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

141,000 miles · Aug 21, 2016

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Fuel/propulsion System

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VEHICLE HAS SERVICE AIRBAG ON REPEATEDLY, SEAT BELT ALARM GOES OFF EVEN WHEN SEAT BELT IS PROPERLY FASTENED. WHILE DRIVING CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE POWER REDUCED. CAR SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN TO 27 MPH IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BY SUDDENLY TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND CAN BE FATAL IF OCCURS ON FREEWAY. NO ONE CAN PROVIDE ANY REASON AS TO WHY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING. I HAVE NO WARRANTY ON VEHICLE AND PURCHASED FROM A DEALER 3 YEARS AGO. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER AND HAVE HAD CAR LOOKED AT BUT THE ONLY SUGGESTION IS TO BLINDLY REPLACE DIFFERENT SENSORS AND PARTS. WE NEED A RECALL DONE SO NO LIVES ARE LOST DUE TO THIS SEVERE CAR MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA ODI #10897404

60,000 miles · Aug 19, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED THAT THE CAR SEEMED SLUGGISH. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, RESTARTED THE CAR AND GOT SEVERAL WARNINGS CONCERNING THE ESC, TRACTION CONTROL AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION LIGHTS WERE LIT AND REMAINED LIT. CAR HAS APPROX. 60,000 MILES ON IT. CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP TO FIND …

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NHTSA ODI #10897254

24,000 miles · Aug 18, 2016

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior Lighting

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT "SERVICE ESC" AND "TRACTION CONTROL IS OFF " APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ALSO, THE STEERING AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELT HEAVY AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE ISSUE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND WAS REPAIRED IN 2014. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AGAIN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

NHTSA ODI #10896993

84,212 miles · Aug 13, 2016

Unknown Or Other

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

NHTSA ODI #10895545

69,000 miles · Aug 12, 2016

Steering

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CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APX 2HRS. GOT INTO CAR AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE WATER DRIPPED FROM UNDER THE DASH ONTO THE FLOOR JUST UNDER THE EMERGENCY BREAK PEDDLE. IT HAD RAINED WITHIN THE LAST HOUR. THOUGHT OF IT AS ODD BUT NOT A REAL ISSUE. WITHIN ONE MINUTE OF DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL SHUTTERED. STEERING LIGHT ON DASH ELIMINATED. STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. LIGHT WENT OUT. PARKED CAR. RESTARTED CAR AND LET IDLE S FEW MINUTES. STEERING LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN. SEARCHED ONLINE. LOOKED UNDER DASH. CLEAR FLUID ON EMERGENCY BREAK PEDDLE. A FEW DROPS OF MOISTER IN SAME AREA. PARKED CAR.

NHTSA ODI #10895300

138,824 miles · Aug 12, 2016

Wheels

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TPMS WARNING LIGHT KEPT RANDOMLY ILLUMINATING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT AIR WAS LEAKING FROM ALL FOUR TIRES. A MECHANIC INSPECTED THE TIRES AND STATED THAT THE FACTORY RIMS WHEEL WELLS FRACTURED INTERNALLY AND WERE PREMATURELY DETERIORATING. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT ALL FOUR RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO RECOMMENDATION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,824.

NHTSA ODI #10895289

30,197 miles · Aug 10, 2016

Latches/locks/linkages

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK FROM THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE KEY FOB ALSO FAILED TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO USE OTHER DOORS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,197. UPDATED 09/29/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI #10894747

Mileage unknown · Aug 9, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior Lighting

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BCM ISSUE RESULTING IN BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. BRAKES LIGHTS ARE ON WHEN BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED, AND GO OFF WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED. BRAKE LIGHT GOES ON AFTER CAR REACHES A SPEED OF 15 MPH. RECALL PRIOR REPLACED THE HARNESS IN 2014, BUT NOW CHEVY DEALER IS SAYING THIS IS NOT RELATED, YET IT IS THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF ORIGINAL RECALL BACK IN 2014. THE RECALL REPAIR IN 2014 SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A BAND-AID ON WHAT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF A LIFE IF NOT REPAIRED CORRECTLY. CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR OF A KNOWN ISSUE THAT GM ONLY PUT A TEMPORARY FIX ON BUT NEVER SOLVED THE ENTIRE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #10894332

130,000 miles · Aug 7, 2016

Unknown Or Other

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THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. THE ERROR CODE IS P0010. I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR 6 MONTHS WITHOUT SOME ISSUE. THIS IS JUST THE LATEST IN A LONG LINE OF PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY STEERING COLUMN WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 4.5 YEARS OLD. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT ONLY 5.5 YEARS OLD. I JUST HAD TO HAVE THE PASSENGER DOOR FIXED, AS IT LOCKED, AND WOULDN'T OPEN. AND NOW THIS P0010 CODE. I'M FACING YET ANOTHER COSTLY FIX ON THIS CAR. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS ERROR CODE SO THAT I AM NOT FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET YET AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #10893808

79,688 miles · Aug 5, 2016

Exterior LightingTraction Control System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT KEPT ILLUMINATING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED NOR DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE…

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NHTSA ODI #10893568

Official recalls

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)