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

Service Brakes complaints

142 reports

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130,000 miles · May 30, 2019

Electrical SystemService Brakes

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"TAKATA RECALL" RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING AND IN PARK, EVEN WHEN I AM SITTING AT A RED LIGHT MY CAR MY LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE BUTTONS ON THE DOOR, WHICH ARE BROKEN AND THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT UPON REQUEST. ALSO MY CAR WILL STALL AT TIMES BECAUSE THE DOOR LOCKS ARE MOTIONING ON THEIR OWN. FOR SOME REASON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE CAR MESSED WITH THE LOCKS WHEN THE PRIOR OWNER PUT IN A AUTO START IN THE CAR, WHICH I DID NOT KNOW OF UNTIL THE CAR WAS OWNED AND IT WAS'NT TOLD TO ME EITHER. I FEEL THIS CAR WAS A ROUGH STRUGGLE SINCE GETTING IT AND NOW ITS SO HARD TO GET FIXED BECAUSE OF SOMEONE ELSE'S NON KNOWLEDGE BEFORE SELLING IT.

NHTSA ODI #11210833

110,000 miles · May 22, 2019

Service Brakes

CAR WOULD ACT LIKE BRAKES WERE PRESSED WHEN THEY WEREN'T. BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON, CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES, AND THE CAR WOULD DOWNSHIFT. THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK OR IN MOTION. THEN WHEN PRESSING DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL GENTLY, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OFF…

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NHTSA ODI #11209321

101,000 miles · May 18, 2019

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes

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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

154,700 miles · Apr 26, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesSteering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS FAULTY AND EXCESSIVE FORCE HAD TO BE USED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IN ADDITION, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL INDICATOR (ESC) ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE CHANGED THE BRAKE HUBS MORE THAN TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ESC SENSOR NEEDED TO BE SERVICED AND A NEW POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,700.

NHTSA ODI #11203937

207,000 miles · Apr 22, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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WHEN STARTING MY CAR, I ATTEMPT TO TAKE IT OUT OF PARK AND I NEED TO STEP ON MY BRAKES AS IF I AM SLAMMING THEM JUST TO MOVE MY CAR OUT OF PARK. MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE REVERSED, I NOTICED THIS AT NIGHT WHEN A CAR ALMOST HIT ME. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BRAKE SENSOR SO I CHANGED IT AND THAT DIDN'T FIX THE ISSUE. SINCE THEN 3 CARS HAVE ALMOST HIT ME BECAUSE OF THIS BRAKING ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING MY TRACTION LIGHT ALSO COMES ON, IT STATES 'SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE ESC' AND MAKES MY CAR SHAKE.

NHTSA ODI #11202885

15,000 miles · Apr 7, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesSteering

TAKATA RECALL. THE WHOLE CAR APPEARS TO BE HAVING PROBLEMS AT ONCE. WE GO AND GET A CERTAIN MINOR PROBLEM FIX AND THE NEXT THINGS POPS UP. HAVING PROBLEMS DRIVING ACCELERATION AND BREAKING. DOESN'T SEEM TO BE SAFE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #11194418

20,000 miles · Apr 2, 2019

Electrical SystemService Brakes

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BRAKE LIGHTS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY .BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AT THE OPPOSITE TIMES. MEANING LIGHTS COME ON WHEN NOT TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL YET GO OFF WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTION IS INTERMITTENT. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES IN LAST 9 YEARS FOR REPAIR. CHEVY HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON HOW TO FIX AND DEALER DOES REPAIRS FOR FREE. THE REPAIR LASTS NOT LONG BEFORE I NOTICE THEY ARE AGAIN MALFUNCTIONING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TWICE SO FAR IN 2019 AND EACH TIME THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORKED PERFECTLY AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING. TODAY THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONING ,BUT BY TIME I GET AN APPOINTMENT AND ARRIVE AT THE DEALER THE LIGHTS WILL FUNCTION CORRECTLY. BUT THEY WILL FAIL AGAIN THIS CYCLE HAS GONE ON FOR YEARS AND CHEVY IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE . THE DEALER SERVICE BULLETIN HAS THEM PUTTING DIELECTRIC GREASE AND A WIRE HARNESS ON THE BODY CONTROL MODULE CONNECTION .WHICH THEY HAVE DONE AT LEAST 3 TIMES . PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL AS I SEE 09 MALIBU S DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH BRAKE LIGHTS ON ROUTINELY AND THE WEB HAS TONS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING. YOU CAN HAVE MY CAR TO TEST IF YOU NEED IT TO PROVE THE PROBLEM EXISTS . ONCE BEFORE YOU TOOK MY CHEVY TAHOE 97 TO PROVE A POWER STEERING ISSUE . DATE LISTED BELOW IS THE LAST DATE I TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR REPAIR , BUT THEY COULD NOT GET THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION YET A DAY PRIOR THEY MALFUNCTIONED. IN NEXT QUESTION IT ASKS HOW MANY MILES ON CAR WHEN HAPPENED . I PUT IN THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN 2010

NHTSA ODI #11193293

146,000 miles · Mar 19, 2019

Service Brakes

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I HAVE A MALIBU THAT HAS ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE LAMPS. THE LAMPS MAY EITHER ILLUMINATE WITH OUT THE BRAKE PEDAL APPLIES OR TURN OFF WHEN THE BREAK PEDAL IS APPLIED. THERE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE #16188. THIS RECALL REPLACES BREAK APPLY SENSOR AND THE BPPS HARNESS AND CONNECTOR REPAIR. BUT IN THE BULLETIN IT STATES THAT THE ISSUE IS CAUSE BY THE BCM VOLTAGE SURGES. TO ME THE RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE THE BCM. THE RECALL REPAIRS THAT DAMAGED CAUSE BY THE BCM. WHY IS THE BCM NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED AND HAVE HAD THE SAME BRAKE ISSUE 4 ADDITIONAL TIMES. I CURRENTLY HAVE MY CAR IN A GM DEALER RIGHT NOW AND I AM NOW TOLD THAT I SHOULD REPLACE THE BCM. WHEN I DROPPED THE CAR OFF THIS MORNING, I LEFT ALL MY SERVICE RECORDS SO I DO NO HAVE THE EXACT DATES FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11190097

18,000 miles · Mar 5, 2019

Exterior LightingService BrakesSteering

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TAKATA RECALL, AS I WAS DROPPING MY DAUGHTER OFF AT THE BUS STOP I TRIED TO PULL BACK UP TO MY HOUSE AND THE POWER STEERING CAME ON AND THE WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THERE WAS ALOT OF CARS COMING MY WAY AS I WAS TRYING TO TURN. I TOLD MY HUSBAND ABOUT IT HE WENT TO CHECK THAT IT HAD POWER STEERING FLUID IN IT AND IT WAS NOT LOW AT ALL THEN HE GOT IN IT TO DRIVE AND IT WORKED JUST FINE. THAT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR ME. ANOTHER INCIDENT WHEN I WENT TO GO GET MY CAR INSPECTED THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON BUT WHEN I WENT TO MY MOTHER IN LAWS IT WORKED JUST FINE AND WHEN I LEFT TO GO HOME LASTNIGHT IT WAS COMING ON WHEN I WASN'T EVEN PUSHING THE BRAKES SO ME AND MY HUSBAND FIGURED IT WAS A SHORTAGE IN IT OR THE WIRES NEED REPLACED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE THERE BE AN ACCIDENT. I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ABOUT MY VEHICLE AND I SEEN THAT IT HAD SERVERAL RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER RECALL #: N130036 THE NHTSA RECALL #: 14V252

NHTSA ODI #11184239

83,000 miles · Jan 23, 2019

Electrical SystemService Brakes

WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO ON WHEN NOT BRAKING AND GO OFF WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENS ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.

NHTSA ODI #11171701

Official recalls

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)