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

107,625 miles · Feb 20, 2015

Steering

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED THE POWER STEERING BECAME INOPERATIVE AND THE ESC LAMP LIT AS WELL AS THE SERVICE POWER STEERING MESSAGE DISPLAYED. SIMILAR CONDITIONS AS DESCRIBED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V153000, POWER STEERING ASSIST LOST. 2008-2009 MALIBU'S ARE AFFECTED AND MY VEHICLE IS IN THE NEXT MY USING THE SAME PART,…

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NHTSA ODI #10689670

91,000 miles · Feb 19, 2015

Steering

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ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING MY VEHICLE, I LOST POWER STEERING CAPABILITIES. ON ONE OF THESE OCCASIONS, I WAS TRAVELING DURING A ICE STORM, THANKFULLY I WAS GOING STRAIGHT AND DID NOT NEED TO MAKE ANY TURNS AND THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY HOME. THIS PROBLEM MAKES STEERING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE WHEN IT GOES OUT. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP WITH THE DIAGNOSIS OF POWER STEERING MOTOR (MODULE) FAILURE. IN RESEARCHING, I FIND THAT SEVERAL RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH OTHER MALIBU(S) (UP TO THE 2009 MODEL), BUT NOT MY 2010. THE COST TO FIX THIS IS APPROXIMATELY $750.00, I AM HOPEFUL THAT MY WARRANTY COVERS THIS AS THERE IS NO RECALL TO DO SO. I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE MALIBU LINE REGARDLESS OF YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10689374

124,000 miles · Feb 18, 2015

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. TH…

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NHTSA ODI #10684093

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 2015

Electrical SystemStructure

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WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER, ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING, AND VEHICLE WILL NOT RESTART. THIS HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES NOW (SINCE LATE 2014) WE HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON ALL OCCASIONS. FIRST THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THEN THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUSE PANEL, AFTER IT LOST POWER AND QUIT RUNNING AFTER LESS THAN 10 MILES THEY SAID IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE COMPUTER. WE JUST GOT IT BACK SATURDAY 2/14/2015 AND TODAY 2/17/2015 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. LAST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH GROUNDS 104 & 107 AND DID A GLOBAL RESET. WE HAVE E-MAILED THE CEO OF GM AND SPOKEN TO AN EXECUTIVE FROM HEADQUARTERS. THEY DON'T SEEM TO COMPREHEND THE SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE THAT WILL LOSE POWER AT ANY TIME. PLEASE HELP US. IT IS AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. WE ARE UNSURE OF EXACT DATE/DATES OF EACH INCIDENT. THE DATE STATED ABOVE IS AN ESTIMATE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10683955

55,500 miles · Feb 14, 2015

Engine

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4 TIMES IN THE LAST 4-6 WEEKS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN "SERVICE TRACTION" THEN "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" & THE CAR LOSES POWER AND STARTS SHUDDERING VIOLENTLY. WORST SITUATION WAS GOING 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY & HAD TO GET TO THE SHOULDER & SLOWLY MAKE MY WAY TO THE EXIT BECAUSE SO LITTLE POWER. SAME SITUATION EACH TIME BUT NOT ALWAYS AT HIGH SPEED. SHUT OFF THE CAR, RESTARTED & CHECK LIGHT STILL ON BUT COULD DRIVE. KEPT IT TO 40MPH & UNDER. VERY AFRAID OF IT HAPPENING AGAIN & WILL NOT DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY WHERE MY LIFE & OTHERS WOULD SURELY BE IN DANGER IF I CAN'T GET TO A SHOULDER & OUT OF TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10683491

124,000 miles · Feb 13, 2015

Steering

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MY POWER STEERING TORQUE SENSOR WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE. HAVE HAD RANDOM ISSUES GOING BACK YEARS WITH THE POWER STEERING BUT NEVER WHILE DRIVING. USUALLY ONLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR. GM SAID,EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME EXACT PART NUMBER LISTED IN THE 2005-2009 CHEVY MALIBU RECALL, MY 2010 WAS NOT PART OF THE WARRANTY. REPAIRS WERE QUOTED AT $1800-2200. GM SEEMS UNWILLING TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE PART THEY PUT IN MY CAR. THIS TYPE OF IGNORANCE LANDED GMS CEOS [XXX] ON CAPITAL HILL JUST OVER A YEAR AGO. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10683134

46,274 miles · Feb 12, 2015

Engine

2010 CHEVY MALIBU WITH THE 2.4 ECO TEC. 47000 MILES AND ALREADY BURNING OIL. ALREADY REPLACED THE INTAKE AND HAD WIRING TROUBLES.WHEEL BEARING WENT OUT AT 27000 MILES WHAT A POS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10683079

98,000 miles · Feb 10, 2015

Steering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT DURING THE INCIDENT THE POWER STEERING AND SERVICE ESC SENSOR LIGHTS HAD ILLUMINATED. THE VEHIC…

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NHTSA ODI #10682412

82,000 miles · Feb 9, 2015

Steering

I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY IN THE FAR LEFT LANE. I HEARD CHIMES. POWER STEERING. SERVICE ECS MESSAGE SCROLLED ACROSS. THE TRACTION INDICATOR ICON CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO PHILLIPS CHEVY IN LANSING. I WAS CHARGED $119.75 DIAGNOSTIC TEST FEE. THE STEERING COLUMN MUST BE REPLACED. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A RECALL ITEM …

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NHTSA ODI #10682256

74,701 miles · Feb 4, 2015

Power Train

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WHEN MY WIFE, TWO KIDS, AND MYSELF WERE DRIVING TO A FRIENDS HOUSE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR PETS, OUR CHEVY MALIBU EXPERIENCED A SEVERE DROP IN POWER. WE WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 75 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN OUR CAR DROPPED TO 10 MILES PER HOUR AND WAS VIOLENTLY SHAKING. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING REAR ENDED DUE TO THE SUDDEN DROP IN SPEED. WHILE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I OBSERVED THE TRACTION CONTROL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ON. ERROR MESSAGES DISPLAYED IN THE INFORMATION SCREEN TO "CHECK TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". ALSO WHILE I WAS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE, MY CAR WAS ATTEMPTING TO JERK FORWARD WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL FULLY PRESSED. I HAD PLACED MY CAR IN PARK AND TURNED MY CAR OFF FEARING THAT AT ANY MOMENT THE CAR COULD TAKE OFF WITHOUT ME WANTING IT TO. AFTER WE WERE CALMED DOWN, I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND THEIR WAS NO MORE JERKING MOTION, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WAS NOT LIT, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I FEAR FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY WHILE IN OUR ONLY FAMILY CAR WITH THIS ISSUE CONSIDERING THE DRASTIC DROP IN POWER AND SPEED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10681363

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)