Electrical System. Review the 290 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 202 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 191 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

50 crash reports13 fire reports27 injury reports

What owners actually said

906 reports

80,000 miles · Feb 27, 2018

Service BrakesCrash

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A NISSAN TITAN. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 8-3918629379. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

NHTSA ODI #11075305

9,987 miles · Feb 26, 2018

Air BagsCrashInjury

TAKATA AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHILE IN FRONT END COLLISION. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A MAIN STREET WHEN I WAS HIT IN THE FRONT BY 2 CARS. THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI #11075124

Mileage unknown · Feb 26, 2018

Unknown Or Other

TAKATA RECALL MY VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE OF A ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR GOING OUT..I WAS ON THE STREET AND MY CAR GOT TO JERKING AND THEN IT SAYS REDUCE SPEED EVERY TIME I ACCELERATE IT BARLEY WANT TO DRIVE..

NHTSA ODI #11074925

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2018

Steering

WHILE SITTING STILL THE WHEEL MOVES BY ITSELF. THEN WHEN DRIVING THE POWER STEERING GOES COMPLETELY OUT. MAKING IT HARD TO MOVE OFF THE ROAD. THEN U HAVE TKO SHUT IT OFF AND RESTART AND PRAY U MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. THIS WAS A CAR BOUGHT FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER AND NOW I'M SCARED FOR HER TO DRIVE IT. NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SO…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #11074655

59,000 miles · Feb 23, 2018

Electrical System

BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR REPLACED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. HEAT HAS NO TEMP ADJUSTMENT STAYS HOT. CLIMATE CONTROL NOT WORKING. BLOWER MOTOR WAS NOT FACTORY WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR AT 17000 MI. I THINK SOMEONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ME.

NHTSA ODI #11074519

147,000 miles · Feb 23, 2018

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

Read full complaint

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND SERVICE TRACTION LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON WHILE I AM DRIVING AND COME TO A COMPLETED STOP. THE DEALERSHIP TECHS STATED BOTH LIGHTS ALWAYS COME ON TOGETHER WHEN IT IS SOMETHING WITH THE EMISSION CONTROLS. ON STAR DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS WERE: THROUGH YOUR RECENT ON-DEMAND DIAGNOSTIC, ONSTAR DETECTED AN ISSUE WITH YOUR 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU.THE CODE(S) AND EXPLANATION(S) ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE IS/ARE: P0300 THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM IS NOT PERFORMING AS EXPECTED. AN ISSUE HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE EXHAUST EMISSIONS SYSTEM WHICH MONITORS AND CONTROLS EXHAUST GASES RELEASED INTO THE AIR FROM THE ENGINE. IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUALLY DRIVEN WITH THIS LIGHT ON, THE EMISSION CONTROLS MIGHT NOT WORK AS WELL, THE VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY MIGHT NOT BE AS GOOD, THE ENGINE MIGHT NOT RUN AS SMOOTHLY AND COULD LEAD TO FUTURE REPAIRS. BASED ON THE RESULTS, YOU SHOULD SERVICE YOUR CHEVROLET WITHIN 7 DAYS.IF YOU REQUIRE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT (866) 415-5838. PLEASE BRING THIS EMAIL WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO FOR SERVICE.LAST 8 CHARACTERS OF VIN: [XXX] I TOOK THE CAR TO MANASSAS CHEVROLET 1ST AND WAS TOLD THAT THE THEY NEEDED TO CONDUCT A CARBON FLUSH AND THAT COIL 1 WAS BAD WHICH CAUSE THE LIGHTS TO COME. PAID A TUNE UP. AFTER PAYING OVER $600 THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I TOOK IT BACK 3 TIMES AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO BURN THE CARBON OFF AND COIL 2 NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I TOOK THE CAR TO LINDSAY CHEVROLET FOR A 2ND OPINION BECAUSE BOTH LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THAT COIL 2 WAS REPLACED BY THE MANASSAS CHEVY AND WAS BAD. I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I THEN TOOK IT TO REPAIR SHOP IN GAITHERSBURG AND WAS TOLD COIL 2 WAS BAD, BAD A SPARK PLUG AND CYCLINDER GASKETS WERE BAD. I DID NOT NEED A NEW ENGINE. THE COMPUTER IS GOING BAD AND THUS THE REASON THE CHECK ENGINE AND SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AFTER ALL OF THE ABOVE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 55

NHTSA ODI #11074466

57,600 miles · Feb 20, 2018

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MAD…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #11073919

125,254 miles · Feb 19, 2018

Steering

I STARTED MY CAR AND THE POWER STEERING FAILURE MESSAGE CAME ACROSS THE SCREEN, THEN THE ESC AND TRACTION LOGOS POPPED UP. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT AGAIN AND IT WENT AWAY.. IT DID THIS AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH MY YOUNG KIDS IN THE CAR.. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE OTHER …

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #11073611

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 2018

Electrical SystemExterior LightingVisibility/wiper

Read full complaint

BOTH HEADLAMPS HAVE GONE OUT WITHIN A NINE MONTH PERIOD. THE DRIVER SIDE HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE, THE PASSENGER SIDE ONCE. IT SEEMS EVERY THREE MONTHS A HEADLIGHT BURNS OUT ON MY CAR. AS FOR THE WIPERS, WHEN THEY ARE TURNED ON, THEY SWIPE HALFWAY AND STOP UNTIL I TURN THEM OFF AND BACK ON OR TO A HIGHER SWIPING SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED AS THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND DRIVE. ALSO, THE KEY FOB BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND WORKS SELDOMLY. THE LOCKS HAVE RECENTLY STARTING LOCKING ON THEIR OWN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF AND THE DRIVER DOOR IS SHUT.

NHTSA ODI #11073403

80,000 miles · Feb 15, 2018

Seats

I WAS DRIVING AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRIVER SEAT COLLAPSED. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE I BECAME AWARE THAT THE SEAT WAS LOOSE. I BEGAN TO INSPECT IT AND NOTICED THAT A BAR BROKE IN THE SEAT FRAME. SINCE THE SEATBELT IS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11073172

Official recalls

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)