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

What owners actually said

977 reports

174,000 miles · Jul 17, 2014

Electrical SystemSteering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,000.. UPDATED 09/02/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING TIGHTENS UP AND WANTS TO TURN ON THE ACCELERATION AND LOSS OF POWER OCCURS. AT THIS TIME, A CLICKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF AT TIMES WITH A DINGING SOUND. UPDATED 11/4/2014 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10611261

134,146 miles · Jul 16, 2014

Steering

STEERING SHAKES WHILE DRIVING AND AT IDLE. STEERING WHEEL JERKS TO LEFT SIDE WHILE DRIVING ALSO. STARTS SHAKING AT IGNITION START UP AND CONTINUES UNTIL COMPLETELY POWERED DOWN. AT SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL HARD TO CONTROL AND JERKS TO THE LEFT MORE OFTEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10611047

84,344 miles · Jul 14, 2014

Electrical SystemService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED, BRAKE LIGHTS GO OFF. FIRST NOTICED THIS BECAUSE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT SET. TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIRS AT LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND THE STOPLAMP SWITCH TO BE FAULTY AND REPLACED. THREE DAYS LATER, BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON AGAIN WITHOUT PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. TOOK IT IN AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY FOUND A BULLETIN ON PROBLEM AND APPLIED DIELECTRIC GREASE TO THE BCM CONNECTORS. WITHIN A MONTH, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY, BUT DID NOT TAKE IN. SINCE MAY 2014, BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS ON WHILE DRIVING EVEN THOUGH BRAKE PEDAL NOT PRESSED. LOOKED UP SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON SAFERCAR.GOV AND FOUND RECALL NOTICE ON VEHICLE. CALLED GM, GAVE THEM MY VIN AND GM RECALL NUMBER (13036) AND THEY SAID THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS IN MY SERVICE HISTORY AND I SHOULD GO TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO HAVE ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE. WENT BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND SHOWED THEM PRINTED COPY OF RECALL FROM SAFERCAR.GOV AND RELAYED CONVERSATION WITH GM. DEALERSHIP STATED, AFTER AN AFTERNOON WITH CAR, THAT RECALL NUMBER DID NOT EXIST AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY ACTIVE RECALLS FOR MY CAR. I ASKED ABOUT THE SERVICE RECORD AND HOW COME THE 2012 SERVICES WERE NOT INCLUDED, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS ONLY ELECTRICAL AND NOT REALLY SIGNIFICANT SO THEY DID NOT TO DOCUMENT IT. THEY ALSO STATED THAT BECAUSE SAFERCAR.GOV IS NOT GM, THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE ITS RELIABILITY. AFTER A LONG CONVERSATION, I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MALIBUS IN GENERAL, THEY SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW UNLESS THEY HAD SPECIFIC VIN. DEALERSHIP APPLIED DIELECTRIC GREASE TO BCM CONNECTORS. FRUSTRATED AT NOT GETTING ANSWER, DID OWN RESEARCH AND FOUND RECALL NUMBERS (103652, 103653, 103654) AND A SERVICE BULLETIN (SB-08-05-22-009A) ON THE PROBLEM WITHIN 30 MINUTES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10610532

37,000 miles · Jul 14, 2014

Service Brakes

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THE BRAKES SHUDDER AND SHAKE THE CAR UNTIL YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO COME APART AS YOU APPLY THEM AT ANY SPEED. THIS CAR USED TO BELONG TO MY BROTHER AND A SALESMAN DROVE IT AND WAS SCARED TO DEATH THE WHOLE TIME. IT HAS ABOUT 90,000 ON IT NOW AND HE GAVE IT TO ME TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. HE IS A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE AND DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO MONKEY WITH THIS STUFF. HE JUST BUYS MORE CARS IF HE NEEDS THEM. HE HAS SPENT MONEY TO TRY TO FIX THE ISSUE WITH REPAIR SHOPS, ROTORS, BRAKE PADS, YOU NAME IT. HE EVEN HAS A SPEED SHOP THAT HE HOLDS WORLD RECORDS PRODUCING FAST THINGS AND HAS A GREAT STAFF THAN CAN FIX ANYTHING ON EARTH. BUT THAT IS NOT HIS REAL BUSINESS. HE WOULDN'T SPEND ANYMORE TIME OR HAVE ANYONE ELSE TRY TO FIX IT ANYMORE UNTIL THE FACTORY OWNS UP TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT. I WAS GOING TO LET MY DAUGHTER DRIVE IT BUT WITH A NEW BABY I CAN'T ALLOW THAT. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY TO DRIVE AND I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. HE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THIS BAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10610353

85,720 miles · Jul 10, 2014

Power Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE ENGAGED IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V224000 (POWER TRAIN). THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO REMEDY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,720.

NHTSA ODI #10609657

120,000 miles · Jul 9, 2014

Exterior Lighting

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AND ILLUMINATED ERRONEOUSLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC , VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #10609432

121,000 miles · Jul 8, 2014

Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR MODULE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF TH…

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NHTSA ODI #10608875

91,000 miles · Jun 27, 2014

Steering

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THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2007 MALIBU LS SUDDENLY STARTED JERKING BOTH TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL ROAD GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. AS I TURNED RIGHT, THE CAR WAS HARDER TO TURN AS THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL JERKING AND MOVING THE WHOLE CAR IN SEVERAL DEGREES FURTHER THAN I MOVED IT AND THEN JERKED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AS I WAS AT A RED LIGHT AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, I REMOVED MY HANDS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT WAS MOVING ON ITS OWN LEFT AND RIGHT. ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER THE WARNING CAME ON MY RADIO INDICATOR. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO GET CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS OUT AND SO WAS THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR AND THAT WITH PARTS, LABOR AND TAX IT WOULD COST $1,478.69 TO FIX AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10606413

14,950 miles · Jun 26, 2014

Steering

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THIS INCIDENT REPORT SHOULD ACTUALLY COUNT AS THREE COMPLAINTS, SINCE THE POWER STEERING FAILURE ON THIS CAR HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON 8/13/10, MILEAGE 14950. THE SECOND TIME WAS ON 3/17/11, MILEAGE 18001. THE THIRD TIME WAS YESTERDAY, 6/2/14, MILEAGE 49852, THIS IS GETTING TO BE RIDICULOUS THAT I KEEP HAVING TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING UNIT ON THIS VEHICLE. COUNTING THE ORIGINAL, THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH POWER STEERING UNIT. WHEN THE PUMP FAILS, ALL DRIVEABILITY IS LOST, AND THE CAR BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. LUCKILY, IN TWO OF THE INCIDENTS, I WAS DRIVING A SPEED OF AROUND 35MPH. YESTERDAY'S FAILURE HAPPENED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. MY WIFE WAS GETTING READY TO GO TO DENVER, AND WAS TO BE DRIVING ON I-25. NOW I'M NOT SURE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE FAILURE HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT I NOW HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOT CONFIDENCE THAT THIS 2007 MALIBU IS SAFE TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD. GM SHOULD OFFER FREE REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING UNITS, IN THESE CARS, FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. AVERAGING A LIFE OF 12K MILES FOR THE UNIT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I WOULD LOVE IF THE CEO OF GM, [XXX], WOULD TAKE THIS CAR OFF MY HANDS FOR ABOUT A MONTH, AND USE IT TO DRIVE HER FAMILY AROUND. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10606373

32,000 miles · Jun 26, 2014

SteeringInjury

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WHEN I WOULD TURN A CORNER THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE. I TOOK IT TO GET A WHEEL ALIGNMENT THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. AS TIME WENT BY IT GOT HARDER TO STEER, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK. IT WAS GETTING SO HARD TO DRIVE I WAS AFRAID TO TAKE IT ANYWHERE.I HAD TO GO TO OLYMPIA FOR SUPPLIES. I WAS DRIVING FROM MY HOME IN GRAPEVIEW TO OLYMPIA AND THE WHEEL PULLED SO VIOLENT ON HWY 101 I WAS AFRAID I WOULD DRIVE INTO ANOTHER CAR.IT WAS MOSTLY JERKING TO THE RIGHT SO I STAYED IN THE RIGHT LANE SO I WOULDN'T HIT ANOTHER CAR BUT JUST GO OFF THE HWY. IT PULLED SO FAST AND HARD IT HURT MY WRISTS. I WOULD HAVE CALLED FOR A TOW BUT DIDN'T HAVE MY CELL PHONE. I WAS CLOSER TO OLYMPIA THAN HOME SO I MADE THE DECISION TO GO THERE. I DROVE IT TO THE TITIS-WILL CHEVROLET IN OLYMPIA AND THEY ADVISED ME TO LEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AND THEY REPAIRED IT A FEW DAYS LATER. I READ ON THE INTERNET OTHERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT CHEVROLET COMPANY WOULDN'T HELP THEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10606359

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)