IllustrationPOWER STEERING WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING
2010 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Malibu years
Owner complaints for the 2010 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
1190–25K
12225–50K
22050–75K
24475–100K
256100–150K
110150K+
1,071 reports with mileage · 289 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 454 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 294 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 227 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 reports14 fire reports35 injury reports
Steering complaints
454 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, 'POWER STEERING AND SERVICE ESC' DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, 'POWER STEERING AND SERVICE ESC' DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.
TAMARA RECALL. POWER STEERING FAILURE, LOST POWER STEERING DOWN HIGHWAY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING LOST POWER AND THE "POWER STEERING OFF" INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DUBLIN CHEVROLET GMC BUICK (478-246-4916, LOCATED AT 2042 VETERANS BLVD, DUBLIN, GA 31021) WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RECOMMENDED. THE TEST WAS NO…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING LOST POWER AND THE "POWER STEERING OFF" INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DUBLIN CHEVROLET GMC BUICK (478-246-4916, LOCATED AT 2042 VETERANS BLVD, DUBLIN, GA 31021) WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RECOMMENDED. THE TEST WAS NOT PERFORMED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000.
DRIVING AND MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT CAUSING THE CAR HARD TO CONTROL . 2.4 FUR CYLINDER CHEVY MALIBU 2010 THE DASHBOARD LIT UP POWER STEERING LOSS
ON 12. 06. 2018 THE POWER STEERING CODE C0454. LAST YEAR NOV. 2018, IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN, THEN THE ESC, WHICH IS STILL UNRESOLVED , THEN I HAD TO PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND AN ABNORMAL BEEPING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER (MARK CHEVROLET, 33200 MICHIGAN AVE, WAYNE, MI 48184, (734) 307-0…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND AN ABNORMAL BEEPING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER (MARK CHEVROLET, 33200 MICHIGAN AVE, WAYNE, MI 48184, (734) 307-0785) WHERE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED ABOUT A SPECIAL WARRANTY AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *AN
CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ALL THE PROBLEMS SINCE I GOT IT , AND NOW JUST BY DOING RESEARCH I SEEN THAT THEY HAD A LOT OF THESE CARS RECALLED
POWER STEERING LIGHTS SHOWER. THE WHEEL STARED TO SHAKES AND THE WHEEL LOSE CONTROL
JUST BOUGHT A USED 2010 MALIBU WITH 2.4L ENGINE FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, WHEN TRYING TO TEACH HER PARALLEL PARKING, THE STEERING BEGAN LOCKING UP AND STEERING SYSTEM WARNING IS DISPLAYED. WHEN IT LOCKS UP, THE WHEEL CANNOT BE MOVED AT ALL, REGARDLESS OF VEHICLE SPEED. STEERING CONTROL ONLY RETURNS AFTER SHUTT…
Read full complaint
JUST BOUGHT A USED 2010 MALIBU WITH 2.4L ENGINE FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, WHEN TRYING TO TEACH HER PARALLEL PARKING, THE STEERING BEGAN LOCKING UP AND STEERING SYSTEM WARNING IS DISPLAYED. WHEN IT LOCKS UP, THE WHEEL CANNOT BE MOVED AT ALL, REGARDLESS OF VEHICLE SPEED. STEERING CONTROL ONLY RETURNS AFTER SHUTTING THE ENGINE DOWN, WAITING A FEW SECONDS, THEN STARTING IT BACK UP. THE CAR HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST WEEK. IT HASN'T HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY YET, BUT AFTER CHECKING INTO THIS ONLINE, I FIND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THIS AND OTHER GM VEHICLES. I ALSO FOUND THAT IT REPORTEDLY HAPPENS ON HIGHWAY, AND WHEN IT DOES, THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED IN WHATEVER POSITION IT WAS IN WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED, LEAVING THE DRIVER ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED IN REGARDS TO THIS. IT HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH THE MALIBU WITH 2.4L ENGINE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IF THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS REGARDING THIS COMPLAINT, THERE NEEDS TO BE ASAP. I'M THINKING RIGHT NOW THAT I SHOULDN'T LET MY DAUGHTER DRIVE THE CAR. IT'S SCARY.
Official recalls
319V019000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Jan 16, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N182206630.
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.
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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.