Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
80–25K
125–50K
350–75K
175–100K
7100–150K
2150K+
22 reports with mileage · 3 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
25 reports
10,250 miles · Jul 5, 2011
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, Hydraulic
VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 20 MPH AFTER STARTUP FROM INTERSECTION. LEFT FRONT & RIGHT REAR BRAKES APPLIED THEMSELVES. VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 20 MPH EVEN AT 4100 RPM. PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED ENGINE OFF. WENT FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL - LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR TOO HOT TO TOUCH. RIGHT FRONT & LEFT REAR COOL TO…
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VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 20 MPH AFTER STARTUP FROM INTERSECTION. LEFT FRONT & RIGHT REAR BRAKES APPLIED THEMSELVES. VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 20 MPH EVEN AT 4100 RPM. PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED ENGINE OFF. WENT FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL - LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR TOO HOT TO TOUCH. RIGHT FRONT & LEFT REAR COOL TO TOUCH. APPLIED MOISTURE TO LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR BRAKE ROTORS; BOILED OFF IMMEDIATELY. TURNED ENGINE BACK ON & VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. SAME FAILURE HAPPENED IN MAY 2011 AT 8,601 MILES. NOT TDC'S EITHER TIME. IN MARCH 2011 AT 6,849 MILES, ESC MALFUNCTIONED WITH 3 TDC'S.
NHTSA ODI #10411238
8,300 miles · May 4, 2011
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, Hydraulic
CAR REFUSED TO GO ABOVE 30 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LIGHT ON RIVER ROAD EVEN WHEN APPLYING FULL THROTTLE. WENT ABOUT HALF MILE UNTIL I SMELLED FRICTION MATERIAL. PULLED CAR OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. WALKED FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL TO SEE HOW HOT THEY WERE. LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS EXCEEDINGLY HOT AS WAS RIGHT REAR WHEEL. LEFT REAR WHE…
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CAR REFUSED TO GO ABOVE 30 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LIGHT ON RIVER ROAD EVEN WHEN APPLYING FULL THROTTLE. WENT ABOUT HALF MILE UNTIL I SMELLED FRICTION MATERIAL. PULLED CAR OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. WALKED FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL TO SEE HOW HOT THEY WERE. LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS EXCEEDINGLY HOT AS WAS RIGHT REAR WHEEL. LEFT REAR WHEEL & RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WERE COOL ENOUGH TO TOUCH. CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 5 MINUTES IN URBAN TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WHEN CAR WAS RESTARTED, THE BRAKES RELEASED & NO FURTHER TROUBLE ENCOUNTERED. TWO DAYS EARLY, CAR HAD INTERMITTENT MILD, LOW-FREQUENCY JERKING WHILE DRIVING WHICH WENT AWAY AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. AGAIN, THIS HAPPENED IN URBAN DRIVING ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING. BOTH DAYS CLEAR WEATHER. NO DASH TROUBLE MESSAGES DISPLAYED. CAR HAD BEEN IN FOR REPROGRAMMING OF ESC MODULE ABOUT A MONTH EARLIER AFTER THREE DIFFERENT ESC TROUBLE MESSAGES APPEARED ON DASH - TRACTION CONTROL, ESC AND HILL START. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10399127
17,588 miles · Oct 13, 2010
Power Train
ON 4/29/10, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF NOT ACCELERATING OVER 45. ON 6/18/10, I WAS TRYING MERGE ONTO A INTERSTATE AT RUSH HOUR, BUT THE CAR HAD NO POWER. I ALMOST WAS HIT BECAUSE OF THIS. IMMEDIATELY THE SERVICE HYBRID LIGHT CAME ON SO TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND A LEAKING BATTERY AND BAD SENSOR. CAR REPA…
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ON 4/29/10, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF NOT ACCELERATING OVER 45. ON 6/18/10, I WAS TRYING MERGE ONTO A INTERSTATE AT RUSH HOUR, BUT THE CAR HAD NO POWER. I ALMOST WAS HIT BECAUSE OF THIS. IMMEDIATELY THE SERVICE HYBRID LIGHT CAME ON SO TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND A LEAKING BATTERY AND BAD SENSOR. CAR REPAIRED AND BEGAN TO DRIVE HOME. AFTER STOPPED AT A LIGHT, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STARTED TO GO BUT THEN STARTED TO CHUG LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ANY MORE THAN AROUND 5 MPH. KEPT CHUGGING FOR ABOUT 100 FEET WHILE I TRIED TO PULL OFF ROAD. RIGHT BEFORE I DID THAT, THE CAR STARTED OPERATING NORMALLY. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO DEALER. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH SLUGGISHNESS OR CHUGGING PRIOR TO THE 45 MPH ISSUE OR THE HYBRID LIGHT COMING ON. EVER SINCE THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY AND DANGEROUSLY HAVE NO POWER FOR ACCELERATION. THE DEALER HAS WORKED WITH GM ON THE ISSUE, BUT TOLD IT IS NORMAL OPERATION. I OWNED THIS CAR FOR ALMOST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE BATTERY REPLACEMENT AND NO ISSUES LIKE THIS, SO NOT NORMAL OPERATION. IT IS SCARY TO DRIVE THE CAR ON BUSY ROADS WHEN MERGING OR ACCELERATING BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF THE CAR WILL MOVE. IN AUGUST MY WIFE HAD TO DRIVE MY CAR WHERE IT WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE UP A HILL FOR HER. I SAY TRYING BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO GO UP THE HILL. SINCE THE BATTERY ISSUE I HAVE RANDOMLY EXPERIENCED THIS ALSO. ON 10/11/10 I WAS DRIVING NEAR MY OFFICE IN A DOWNTOWN AREA. AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A LIGHT I TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR STARTED CHUGGING AND NOT ACCELERATING LIKE IT HAD DONE WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK FROM THE SERVICE HYBRID PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP TO ADVISE HIM. ON 10/13/10 I TRIED TO TAKE A LEFT TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION WHILE HEADING TO WORK, TRIED TO ACCELERATE, AND THE CAR BOGGED DOWN SEVERELY. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR. UPDATED 10/21/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/16/10 *TR
NHTSA ODI #10360384
8,000 miles · Sep 24, 2010
EquipmentStructure
2009 MALIBU WITH 8000 MILES HAS DEVELOPED MELDEW IN THE AIR VENTS. THE ODOR THAT COMES THROUGH THE VENTS NOT ONLY SMELLS BAD BUT IS CAUSING MYSELF AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO BECOME SICK WITH ASTHMA AND ALLERGY CONDITIONS. THIS CAN NOT BE HEALTHY. THE ODOR IS SO STRONG AT TIMES, IT EMBEDS INTO YOUR CLOTHING AND MAKES YOUR EYES BURN AN…
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2009 MALIBU WITH 8000 MILES HAS DEVELOPED MELDEW IN THE AIR VENTS. THE ODOR THAT COMES THROUGH THE VENTS NOT ONLY SMELLS BAD BUT IS CAUSING MYSELF AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO BECOME SICK WITH ASTHMA AND ALLERGY CONDITIONS. THIS CAN NOT BE HEALTHY. THE ODOR IS SO STRONG AT TIMES, IT EMBEDS INTO YOUR CLOTHING AND MAKES YOUR EYES BURN AND WATER. I TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE VERY FAMILIAR OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH TELLS ME IT IS A COMMON COMPLAINT. THEY DEODORIZED THE VENTS WITH SPRAY AND SAID THEY DRILLED A DRAINAGE HOLE FOR THE AIRCONDITIONING CONDENSER CONDENSATION TO DRAIN IN THE FUTURE. SINCE THEY DID NOT REMOVE THIS MELDEW/MOLD I'M NOT SURE THEY HAVE FULLY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. ONE DAY AFTER THE ODOR IS STILL HANGING IN THERE. NOT SURE WHO I SHOULD FILE MY COMPLAINT WITH BESIDES GM AND THE OOD. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10357412
14,900 miles · Sep 23, 2010
Electrical System
THERE IS A RECALL OF MY VEHICLES BATTERY HYBRID PACK. I BROUGHT IN THE CAR 2 WEEKS AGO B/C THE ENGINE CEASES AND RESTARTS BY ITSELF AND JERKS FORWARD AT EVERY STOP SIGN AND RED LIGHT. THE DEALER SAID TODAY THAT THE PARTS WONT BE IN FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS. THE CAR IS HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE AND THEY WONT GIVE ME A LOANER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10357191
Official recalls
0
No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year