U.S. public vehicle records

2012 Chevrolet CAPTIVA SPORT problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

80 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

76,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 56 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 45 of 80 complaints (56.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	29	36.3%
Braking behavior	10	12.5%
Steering behavior	10	12.5%
Transmission and shifting	7	8.8%
Engine operation	4	5.0%
Fuel system concerns	1	1.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Steering

Air Bags

Service Brakes

Exterior Lighting

Electrical System: 45; Engine: 22; Unknown Or Other: 15; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 12; Steering: 9; Air Bags: 5; Service Brakes: 5; Exterior Lighting: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 11; 75,000 to 99,999: 15; 100,000 to 149,999: 12; 150,000 and above: 2

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (15). 24 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2026

2013: 1; 2014: 4; 2015: 6; 2016: 6; 2017: 5; 2018: 8; 2019: 17; 2020: 16; 2021: 6; 2022: 3; 2023: 4; 2024: 2; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 29 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10578161 · 2014-04-08 (April 8, 2014)

I BOUGHT THE SUV IN DEC. 2013. SINCE THIS TIME THE CAR HAS FAILED TO START TWICE. EACH TIME I HAD THE BATTERY BOOST AND THE CAR STARTED. I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK INTO MUNDAY CHEVERLOT. CHEVY AUTO MECHANICS AND OTHERS HAVE SAID MY BATTERY IS GOOD AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. WHEN THE SUV DOES NOT START I CANNOT REMOVE THE KEY. I TRY TO START THE CARS AND NOTHING HAPPENS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I TRY TO REMOVE THE KEY AND I CANNOT. THE KEY SWITCH WILL NOT GO TO THE LOCK POSITION THEREFORE I CANNOT REMOVE THE KEY. THE REPRESENTATIVE…

Owner-reported narrative. 35,947 miles reported. Look up ODI 10578161 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10629880 · 2014-09-01 (September 1, 2014)

I HAD THE EXACT SAME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AS THE PREVIOUS PERSON. TWICE NOW, WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD FLASH, THE RADIO WOULD GO DEAD AND ALL KINDS OF LIGHTS ON THE DASH WOULD COME ON. CAR MADE IT TO THE HOUSE. COULD NOT TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER ABOUT 15 / 20 MINS, THE CAR WOULD START AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER BOTH TIMES, BUT THEY LOOKED AT ME AS IF I WERE CRAZY. THEY KEPT CAR FOR A WEEK AT A TIME AND COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THEY WERE AS STUMPED AS ME. GOOD TO HEA…

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10629880 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10663458 · 2014-12-10 (December 10, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA SPORT. THE CONTACTS STATED THAT WHEN THE CONTACT RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, THE WARNING LIGHTS FOR THE PARKING BRAKE, SERVICE PARKING BRAKE, ABS, AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. BOTH TIMES THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,862.

Owner-reported narrative. 23,862 miles reported. Look up ODI 10663458 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10778850 · 2015-09-30 (September 30, 2015)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10778850 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10821866 · 2016-01-23 (January 23, 2016)

KEY STICKS IN IGNITION AND WILL NOT COME OUT WHEN IN PARK. AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT EVEN SHUT OFF. IGNITION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. LESS THAN 3,000 MILES AND IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION UNLESS YOU RESTART THE CAR. HAVE MOVED THE SHIFTER AND STEERING WHEEL AND PUSHED THE KEY IN AS ADVISED BY DEALERSHIP. STILL NOT WORKING. ALSO, STABLITRACK AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE CAR TO JUMP AND BUCK. DEALERSHIP ADVISED TO TURN OFF TRACTION CONTROL, BUT WHILE THE LIGHTS ARE…

Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10821866 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10853020 · 2016-04-01 (April 1, 2016)

KEY STICKS IN IGNITION AND WILL NOT COME OUT WHEN IN PARK. AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT EVEN SHUT OFF. . KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION UNLESS YOU RESTART THE CAR. HAVE MOVED THE SHIFTER AND STEERING WHEEL AND PUSHED THE KEY IN AS ADVISED BY DEALERSHIP. STILL NO

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10853020 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10860406 · 2016-04-19 (April 19, 2016)

TAKATA RECALL-I BOUGHT MY 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA LS IN MARCH 2013. ON JUNE 20, THE CAR WENT ON A TRIP TO BRANSON, MO.WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE AC STARTED BLOWING DRY VAPOR FROM THE VENTS-NO COLD AIR. ALSO THE LIGHT FOR THE SHIFTING GEARS P,N,R &D WAS NOT WORKING. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP. NO PROB. FOUND. THEN ON JULY 6, 2014,THE CAR WENT TO WISCONSIN. I HAD THE CAR N SHOP ON JULY 2 BEFORE THE TRIP TO MAKE SURE THAT AC WAS WORKING GOOD. THEY SAID THAT THEY FOUND NO PROB. WHILE ON THE TRIP THE AC DID THE SAME THING-NO AC & THE PASSENGER…

Owner-reported narrative. 24,328 miles reported. Look up ODI 10860406 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11130502 · 2018-09-20 (September 20, 2018)

RADIO WOULD TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE LIGHT AND CHIMES, WOULD GO OFF, INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD DIM OUT VEHICLE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START, ENGINE LIGHT WOULD NOT STAY ON HOWEVER WAS ABLE TO GET AUTO STORE TO PULL CODES WHEN LIGHT WAS ON. TALKED TO DEALERSHIP ADVISED TO REPLACE BATTERY AND KEY FOB AS ONE CODE HAD TO DO WITH VEHICLE THINKING WRONG KEY WAS USED. REPLACED BATTERY AND KEY FOBS SEEMED TO BE OKAY FOR 2 MONTHS. THEN TODAY WHEN PUTTING WINDOW DOWN TO GET MAIL THE RADIO TURNED OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11130502 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11257333 · 2019-09-23 (September 23, 2019)

STALLED, SLOWED SPEED, STOPPED. WILL NOT RESTART

Owner-reported narrative. 124,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11257333 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11257338 · 2019-09-23 (September 23, 2019)

LOSS OF POWER DURING STEERING - STEERING NOT STABLE - STALL OF ENGINE WHEN TURNING A CURVE. CAUSED MINOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON INTERSTATE

Owner-reported narrative. 124,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11257338 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11207145 · 2019-05-13 (May 13, 2019)

MANY TIMES THIS CAR HAS JUST DIED WHILE DRIVING. OIL AND BATTERY ARE GOOD. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. THERE NOW SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH A FUEL PUMP OR SENSOR CAUSING THE CAR TO DIE. I AM TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC THIS WEEK. CURRENTLY NOT DRIVEABLE. I HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS CAR. GREAT LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT BEING A GENERAL MOTORS CAR, THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL ON THIS BY NOW. I WILL DO MY BEST TO FILE COMPLAINTS AND SUBMIT PROOF. NOT A DURABLE CAR.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11207145 at NHTSA ↗