What breaks most · 2011 to 2015 model years
Chevrolet Captiva problems by year
Owners have filed 210 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Captiva across model years 2011 to 2015. Three years stand out: 2014 for electrical system complaints, 2013 for engine complaints and 2012 for electrical system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2014, 2013, 2012
- Complaints on file
- 2102011 to 2015, all trims
- Worst year
- 201474 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 85 fires · 13 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 1Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 61 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (41) | |
| 69 | 1 | 0 | Engine (28) | |
| 74 | 6 | 0 | Electrical system (26) | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Steering (2) |
What fails on the 2014 Chevrolet Captiva
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 35% |
26 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 23% |
17 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 18% |
13 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 14% |
10 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 9% |
7 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
5 | 2 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 7% |
5 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
3 | 1 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Several times the key will not come out of the ignition i have to take out of park and sometimes i restart several times before i can get the key out of the ignition
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Regarding plugged pcv orifice leading to rear crankshaft oil seal blowout. GM bulletin 14882 reports same issue, same engine, same year, under 100k miles on vehicle and GM refuses to cover the repair saying VIN not on file for repair. Seems as though vehicle should be covered under this recall as well.
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The e-brake comes on by its self while driving down road. Checked againest VIN and stated not on recall list but others have been recalled for same thing.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Captiva years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2014, 2013, 2012 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Captiva. The 2014 alone has 74 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Chevrolet Captiva problem?
On the 2014 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 26 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Captiva problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Captiva complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.