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

What owners actually said

1,509 reports

84,000 miles · Apr 25, 2018

Power Train

LOST THE 35R GEARS IN MY 6T45 TRANSMISSION JUST AS THE 6T70 & 6T75 TRANSMISSION WHICH ARE UNDER TSB 14404 BUT AS GM NOTED IT'S ONLY FOR THE V6 ENGINES (HIGH OUTPUT) AND NOT THE 2.4L ENGINES. SAME ISSUE BUT NOT COVERED. I ONLY HAVE 84, 000MILES ON THE CAR, ENGINE RUNS GREAT, BODY IS IN GREAT SHAPE JUST HAVE A BAD TRANSMISSION. LO…

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NHTSA ODI #11090137

Mileage unknown · Apr 23, 2018

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

TAKATA RECAL, MY CARS LOCK BUTTON STOPPED WORKING AND MY KEY PADS AS WELL AS MY HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AND COME BACK ON ON THEIR OWN. MY CAR WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY AND ALL THIS HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS OF EACHOTHER. WENT TO CHANGE MY BULB AND OLD BULB CAME BACK ON. AS WELL AS WHEN ALL MY ELECTRICAL WENT BAD IT WAS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY ALL…

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NHTSA ODI #11089552

170,000 miles · Apr 22, 2018

Steering

2009 CHEVY MALIBU LS POWER STEERING WHEEL HARD TO STEER, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ONI HAVE A 4 CYLINDER 2.4

NHTSA ODI #11089300

157,000 miles · Apr 18, 2018

Steering

IN BOTH MOTION AS WELL AS STATIONARY THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND LOSE POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ODI #11088910

94,236 miles · Apr 17, 2018

Exterior Lighting

I HAVE A 2009 CHEVY MALIBU AND THE PASSENGER LOW BEAM LIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS 5 TIMES NOW AND RECENTLY CHANGED THE HARNESS AND STILL WENT OUT 3 MONTHS LATER. IT IS STARTING TO COST ME A LOT OF MONEY AND KEEPS HAPPENING.

NHTSA ODI #11088539

146,200 miles · Apr 16, 2018

Steering

THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON I-57 EXPRESSWAY AT A SPEED OF 55 MPH AND I LOST MY POWER STEERING. WHEN I STOPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT 30 MINUTES LATER THE WARNING WAS GONE AND MY POWER STEERING WORKED. I'M NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR ON THE EXPRESSWAY AFTER READING ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM ON A CHEVY MALIBU…

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NHTSA ODI #11088502

123,000 miles · Apr 13, 2018

Steering

I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DRIVING WHEN MY WHEEL LOCKED UP ON ME, NOW IT'S HARD FOR ME TO DRIVE...

NHTSA ODI #11084862

80,000 miles · Apr 7, 2018

Structure

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I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE LATCHES ON MY DOORS. IT STARTED WITH MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR. I WOULD CLOSE THE DOOR AND IT WOULD POP OPEN A LITTLE AND WOULDN'T CLOSE. AFTER A FEW TRIES IT CLOSED BUT THIS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME. EVENTUALLY IT CLOSED PERMANENTLY AND NOW WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL. IT IS A SAFETY HAZZARD THAT THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED. THIS IS NOW BEGINNING TO HAPPEN WITH THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR, WHERE WHEN I CLOSE IT AND IT WON'T STAY CLOSED, I HAVE TO HOLD IT WHILE DRIVING ON OCCASION. THEN IT WILL SHUT AND WORK AND THEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO HAVE TO DRIVE AND HOLD THE DOOR CLOSED AND I CANNOT IMAGINE HAVING TWO FRONT DOORS THAT WON'T OPEN. THIS REALLY HAS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ODI #11083754

90,900 miles · Apr 2, 2018

Steering

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ONLY 90,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND JUST A FEW DAYS AGO THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WHEN STARTING UP THE CAR AND I GET WARNINGS AND CHIMES SAYING POWER STEERING THEN ESC NOW DISABLED. THIS PROBLEM WOULD CORRECT ITSELF IF I TURNED OFF THE CAR THEN TURNED BACK ON AGAIN. A FEW DAYS LATER THAT NO LONGER WORKED TO GET THE POWER STEERING TO WORK/ACTIVATE. NOW I HAVE TO APPLY SLIGHT TURNING FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE STARTING THE CAR TO GET IT TO WORK. BUT NOW I HAVE A NEW ISSUE TO THIS PROBLEM AS OF TODAY THE POWER STEERING FAILS WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I WAS CHANGING LANES AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF AND I ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE I COULD NOT COMPLETE MY LANE CHANGE. IM NOW SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR. I KEEP GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND HAVE IT MAINTENENCED WELL. ITS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND THIS IS THE ONLY THING WRONG. I TRIED CALLING GM TO ASK IF THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE BECAUSE I FIND EVERYWHERE ONLINE THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH MY YEAR AND MAKE BUT GM ON THE PHONE SAID MY VIN HAS NO RECALL AND IM STUCK TO PAY FULL BILL TO FIX AND IS NOT A DEFECT OR GM PROBLEM. I DO NOT THINK THIS IS MY PROBLEM AND IS A DEFECT. I FEEL GM SHOULD FIX THIS. MY CAR STILL HAS 2 YEARS LEFT ON BANK LOAN TO PAY OFF. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I ALSO STRONGLY FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTEY ISSUE AS THIS CAN RESULT IN MAJOR CAR ACCIDENT. I DO NOT HAVE STRONG ARMS AND I CANNOT OPERATE MANUAL STEERING TO AVOID CRASH IF LOSS OF POWER STEERING ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED OR EVEN IN CITY AT SLOW SPEED.

NHTSA ODI #11082592

82,937 miles · Apr 2, 2018

Electrical System

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. TWENTY MINUTES LATER, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE ESC WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATING "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND THE SPEED DECREASED TO 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MORAN CHEVROLET CLINTON TWP (35500 GRATIOT AVE, CHARTER TWP OF CLINTON, MI 48035, (586) 307-5902) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAULTY SOLENOID VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,937.

NHTSA ODI #11082585

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)