2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2012 vehicle, but with only 135 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is electrical system (46 complaints), typically at 7.5 yr or about 76,000 miles.

Complaints: 135
Median age at failure: 7.6 yr
Median mileage: 80,000 n=90
Crash / fire / tow: 6.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

12V301000 2012-06-28

Parking brake

GENERAL MOTORS LLC (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA SPORT PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 26, 2012, THROUGH MAY 17, 2012. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE PARK BRAKE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, "LIGHT VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEMS." THE PARK BRAKE CABLE MAY NOT BE FULLY SEATED IN ITS CONNECTOR AND MAY SEPARATE FROM THE CONNECTOR. IF THIS OCCURS, THE PARK BRAKE WILL BECOME INOPERATIVE AND WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE.

IF THE VEHICLE IS ON AN UNEVEN SURFACE, THIS COULD RESULT IN UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND A CRASH.

11V591000 2011-12-19

Steering:hydraulic power assist:power steering fluid

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2, 2009, THROUGH APRIL 21, 2011. DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN MANUAL MODE AND IN FIRST GEAR CAUSES THE ENGINE AND POWER STEERING PUMP TO OPERATE AT HIGHER SPEED THAN IS TYPICAL. INCREASED PUMP SPEED GENERATES HEAT THAT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND CAN RESULT IN POWER STEERING FLUID TEMPERATURES THAT APPROACH THE POWER STEERING PUMP RESERVOIRS MELTING POINT.

AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ELEVATED FLUID TEMPERATURES, THE RESERVOIR MAY LEAK. LEAKING FLUID, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY RESULT IN A FIRE.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 49,150 mi 3.7 yr in service

MY 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA SPORT 2LS IGNITION SWITCH IS FAULTY. THE KEY IS NOT REMOVABLE FROM IGNITION TO TURN VEHICAL OFF, IT STOPS IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION. SAFTY CONCERN IS THAT THE VEHICLE COULD POSSIBLY BECOME DISABLED NOT ALLOWING RESTART OF ENGINE OR INABILITY FOR THE KEY TO BE REMOVED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE SHIFTED FORM PARK INTO GEAR. IT WOULD ALSO DRAIN THE POWER FROM THE BATTERY NOT ALLOWING IT TO BE RESTARTED. DEALERSHIP IS STATING THAT THERE WAS TO MUCH WEIGHT ON THE KEY RING, ONLY THE FACTORY KEY FOB IS ON THE KEY RING.

Electrical system 68,000 mi 3.7 yr in service

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. IT STAYED ON FOR 8 MILES THEN SWITCHED OFF. I WAS DOING APPROX 68 MPH WHEN IT CAME ON, TURNED OFF WHEN I SLOWED DOWN AT 50 FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION. HAD JUST PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE DEALER THAT MORNING AFTER HAVING A REAR AXLE BOOT/SHAFT SOMETHING LIKE THAT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.

Electrical system 38,000 mi 3.6 yr in service

INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUES WHILE IN MOTION OR AT STOPPED-WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL, CRUISE CONTROL, AND BRAKES THE ELECTRICAL PANEL (INCLUDING RADIO, DASH LIGHTS, AND SIGNALS TURN OFF FOR 3-5 SECONDS. AFTER TAKING THE CAPTIVA TO A CHEVROLET GARAGE, THEY SUSPECT THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLES ARE TO BLAME DUE TO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE TYPE. I HAVE NOT YET PROCEEDED WITH REPAIRS AT THIS TIME. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE APPROXIMATELY APRIL 2015.

Other 93,053 mi 6.8 yr in service

KEY GETS STUCK AND WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND GO .IF YOU CAN GET CAR TO TURN OFF IT WON'TSTART BACK UP.

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

How to read this