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

Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2019

Exterior Lighting

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DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM KEEPS GOING OUT I HAVE REPLACED THE BULB 5 TIMES AND KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF. SOME DAYS IT WORKS SOME DAYS IT DOESN'T. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER FOR THIS A FEW TIMES AND I HAVE TO SHOW OFFICER THE RECEIPTS I HAVE TO PROVE I HAVE TRIED TO FIX MY LIGHT. PLEASE DO A RECALL ON THIS AS I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE.THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHT AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE CORRECTLY WHILE IM DRIVING AND IS DISTRACTING TO OTHER VEHICLES AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI #11179961

75,500 miles · Feb 13, 2019

Exterior Lighting

MY PASSANGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT IS CONTINUALLY GOING OUT. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED OVER 5 TIMES THIS YEAR. ONLY HAVING ISSUES WITH PASSANGER SIDE.

NHTSA ODI #11179860

Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2019

Air Bags

THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. IT STAYS ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN GOES AWAY. IT WAS ON FOR FOUR DAYS THIS LAST TIME, WENT AWAY FOR ONE DAY AND CAME BACK ON TODAY. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER MALIBU OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I DECIDED TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS FOR THE…

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NHTSA ODI #11176162

149,000 miles · Feb 10, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

UPON STARTING MY 2011 MALIBU, THE ALERT TONE SOUNDED AND A MESSAGE APPEARED FLASHING "POWER STEERING AND ALSO ESC". IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN WHEEL. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, WAITED A MINUTE, THEN STARTED IT AGAIN. IT WAS FINE, BUT HAS DONE THE SAME THING SEVERAL AT LEAST ONCE DAILY OVER THE LAST WEEK. WHEN ERROR MESSAGE IS NOT…

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NHTSA ODI #11176091

116,000 miles · Feb 10, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

POWER STEERING FAILS WITHOUT WARNING, RESTSTART IF WORKS FOINE FOR A WHILLE... VERY DANGEROUS. BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHY THE SPECIAL WARRANTY FOR GM BULLETIN 15356 IS NOT SHOWING UP ON YOUR WEBSITE. I WAS NEVER GIVEN A RECALL NOTICE BY MAIL. I HASD TO DO INTERNET RESEARCH TO FIND MY RECALL. THIS IS SOME SHADY S%^T. NEVER BUYING A…

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NHTSA ODI #11176039

113,413 miles · Feb 7, 2019

Steering

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WHILE DRIVING MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU, I RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE FOR POWER STEERING. I TRIED THE STEERING AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. I TURNED OFF THE CAR COMPLETELY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND THE STEERING FELT NORMAL, SO I DROVE IT ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, I WENT TO START THE CAR TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERS AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT WAS LIT UP IN THE DASHBOARD AND AGAIN, THE WHEEL WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AND AT THE POINT I NEEDED A TOW. I WANT TO ADD THAT THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED, SO I WAS GETTING NO POWER AT ALL TO THE CAR. IN MY SPARE TIME AND WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK I LOCATED A BULLETIN ON-LINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BULLETIN 15356, WHICH WILL COVER YOUR CAR, IF YOU HAVE OWNED IT LAST THEN 10 YEARS AND IT HAS LESS THEN 150K MILES ON IT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT GM AND WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED, BUT LEARNED WHEN CHECKING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE, IT WAS COVERED. IT IS NICE THAT GM PUT THIS BULLETIN OUT TO COVER THIS WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT OF TIME AND MILEAGE. THIS IS NOT FAIR! WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALERS, 2 OTHER PEOPLE WERE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE POWER STEERING FAILURE. GM REPLACED TORQUE SENSOR AND THE MOTOR MODULE. APPARENTLY BOTH FAILED AND FORTUNATELY BOTH WERE COVERED UNDER THE "SPECIAL WARRANTY BULLETIN 15356, WHICH I AM VERY HAPPY ABOUT. I AM STILL UPSET THOUGH, BECAUSE GM KNOWS THAT THE POWERING STEERING A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO COVER THE PEOPLE THAT SPENT THEIR HARD OWNED DOLLARS ON BUYING YOUR CAR, ONLY FOR THEM TO GET SCREWED LATER WHEN THE POWERING STEERING SYSTEM FAIL PREMATURELY. I PICKED UP THE CAR TODAY FROM THE DEALER AND SO FAR, IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING OKAY. IF THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURS, I HOPE IT HAPPENS BEFORE I OWN THE CAR FOR 10 YEARS, OR BEFORE MY MILES GET TO 150K

NHTSA ODI #11175007

110,000 miles · Feb 4, 2019

Exterior Lighting

MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BOTH GO ON WHEN USING REMOTE TO UNLOCK DOOR, BUT AS SOON AS I PUT THE KEY IN IGNITION AND TURN IT TO START THE CAR, THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. I HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER TWICE IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS AND THEY REPLACED THE BULB, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE PROBLEM. YESTERDAY IT WENT OUT YET AGAIN.MANY PE…

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NHTSA ODI #11173862

138,000 miles · Feb 1, 2019

Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

ECS LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, ABS LIGHT, CODE THROWS MAP SENSOR ERROR. HAPPENS AFTER VEHICLE GO THROUGH THE CARWASH OR GET SLUSH AND MOISTURE FROM THE ROAD. MAP SENSOR CONNECTOR SEEMS TO BE CAUSING THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE. VERY DANGEROUS GOING DOWN THE ROAD, HAPPENED SUDDENLY WHILE NOT EXPECTING IT.

NHTSA ODI #11173606

130,000 miles · Jan 31, 2019

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Unknown Or Other

I WAS DRIVING DOWN TROY AVE IN ILLINIOS WHEN MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST POWER AND SAID ENGINE REDUCE AND AND STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF. I WENT ALL THE WAY FROM 60 TO 20 MPH AND ALMOST CRASH AND GOT HIT FROM BEHIND. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM NON STOP AFTER FIX AFTER FIX. BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW THE PROBLEM. THEN MY HEAD LIGHT GO …

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NHTSA ODI #11173231

157,000 miles · Jan 29, 2019

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO COOK GM SUPER STORE (LOCATED AT 1193 W SAGINAW RD, VASSAR, MI 48768, (989) 823-8523) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING ANGLE POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED…

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NHTSA ODI #11172820

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)