Steering. Review the 667 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

37 crash reports2 fire reports25 injury reports

Engine complaints

28 reports

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88,000 miles · Jan 10, 2015

Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

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VEHICLES CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED WHEN REACHING AND HILL THE CRUISE CONTROL SPED UP AND AS SOON AS IT DID I LOST ENGINE POWER COMPLETELY IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO SAFETY MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE COASTING THAT I REALIZED THE ENGINE HAD CUT OFF. I THEN PARKED THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION; AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART TO ENGINE SWITCH RESULTED IN NOTHING BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND THE LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE COMING ON BUT NO FIRING OF THE ENGINE OR EVEN A CLICK FROM THE STARTER AT THIS POINT I WAS GLAD A HAD ALL MY BLANKETS AND THING IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA ITS COLD. AFTER A FEW FAILED ATTEMPTS AT TURNING THE KEY AND NOTHING HAPPENING WAITING 5MINS IN BETWEEN I BEGAN CALLING MY INSURANCE COMPANY 10 MORE MINS PASS BY AND I?M ON HOLD I DECIDE TO TRY THE CAR AGAIN IN WHICH IT FIRED RIGHT UP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT NOW IT HAS DISAPPEARED FROM MY DASH LIGHTS MY CAR GOES IN FOR REPAIR NEXT WEEK TO GET ENGINE HEATER INSTALLED AND RECALLS TAKEN CARE OF HOWEVER I DON?T SEE WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE LISTED ABOVE ISSUE TO OCCUR UNDER ANY LISTED RECALLS BUT I AM ALSO NOT VEHICLE SAVVY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10671541

93,000 miles · Jul 30, 2014

Engine

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WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH IN THE PASSING LANE MY 2007 MALIBU SHUT ITSELF OFF. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL TRAFFIC AND I HAD TO COAST ACROSS THE LANES TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. I CALLED 1-800-CHEVUSA AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY MANUFACTURER WARRANTY IS UP THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. AFTER SPEAKING TO A SUPERVISOR MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE IT IS STILL SITTING NOW. MY HUSBAND ALSO SPOKE TO SOMEONE AT CHEVY WHO TOLD HIM THAT SINCE THE WARRANTY IS UP AND THERE IS NO RECALLS WE WERE BASICALLY OUT OF LUCK. MY HUSBAND NICELY EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AT FIRST ON THE COBALT'S EITHER BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT TOOK SOMEONE BEING KILLED FOR THEM TO TAKE THE ISSUE SERIOUSLY. THEY STATE THAT THEY WILL SEND PAPERWORK TO HAVE MY CAR LOOKED AT BY THE CHEVY DEALER BUT WE ARE STILL WAITING. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED FROM THIS AND I HOPE THAT THIS ISSUE GETS RESOLVED AND IF IT IS A RECALL ISSUE THEY DO IT FAST BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10617643

128,000 miles · Jun 23, 2014

Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE POWER DECREASED AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

NHTSA ODI #10605124

86,000 miles · Jun 2, 2014

Electrical SystemEngineFuel System, Gasoline

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SINCE PURCHASING MY CAR IN AUGUST 2013, I HAVE HAD TO MAKE THREE FAIRLY COSTLY REPAIRS. EACH TIME THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS WAS A "KNOWN PROBLEM" FOR CHEVROLETS. THE FIRST WAS THE INTAKE VALVE. I HADN'T EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS BUT TOOK THE CAR IN FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SQUEALING BELT. THE SQUEALING TURNED OUT TO BE THE WATER PUMP. SINCE THAT WAS SECONDARY IN IMPORTANCE TO THE INTAKE VALVE, I HAD THAT REPLACED FIRST. FOLLOWED BY THE WATER PUMP A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. THEN ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I WAS OUT OF TOWN AND MY CAR SUDDENLY WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK OR REVERSE. IT WAS A WORN AND STRETCHED SHIFTER CABLE. HOWEVER GM SAYS MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10595618

90,100 miles · Dec 17, 2013

EngineFuel/propulsion System

FUELED UP AND THE GAS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. GAS GAUGE WENT UP AND DOWN AND NOW STAYS ON. DOES NOT RECOGNIZE FUEL IS IN THE CAR AND ALWAYS SAYS LOW FUEL EVEN AFTER FUELING UP. BOTH CHECK ENGINE AND GAS LIGHT ARE STEADY ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10556334

85,000 miles · Nov 20, 2013

Engine

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MY 2.2 LITER 4 CYLINDER CHEVY ENGINE IN MY 2007 CHEVY MALIBU STARTED TO MISFIRE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I STARTED MY CAR IN THE MORNING. I BROUGHT IT TO A CHEVROLET DEALER IN LODI CALIFORNIA AND AFTER TESTING IT THEY SAID IT HAD A BURNT VALVE IN THE #3 CYLINDER. I BROUGHT IT TO TWO OTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS AND THEY BOTH SAID THAT THERE IS A FACTORY FLAW IN THE CYLINDER HEADS THAT CAUSE THE VALVE SEATS TO FAIL UNDER NORMAL USE AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10553130

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2013

Electrical SystemEngineTraction Control System

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2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DRIVER DOOR LOCK MALFUNCTION CAUSED BY POOR WIRE CONNECTION AND CONSUMER SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE TIRE TRACTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN IT OFF, AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE WAS ALSO UNABLE TO USE THE SPEED CONTROL SETTING, DURING THAT TIME. WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME, HE WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THE DRIVER DOOR AUTO LOCK WOULDN'T OPERATE PROPERLY. TWO DAYS LATER, WHEN HE PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR DIDN'T LOCK AUTOMATICALLY, BUT ALL THE OTHER LOCKS WORKED PROPERLY. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE HARNESS CAME LOOSE AND IT CAUSED THE WIRING UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO CHAFF AND EXPOSE THE WIRING WHICH THEN TOUCHED EACH OTHER AND CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. HE FURTHER ADVISED THAT, AS PART OF THE REPAIR, THE HARNESS AND WIRING WERE MOVED OVER FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION SO THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD NEVER OCCUR AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #10550204

98,000 miles · Jun 26, 2013

EngineFuel System, Gasoline

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LAST WEEK MY CAR STARTED CREEPING WHEN I HIT THE GAS. MY CAR SOUNDS LIKE A BOAT. THE CAR SOUNDS LIKE ITS NOT GETTING GAS OR CHOKING. WHEN IT STARTS PICKING UP SPEED IT SOUNDS LIKE ITS DROPPING INTO THE GEARS. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND WATER PUMP. NOW, I NOTICED THAT THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE COVERED UNDER CHEVY WARRANTY BUT THE ISSUES SHOWS UP AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS ENDED. CHEVY NEEDS TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE PARTS BECAUSE ITS A COMMON ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10521955

Official recalls

15V064000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Feb 4, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured April 1, 2006, to June 30, 2006, and 2006-2007 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured April 18, 2006, to June 30, 2006. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14772. Note: This is an expansion of recall 14V-153 to cover additional vehicles built between April 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006.

14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

May 14, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)