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

Steering complaints

768 reports

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200,000 miles · Mar 3, 2018

Steering

POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AT INTERMITTENT TIMES. CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, OR MAKING TURNS AND THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT. THIS IS A 2009 MALIBU WITH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IF CAR IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED SOMETIMES IT WILL COME BACK ON AND OTHER TIMES IT…

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NHTSA ODI #11076086

168,000 miles · Feb 26, 2018

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

LOST STEERING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. SERVICE ESC AND POWER STEERING MESSAGE CAME ON.

NHTSA ODI #11074999

165,000 miles · Feb 26, 2018

Steering

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MY POWER STEERING LIGHT IS ON IN MY CAR. THE POWER STEERING IS ACTING UP. I HAVE THE ELECTRONIC POWERING STEERING SYSTEM ON MY MALIBU THAT WAS RECALLED DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. CHEVY RECALLED OVER 1.3 MILLION VEHICLES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY VIN # IS APPARENTLY NOT LISTED ON THE RECALL LIST BUT I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE CHEVY TO HAVE TO FIX THIS. MY STEERING POWER STEERING IS ACTING UP AND I FEEL THIS IS DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI #11074923

265,000 miles · Feb 25, 2018

Service BrakesSteering

SERVICE ESC LIGHTS COMES ON AND THE SERVICE ABS

NHTSA ODI #11074703

108,000 miles · Feb 24, 2018

Steering

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NO STEERING AT ALL. GOT IN THIS MORNING TO GO TO WORK AND CAN'T TURN THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I'M THANKFUL IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN I DROVE HOME FROM WORK LAST NIGHT ON THE THRUWAY. THE CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE. I AM A FULL-TIME COLLEGE STUDENT WITH A PART-TIME MINIMUM WAGE JOB. I CAN'T AFFORD THIS REPAIR. OTHERS ONLINE HAVE STATED IT'S BETWEEN $700 - $1,000 TO FIX. GM PLEASE EXTEND MY WARRANTY TO FIX THIS. I ONLY HAVE 108,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND NEED THIS CAR TO LAST ME AT LEAST TWO MORE YEARS THROUGH COLLEGE

NHTSA ODI #11074650

5 miles · Feb 20, 2018

Steering

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CHEVROLET MALIBU LT 2009 4 CYLINDER ESCOFF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING GOES OUT ON ITS OWN. SEEMS TO BE A SENSORY ISSUE. IF IT DOES GO OUT, IT IS USUALLY RIGHT AFTER STARTING THE IGNITION. SHUTTING THE VEHICLE DOWN AND STARTING IT AGAIN HAS TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM OVER THE LAST YEAR. OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, ESC TURNS ITSELF OFF AND LOCKS POWER STEERING ON ITS OWN WHILE I'M DRIVING. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER IF I'M GOING 75 ON THE HIGHWAY OR 35 ON A BEND, OR FROM STATIONARY AT A LIGHT MOVING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. ONLY THING I'VE NOTICED IS THE HEIGHTENED FREQUENCY OF THE ISSUE IN COLD TEMPERATURES AND AGAIN IN MOIST CONDITIONS SUCH AS A RAINY DAY. ALTHOUGH IT STILL HAPPENS IN ALL WEATHER. I WORK IN TRANSPORTING CHILDREN AND THIS HAS NEARLY GOTTEN THEM KILLED AND I'VE PUT MYSELF IN THE SAME SITUATION SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE A DEALERSHIP FIX THE ISSUE WITHOUT SHELLING OUT $800-$1200. NOT INCLUDING THE $80-$100 ABS SCAN THEY MUST CHARGE YOU FIRSTHAND. OTHER VARIANTS OF THE CHEVROLET MALIBU 2009 HAVE RELEASED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM EXACTLY, AND FOR SOME REASON, MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL, THOUGH SAME MAKE, MODEL, YEAR, AND LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM THAT CAME BUNDLED WITH THE CAR STRAIGHT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THIS IS MY DAILY DRIVER, I HAVE TOUGHED IT OUT MYSELF BECAUSE I STILL HAVE PLACES TO BE AND THINGS TO DO. I CAN'T WORK BECAUSE I REFUSE TO PUT THE LIFE OF ANY OF MY YOUTHFUL CLIENTS AT RISK. THIS STILL LEAVES OTHERS ON THE ROAD AND MYSELF AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY, MAJOR DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, AND ONCE MORE, DEATH!!! CHEVY FORUMS MENTION MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR 4 CYLINDERS WHOSE VIN # ARE NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL. PLEASE RECOGNIZE THIS AS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND HELP SAVE THE LIVES OF POETIALLY COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF INNOCENT LIVES. I BEG YOU.

NHTSA ODI #11073935

218,000 miles · Feb 15, 2018

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE STABILITY AND TRACTION INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PARKWAY CHEVROLET AT 25500 TX-249, TOMBALL, TX 77375 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 218,000.

NHTSA ODI #11073086

145,000 miles · Feb 13, 2018

Steering

MY 2009 CHEVY MALIBU LT (2.4L, 4 CYLINDER) SHOWED ME A MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD SCREEN STATING ' POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC' AFTER MY STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT 25 MPH ZONE. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WHEEL ASSIST SINCE I COULDN'T LOCATE THE STEERING P…

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NHTSA ODI #11072707

226,000 miles · Feb 12, 2018

Steering

WE ALREADY HAD THE POWER STEERING FIXED ONCE TWO YEARS AGO. IT HAS RECENTLY WENT OUT AGAIN. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING 70 MILES A HOUR DOWN THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT ALSO WENT OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. IT MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU START THE CAR. YOU HAVE TO KEEP SHUTTING IT OFF AND STARTING IT TO TURN IT BACK ON.

NHTSA ODI #11072305

175,579 miles · Feb 12, 2018

Steering

POWER STEERING COMES AND GOES AS VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER IN TOWN OR ON THE HIGHWAY STRAIGHT OR GOING INTO A TURN.

NHTSA ODI #11072277

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)