, A FLAT TIRE ON THE RIGHT FRONT WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE RESULT OF A SECOND BAD RIM, AGAIN ONE OF THE FOUR FACTORY-INSTALLED ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT RIMS (TWO MORE TO GO?). IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE BOTH THE RIM AND THE VALVE STEM EACH TIME. RESEARCH IS SHOWING ANOTHER COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE OTHER REPORT HAVING HAD TO REPLACE THREE RIMS SO FAR. THIS DEFINITELY APPEARS TO BE A SUPPLIER/MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE PROBLEM WAS SHOWN TO ME AFTER THE RIM WITH THE TIRE ON IT HAD BEEN SUBMERGED IN WATER, AND BUBBLES FORMED AT THE DEFECTIVE AREA. UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT TAKE A PICTURE, NOT KNOWING ABOUT THIS WEBSITE UNTIL I GOT HOME AFTER THIS SECOND REPAIR/REPLACEMENT AND STARTED MY RESEARCH. MY ONLY DOCUMENTATION ARE MY TWO REPAIR BILLS, WHICH I CAN SEND IF NEEDED.
I PURCHASED NEW IN 2012. IT HAS 25,000 MILES AND NEVER BEEN ABUSED OR IN AN ACCIDENT. ALL FOUR TIRES FIRESTONE FR 710 P215 55R 17 HAVE EXTENSIVE CRACKING ON SIDEWALL WHERE THE TREAD BEGINS ON CIRCUMFERENCE AND THE TREADED PART APPEARS TO BE SEPARATING FROM THE SIDEWALL. DEALER SAYS THAT IS NORMAL AND WILL NOT OFFER ANY PRICE REDUCTION ON NEW TIRES. COMMON SENSE TELLS ME OTHERWISE.
CRACK IN THE WELD AT ONE OF THE SPOKES WHERE IT IS CONNECTED TO THE WHEEL. SO FAR 3 OF THE 4 WHEELS HAVE FAILED.
I HAVE HAD TWO RIM CRACK. THIS LEADS TO AIR PRESSURE LOSS. THE TIRE STORE THAT I GO. LES SCHWAB SAID THEY HAVE SEEN I ALREADY BOUGHT ONE NEW RIM. NOW I NEED ANOTHER ONE. I ASKED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEYHAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THESE WHEELS. I DON'T BELIEVE THEM. I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
THE PLASTIC-COVERED LUG NUTS ON MY 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU DO NOT STAY TIGHT AGAINST THE WHEELS. THE OEM LUG NUTS VIBRATE LOOSE AND NEED TO BE CHECKED PERIODICALLY (I.E., MONTHLY). LOOSE LUG NUTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. I WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT ALL-METAL LUG NUTS FOR THIS VEHICLE FROM A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. I SUGGEST THAT CHEVROLET REPLACE THE PLASTIC-COVERED LUG NUTS WITH ALL-METAL LUG NUTS AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMERS. *JS
WHILE DRIVING OUT OF PARKING GARAGE GOING MINIMAL SPEED, MY RIGHT REAR PASSENGER WHEEL DISLOCATED FROM MY VEHICLE. AFTER GETTING IT TO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND FURTHER INSPECTION, LOOKS LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY ASSEMBLED WITH ONLY 2 OF THE NEEDED 4 BOLTS ATTACHING THE WHEEL TO THE HUB OF THE CAR. THIS CAUSED STRAIN TO THE 2 BOLTS AND YOU CAN VISIBLY SEE STRESS CRACKS ON THE HUB WHERE THERE WERE PLACED. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026