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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 →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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 reports
140,000 miles · Nov 8, 2017
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

I HAVE 2010 CHEVY MALIBU I LOVE MY CAR IT HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS THE WHOLE 3 YEARS OF OWNING IT JUST THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE. ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH AND I CROSSED OVER AN INTERSECTION AND AS SOON AS I DID SO I PUSHED TO GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE AND I NOTICED THAT IT WASN'T GOING. THIS WAS VERY…

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I HAVE 2010 CHEVY MALIBU I LOVE MY CAR IT HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS THE WHOLE 3 YEARS OF OWNING IT JUST THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE. ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH AND I CROSSED OVER AN INTERSECTION AND AS SOON AS I DID SO I PUSHED TO GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE AND I NOTICED THAT IT WASN'T GOING. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A CAR CRASH. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS STILL WORK RADIO WAS ON , LIGHTS WERE WORKING. SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULDN'T START. THE ENGINE JUST KEPT TURNING OVER AND NOT GETTING A GOOD SPARK. AND IT ALSO CAUSED THE BATTERY TO FAIL SO I HAD TO GET A NEW BATTERY. I CHANGED THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR, THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. THIS IS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE FOR ME BECAUSE NO ONE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS BECAUSE THE BATTERY DIED O LOST ALL DIAGNOSTIC CODES. NOW WHAT?

NHTSA ODI #11044654

Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 2017
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior Lighting

MY CAR BRAKES LIGHTS KEEP GOING OFF AND MY CHEVROLET MALIBU 2010 CAR HESITATES WHEN DRIVING .

NHTSA ODI #11043679

Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 2017
Air BagsExterior Lighting

SERVICE AIR BAG SOON ALERT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON AND GOES OFF SOMETIMES WHEN RESTARTING, OTHER TIMES AFTER DRIVING 15 - 20 MINUTES. HAD STAYED ON FOR 1 1/2 HOUR DRIVE BUT WHEN RESTARTING WAS OFF. DRIVING HAS BEEN HIGHWAY MILES. CAN COME ON UPON STARTING AND WHILE DRIVING. DASH BOARD LIGHTING GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING, HIGHWAY MI…

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SERVICE AIR BAG SOON ALERT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON AND GOES OFF SOMETIMES WHEN RESTARTING, OTHER TIMES AFTER DRIVING 15 - 20 MINUTES. HAD STAYED ON FOR 1 1/2 HOUR DRIVE BUT WHEN RESTARTING WAS OFF. DRIVING HAS BEEN HIGHWAY MILES. CAN COME ON UPON STARTING AND WHILE DRIVING. DASH BOARD LIGHTING GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING, HIGHWAY MILES. SOMETIMES DOES NOT TURN ON UNTIL 15 MINUTES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING THEN GO OFF AGAIN LATER. DIAL IS SETAT BRIGHTEZT POINT BUT NOT BRIGHT.

NHTSA ODI #11043622

37,900 miles · Nov 1, 2017
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

DRIVERS DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DOOR LOCKS WORK BUT OUTSIDE AND INSIDE DOOR HANDLES/LATCHES WILL NOT OPEN DOOR. IT IS IN A SOLID STATE OF BEING LOCKED. THIE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN WHEN PARKED AND IGNITION OFF NOR WITH IGNITION ON. BRAKES ENGAGED, BRAKES DISENGAGED DOESN'T MATTER. SAFETY ISSUE IN CASE I NEED TO GET OUT ASAP.

NHTSA ODI #11042090

156,000 miles · Oct 31, 2017
Steering

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE DASHBOARD CHIMED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS HAS HAPPED TWO TIMES WITHIN THIS WEEK. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS DURING AN ATTEMPT TO MANEUVER A CURVE AND THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHTAWAY.

NHTSA ODI #11041532

Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2017
Air BagsEngineSeat Belts

THE SEAT BELT KEEPS DINGING LIKE THE SEATBELT IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE SEATBELT LATCH AND IT IS. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE LIGHT GOES OFF SO THEY CAN NEVER FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. EXCEPT ONCE WHICH IT CAME BACK TO IT BEING THE SOLENOID SENSOR. THEY FIXED IT. BUT, ENGINE LIGH…

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THE SEAT BELT KEEPS DINGING LIKE THE SEATBELT IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE SEATBELT LATCH AND IT IS. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE LIGHT GOES OFF SO THEY CAN NEVER FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. EXCEPT ONCE WHICH IT CAME BACK TO IT BEING THE SOLENOID SENSOR. THEY FIXED IT. BUT, ENGINE LIGHT STILL COMES ON. THE SEATBELT DINGS DOING THE WHOLE RIDE OR IF YOUR SITING STILL. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON OFF AND ON. JUST BOUGHT THE CAR 9/23/2017.

NHTSA ODI #11040454

118,578 miles · Oct 23, 2017
Service Brakes

THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING WITH OUT PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IT PRESSED THE LIGHTS GO OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT FUCTIONING AND THE ESC INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON.

NHTSA ODI #11035664

193,492 miles · Oct 20, 2017
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SISBARRO DEMING SUPERSTORE (4211 NM-549, DEMING, NM 88030, (888) 445-0069) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND CLOCK SPRING NEE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SISBARRO DEMING SUPERSTORE (4211 NM-549, DEMING, NM 88030, (888) 445-0069) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 193,492.

NHTSA ODI #11035223

201,203 miles · Oct 20, 2017
Service Brakes

THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OFF.

NHTSA ODI #11034786

115,987 miles · Oct 18, 2017
Air BagsElectrical SystemCrash

I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN BACK IN MARCH 2017 THE PERSON BACKED INTO THE PASS-SIDE OF MY CAR AS I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH DOWN THE MAIN ROAD , THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY FROM IMPACT , THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS IS NOT A TAKATA ISSUE AS THEY WERE REPLACED BY THE CURRENT RECALL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN'T DEPLOY…

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I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN BACK IN MARCH 2017 THE PERSON BACKED INTO THE PASS-SIDE OF MY CAR AS I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH DOWN THE MAIN ROAD , THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY FROM IMPACT , THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS IS NOT A TAKATA ISSUE AS THEY WERE REPLACED BY THE CURRENT RECALL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN'T DEPLOY . THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE IS THE ONSTAR RESPONSE SYSTEM DIDN'T DETECT THE CRASH AND CALL FOR HELP- I HAD TO PUSH THE BUTTON TO GET HELP . THE CAR CAN NOT GET DIRECTIONS SENT TO IT FROM ONSTAR AND THE ELECTRICAL KEEPS FAILING/LOOSING POWER AND I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE BATTER AND ALTERNATOR BUT IT STILL DOES IT AND THE WIRES R FINE . DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM BUT SEEMS THEIR GUESSING AND I DON'T HAVE $1,200 AROUND TO DO IT . THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG SHOULD OF DEPLOYED AND THE ONSTAR SENSOR SHOULD OF DETECTED IT AND CALLED FOR HELP.

NHTSA ODI #11034456

Official recalls

3

19V019000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.