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

83,492 miles · Jan 23, 2015

Power Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK AS THE ESC AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE MAP SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,492.

NHTSA ODI #10678488

101,000 miles · Jan 22, 2015

Steering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

NHTSA ODI #10678317

171,000 miles · Jan 22, 2015

Electrical SystemService BrakesSteering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH NO WARNING SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BREAK LIGHT ILLUMINATED FREQUENTLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT APPLIED. THE CONTACT HAD TO TAP THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET THE LIGHT TO TURN OFF. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14E044000 (STEERING) AND 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL , EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC , VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000.

NHTSA ODI #10678255

82,000 miles · Jan 19, 2015

Electrical SystemSteeringCrash

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POWER STEERING HAS FAILED. WHILE DRIVING APPROX. 15 MILES PER HOUR POWER STEERING WARNING COMES UP AND ANTI-TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON AT THAT POINT THE STEERING WHEEL JERKS TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE CURB. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO TRY AND RESET. THIS PROCESS WORKS SOMETIMES BUT NOT RESET EVERY TIME YOU DO THIS WE HAVE TO DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES TO KEEP GOING. THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I CAN SEE THAT THE 2010 MALIBU HAS HAD ENOUGH ISSUES TO GET GM TO ADD THIS CAR TO THE RECALL FROM 2008 AND 2009 MALIBU'S. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676553

70,000 miles · Jan 19, 2015

Steering

WAS TURNING LEFT WHEN IT SUDDENLY BECAME SLIGHTLY HARDER TO STEER. THE DASH STARTED BEEPING AND THE NOTIFICATION "POWER STEERING" CAME UP. POWER STEERING TURNED BACK ON AFTER THE TURN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676477

160,200 miles · Jan 19, 2015

Steering

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ON 17 JANUARY 2015 I WAS DRIVING HOME DOWN A SOMEWHAT WINDING ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING ON MY VEHICLE FAILED COMING INTO A TURN ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GO INTO A DITCH. THE FAILURE WAS SUDDEN AND I HAD TO APPLY MY BRAKES TO AVOID DRIVING OFF THE ROAD. I HAVE READ AROUND ON FORUMS AND THOUGH MANY OF THE RECALLS FOR OTHER MODELS AND SAME MODELS OF DIFFERENT YEARS THAT HAVE A SIMILAR STEERING SETUP. I BELIEVE IT IS THE MALIBUS OF THE MODEL YEAR 04, 05, 06, 08, AND 09 THAT ARE COVERED BY THE RECALL WHEREAS MY VEHICLE IS A 2010 WHICH IS NOT COVERED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676425

90,000 miles · Jan 15, 2015

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AS THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10672835

96,000 miles · Jan 13, 2015

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN BETWEEN 30-40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BEARINGS IN THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14E044000 (STE…

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NHTSA ODI #10672241

18,100 miles · Jan 7, 2015

Power Train

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DROVE CAR AROUND TOWN WITH NO PROBLEMS, CAME HOME, PUT CAR IN PARK ON LEVEL STREET AND LEFT IT RUNNING FOR 2 MINUTES, GOT BACK IN CAR PUT IN REVERSE AND NOTICED CAR SHIFTER WAS A LITTLE STIFF. IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING MY CAR IN THE GARAGE, GOING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE A COUPLE OF TIMES, I NOTICED IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF STRENGTH TO GET SHIFTER TO MOVE FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER. I WENT IN THE HOUSE AND GOT ONLINE TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS. I DID SEE THERE IS A GENERAL RECALL FROM GM FOR SEVERAL VEHICLES, MY YEAR AND MAKE INCLUDED. THE PROBLEM IS THE TABS ON THE SHIFT LINKAGE COME OFF AND NOT ONLY CAUSE THE SHIFTER TO BE REAL STIFF, BUT CAUSE THE LITTLE SILVER BUTTON ON THE SIDE OF THE SHIFTER TO STICK AND NOT COME BACK OUT AFTER PRESSED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE GEARS, CAUSES IS THE SHIFTER TO APPEAR TO BE IN "PARK" BUT IT REALLY ISN'T AND THE CAR ENDS UP ROLLING AFTER THE DRIVER LEAVES IT, PEOPLE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS GETTING THEIR KEYS TO COME OUT OF THE IGNITION BECAUSE THE CAR WASN'T ACTUALLY IN PARK EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFT LEVER WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. I CALLED THE CHEVROLET DEALER IN WATSONVILLE, CA AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE MY CAR DOES HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SHIFT LINKAGE, BUT MY CAR WASN'T ON THE RECALL LIST, AND EVEN THOUGH MY CAR ONLY HAS 18,100 MILES ON IT, IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS FIX. I THEN REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO GM WITH SENIOR ADVISOR [XXX], OPERATOR #[XXX], PLEASE REFER TO CASE #[XXX]. I FEEL MY CAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SINCE IT WAS EXPERIENCING ONE OF THE SAME PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND GET BACK TO ME. I WOULD LIKE A CONTACT PERSON I CAN WORK WITH ON THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO AVOID SAFETY PROBLEMS FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10670782

109,000 miles · Jan 2, 2015

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MOTOR AND THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

NHTSA ODI #10669577

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)