IllustrationCAR 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
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 reportsPOWER 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…
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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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED FROM 75 MPH TO 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED FROM 75 MPH TO 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
HEADLIGHTS WON'T WORK BRAND NEW LIGHTBULBS DASHBOARD LIGHTS DIM IS OUTCONTROL TRANSACTION TURNS ON BRAKE LIGHT TURNS ON WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKES THEY BASICALLY STAY ON AND MORE
2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD. 93,000-95,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. DRIVING AND THE CAR STOPPED SHIFTING INTO GEAR, AND WILL NOT REVERSE. CAR IS UNSAFE AND UNABLE TO DRIVE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD SHUT OFF AND NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (COGGIN CHEVROLET, 10880 PHILIPS HWY, JACKSONVILLE, FL) WHERE THE BATTER…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD SHUT OFF AND NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (COGGIN CHEVROLET, 10880 PHILIPS HWY, JACKSONVILLE, FL) WHERE THE BATTERY PACK CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS) IN 2014 FOR THE SAME FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.
MY POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING. THE STEERING GOT REALLY HEAVY, AND TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL FELT NOTCHY, LIKE THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS FIGHTING ME. I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. A TRIANGLE SHAPED YELLOW WARNING LIGHT CAME UP. I THINK THE WARNING MESSAGE BELOW IT WAS ESC TRACTION OR SOM…
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MY POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING. THE STEERING GOT REALLY HEAVY, AND TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL FELT NOTCHY, LIKE THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS FIGHTING ME. I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. A TRIANGLE SHAPED YELLOW WARNING LIGHT CAME UP. I THINK THE WARNING MESSAGE BELOW IT WAS ESC TRACTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND LETTING IT REST FOR 1.5 HOURS, THE CAR STARTED AND THE STEERING WORKED LIKE NORMAL. NO WARNING LIGHT, MESSAGE, OR ISSUES. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE WITH THE SAME MODEL YEAR MALIBU. THIS CAR HAS 85K MILES ON IT.
POWER STEERING LOCKS WHEN DRIVING AND I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN ON THE DASH IT SAID "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" ALONG WITH "SERVICE ESC". ENGINE WOULD RUMBLE SO I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD TO CUT ENGINE OFF A FEW TIME UNTIL THE DASH CLEARED BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED.
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.