Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
1G1ZC5E0XCF••••••2012 Chevrolet MALIBU
This build draws 4.8× more complaints than the average 2012 Chevrolet MALIBU build (31 vs 6).
31on this build
817on the model
127builds in total
4involved a crash
1involved a fire
Most reportedElectrical System 10Air Bags 7Service Brakes 5Electronic Stability Control (esc) 5
What owners of this build wrote
Service BrakescrashFeb 2018
The contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. While driving 30 mph, the brake pedal was applied, but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal traveled to the floorboard without warning. The contact crashed into the rear of a nissan titan. The air bags did not deploy. There…
Air BagscrashMay 2015
While driving a person slammed on brakes in front of me and I too hit mine. I did not feel the antilock while braking and after impacting with the car in front of me the airbags were not released. For as hard as we hit and for as much damage happened the police were surprised…
Electrical SystemfireDec 2014
The contact owns a 2012 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that there was a burning odor coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the rear defrosted failed to function. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuses and noticed…
SteeringJun 2024
As I was driving my vehicle last Sunday the "Power Steering and the Service ESC" warnings came on my dashboard as well as the "Traction Control light" I audible sound came on and I lost power steering. When I went to drive my car to my service station everything worked fine for…
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Nov 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH in the middle lane, she inadvertently lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle turned all the way to the left and to the left lane. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but it…
Read all 31 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 127 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
Loading owner complaints…
PRO
Upgrade to Pro
You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.
Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 1G1ZC5E0XCF197614 · decoded Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.