IllustrationVEHICLE WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN IT WAS NOT RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN USE EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD AND BURNED THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR AND CAUSED SOME INTERIOR DAMAGE AS WELL. *TR
2010 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Malibu years
Owner complaints for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1190–25K
12225–50K
22050–75K
24475–100K
256100–150K
110150K+
1,071 reports with mileage · 289 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 454 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 294 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 227 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 reports14 fire reports35 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
294 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIF…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
I KEEP GETTING A "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" MESSAGE WHEN AND ONLY WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE CAR IN "PARK". ALSO ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE CAR JUST DIES AS I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT IN A TURN OR ON A CURVE. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUES. I CALL "[XXX] AS I CANNOT STOP THE ISSUE NOT ONLY THAT BUT THE DEA…
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I KEEP GETTING A "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" MESSAGE WHEN AND ONLY WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE CAR IN "PARK". ALSO ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE CAR JUST DIES AS I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT IN A TURN OR ON A CURVE. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUES. I CALL "[XXX] AS I CANNOT STOP THE ISSUE NOT ONLY THAT BUT THE DEALER HAS CHARGED ME $300 PLUS FOR THE REPAIR? SAY WHAT? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT INCIDENTS THAT I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO. THE TRACTION,CRUISE CONTROL DON'T WORK PROPERLEY, THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE AIR BAGS APPEARS AND WILL STAY ON FOR AWHILE I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTING. AS SOON AS I RECIEVED THE RECALL LETTER I CALLED THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY AND TO…
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SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT INCIDENTS THAT I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO. THE TRACTION,CRUISE CONTROL DON'T WORK PROPERLEY, THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE AIR BAGS APPEARS AND WILL STAY ON FOR AWHILE I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTING. AS SOON AS I RECIEVED THE RECALL LETTER I CALLED THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEMS, THEY LOOKED IT UP AND SAID I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE PARTS ARRIVE. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY I USE MY CAR FOR MY FAMILY AND WILL BE HAVING TO MAKE A LONG DISTANCE TRIP TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER. WHAT DO I DO IN THE MEANTIME WHEN MY CAR IS ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS? *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,555. UPDATED 11/20/14*LJ UPDATED 8/4/2015*JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CLOCK WAS RESET, THE LOW ENGINE COMPRESSION, AND THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CLOCK WAS RESET, THE LOW ENGINE COMPRESSION, AND THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED TO NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,401. UPDATED 10/23/14*CN THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 10/30/14
LOW BEAM FRONT PASSENGER HEADLIGHT OUT. HAD HEADLIGHT REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP WHERE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ONLY FOR THE LIGHT TO GO OUT 1 WEEK LATER. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THEY SUGGESTED I CONTACT NHTSA/GM FOR THIS PROBLEM. AFRAID FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IN RAIN/FOG AND SO FOURTH, AS WELL AS A TRAFFIC FINE…
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LOW BEAM FRONT PASSENGER HEADLIGHT OUT. HAD HEADLIGHT REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP WHERE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ONLY FOR THE LIGHT TO GO OUT 1 WEEK LATER. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THEY SUGGESTED I CONTACT NHTSA/GM FOR THIS PROBLEM. AFRAID FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IN RAIN/FOG AND SO FOURTH, AS WELL AS A TRAFFIC FINE FOR DRIVING WITH ONE HEADLIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO NUMEROUS FORUMS ONLINE ( CHEVYMALIBUFORUM.COM & MOTOTREND.COM/CARS/2010/CHEVROLET/MALIBU WITH DRIVERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE GM DEALER THREE TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. EACH TIME THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD REPAIRED THE "BRAKE SIGNAL" AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE CURRENT RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, WHEN I CALLED GM DEALER LAST WEEK, THEY STATED THAT THE "CHARGES WOULD BE AT LEAST $150 TO CONNECT TO THE COMP…
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I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE GM DEALER THREE TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. EACH TIME THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD REPAIRED THE "BRAKE SIGNAL" AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE CURRENT RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, WHEN I CALLED GM DEALER LAST WEEK, THEY STATED THAT THE "CHARGES WOULD BE AT LEAST $150 TO CONNECT TO THE COMPUTER AND RUN DIAGNOSTICS". WELL, SINCE I HAVE ALREADY SPENT $500 FOR THE LAST 3 VISITS, WHERE THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO ME AND FIXED SOMETHING WAS NOT TORN UP, WHY WOULD I WASTE MONEY ON THE SAME ISSUE. THERE IS A RECALL.. GM STATES THAT THE RECALL IS NOT FOR MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD FOR ONE YEAR ARE THE SAME PROBLEMS THEY ARE RECALLING THE 2010 CHEV MALIBU FOR AT THIS TIME. SUPPOSEDLY, THEY WILL RECALL MINE LATER.. I GUESS I JUST WAIT AND HOPE I DO NOT HAVE A WRECK UNTIL THEN. DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AT ANY SPEED, THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY FEEL AS IF I HAVE PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PUMPED IT. THE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION LIGHTS THEN COME ON. THE BRAKE LIGHTS THEN COME ON WHEN I DO NOT HAVE THE BRAKE PEDAL PUSHED. WHEN I DO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL THE BRAKE LIGHT GOES OFF. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY BRAKES CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THIS BEGAN. IT ALSO USES MORE GAS SINCE MY CAR THINKS I AM RIDING MY BRAKES AND PRESSING THE GAS ALSO. *TR
REAR EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF WHEN BRAKE WAS SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED AND WOULD COME BACK ON WHEN PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED MORE FIRMLY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY DECELERATE AND THE STEERING, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY DECELERATE AND THE STEERING, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
Official recalls
319V019000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Jan 16, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N182206630.
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.
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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.