Steering. Review the 768 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 368 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 255 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

41 crash reports9 fire reports31 injury reports

Power Train complaints

121 reports

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172,498 miles · Jan 4, 2021

Power TrainSteering

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IT IS JANUARY 4, 2021. MY CAR HAS 172,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS WINTER I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING AND TRACTION CONTROL. I WILL BE DRIVING AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON WITH THE POWER STEERING WARNING. I HAVE RED CHEVY MALIBU FORMS AND IT SEEMS LIKE I'M NOT THE FIRST ONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T. THE ONLY WAY I'M ABLE TO CLEAR IT WHILE DRIVING IS PUTTING MY CAR IN PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON TURNING MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON THEN THEY GO AWAY. AND THEN IT DOESN'T APPEAR FOR A COUPLE DAYS THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT POPS BACK UP MULTIPLE TIMES. I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE CAN BE A SOLUTION FOR ME FOR THE SITUATION. IT HAPPENS BOTH WHILE DRIVING AND EVEN SITTING AT A LIGHT.

NHTSA ODI #11386520

130,000 miles · Nov 2, 2020

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainSteering

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I'VE BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE REGISTERING WHICH GEAR IT IS IN. THE GEARS SHIFT HARD, AND WHEN PLACING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE VIGOROUSLY JERKS BACK AND FORTH. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD, IT SLOWED DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND WHEN IT FINALLY DID, IT JUST TAKES OFF WITH NO WARNING. WHEN PLACING THE VEHICLE ON PARK, AT TIMES IT WOULD STILL ROLL.. THERE IS ALSO THE POWER STEERING AND TRACTION CONTROL SENSORS THAT ARE BOTH ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE STEERING STIFFENING IN THE VEHICLE IS AN ISSUE ONLY SOMETIMES. HOWEVER, IT STILL WORRIES ME WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD WITH MY TODDLER IN THE VEHICLE AS WELL. I DID RESEARCH RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR OF MY VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL IN EACH AREA I'M HAVING TROUBLE IN. HOWEVER, WHEN I SPOKE WITH A CHEVROLET ASSOCIATE, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I WON'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL IT'S SAFE AND I'M AFRAID OF AN ACCIDENT TAKING PLACE.

NHTSA ODI #11372618

134,000 miles · Aug 16, 2020

EnginePower TrainSteering

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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ( A COUNTRY BACKROAD AND NOT A HIGHWAY LUCKILY), AND SUDDENLY MY CAR LOST ALL POWER TO THE POWERTRAIN. I WAS GOING ABOUT 45 WHEN IT HAPPENED, AND I LOST POWER STEERING, ALL POWER TO THE MOTOR, AND MY BRAKES WERE INCREDIBLY HARD TO PUSH. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR HAS A NO START NO CRANK CONDITION. IF I WERE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A HIGHWAY, OR A THE RIGHT LANE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY, OR EVEN JUST GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT I WOULD HAVE WRECKED.

NHTSA ODI #11349647

Mileage unknown · Aug 14, 2020

Electrical SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other

I WENT TO THE STORE CAME BACK OUT AN IT WOULDN'T TRUN OVER I GOT A NEW BATTERY AN GOT THE SAME RESULT

NHTSA ODI #11349255

168,150 miles · Jun 4, 2020

Power Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO COURTESY CHEVROLET SAN DIEGO (750 CAMINO DEL RIO N, SAN DIEGO, CA 92108) WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT METAL FRAGMENTS WERE INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,150.

NHTSA ODI #11327315

140,000 miles · Mar 6, 2020

Power TrainSteering

TRANSMISSION WON'T GO IN REVERSE WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. ALSO, POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING OUT WHEN FIRST STARTING CAR. VEHICLE WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI #11316522

115,000 miles · Dec 13, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)EnginePower Train

STOPPED BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHEN I STARTED MOVING AGAIN THERE WAS A SEVERE SHUDDER OR VIBRATION. THEN MY CAR DID NOT WANT TO START MOVING AGAIN. ONCE IT DID START MOVING IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR.

NHTSA ODI #11288962

17,000 miles · Nov 13, 2019

EnginePower Train

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WHILE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING ALONG AT INTERSTATE TRAFFIC SPEEDS(60-65 MPH) THE CAR WILL GO INTO AN ENGINE REDUCED POWER MODE, AND EMERGENCY TRACTION DISPLAYS ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT INCREASE IN SPEED,(20 MPH MAX) HAVE TO HURRIEDLY FIND AN EXIT TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A CRASH. AT THE END OF RECALL 14V252, IT STATES SERVICE ESC AND/OR TRACTION CONTROL TELL-TALES ILLUMINATE WITH THIS CONDITION. THE DEALER HAS AGREED TO REPAIR THE BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTION RECALL # 13036 BUT WILL NOT REPAIR THE ENGINE STALLING ISSUES, OR THE PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY STATED.

NHTSA ODI #11279804

167,500 miles · Nov 7, 2019

Power TrainSteering

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ON NOVEMBER 6, 2019 WAS DRIVING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL ON A REGULAR STREET, WHEN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING MY POWER STEERING GOES COMPLETELY OUT. RAN UP ON A CURB ALMOST HITTING A POLE BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. I TOOK VEHICLE TO GET POWER STEERING FLUID AND WAS TOLD IT WAS ELECTRICAL. TOOK TO ANOTHER PLACE TO HAVE TESTED AND A RECALL CAME UP FOR VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A RECALL BUT IT IS LISTED AS ONE. REFUSE TO HELP FIX THE PROBLEM DUE TO OVER MILEAGE AND ME NOT BEING THE ORIGINAL OWNER. REFUSAL FOR RENTAL OR EVEN A LOANER.

NHTSA ODI #11278588

115,000 miles · Oct 7, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainSteering

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I HAVE NOT HAD MY 2009 MALIBU FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET LOOKED AT AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME 140 DOLLARS FOR LOOKING AT IT, JUST TO TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP. I KNEW THIS. IT STARTED WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND A LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO SLOW WAY DOWN BECAUSE I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. THIS WAS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS TERRIFIED FOR MY LIFE WITH MY THREE YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK SEAT. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, THEN STARTED IT UP AGAIN. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS FINE. THEN AGAIN I GOT INTO MY CAR THE NEXT DAY AND IT DID IT AGAIN! BUT ONLY THIS TIME, IT DIDN'T STOP. NO MATTER WHAT. THEN MY CAR STOPPED SHIFTING. I CAPPED THEY CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND THEY SET ME UP AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAR IN. I EXPLAINED IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT SO THEY SCHEDULED A TOW FOR ME. THAT FOLLOWING WEEK, (CARLESS) I WAS WAITING FOR THE TOW TO SHOW UP AND NO ONE CAME. I CALLED THE DEALSHIP AND SHE SAID THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED AND I HAD TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN, I EXPLAINED, AGAIN, THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SHE TOLD ME THAT I COULDN'T GET MY VEHICLE LOOKED AT THEN IF IT WASN'T THERE. I DROVE 20 MILES GOING TEN MILES AN HOUR WITH MY HAZARDS ON TO GET IT THERE, JUST TO LEAVE IT THERE FOR THREE DAYS THEN BE TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP AND THEY NEEDED FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX IT. NEEDELESS TO SAY, MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. NOTHING BEING DONE TO IT. IF MY TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP... WHICH IT IS.... IT'S BECAUSE OF THEM!! I CHECKED MY RECALLS AND I HAVE RECALLS FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS ON A WEBSITE. BUT NOT YOURS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ODI #11266930

Official recalls

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)