IllustrationTHE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND MY STEERING WHEEL GETS STIFF. THIS HAPPENED TO ME LEAVING HOME AND WHILE I WAS TURNING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, AND I HAVE READ THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS.
2009 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Malibu years
Owner complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
870–25K
9825–50K
19350–75K
21775–100K
373100–150K
232150K+
1,200 reports with mileage · 309 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.
- 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
Steering complaints
768 reportsWHEN DRIVING AND AT A STOP/LIGHT, THE CAR SHUTS OFF, OR IT SHAKES AS IF IT GONNA DIE OUT. THE ESC SERVICE LIGHT APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. SOMETIMES WHEN JUST DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, IT JERKS AND BOTH ESC SERVICE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL BOTH COME ON THE DASHBOARD.
I WAS ON MY WAY HOME, PULLED OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AND HALFWAY DOWN THE EXIT RAMP, MY TRACTION LIGHT AND A WARNING MESSAGE BEGAN SCROLLING. THE MESSAGE SAID POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC. I TURN MY CAR ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTS TO SHAKE. AFTER A MINUTE (OR LESS) MY POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC TURNS ON AS A WARNING AND THE STE…
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I WAS ON MY WAY HOME, PULLED OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AND HALFWAY DOWN THE EXIT RAMP, MY TRACTION LIGHT AND A WARNING MESSAGE BEGAN SCROLLING. THE MESSAGE SAID POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC. I TURN MY CAR ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTS TO SHAKE. AFTER A MINUTE (OR LESS) MY POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC TURNS ON AS A WARNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP. I CAN HARDLY TURN THE WHEEL ON MY OWN. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE IT SAFELY.
THE ESC ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL FAULTED WHILE ACTIVELY DRIVING THE VEHICLE TWICE IN THE LAST DAY I WAS DRIVING IT. IF I WAS NOT A STRONG MALE I WOULD HAVE CRASHED DUE TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST. THE FAULT MESSAGE WENT AWAY AFTER STOPPING THE ENGING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM…
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THE ESC ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL FAULTED WHILE ACTIVELY DRIVING THE VEHICLE TWICE IN THE LAST DAY I WAS DRIVING IT. IF I WAS NOT A STRONG MALE I WOULD HAVE CRASHED DUE TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST. THE FAULT MESSAGE WENT AWAY AFTER STOPPING THE ENGING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2009 MALIBU BUT MY VEHICLE, BY VIN IS UNAFFECTED.
I HAVE A 2009 CHEVY MALIBU 2.4 THAT I PURCHASED. MY VEHICLE HAS UNDER 150 MILE AND RUNS EXCEPTIONAL. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE OTHER DAY AND POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL POWER STEERING IN A TURN THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE VEHICLE TURNING DIRECTION QUICKLY BARELY MISSING A PEDESTRIAN ON SIDE WALK. I GOT T…
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I HAVE A 2009 CHEVY MALIBU 2.4 THAT I PURCHASED. MY VEHICLE HAS UNDER 150 MILE AND RUNS EXCEPTIONAL. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE OTHER DAY AND POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL POWER STEERING IN A TURN THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE VEHICLE TURNING DIRECTION QUICKLY BARELY MISSING A PEDESTRIAN ON SIDE WALK. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO TURN IN TO A NEAR BY GAS STATION PARKING LOT AND PARKED. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND LET IT SIT FOR A MIN. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING LIGHT THAT CAME ON EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. LIKE IT DIDNT EVEN HAPPEN. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME. I HAD CODES READ ON THE MALIBUE TO SEE WHAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED NO CODES EVEN SHOWED UP ON THE SCREEN. I CHALKED IT UP TO A SCARY FLUKE. I'VE DRIVIN THE CAR WITH OUT ANY ISSUE UNTIL TODAY I STARTED THE CAR AND BEFORE I EVEN GOT OFF THE GRAVEL ROAD I LIVE ON THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. ONCE I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AS BEFORE THE POWER STEERING ISSUE GOES AWAY. THIS ISN'T SAFE AT ALL.
THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING GETTING A WARNING, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. AFTER SHUTTING OFF IT RESTARTED POWER STEERING.
MY DOOR LOCKS WERE AUTOMATICLY GOING UP AND DOWN. NOW DOORS LOCK OUT OF BLUE. KINDA DISCOURAGING NOW MY POWER STEERING AND SERVICE HAS ACTED UP 2 TIMES ON DEC 06 2020. BOTH TIMES THE POWER STEERING WARNING CAME ON I HAVE BEEN SITTING STILL. HEARD THERE HAS BEEN RECALL ON PREVIOUS MALIBU.
UPON STARTING MY CAR ONE DAY, MY SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON AND MY POWER STEERING DISABLED. THIS HAPPENED OUT OF ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD NO STEERING PROBLEMS UNTIL THAT DAY. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. NO LIGHTS CAME ON AND EVERYTHING WORKED JUST FINE. LATER THAT DAY IT DID THE SAME THING. SO I RESTARTED M…
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UPON STARTING MY CAR ONE DAY, MY SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON AND MY POWER STEERING DISABLED. THIS HAPPENED OUT OF ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD NO STEERING PROBLEMS UNTIL THAT DAY. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. NO LIGHTS CAME ON AND EVERYTHING WORKED JUST FINE. LATER THAT DAY IT DID THE SAME THING. SO I RESTARTED MY CAR AND IT WAS OKAY. THE NEXT DAY I STARTED IT AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS DISABLED, ONLY THIS TIME IT WOULD NOT GO AWAY. SO I DROVE WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING. LATER, THE EPS WORKED FINE AND ALL THE SUDDEN WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. SINCE THEN, THE EPS HAS STAYED DISABLED AND THE ESC LIGHT HAS STAYED ON. IN THE EVENT THAT I START THE CAR AND EVERYTHING IS IN WORKING ORDER, IT'S NOT LONG (5-10 MINUTES) BEFORE THE EPS STOPS WORKING AGAIN. THERE WERE OVER A MILLION CARS THE EXACT SAME YEAR AND MODEL RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE.
POWER STEERING FAILURE WITH EPS SERVICE WARNING. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A WARNING THAT STATES SERVICE ESC. WHEN I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN BACK ON SYSTEMS MAY RETURN BUT EVENTUALLY FAIL WITH SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND ESC. THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY INTERMITTENTLY AT STOP LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING …
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POWER STEERING FAILURE WITH EPS SERVICE WARNING. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A WARNING THAT STATES SERVICE ESC. WHEN I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN BACK ON SYSTEMS MAY RETURN BUT EVENTUALLY FAIL WITH SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND ESC. THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY INTERMITTENTLY AT STOP LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AND PARKED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ESC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO SISBARRO BUICK-GMC, INC (425 W. BOUTZ RD, LAS CRUCES, NM 88005, (575) 524-7707) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORME…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ESC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO SISBARRO BUICK-GMC, INC (425 W. BOUTZ RD, LAS CRUCES, NM 88005, (575) 524-7707) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14E044000 (STEERING) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000. *LN CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED.*JB
Official recalls
514V252000 · 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)
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: 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.
Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control
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: 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.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
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: 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.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
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: 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.
Electrical System:wiring
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: 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.
14V153000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Mar 31, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. 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 perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
12V460000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Sep 18, 2012
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
09V073000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
Mar 6, 2009
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
08V634000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
Dec 2, 2008
GM IS RECALLING 77 MY 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEM." THE HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIRCONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEM MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE BLOWER WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND THE MODE SELECTOR WOULD REMAIN IN THE LAST KNOWN SETTING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO FOG OR FROST, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH AIRFLOW TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD, RESULTING IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE HVAC CONTROL HEAD MODULE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
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
1AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.