SkipThatYearREAL DATA. SMARTER CAR DECISIONS.
← New search

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 →
1,509Owner complaints

Model-year median: 310.5

5Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
1,115
2006977
2007987
20081,509
20091,360
2010977
2011906
2012
Compare all Malibu years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Steering
768Electrical System
368Electronic Stability Control (esc)
255Exterior Lighting
172Service Brakes
142
All reported categories
Power Train
121Vehicle Speed Control
73Air Bags
62Engine
61Latches/locks/linkages
56Unknown Or Other
53Structure
31Seats
30Fuel/propulsion System
29Traction Control System
22Wheels
21Visibility/wiper
12Suspension
11Visibility
11Engine And Engine Cooling
9Service Brakes, Hydraulic
9Seat Belts
7Tires
6Fuel System, Gasoline
5Equipment
4Equipment Adaptive/mobility
2Forward Collision Avoidance
2Lane Departure
1Parking Brake
1Service Brakes, Electric
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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 reports
Clear category filter
51,000 miles · May 13, 2014
Steering

IN JANUARY OF 2014, I EXPERIENCED TWO SEPARATE INSTANCES OF THE ELECTRICAL POWER ASSIST STEERING FAILING SUDDENLY IN MY 2009 MALIBU. FORTUNATELY I WAS TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA BOTH TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT CORRECT UNTIL I STOPPED THE CAR, TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT. …

Read full complaint

IN JANUARY OF 2014, I EXPERIENCED TWO SEPARATE INSTANCES OF THE ELECTRICAL POWER ASSIST STEERING FAILING SUDDENLY IN MY 2009 MALIBU. FORTUNATELY I WAS TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA BOTH TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT CORRECT UNTIL I STOPPED THE CAR, TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT. WHEN GENERAL MOTORS ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM WITH POWER ASSIST STEERING IN 2008-2009 MALIBUS IN MARCH OF 2014, I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO GENERAL MOTORS' CUSTOMER SERVICE. I EXPECTED THAT THE RECALL WOULD INCLUDE MY VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY GENERAL MOTORS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I FIND IT TROUBLING THAT IF I EXPERIENCED TWO INSTANCE OF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND REPORTED IT TO GM, THAT MY CAR WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I'M WRITING TO ADVISE OF MY EXPERIENCES SO YOU CAN INCLUDE MY 2009 MALIBU IN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10588036

80,000 miles · May 12, 2014
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT MULTIPLE SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEER…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT MULTIPLE SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V153000(STEERING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT LISTED IN THE RECALL.THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ODI #10587801

70,000 miles · Apr 17, 2014
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ESC WARNING LIGHT. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING OVER A ONE YEAR PERIOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ESC WARNING LIGHT. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING OVER A ONE YEAR PERIOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #10583293

87,753 miles · Apr 9, 2014
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE STARTED VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE AND POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO B…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE STARTED VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE AND POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,753.

NHTSA ODI #10578631

80,000 miles · Apr 8, 2014
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICL…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 5/22/14*CN UPDATED 8/17/17*CN

NHTSA ODI #10578168

163,220 miles · Apr 4, 2014
Steering

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. UPON STARTING VEHICLE, POWER STEERING, ESC OFF, SERVICE ESC ALERTS ARE PRESENT. RESTARTING VEHICLE USUALLY CLEARS ALERTS AND RE-ESTABLISHES ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10577513

70,000 miles · Apr 4, 2014
SteeringCrash

WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, MY SON WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR QUICK ENOUGH BECAUSE IT CAUGHT HIM OFF GUARD AND HIT A PARKED CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10577332

410 miles · Apr 2, 2014
Power TrainSteering

POWER STEERING TRAIN, I PERSONALLY PURCHASE NEW LAST ONE, END OF THE YEAR VEHICLE ON THE AVAILABLE LIST. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10576930

58,428 miles · Mar 30, 2014
Electrical SystemSteering

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING LOSS OF NORMAL STEERING CONTROL, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. VEHICLE HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF TRAFFIC AND RESTARTED TO RESET THE FAILURE. LOSS OF STEERING AND ESC. ERROR CODE LATER DETERMINED TO HAVE BEEN CO545 (STEERING TORQUE SENSOR). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10575661

90,000 miles · Mar 29, 2014
Steering

WHILE DRIVING MY 2009 CHEVY MALIBU MY POWER STEERING WILL STOP WORKING AND MY ESC LIGHT COMES ON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON AND OFF AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. SOMETIMES I CAN TURN CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND IT WILL RUN FINE OR RESET FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10575488

Official recalls

5

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)

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

1

AQ10001 · 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.