2012 Chevrolet Captiva: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
145 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 145 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 10.36
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I bought my car used a year ago. I had this same issue about 8 months ago for a short time but now it keeps happening everything I turn my ignition key off. My key won't come out it gets stuck on the ACC, I think that's what it's called, its been about 7 or 8 weeks now but its getting worse. And when I was trying to turn my car off and get my key out my car started roll backwards, this has happened 2 times in the las…
My shifter doesn't recognize that its in park and won't let me remove my keys. It gets stuck on ACC and I can't turn my key/ignition to the off position. And for the 3rd time it's like popped outta gear. I bought it used. This started 2 months ago but for the 10 days its continually gotten worse. 8 outta 10 times I go to put it in park and I can't get key out. I haven't had it inspected or looked or anything else …
The component that has failed has been the transmission and the AC. My safety was at risk because the car wouldn’t drive forward whilst on the road. It has been confirmed by independent service. Yes the problem has been inspected by representatives. There was a warning that was said “Check transmission engine”
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 18 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,400
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System89 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine38 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other23 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc)20 complaints · typical job: Yaw sensor or ESC module replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$660–$1,560
- Steering12 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Power Train9 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Chevrolet Captiva years
Chevrolet Captiva years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (89 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 84/100, computed from 145 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva's most common problem?
89 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva cost to run per year?
About $6,016 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $30,082 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other fullsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 145 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 145 NHTSA complaints on record (10.4/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (9.3/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems