2012 Chevrolet CAPTIVA
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2012 Chevrolet CAPTIVA has 100 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (43% of all complaints), specifically: car was driving fine went into a store came out keyless entry would not work, opened door with key and car would not start. called for a jump but before the person came the car started out of the blue. i never attempted to start the car again but had inadvertently left the switch to the on position. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.
100
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
1.3x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ELECTRICAL
43 complaints- • CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION
- • MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM WITH MY 2012 CHEVY CAPTIVA IS THE KEY WAS GETTING JAMMED IN IGNITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE IMMEDIATELY. THIS WENT ON FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS OR MORE. I TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPLACEMENT OF BRAKES ON 2/17/15. ON 2/18/15, LATER IN THE NIGHT, THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM IG
- • 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 S
“CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
16 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE KEY FAILED TO DISENGAGE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO WOULD SHUT OFF AND THE PARKING BREAK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AS TH
- • 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
- • THE CAR WILL NOT START, KEY IS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. WE HAVE JUMPED IT NUMEROUS TIMES AND FOR NO REASON THE CAR WILL NOT START AGAIN. THE BATTERY WAS GOOD, HAD IT CHECKED. 4TH TIME SINCE THE START OF 2016. RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO, POWER , I CAN'T EVEN GET THE INDOOR LIGHTS ON. IT IS GOING BACK
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE KEY FAILED TO DISENGAGE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO WOULD SHUT OFF AND THE PARKING BREAK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AS TH”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
9 complaints- • I GOT INTO MY CAR AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I DON'T RECALL IF I HAD PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION YET, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD "BOOM" SOUND LIKE THAT OF A EXPLOSION. I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT MY REAR WINDOW THERE WAS ABOUT A 1 FOOT WHOLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDOW IS SHATTERED WAITING TO CAVE IN. I
- • I WAS DRIVING, GOING AROUND 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY 684 TOWARDS WHITE PLAINS, NY. HEARD A VERY LOUD SOUND, RAISED MY EYES SLIGHTLY UPWARD TO THE RIGHT TO DISCOVER MY SUNROOF SHATTERED. SOME OF IT FELL INTO THE CAR LEAVING A HOLE . THE GLASS REMAINING, LOOKED AS THOUGH THERE WAS A PRESSURE BUILD UP I
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE EMERGENCY PARKING SIGNAL LIGHT WOULD SUDDENLY ILLUMINATE BEFORE THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER JIM LUPIENT CHEVROLET LOCATED IN BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA WHE
“I GOT INTO MY CAR AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I DON'T RECALL IF I HAD PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION YET, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD "BOOM" SOUND LIKE THAT OF A EXPLOSION. I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT MY REAR WINDOW THERE WAS ABOUT A 1 FOOT WHOLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDOW IS SHATTERED WAITING TO CAVE IN. I”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
8 complaints- • 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
- • I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY. IN MARCH THE RADIO STARTED GOING OFF AND ON SOMETIMES WHEN BLINKER IS TURNED ON SOMETIMES NOT. TRACTION LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO REASON. ONE DAY JUST STARTED ACTING LIKE BATTERY WAS GOING DEAD. TURNED IT OFF COULD NOT GET KEY OUT OF EGNITION. HAD IT TOLLED TO CHEVY SAID
- • 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 I
“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 ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
TRANSMISSION
5 complaints- • CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION
- • THIS CAR IS HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. DRIVING STEADY BETWEEN 30-45MPH THE TRANSMISSION WILL JERK LIKE THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS HAVING PROBLEMS. DURING SLOW SPEED DRIVING SUCH AS A TRAFFIC JAM < 20MPH THE CAR WILL JERK INTO GEARS. DURING SLOW SPEEDS OF ABOUT 10MPH IF I STEP ON THE GAS THE CAR LAGS
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIMES IN THE PAS
“CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 100 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ELECTRICAL: CAR WAS DRIVING FINE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT WORK, OPENED DOOR WITH KEY AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR A JUMP BUT BEFORE THE PERSON CAME THE CAR STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN BUT HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE KEY FAILED TO DISENGAGE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO WOULD SHUT OFF AND THE PARKING BREAK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AS TH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: I GOT INTO MY CAR AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I DON'T RECALL IF I HAD PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION YET, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD "BOOM" SOUND LIKE THAT OF A EXPLOSION. I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT MY REAR WINDOW THERE WAS ABOUT A 1 FOOT WHOLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDOW IS SHATTERED WAITING TO CAVE IN. I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Chevrolet CAPTIVA — Year Comparison
How does 2012 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 100
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 2
- Crash reports
- 0
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2012 Chevrolet CAPTIVA