IllustrationTIMING CHAIN BOLTS SHEERED OFF, CAUSING CHAIN TO COME OFF AND OTHER THINGS TO BREAK, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING ON MAJOR HIGHWAY.
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 reportsTHE CARS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND YOU LOSS YOUR BRAKES AND WHEN YOU HAVE IT CHECKED IT PUTS UP DIFFERENT CODES EVERY TIME IT'S CHECKED AND NO MATTER WHAT YOU CHANGE IT KEEPS DOING IT AND YOU TAKE IT TO A DEALER AND THEY JUST WANT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING IT SAYS AND CHARGE YOU A ARM AND LEG AND IT STILL DOES FIX IT
MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON WHEN I AM DRIVING AND THEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OFF. IT'S A SCARY THING BECAUSE IT REALLY CONFUSES THE CARS BEHIND ME.
MY 2010 CHEVY MALIBU IS LOSING POWER STEERING DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE SERVICE ECM IS DISPLAYING AND THEN THE POWER STEERING FAILURE IS ON THE DASH. I CAN GET THE POWER STEERING TO TURN BACK ON ONCE I TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN BUT IT CONTINUES TO SHUT OFF.
CAR JUST STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING! VERY SCARY SITUATION! FORTUNATELY NO OTHER CAR CRASHED INTO ME BUT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A LIKELY SCENARIO. NOT ONLY A COSTLY REPAIR BUT AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. $3400 TO REPAIR! APPARENTLY AND UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT ALONE. CHEVY SHOULD STEP UP AND HELP US ALL OUT. LIKE MANY OTHERS, NEVER A CHE…
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CAR JUST STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING! VERY SCARY SITUATION! FORTUNATELY NO OTHER CAR CRASHED INTO ME BUT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A LIKELY SCENARIO. NOT ONLY A COSTLY REPAIR BUT AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. $3400 TO REPAIR! APPARENTLY AND UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT ALONE. CHEVY SHOULD STEP UP AND HELP US ALL OUT. LIKE MANY OTHERS, NEVER A CHEVY AGAIN!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND TRACTION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGN…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND TRACTION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 129,642.
2010 CHEVY MALIBU BRAKE LIGHT ON WITHOUT BRAKE BEING APPLIED CAR SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ON AND SERVICE ESC I BELIEVE IT'S DUE TO A BAD BODY CONTROL MODULE
I FOUND A COMPLAINT BEFORE ABOUT THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT ON MY CAR. TODAY IS OCTOBER 17TH 2018 THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT ABOUT 5:50 IN THE MORNING MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN AND THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AND TURNT THE CAR ONTO A CONSTRUCTION SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP …
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I FOUND A COMPLAINT BEFORE ABOUT THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT ON MY CAR. TODAY IS OCTOBER 17TH 2018 THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT ABOUT 5:50 IN THE MORNING MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN AND THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AND TURNT THE CAR ONTO A CONSTRUCTION SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. SHE TELLS ME THAT EVERY LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED FLASHING THEN IT WENT AWAY AND SAID ESE, NO POWER STEERING, SERVICE, NO TRACTION. SHE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND STARTED IT BACK UP AND EVERYTHING WORKED AGAIN, THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONE TIME AND EACH YEAR IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE.
THE BRAKES LIGHTS STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AND GO OFF WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THE TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE ALERT COMES ON THE DASH ALSO. CONCERNED THAT NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE CAR COMPLAINTS WEB SITE NOTING THE DEALERS HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE. MEANWHILE, OCCUPANTS ARE AT RISK OF REAR COLLI…
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THE BRAKES LIGHTS STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AND GO OFF WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THE TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE ALERT COMES ON THE DASH ALSO. CONCERNED THAT NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE CAR COMPLAINTS WEB SITE NOTING THE DEALERS HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE. MEANWHILE, OCCUPANTS ARE AT RISK OF REAR COLLISION DUE TO BRAKE LIGHTS NOT COMING ON DURING BRAKING.
TAKATA RECALL. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHTS ON THE LOW BEAM SETTING KEEP GOING OUT. I CHANGED MY LIGHTBULB TWO MONTHS AGO AND IT HAS ALREADY GONE OUT. I SAW THAT IT WENT OUT A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT WHEN I WAS GOING TO GET SOMEONE TO CHANGE IT, THINKING THE THE SHOP GAVE ME A BAD BULB, THE HEADLIGHT CAME BACK ON. THE SAME THING HAPPENED L…
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TAKATA RECALL. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHTS ON THE LOW BEAM SETTING KEEP GOING OUT. I CHANGED MY LIGHTBULB TWO MONTHS AGO AND IT HAS ALREADY GONE OUT. I SAW THAT IT WENT OUT A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT WHEN I WAS GOING TO GET SOMEONE TO CHANGE IT, THINKING THE THE SHOP GAVE ME A BAD BULB, THE HEADLIGHT CAME BACK ON. THE SAME THING HAPPENED LAST WEEK ALSO THE LIGHT WAS OUT AND I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND I HEARD MY CAR CLICK LIKE THE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON WHEN I STOPPED I NOTICED BOTH LOW BEAM LIGHTS WERE ON AGAIN. CURRENTLY MY PASSENGER LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT IS NOT WORKING, ALL OTHER LIGHTS ARE WORKING FINE
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.