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2009 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Malibu years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

1,200 reports with mileage · 309 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 768 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 368 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 255 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 reports9 fire reports31 injury reports

Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints

255 reports
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108,000 miles · Oct 17, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM ESPRESSO STAND THE POWER STEERING ON 2009 CHEVY MALIBU COMPLETELY FAILED W/OUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED AS I WAS JUST GOING INTO A RIGHT HAND TURN IN A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10MPH. I NEARLY HIT THE DRIVERS DOOR OF A VEHICLE IN THE INTERSECTION AS THEY WERE TAKING A LEFT TURN INTO THE PARKING L…

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AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM ESPRESSO STAND THE POWER STEERING ON 2009 CHEVY MALIBU COMPLETELY FAILED W/OUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED AS I WAS JUST GOING INTO A RIGHT HAND TURN IN A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10MPH. I NEARLY HIT THE DRIVERS DOOR OF A VEHICLE IN THE INTERSECTION AS THEY WERE TAKING A LEFT TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT. THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND REQUIRED BOTH HANDS. I CAME TO A STOP AS I COMPLETED THE TURN, JUST BEFORE THE PARKING LOT EXITED TO A SIDE ROAD. THE TRUCK BEHIND ME WAS HONKING AND MY VEHICLE WAS BARELY POSITIONED SAFELY ON 'MY' SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TURN RIGHT ONTO THE ROADWAY AND PULL AS FAR OFF TO THE SHOULDER AS I COULD. THE SHOULDER; IS ABOUT TWO CAR LENGTHS LONG BEFORE IT TURNS INTO A SIDEWALK. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY TASK HOWEVER, DUE TO THE STEERING I COULD BARELY GET OFF THE ROADWAY- MY FRONT TIRES ALL BUT RESTING ON THE START OF THE SIDEWALK. THE MESSAGE CENTER ON MY DASH READ "POWER STEERING" FOLLOWED BY "SERVICE ESC" AND THE ESC/ TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS LIT UP. I CALLED FOR HELP & THEY ARRIVED WITHIN MINUTES. WE ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS THE POWER STEERING UNIT AS IS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE ALTERNATOR, AND REQUIRES REMOVAL OF THE ALTERNATOR. ABOUT 30 MIN AFTER INCIDENT I MOVED CAR BACK SEVERAL FEET - STEERING WAS STILL HARD. I TURNED IT OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER I TURNED BACK ON. STILL GETTING MESSAGE, BUT DECIDED TO DRIVE THE 5 MI BACK SINCE ONLY 2 TURNS WERE NECESSARY. ONE PERSON HELPING WAS IN FRONT AND ONE PERSON FOLLOWING. IT WAS UNEVENTFUL HOWEVER WARNING INDICATORS WERE STILL ON & STEERING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. 3HRS LATER I TURN CAR ON TO GET MILEAGE AND NOTICED THAT INDICATORS ARE OFF. TESTED THE STEERING- IT HAS RESUMED TO NORMAL. VEHICLE IS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 8MI HM. MESSAGE DISPLAYED TWICE DURING THIS DRIVE. VEHICLE HAD PRE-TRIP INSPECTION 1WK PRIOR. 108K MILE

NHTSA ODI #11269267

180,000 miles · Oct 10, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes

BRAKE LIGHTS ON WITH OUT PRESSING BRAKE. WHEN PRESSING BRAKE THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF. CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT WORK, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, AND ESC LIGHT STAYS ON . BRAKE LIGHTS STAYS ON WHILE STATIONARY AND IN MOTION.SOME TIMES EVERYTHING WORKS JUST FINE AND OUT OF NO WHERE THESE PROBLEMS START TO HAPPEN. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN FEBRU…

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BRAKE LIGHTS ON WITH OUT PRESSING BRAKE. WHEN PRESSING BRAKE THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF. CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT WORK, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, AND ESC LIGHT STAYS ON . BRAKE LIGHTS STAYS ON WHILE STATIONARY AND IN MOTION.SOME TIMES EVERYTHING WORKS JUST FINE AND OUT OF NO WHERE THESE PROBLEMS START TO HAPPEN. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN FEBRUARY OF 2019 FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS EVER SINCE

NHTSA ODI #11267566

115,000 miles · Oct 7, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainSteering

I HAVE NOT HAD MY 2009 MALIBU FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET LOOKED AT AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME 140 DOLLARS FOR LOOKING AT IT, JUST TO TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP. I KNEW THIS. IT STARTED WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND A LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD…

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I HAVE NOT HAD MY 2009 MALIBU FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET LOOKED AT AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME 140 DOLLARS FOR LOOKING AT IT, JUST TO TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP. I KNEW THIS. IT STARTED WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND A LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO SLOW WAY DOWN BECAUSE I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. THIS WAS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS TERRIFIED FOR MY LIFE WITH MY THREE YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK SEAT. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, THEN STARTED IT UP AGAIN. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS FINE. THEN AGAIN I GOT INTO MY CAR THE NEXT DAY AND IT DID IT AGAIN! BUT ONLY THIS TIME, IT DIDN'T STOP. NO MATTER WHAT. THEN MY CAR STOPPED SHIFTING. I CAPPED THEY CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND THEY SET ME UP AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAR IN. I EXPLAINED IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT SO THEY SCHEDULED A TOW FOR ME. THAT FOLLOWING WEEK, (CARLESS) I WAS WAITING FOR THE TOW TO SHOW UP AND NO ONE CAME. I CALLED THE DEALSHIP AND SHE SAID THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED AND I HAD TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN, I EXPLAINED, AGAIN, THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SHE TOLD ME THAT I COULDN'T GET MY VEHICLE LOOKED AT THEN IF IT WASN'T THERE. I DROVE 20 MILES GOING TEN MILES AN HOUR WITH MY HAZARDS ON TO GET IT THERE, JUST TO LEAVE IT THERE FOR THREE DAYS THEN BE TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP AND THEY NEEDED FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX IT. NEEDELESS TO SAY, MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. NOTHING BEING DONE TO IT. IF MY TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP... WHICH IT IS.... IT'S BECAUSE OF THEM!! I CHECKED MY RECALLS AND I HAVE RECALLS FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS ON A WEBSITE. BUT NOT YOURS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ODI #11266930

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2019
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR MULTIPLE "RECALL FIXES", FOR ELECTRICAL AND LIGHTING ISSUES. THE REGISTRY SHOWS THAT ALL RECALLS WERE FIXED (PURELY COSMETIC WORK) WITH REGARDS TO THE VEHICLES LIGHTS BEING REPLACED (RECEIVED FIX IT TICKETS BY THE AUTHORITIES). BUT MY CAR DIDN'T BURN OUT LIGHTS, SHE MELTED THEM, WHILE I WAS DEPLOYED,…

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THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR MULTIPLE "RECALL FIXES", FOR ELECTRICAL AND LIGHTING ISSUES. THE REGISTRY SHOWS THAT ALL RECALLS WERE FIXED (PURELY COSMETIC WORK) WITH REGARDS TO THE VEHICLES LIGHTS BEING REPLACED (RECEIVED FIX IT TICKETS BY THE AUTHORITIES). BUT MY CAR DIDN'T BURN OUT LIGHTS, SHE MELTED THEM, WHILE I WAS DEPLOYED, HER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FRIED THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND THE CAR'S COMPUTER (BRAIN). REPAIRS WERE MADE IN 2014 WHEN I RETURNED FROM OVERSEAS, AND SHE WAS FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THEN STARTED MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN IN 2015 AND 2016. I WAS CHARGED FOR REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS FROM CHEVY DEALERSHIPS AND THEY FIXED THE MINOR ISSUES. NOW IN 2019 THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS SHORTING OUT AGAIN STATING THAT THE ENGINE IS WORKING AT DECREASED POWER AND MY CAR IS DRAINING HER OWN BATTERY AND LOCKING UP. I BOUGHT HER USED BACK IN 2009, AND EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR YEARS THERE IS AN ELECTRONICS MALFUNCTION AND I'VE HAD SUCH HORRIBLE LUCK FINDING A TRUSTWORTHY DEALERSHIP TO TAKE HER TO FOR REPAIRS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SHE STILL CONTINUES TO HAVE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WHERE SHE'LL BURN OUT OR MELT A COMPONENT IN THE VEHICLE. SHE JUST STARTED MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN AND WHEN I INSPECTED THE BATTERY, SHE HAD MELTED THE PLASTIC HOUSING UNIT.

NHTSA ODI #11258890

70,000 miles · Aug 10, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EnginePower Train

ESC CAR, CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN AND ESC TRACKING LIGHT COMES ON AND IT SAYS NO POWER/LOW POWER ESC - THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN!

NHTSA ODI #11242992

146,000 miles · Jul 30, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainSteering

ISSUE STARTED WITH GEAR SHIFT NOT GOING INTO PARK AND THEN POWER STEERING STARTED HAVING ISSUES AND QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING WITH WHEEL SHAKING BACK AND FORTH. NEXT TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AND NOW BARELY SHIFTS. WHEEL JERKS SO HARD WHEN I TURN NOW THAT IT KICKS MY HAND OFF WHEEL. COUGHLIN AUTOMOTIVE IN LONDON, OHIO TOLD U…

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ISSUE STARTED WITH GEAR SHIFT NOT GOING INTO PARK AND THEN POWER STEERING STARTED HAVING ISSUES AND QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING WITH WHEEL SHAKING BACK AND FORTH. NEXT TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AND NOW BARELY SHIFTS. WHEEL JERKS SO HARD WHEN I TURN NOW THAT IT KICKS MY HAND OFF WHEEL. COUGHLIN AUTOMOTIVE IN LONDON, OHIO TOLD US THAT RECALL HAD BEEN FIXED BUT REFUSES TO GIVE US PROOF. POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TURNING.

NHTSA ODI #11240656

120,000 miles · Jul 8, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

STARTING LAST WEEK, I'VE NOTICED THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN I'M NOT EVEN TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN I'M ACCELERATING AND THEN TURN OFF WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES. I HAVE TO REALLY PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON. THE ELECTRONIC STABIL…

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STARTING LAST WEEK, I'VE NOTICED THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN I'M NOT EVEN TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN I'M ACCELERATING AND THEN TURN OFF WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES. I HAVE TO REALLY PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON. THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND TRACTION LIGHTS ALSO APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD AND THAT'S WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE CAR SHOP TODAY, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BRAKES, BRAKE PADS OR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. I LOOKED ONLINE TO FIND THE RECALL NUMBER 14V252000 MATCHING THE EXACT DESCRIPTION OF WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING IN MY CHEVY MALIBU. I SEARCHED ON VIN ON THE ONLINE DATABASE, BUT MY CAR DIDN'T APPEAR IN THE SEARCH EVEN THOUGH MY CAR MATCHES THE MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND MANUFACTURE DATE RANGE (AUGUST 2008).

NHTSA ODI #11230205

209,000 miles · Jun 5, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)SteeringSuspension

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. JUST AS DESCRIBED IN BULLETIN 114116, MAKING IT HARD FOR ME TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHAKE TERRIBLY.

NHTSA ODI #11218089

172,000 miles · May 18, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING THE ESC LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE CARS ELECTRIC STEERING GOES OUT AND MAKES IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. AS OF NOW YOU CAN SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND START THE VEHICLE AND IT WILL WORK BUT THEN SHUT DOWN WITHIN 10 MILES. THIS MAKES THE CAR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #11208457

101,000 miles · May 18, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, TRACTION SERVICE INDICATOR WOULD COME ON AS WELL AS ESC INDICATING IT WAS OFF, ALSO BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON ALL THE TIME AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK, VEHICLE WOULD DOWNSHIFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH). PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BEAM LIGHT CONTINUES TO BLOWOUT (HAVE REPLACED THREE TIMES…

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WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, TRACTION SERVICE INDICATOR WOULD COME ON AS WELL AS ESC INDICATING IT WAS OFF, ALSO BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON ALL THE TIME AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK, VEHICLE WOULD DOWNSHIFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH). PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BEAM LIGHT CONTINUES TO BLOWOUT (HAVE REPLACED THREE TIMES IN AS MANY MONTHS) ALSO TURN SIGNAL WILL NOT ALWAYS CLICK OFF AFTER TURNING. AS FAR AS REPAIRS ON TRACTION,ESC BRAKE LIGHTS AND DOWNSHIFTING, I REMOVED THE BCM CONNECTOR, CLEANED IT AND USED DIELECTRIC GREASE ON IT AND AS OF NOW SEEMS TO HAVE RESOLVED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM IS ONGOING AS WELL AS THE TURN INDICATOR, IF YOU WILL GO ONLINE, (GOOGLE) LOWER BEAM HEADLIGHT PROBLEM ON CHEVY MALIBU'S AS WELL AS AS THE OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, YOU WILL FIND NUMBEROUS COMPLAINTS, BUT NO RECALLS

NHTSA ODI #11208430

Official recalls

5

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)

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: 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.

Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

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: 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.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

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: 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.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights

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: 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.

Electrical System:wiring

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: 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.

14V153000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 31, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.

12V460000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Sep 18, 2012

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

09V073000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift

Mar 6, 2009

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

08V634000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System

Dec 2, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 77 MY 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEM." THE HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIRCONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEM MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE BLOWER WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND THE MODE SELECTOR WOULD REMAIN IN THE LAST KNOWN SETTING.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO FOG OR FROST, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH AIRFLOW TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD, RESULTING IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE HVAC CONTROL HEAD MODULE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other

On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.