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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189,000 miles · Jan 26, 2016

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND MOVED INDEPENDENTLY TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE AND KEEP IT IN POSITION AS THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. "POWER STEERING, EPS NOT ENGAGED" WAS DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,000.

NHTSA ODI #10822266

60,500 miles · Jan 8, 2016

SteeringWheels

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROGRESSING FAILURE WITH THE TPMS WARNING LIGHT RANDOMLY FLASHING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING AREA, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY TIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING) AND 14E044000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,500.

NHTSA ODI #10819023

75,000 miles · Jan 6, 2016

Steering

THE POWER STEERING JERKS ON A HARD TURN EITHER DIRECTION AND MAKES A GROWLING SOUND. THE OPERATION SMOOTHS OUT IN THE STRAIGHT FORWARD POSITION.

NHTSA ODI #10818434

154,000 miles · Jan 6, 2016

Steering

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POWER STEERING MSG COMES ON WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IN FOR REPAIR AND POWER STEERING TORQUE SENSOR NEEDS REPLACED. THIS IS LISTED FOR OTHER MALIBU YEARS BUT NOT 2009 THE REPAIR COST $575. THE VEHICLE IS NOT LISTED UNDER CURRENT RECALL BUT SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM. PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE DRIVING AND IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE AFFECTING OTHER MODEL YEARS. I WAS SENT A LETTER INFORMING ME OF A "SPECIAL WARRANTY" FROM GM AND TOLD TO TAKE THE LETTER TO THE REPAIRSHOP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE COVERED UNDER THE "SPECIAL WARRANTY LETTER" BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY COVERAGE PARAMETERS!!

NHTSA ODI #10818386

96,960 miles · Jan 1, 2016

Steering

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UPON DRIVING AFTER A WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THEN TO RESIDENTIAL DRIVING ..STEERING WHEEL "LOCKED UP " WHILE THE PANEL FLASHED "ESC " AND " POWER STEERING ".TURNED OFF CAR ...WAITED RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ..SHORTLY. ONCE AGAIN , IT REPEATED THE SAME PROBLEM AT A INTERSECTION , WHERE I NEARLY GOT HIT AND WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC NOR PULL TO THE SIDE. I HAD TO WAIT I TRAFFIC , AGAIN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF. RESTARTED, BUT THIS TIME WAS ABLE TO GET HOME WITH MY SON IN HIS CAR SEAT IN THE BACK ..VERY SCARY FOR US.THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE , RECENTLY SEVERAL DAYS AGO AND PRIOR, BUT FIRST TIME WITH MY SON IN THE CAR. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE WITH THE TEMPERATURES LOWERING.....

NHTSA ODI #10817351

167,000 miles · Jan 1, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

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VEHICLE IN AIRPORT PARKING LOT AND TEMP WAS 29 DEGREES. STARTED VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO LEAVE PARKING LOT. POWER STEERING WARNING APPEARED ON DASH BOARD. CONTINUE DIVING ON INTERSTATE FOR NEXT 15 MINUTES TO REACH HOME. ABOUT A HALF MILE BEFORE REACHING HOME, SERVICE ESC APPEARED ON DASH. DID NOT LOSE CONTROL O VEHICLE AND VEHICLE HAS NO BEEN MOVED SINCE. NEW YEARS DAY 2016, NO DEALER SERVICE IS OPEN. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE MALIBU, HOWEVER MY VIN # DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE PART OF THE RECALL. WILL TAKE TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS.

NHTSA ODI #10817316

44,068 miles · Dec 29, 2015

Steering

POWER STEERING MSG COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK IN FOR REPAIR AND STEERING TORQUE SENSOR NEEDS REPLACED. THIS IS LISTED FOR OTHER MALIBU YEARS BUT NOT 2009 AS (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V153000). THE REPAIR COST 576.09. THE VEHICLE IS NOT LISTED UNDER CURRENT RECALL BUT SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM. PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE DRIVING …

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NHTSA ODI #10816698

89,000 miles · Dec 23, 2015

Steering

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I INTERMITTENTLY LOSE POWER STEERING ON THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE INFORMATION DISPLAY FLASHES THAT THE POWER STEERING AND TRACTION CONTROL ARE DISABLED. THIS OCCURS BOTH WHEN STATIONARY AND WHILE MOVING. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHEVROLET IN REGARDS TO THIS PROBLEM AND WAS ADVISED BY THE LETTER TO TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALER IF THIS PROBLEM EXISTED. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT DOING IT AT THAT TIME AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I WAS TOLD THAT BASICALLY I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL IT FAILED AGAIN AND HOPE THAT IT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ODI #10811892

152,000 miles · Dec 18, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

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AS I WAS DRIVINGDOWN THE STREET, THE POWER STEERING/SERVICE ESC LIGHT AND MESSAGE CAME ON MY CAR. IT ALSO SAID ESC OFF. I GOT PULLED INTO A PARKUING LOT AND TURNED OFF MY CAR AND RESTARTED IT AND IT WORKED FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER WORK IT DID IT TO ME WHEN I STARTED IT. I KILLED IT AND RESTARTED IT AND JERKED THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH AND IT WORKED FOR AROUND FIVE MINUTES. I HAVE READ ON MANY FORUMS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MANY YEARS OF THE MALIBU AND OTHER CARS. GM HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES BUT MOST OF THEM ARE OVER THAT LIMIT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM!!!!!

NHTSA ODI #10811210

86,000 miles · Dec 17, 2015

Steering

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I WAS DRIVING THIS MORNING AND A "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE APPEARED ON MY DASH. FOR NOW, I DIDN'T FEEL ANY DIFFERENCE IN STEERING, BUT TO BE HONEST, IT'S BEEN ALWAYS A BIT HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT IS GETTING COLDER IN MY STATE AND I AM WORRIED FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I CALLED MY LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I AM NOT COVERED, HOWEVER IF I BRING MY CAR, THEY MIGHT COVER SOME EXPENSES. I ONLY HAVE 86.000 MILES ON MY CAR AND I DON'T SEE WHY IT SHOULDN'T BE FULLY COVERED BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE A NUMBER ONE ISSUE IN MALIBU CARS.

NHTSA ODI #10810903

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)