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

What owners actually said

1,509 reports

87,500 miles · Apr 9, 2017

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior Lighting

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THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY LOCKS ITSELF AND THE POWER LOCK BUTTONS DO NOT WORK TO OPEN THE DOORS, YOU HAVE TO PHYSICALLY TURN THE CAR ON AND PUT IT IN GEAR THEN BACK IN PARK TO GET THE LOCKS TO DISENGAGE. THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE BRAKE/HEAD LIGHTS DO NOT WORK OR THEY TURN ON BY THEMSELVES WHEN THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING. EARLIER TODAY 04-09-17 THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT FIRST, AFTER A FEW TRIES THE ENGINE TURNED OVER BUT WHILE DRIVING IT IN TOWN IT COMPLETELY DIED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED BUT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI #10971505

224,000 miles · Apr 6, 2017

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR FAILED AND THE PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14E044000 (STEERING) AND 14V153000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN THAT THE FAILURE WOULD NOT RECUR IF THE OEM PARTS WERE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 224,000.

NHTSA ODI #10970882

95,915 miles · Apr 5, 2017

Seats

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE DRIVER'S SEAT MADE A POPPING NOISE AND BECAME LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW SEAT FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,915.

NHTSA ODI #10970733

113,000 miles · Mar 28, 2017

Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

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FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS I BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY CAR. FIRST IT STARTED WITH MY LOCK BUTTONS. WHENEVER I WOULD PUSH THE BUTTONS NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN BUT WHEN I CLOSED MY DOORS IT WOULD START LOCKING ON AND OFF ALL BY THEMSELVES. MY ESC ALWAYS GIVING ME TROUBLE ONE DAY THE LIGHT IS ON AND THE NEXT IT'S OFF. WHENEVER THE LIGHT WAS ON I TOOK IT TO GET CHECKED BUT NO CODE CAME UP. TILL THIS DAY I HAVE TROUBLE WITH MY ESC! AT TIME IT'S WOULD SAY IT HAD CUT OFF!!! THE AIR BAG SENSOR GOES ON AND OFF ALSO. SOME DAYS IT'S ON SOME DAYS IT'S NOT!! WELL TODAY MARCH 29, 2017 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND MY CAR JUST STARTS TO SLOW DOWN. IT WASN'T TAKING NO GAS AT SO I PULLED OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS IT GAVE IT SOME GAS. I TOOK THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND DROVE OFF

NHTSA ODI #10968875

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2017

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Unknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

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A FEW MINUTES AFTER I START DRIVING THE ESC OFF/SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT WILL COME ON AND IT KEEPS FLASHING BACK AND FOURTH BETWEEN ERROR MESSAGES. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOT ON, BUT WHEN I GO TO ACCELERATE MY CAR JUMPS KIND OF. AND IF I LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS IT FEELS LIKE I'M SHIFTING GEARS AND MY CAR WILL START GOING SLOW. I'LL PUSH BACK DOWN ON THE GAS AND I WILL SEEM LIKE IT'S TRYING TO GET SPEED BUT TAKES A MIN. THEY ARE TRYING TO SAY I DON'T HAVE A RECALL BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG CLEARLY. THE ERROR LIGHTS WILL GO ON NO MATTER IF I'M DRIVING OR PARKED.

NHTSA ODI #10968693

38,000 miles · Mar 23, 2017

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ISSUE STARTED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIR…

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NHTSA ODI #10968178

160,000 miles · Mar 23, 2017

Steering

THE POWER STEERING FAILS WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #10967929

130,000 miles · Mar 22, 2017

Seats

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THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS A POWER SEAT AND, WHILE I KEEP THE SEAT IN THE LOWEST POSITION, MY WIFE NEEDS THE SEAT UP HIGHER. WHEN RAISING THE SEAT, SHE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT WAS GOING UP CROOKED AND WAS NOT SUPPORTING PROPERLY ON THE SIDE NEAREST THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT FRAME HAD BROKEN NEAR A WELD, BUT NOT ON THE WELD. INSTEAD, A PIECE OF THE STRUCTURAL TUBING THAT WAS WELDED BETWEEN BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAMEWORK HAD ACTUALLY RIPPED, LIKE A STRESS FAILURE. I PULLED THE SEAT OUT OF THE CAR AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE FAILURE ON THE FRONT. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE REAR TUBING WAS ALSO SPLIT/CRACKED NEAR THE WELD. THE SEAT NO LONGER FEELS SOLIDLY MOUNTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IN THE RAISED POSITION. THE BAR ACTUALLY SEPARATES WHEN RAISING THE SEAT AND MOVES AROUND WHEN WEIGHT IS APPLIED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET, I COULD FIND NO SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH SURPRISED ME VERY MUCH, GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE. I BELIEVE, IN AN ACCIDENT, THAT THE DRIVER SEAT WOULD NOT BE HELD IN IT'S NORMAL POSITION PROPERLY AND COULD INJURE SOMEONE MORE SEVERELY THAN THE ACCIDENT MIGHT CAUSE ON ITS OWN. I DID FIND NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS ON VARIOUS FORUMS ABOUT PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE. IN FACT, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE POSTED PICTURES AND THE TUBING FAILED ALMOST IDENTICALLY TO MINE, WITH A LARGE PIECE STILL ATTACHED TO THE BRACKET BY THE WELD. I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE BREAK STARTED, BUT IT HAS MOST CERTAINLY GOTTEN WORSE OVER TIME. MY WIFE HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO, BUT I DROVE IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE THAT. THE SEAT HARDLY EVER GOT MOVED WHEN I WAS THE ONLY DRIVER. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER NOTICED THE SEAT LEANING WHEN IN THE RAISED POSITION, WHICH PROMPTED MY INVESTIGATION. IT APPEARS TO BE A POORLY ENGINEERED FRAMEWORK ASSEMBLY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI #10967877

130,000 miles · Mar 21, 2017

Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SEVERELY VIBRATE, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAG…

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NHTSA ODI #10967593

186,707 miles · Mar 20, 2017

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,707.

NHTSA ODI #10967300

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)