IllustrationMY STEERING GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING ALMOST CAUSED A ACCIDENT ON A HIGHAY
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
What owners actually said
1,360 reportsPASSENGER LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES. UPON REMOVAL OF THE 4TH HEADLIGHT I NOTICED THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED. I REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A NEW ONE AND NOW THE LOW BEAM DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I JUST RECEIVED A TICKET LAST NIGHT FROM THE POLICE. A FIX IT TICKET...AND NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO FIX TH…
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PASSENGER LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES. UPON REMOVAL OF THE 4TH HEADLIGHT I NOTICED THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED. I REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A NEW ONE AND NOW THE LOW BEAM DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I JUST RECEIVED A TICKET LAST NIGHT FROM THE POLICE. A FIX IT TICKET...AND NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO FIX THIS.
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WON'T OPEN. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN USING EITHER THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND I CAN USUALLY GET IT WORKING BY OPENING THE DOOR WINDOW AND MANUALLY LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOOR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLING AND RELEASING THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. SOMEHOW THIS REE…
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FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WON'T OPEN. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN USING EITHER THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND I CAN USUALLY GET IT WORKING BY OPENING THE DOOR WINDOW AND MANUALLY LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOOR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLING AND RELEASING THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. SOMEHOW THIS REESTABLISHES THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AND IT WILL OPEN. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD.
THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHT STOPS WORKING APPROXIMATELY EVERY 6-8 WEEKS. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 6 MONTHS AND HAVE REPLACED THE SAME BULB 4 TIMES. I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE AS THE INTERNET FORUMS ARE FILLED WITH OTHER MALIBU OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE.
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS COMES ON AND OFF. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE AT NIGHT THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON. THE NEXT MORNING IT CAME ON. A FEW DAYS LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON. NOW BOTH LIGHTS WON'T COME ON. I AM ONLY DRIVE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS UNTIL THEY ARE REPLACED.
I STARTED MY CAR, MY TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON, AND MY SERVICE POWER STEERING LIKE CAME ON AS WELL AND I COULDN'T MOVE MY STEERING WHEEL. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK AND AND IT DIDN'T HAVE AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ACTIONS TO TAKE.
STEERING GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED A SLIGHT TWITCH IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN I STARTED IT UP TO LEAVE FOR WORK . IT WAS DOING THIS TWITCH WHILE IN PARK .. ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK IT GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED ABNORMALLY AND STALLED. THE ESC, REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, INCLUDING THE MCGR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED ABNORMALLY AND STALLED. THE ESC, REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, INCLUDING THE MCGRATH AUTO DEALER, LOCATED AT 1548 COLLINS RD NE, CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52402) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER TORQUE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE THE FIRST TIME AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER AT NO CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE RECENT FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE SEAT BELT SENSOR WHICH INDICATED IF THE SEAT BELT IS FASTENED FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS SECURELY BUCKLED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT IN USE. PROGRESSIVE CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 8000 H…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE SEAT BELT SENSOR WHICH INDICATED IF THE SEAT BELT IS FASTENED FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS SECURELY BUCKLED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT IN USE. PROGRESSIVE CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 8000 HILLS AND DALES RD NW, MASSILLON OH 44646, (330)833 8564 WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT VEHICLE OWNERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR COSTS NOT COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY OR RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,879.
FRONT DOOR LOCKS MECHANISM SEIZES PREVENTING THEM FROM OPENING EITHER FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, OCCUPANTS WILL BE TRAPPED. I HAD TO CHANGE BOTH FRONT DOORS AT 5 YEARS OF LIFE AND THEN AGAIN AT 8 (DRIVERS). BOTH TIMES ORIGINAL OEM PARTS. INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
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.