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 · Mar 28, 2016

Electrical SystemEngine

CAR WILL NOT START.SON WAS DRIVING AND IT JUST STALLED OUT FORTUNATELY HE WAS NOT GOING FAST. TRIED TO RESTART BUT NO LUCK. DID RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MALIBU OWNERS WITH THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. AS A DAD AND A CONSUMER I WOULD LIKE GM TO FIX THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE…

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NHTSA ODI #10852061

94,000 miles · Mar 23, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesSteering

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WHEN DRIVING, AT LOW SPEED IN THE CITY, OR ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEED, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING (ACCORDING TO THE REPAIRING DEALER, VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN); DASH GAUGES GO ON AND OFF; TRACTION CONTROL AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL TURN OWN AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING; DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING; BELLS AND BUZZERS RING; DOOR LOCKS CYCLE, AND THEFT DETERRENT WARNINGS ILLUMINATE. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO REPAIR IT BY REPLACING THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. IT IS AT THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT NOW, HAS BEEN THERE FOR A FULL WEEK AND AT THIS POINT IS STILL UNSAFE

NHTSA ODI #10851273

600 miles · Mar 22, 2016

Power Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WITHOUT WARNING. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR AND TRANSMISSION SEALS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.

NHTSA ODI #10851107

90,000 miles · Mar 21, 2016

Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE ESC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION AND BACK ON THREE TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE STARTED OPERATING CORRECTLY. THE VEHICL…

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NHTSA ODI #10850684

69,500 miles · Mar 19, 2016

Seats

WAS GETTING INTO MY PARKED VEHICLE, AND THE SEAT BROKE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THE WELD THAT HELD THE SEAT TO THE RAILING BROKE.

NHTSA ODI #10850518

63,921 miles · Mar 18, 2016

Seats

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DRIVERS SEAT BECAME DISENGAGED AT THE WELD POINT UNDERNEATH THE SEAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND THE DEALER REWELDED THE SEAT. PICKED THE CAR UP HAD IT FOR LESS THAN A WEEK SEAT PRETTY MUCH DISENGAGED FROM THE BOTTOM AND THE BACK WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. WHILE GM OFFERED SOME ASSISTANCE I AM STILL OUT $500. FOR BOTH REPAIRS. AFTER RESEARCHING ON LINE IT APPEARS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH THIS MODEL YEAR. SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! MY VEHICLE WAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. I'VE OWNED NUMEROUS CARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A SEAT DISENGAGE. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFENCT IN THE VEHICLES SEAT FRAME.

NHTSA ODI #10850455

164,000 miles · Mar 14, 2016

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WAITED A FEW MINUTES, AND RESUMED DRIVING. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE V…

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NHTSA ODI #10846475

548,250 miles · Mar 13, 2016

Visibility/wiper

ON 11/18/2015 MY WIPER BLADES STOPPED WORKING IN HEAVY DOWN POUR OF RAIN ,HAD TO TURN AROUND AND GO TO THE CLOSEST REPAIR GARAGE TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT. THEY REPLACE THE WIPER LINKAGE. SO 225.69 DOLLARS LATER I WAS ON MY WAY. THAN ON 3/10/2016 UPON DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN RAIN I HEARD A COUPLE OF BANG AND THE WIPERS STOPPED WORK…

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NHTSA ODI #10846340

Mileage unknown · Mar 9, 2016

Seat Belts

TAKATA RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #10845744

78,000 miles · Mar 8, 2016

Engine

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2012 CHEVY MALIBU 1ST OCCURRENCE'. PARKED BUT RUNNING THE CAR DIES AND WILL NOT START BACK. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ARE ON. LET THEM CAR SET FOR 20 OR SO MIN AND IT STARTED BACK WITH NO ISSUES. 2ND OCCURRENCE'. A FEW DAYS LATER WE STOPPED AT THE STORE AND CAME BACK OUT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS OR ANYTHING. KINDA SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS OUT OF FUEL WHEN YOU TRIED TO START IT. WE HAD SOMEONE PICK US UP AND WENT BACK IN AN HR OR SO AND THE CAR STARTED. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THE ONLY CODE IT WAS THROWING WAS LOW VOLTAGE. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY. 3RD OCCURRENCE.. A WEEK LATER I USED THE FOB TO START THE CAR. WHEN I WENT OUT THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START BACK. SAME AS BEFORE JUST ACTED LIKE IT WAS OUT OF FUEL. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THE COMPUTER WAS STILL NOT SHOWING CODES. HE REPLACED THE FUEL RELAY. 4RD OCCURRENCE.. A WEEK LATER I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND IT ACTED LIKE I WASN'T PRESSING THE FUEL PETAL AND BY THE TIME I GOT OVER TO GET TO THE SHOULDER IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I DROVE IT TO HOME DEPOT ON MY LUNCH BREAK AND CAME BACK OUT AND IT WOULD NOT START. SAME AS BEFORE. I CALLED A CO-WORKER TO PICK ME UP THEN WENT BACK A FEW HOURS LATER. IT STARTED SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP. IT DID NOT HAVE ANY CODES THROWN. HE REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. 5TH OCCURRENCE' 4 DAYS LATER I LEFT TO TAKE THE KIDS TO SCHOOL AND THE CAR DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE PULL OFF AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK. I HAD IT TOWED STRAIGHT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THE CAR STARTED ONCE IT GOT THERE AND THE COMPUTER DIDN'T THROW ANY CODES.. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WHEN I SEARCH MY PROB ON THE WEB THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I

NHTSA ODI #10845521

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)