Owners have filed 23 complaints
about the 2015 Chevrolet Captiva with NHTSA between 2016 and 2026.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 3 of 4 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 10
Against the median year of the Chevrolet Captiva. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
30.4% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 0
0% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2015 compares with every other Chevrolet Captiva
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2015 Chevrolet Captiva
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Electrical System
521.7%
Median failure at 72,462 miles
Engine & Cooling
417.4%
Median failure at 75,500 miles
Other & Unspecified
313.0%
Median failure at 69,820 miles
Acceleration & Cruise Control
28.7%
Median failure at 60,000 miles
Steering
28.7%
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 44,000 mi
Airbags
28.7%
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 44,000 mi
Transmission & Drivetrain
28.7%
Median failure at 60,000 miles
Stability & Traction Control
14.3%
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 44,000 mi
Fuel & Propulsion
14.3%
Median failure at 91,000 miles
Body & Structure
14.3%
Median failure at 54,000 miles
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
25,000 – 49,999 miles
325.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
650.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
325.0%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Oct 2016peak 3Jan 2026
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 44,000 milesBeaverton, ORCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD, THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE ,UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE DITCH WITH TOTAL DAMAGE TO CAR AND INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA complaint #11181410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 44,000 milesBeaverton, ORCrash1 injured
STEERING
WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD, THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE ,UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE DITCH WITH TOTAL DAMAGE TO CAR AND INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA complaint #11181410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 44,000 milesBeaverton, ORCrash1 injured
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD, THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE ,UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE DITCH WITH TOTAL DAMAGE TO CAR AND INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA complaint #11181410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ST Louis, MO1 injured
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. WHILE TURNING AT A CERTAIN ANGLE, THE METAL PART OF THE STEERING WHEEL INJURED THE CONTACT'S HAND. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10913727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Clayton, GA
POWER TRAIN
My car was functioning normally. But on or about Jan 7, I was simply moving the car to another parking area in my driveway. The car stopped and would not restart. It was towed to a local dealer. I was told the problem was a drive chain, resulting in a repair that could cost thousands. Now the car rests in my yard with a future as a flower pot. There had been no warning of trouble, no smell, no sound etc. It the car had been at speed on a highway this could have been catastrophic to me and other motorists. I spent thousands to buy this car and now it is gone. My insurance refused a claim, citing the engine failure. What options do I have? I am 77 years old.
NHTSA complaint #11714712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clayton, GA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car was functioning normally. But on or about Jan 7, I was simply moving the car to another parking area in my driveway. The car stopped and would not restart. It was towed to a local dealer. I was told the problem was a drive chain, resulting in a repair that could cost thousands. Now the car rests in my yard with a future as a flower pot. There had been no warning of trouble, no smell, no sound etc. It the car had been at speed on a highway this could have been catastrophic to me and other motorists. I spent thousands to buy this car and now it is gone. My insurance refused a claim, citing the engine failure. What options do I have? I am 77 years old.
NHTSA complaint #11714712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clayton, GA
ENGINE
My car was functioning normally. But on or about Jan 7, I was simply moving the car to another parking area in my driveway. The car stopped and would not restart. It was towed to a local dealer. I was told the problem was a drive chain, resulting in a repair that could cost thousands. Now the car rests in my yard with a future as a flower pot. There had been no warning of trouble, no smell, no sound etc. It the car had been at speed on a highway this could have been catastrophic to me and other motorists. I spent thousands to buy this car and now it is gone. My insurance refused a claim, citing the engine failure. What options do I have? I am 77 years old.
NHTSA complaint #11714712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wichita, KS
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The Chevy Captiva I have has been in multiple shops and NOBODY knows why it randomly has electrical problems and all the locks go on and off while driving and the RPM speeds up and slows down all by itself. The engine and transmission has been replaced among other things in the vehicle. This is a hazard to myself and anybody on the road. It has been to multiple mechanics in my city and not one person can figure out why the car does this. The engine misfires while driving and I’ve almost been in multiple wrecks because the car genuinely has a mind of its own! How many more times does this need to happen before a serious accident. This vehicle needs to be recalled before a serious accident happens at only the fault of a vehicle that should have been recalled years ago!
NHTSA complaint #11644946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wichita, KS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Chevy Captiva I have has been in multiple shops and NOBODY knows why it randomly has electrical problems and all the locks go on and off while driving and the RPM speeds up and slows down all by itself. The engine and transmission has been replaced among other things in the vehicle. This is a hazard to myself and anybody on the road. It has been to multiple mechanics in my city and not one person can figure out why the car does this. The engine misfires while driving and I’ve almost been in multiple wrecks because the car genuinely has a mind of its own! How many more times does this need to happen before a serious accident. This vehicle needs to be recalled before a serious accident happens at only the fault of a vehicle that should have been recalled years ago!
NHTSA complaint #11644946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wichita, KS
ENGINE
The Chevy Captiva I have has been in multiple shops and NOBODY knows why it randomly has electrical problems and all the locks go on and off while driving and the RPM speeds up and slows down all by itself. The engine and transmission has been replaced among other things in the vehicle. This is a hazard to myself and anybody on the road. It has been to multiple mechanics in my city and not one person can figure out why the car does this. The engine misfires while driving and I’ve almost been in multiple wrecks because the car genuinely has a mind of its own! How many more times does this need to happen before a serious accident. This vehicle needs to be recalled before a serious accident happens at only the fault of a vehicle that should have been recalled years ago!
NHTSA complaint #11644946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Murfreesboro, NC
AIR BAGS
The service airbag light came on.
NHTSA complaint #11614731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Macomb, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Around July or August 2020 I started having problems with not being able to hear the turn signal when I used it. The lights for the radio display would randomly dim or randomly return to full strength depending on whether I hit a bump on the road. There was also a "frying eggs" sound after I turned off the ignition. When I took the 2015 Captiva to Yemm Auto Group in Galesburg, IL, they said they could not replicate the problem and could not locate any additional electrical issues. When I took it in to Billion Auto in Iowa City, IA, they also said they could not replicate the problem and could not locate any additional electrical issues. Since then I took it to an independent auto repair shop (Car Care Center, Macomb, IL). While they were able to replace the battery cables and the turn signal sound has not disappeared since then, I am still having issues with the random radio display dimming and "frying eggs" sound. I asked Yemm and Billion Auto if I needed to replace the car radio to solve the problem. They discouraged me from doing so because car radios for this vehicle are difficult to find and expensive. I was past the initial 5-year warranty for the vehicle, but I didn't understand why a replacement care radio should be so difficult to find. Anyway, this concerns me because it suggests 1) 2015 Captiva radios have been replaced frequently due to faulty manufacturing, and that's why I was being discouraged from seeking out a replacement and 2) with the turn signal sound coming out of the radio speaker, a driver is not going to know if s/he accidentally left a signal on for too long or not long enough while driving, increasing the possibility of vehicle accidents and/or fatalities. If a turn signal is going to come out of the radio speakers for a particular vehicle model, and a company should find consistent problems with radio speakers on a particular vehicle model, shouldn't the company recall the radios for safety? Sorry, don't have my service receipts any more.
NHTSA complaint #11567488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Belvidere, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled in the middle of the road without warning. The driver could not get out of the vehicle due to a vehicle not having power. The police department was contacted and a tow truck was sent to the scene. The tow driver was able to unlock a door and the driver was able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the battery terminal had defective and needed to be replaced. The terminal cable was replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the vehicle. The failure mileage was not available. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11453649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wixom, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Periodically when driving, there will be an electrical issue involving various electrical components as follows: Service Traction Control warning message, radio goes out, dashboard warning lights flash on/off suddenly. Also, the car will appear completely dead/unresponsive can cannot be started. The key will get stuck in the ignition. This is currently the situation. These occurances can happen 3 to 5 times per week. We cannot identify a particular set of circumstances that creates the situation. It seems to happen randomly. Other owners of the Chevy Captiva have reported having similar problems. To fix the problem, I have separately had the Body Control Module replaced, replaced the battery and had a grounding wire replaced. The problem remains unresolved. Since this appears to be a common issue with the Chevy Captiva, I would like GM to investigate and propose a solution. I am willing to pay for the solution, but we (owners, dealers and repair shops) need to know how to repair the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11431527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 79,640 milesWaynesville, OH
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION.
NHTSA complaint #11414454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 91,000 milesHouston, TX
ENGINE
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE IT'LL MAKE A ROUGH SOUND AND THE ENGINE WILL CUT OFF. O HAVE TO TURN ON THE IGNITION TWICE BEFORE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAS POOR POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. I'VE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
NHTSA complaint #11364601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 91,000 milesHouston, TX
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE IT'LL MAKE A ROUGH SOUND AND THE ENGINE WILL CUT OFF. O HAVE TO TURN ON THE IGNITION TWICE BEFORE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAS POOR POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. I'VE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
NHTSA complaint #11364601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesGreenfield, IN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE AND CONSISTANY WHEN DRIVING THE AC COMPRESSOR STARTS TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE AND CLUTCH WILL ACTUALLY RUN BACKWARDS. IF IT BUSTS A BELT AND CAUSES THE STEARING TO STOP WORKING TO TO CAR SHUTTING DOWN WILL CAUSE MAJOR INJURIES OR DEATH. IHAVE BEEN WORKING ON CARS FAR ALMOST 20 YEARS.
NHTSA complaint #11210232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 44,000 milesBeaverton, ORCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD, THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE ,UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE DITCH WITH TOTAL DAMAGE TO CAR AND INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA complaint #11181410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 44,000 milesBeaverton, ORCrash1 injured
STEERING
WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD, THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE ,UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE DITCH WITH TOTAL DAMAGE TO CAR AND INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA complaint #11181410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 44,000 milesBeaverton, ORCrash1 injured
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD, THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE ,UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND RAN INTO THE DITCH WITH TOTAL DAMAGE TO CAR AND INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA complaint #11181410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesAguanga, CA
POWER TRAIN
CAPTIVA WILL STUTTER AND STALL UP CURVED HILLS AT 2000RPM IN DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED PLACES. WILL NOT THROW A CODE!!! IN ECO MODE AND AUTOMATIC DURING THE INCIDENTS. TOOK OUT OF ECO MODE AND RAISED TO 3000RPM TO PULL UP THE HILL. GAUGES FLAT LINED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE INCIDENTS.
NHTSA complaint #11123915 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesAguanga, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CAPTIVA WILL STUTTER AND STALL UP CURVED HILLS AT 2000RPM IN DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED PLACES. WILL NOT THROW A CODE!!! IN ECO MODE AND AUTOMATIC DURING THE INCIDENTS. TOOK OUT OF ECO MODE AND RAISED TO 3000RPM TO PULL UP THE HILL. GAUGES FLAT LINED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE INCIDENTS.
NHTSA complaint #11123915 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesAguanga, CA
ENGINE
CAPTIVA WILL STUTTER AND STALL UP CURVED HILLS AT 2000RPM IN DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED PLACES. WILL NOT THROW A CODE!!! IN ECO MODE AND AUTOMATIC DURING THE INCIDENTS. TOOK OUT OF ECO MODE AND RAISED TO 3000RPM TO PULL UP THE HILL. GAUGES FLAT LINED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE INCIDENTS.
NHTSA complaint #11123915 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 54,000 milesMoncks Corner, SC
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAD FRACTURED AND LEFT A JAGGED EDGE. THE DEALER (DICK SMITH CHEVROLET, 1601 US-52, MONCKS CORNER, SC 2946) CONFIRMED THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT CALL NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.
NHTSA complaint #11104000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 72,462 milesClovis, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
GM IS AWARE OF THE KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION IN 2.2 MILLION CARS, BUT IS UNWILLING TO FIX MY CAR BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON "THE LIST". HTTP://GMAUTHORITY.COM/BLOG/2014/12/GENERAL-MOTORS-OFFERING-TO-REMEDY-STUCK-KEY-ISSUE-IN-2-2-MILLION-CARS/ HTTP://WWW.AUTONEWS.COM/ARTICLE/20141211/OEM/141219956/GM-OFFERS-FIX-ON-SMALL-CAR-IGNITIONS-TO-PREVENT-STUCK-KEYS
NHTSA complaint #10981502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ST Louis, MO1 injured
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. WHILE TURNING AT A CERTAIN ANGLE, THE METAL PART OF THE STEERING WHEEL INJURED THE CONTACT'S HAND. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10913727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.