Electrical System. Review the 235 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 213 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 174 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

40 crash reports17 fire reports30 injury reports

What owners actually said

977 reports

154,257 miles · Mar 26, 2019

Steering

ON FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 22, 2019 WHILE DRIVING MY POWER STEERING WAS LOST. THE POWER STEERING ESC MESSAGE CAME ON. BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SAFETY .HUFFINES CHEVROLET PLANO REPLACED AND PROGRAMED STEERING TORQUE SENSOR FOR $590.18. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR WAS 154,257 SO THE #15356: SPECIAL COVERAGE AD…

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NHTSA ODI #11191543

3 miles · Mar 25, 2019

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Vehicle Speed Control

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UPDATE ON COMPLAINT #'S 1144041 & 11172602. ON 2/8/19, I WAS 2 BLOCKS FROM WORK WHEN MESSAGES DISPLAYED FOR (SERVICE ECS, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). I DROVE RIGHT FROM WORK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS 9 MILES AWAY, WITH MY HAZARDS ON AND AT A MAX SPEED OF 25 MPH. I DROVE IT INTO THE BAY AND TOLD A SERVICE ADVISOR THAT I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK WHILE THE PROBLEM WE KEEP TRYING TO FIX WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. HE TRIED TO GET SOMEONE TO COME HOOK UP THE CODE READER TO IT BUT WAS UNABLE TO SO HE TURNED OFF MY CAR. I RECEIVED A VOICEMAIL MID-DAY MONDAY 2/11/19 TO SAY THAT BECAUSE MY BATTERY HAD BEEN OUT OF MY CAR TOO LONG, THEY HAD TO RELEARN THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. I LEFT A MESSAGE TO SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT THE LAST TIME THE BATTERY HAD BEEN OUT OF MY CAR TO MY KNOWLEDGE WAS 3/2018. WHEN THEY CALLED BACK, THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE BATTERY HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED OR SECURED PROPERLY WHICH CAUSED THEM TO HAVE TO RELEARN THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. ON 2/19/2019, IT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT THEY COULD NOT READ A CODE WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN, SO WAS AGAIN SENT TO COME BACK WHEN IT WAS OCCURRING SO THEY COULD HOOK UP THE CODE READER WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. ON 3/5 I DROVE MY CAR TO THEM WHILE IT WAS DISPLAYING THE MESSAGES AND RUNNING ROUGH. THEY AGAIN TRIED TO PUT THE BLAME ON THE BATTERY. EVEN THOUGH THE CODES WHERE P2176 AND P2135, THE RECOMMENDED FIX WAS NEW BATTERY AND BATTERY CABLES ($733). I STILL HAD WARRANTY FOR THAT BATTERY AS IT WAS INSTALLED NEARLY A YEAR AGO AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENCE, SO I WENT BACK TO THAT AUTO SHOP. HE DID NOT FIND ANYTHING ASSOCIATED TO BATTERY BUT DID FIND GM BULLETIN FROM 2012 (PIP5019). HE RE-CRIMPED THROTTLE BODY CIRCUIT PINS AFTER DOING A PEN OUT TEST AT ECU. IT IS NOW 3/25 AND NO OTHER ISSUES! HOPING WE HAVE FOUND ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. NO THANKS TO DEALER OR CHEVY CUSTOMER CARE...

NHTSA ODI #11191393

67,000 miles · Mar 21, 2019

Engine

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MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU WITH 2.4 ECOTEC JUST BROKE A TIMING CHAIN GUIDE. 67,000 MILES. WAS GETTING THE P0016 AND P0017 CRANK / CAM CORRELATION CODES. MAN AM I TICKED!! I BOUGHT THIS CAR WITH 18,000 MILES ALWAYS CHANGED OIL. GM WILL DO NOTHING!! I HAVE OWNED A 2001 SATURN L200 THAT BROKE A TIMING CHAIN WITH 106,000 MILES AND CRASHED THE HEAD. GM WOULD DO NOTHING!! I HAD A CUTLASS SUPREME AND CUTLASS SIERRA IN THE 90'S. BOTH OF THESE CARS HAD THE OUTER HARMONIC BALANCER RING JUST COME UN-GLUED AND FALL OFF! GM DID NOTHING. THIS IS THE LAST STRAW FOR ME , I AM NOW FOCUSED ON HONDA WHO ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT RELIABILITY!!!!!

NHTSA ODI #11190432

101,000 miles · Mar 20, 2019

Steering

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'POWER STEERING RECALL ' MY POWER STEERING ON MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU WENT OUT. IT IS OVER $ 1000 TO GET OT FIXED ON MY OWN AND ITS CAUSING ME TO MISS WORK AS WELL AS OTHER PLACES AND THINGS I HAVE A OBLIGATION TO ATTEND. WHEN THE INCIDENT FIRST OCCURED, I WAS DRIVING OVER 60 MPH PUTTING ME AS WELL AS OTHER PASSENGERS AT RISK FOR BEING EXTREMELY JARMED. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL CAR DEALERSHIP AND THERE OS NOTHING THEY COULD DO PR WANTED TO DO. I CAN NOT DRIVE A CARE THAT I'VE BEEN PAYING ON BECAUSE PF THE RECALL AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ODI #11190253

87,400 miles · Mar 16, 2019

Steering

STARTING CAR AND POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON. I TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT'S FINE. THIS JUST STARTED.

NHTSA ODI #11187282

97,645 miles · Mar 13, 2019

Power Train

TAKATA RECALL WE WERE IN MOTION GOING DOWN A HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR JUST STOP, WE PUT IT IN REVERSE IT MOVED WHEN WE PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE WOULD NOT MOVE.THE CAR IS NINE YRS OLD I WAS SCARE TO DEATH.

NHTSA ODI #11186646

78,989 miles · Mar 8, 2019

Steering

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WHILE DRINKING THE CAR THE STEERING QUITS WORKING ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR, THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL WAS THE ISSUE. I TAKE IT TO A SHOP AND THEY TELL ME THE MALIBU, G6, AND IMPALAS ALWAYS DO THAT AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL PLACED ON IT, & IT IS EITHER THE ELECTRIC STEERING MOTOR OR THE TOURQE SHAFT SENSOR. THEY SAID THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE IN ACCIDENTS WHICH RESULTED IN DEATH DUE TO THIS ISSUE. COULD YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE AS I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS EVEN AFTER THE $1500 FOR REPAIRS ARE DONE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER AND CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER NEW CAR. THIS IS VERY SCARY WHEN THIS GOES OUT ESPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I HAVE A VIDEO OF WHAT THE CAR DOES WHEN YOU START IT UP WHEN THE STEERING GOES BACK TO WORKING. IT DOES THIS WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STATIONARY. WHEN LOOKING ON A CHEVROLET FORUM THERE WERE THOUSAND OF PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO WITH NUMEROUS CAUSING ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ODI #11185025

120,000 miles · Mar 7, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Fuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

CODE P2135

NHTSA ODI #11184773

119,000 miles · Mar 6, 2019

Electrical SystemSteeringTraction Control System

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE BEGAN APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO AND WAS WORSENING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FOUR DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, BUT NONE OF THEM COULD RESOLVE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

NHTSA ODI #11184548

118,000 miles · Mar 3, 2019

Seats

DRIVERS SEAT STARTED LEANING TO THE RIGHT OVER TIME. THEN ONE DAY WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR, THE SEAT WAS WOBBLY. THOUGHT MAYBE A LOOSE BOLT, BUT FOUND SEAT FRAME IS BROKEN. LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MALIBU, BUT NO RECALLS. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY CHEVY.

NHTSA ODI #11183760

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.

15V269000 · Seat Belts

May 8, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.

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)