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

Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints

227 reports

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70,000 miles · Jan 25, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE ESC AND LOW POWER WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE…

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NHTSA ODI #10822031

87,100 miles · Jan 17, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

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IT FIRST STARTED WHEN MY STABILITY LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND MY CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE WHEN I WAS IN A STOPPING POSITION. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES. THEN I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND MY STABILITY LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR JUST DIED. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED MY COMPUTER SYSTEM. ON MY RECEIPT THEY INDICATED DUE TO SHORT IN THE ECM. REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED THE ECM. SINCE THEN THERE HAS BEEN ONE TIME WHEN MY CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE. I TURNED OFF THE HEATER AND RADIO THINKING SOMETHING ELSE WAS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN AND MY CAR DID NOT DIE.

NHTSA ODI #10820713

78,000 miles · Jan 13, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

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THE FIRST TIME I HAD JUST LEFT THE CAR WASH HEADED HOME, DECIDED TO STOP AT THE PARK TO FINISH CLEANING THE CAR, PULLING UP TO PARK, THE TRACTION CONTROL DISENGAGES THEN THE ( TRIANGLE WITH THE CAR SLIDING IMAGE) APPEARS, A SERVICE ESC NOTICE POPES UP AND THE ENGINE BEGINS TO RUN ROUGH, AT THIS POINT THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL NOT ENGAGE. THE SECOND TIME, I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. BOTH TIMES WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAIT A WHILE AND START THE CAR AGAIN THE MESSAGE WILL NOT BE THERE, BUT THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL NOT ENGAGE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN ABOUT 3-WEEKS. IS THE CAR SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF?

NHTSA ODI #10819946

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2015

Air BagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

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WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON OCTOBER 2016 3 RANDOM LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD APPEARED(ENGINE LIGHT, SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT, ESC). THEY STAYED ON FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS THEN DISAPPEARED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, ALL THREE LIGHTS APPEARED AND DID NOT LEAVE FOR 3 DAYS, THEN DISAPPEARED. THEN THEY REAPPEARED FOR 2 DAYS, THEN DISAPPEARED. THE DAY AFTER THEY DISAPPEARED,ALL LIGHTS APPEARED BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT. NOW I ONLY HAVE ESC AND SERVICE AIRBAG WHICH COMES ON AND OFF.

NHTSA ODI #10809386

90,000 miles · Dec 7, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineTraction Control System

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE, STABILITY CONTROL, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN RESET THE COMPUTER; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED SHORTLY AFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED, BUT FAILED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #10808885

101,238 miles · Dec 6, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior LightingService Brakes

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12/4/15 NIGHT, DRY CONDITIONS, EXPRESSWAY: IN MOTION: CHIME SOUNDED AND 2 WARNINGS FLASH - SERVICE ESC & SERVICE TRACTION. 15 MINUTES LATER, - CITY STREETS, DRY, SAME ISSUE WITH ESC AND TRACTION WARNING LIGHTS GOING ON, PLUS ALMOST REAR ENDED. IRATE DRIVER BEHIND ME SAID MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OUT, BUT THEY WERE ASTONISHED WHEN THE BREAK LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE I WAS OUTSIDE THE CAR. THEY ASKED ME TO PRESS THE PEDAL - NO LIGHTS. 20 SECS AFTER LIFTING OFF THE PEDAL, BRAKE LIGHTS ON. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. UPON DRIVING FOUND BRAKE LIGHTS ALWAYS GO OFF WHEN BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, GO ON AT OTHER TIMES RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING AND GO OFF AGAIN WHEN BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED.

NHTSA ODI #10808667

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL , EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC , VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND INDICATED THAT MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR, A FAILURE RELATED TO THE RECALL WAS EXPERIENCED AND THAT THE RECALL REMEDY FAILED TO DETER THE FAILURE FROM OCCURRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT APPLIED, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE, AND THE STABILITY TRACTION CONTROL AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10806729

63,000 miles · Oct 26, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

I WAS AT BURGER KING DRIVE THRU AND WHEN I GOT DONE ORDERING I TRIED TO PULL AROUND AND MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAM ON AND MY ESC LIGHT . I COULD NOT TURN IT WAS VERY HARD I HAD TO TURN OFF MY CAR AND IT FIXED IT SELF. THIS BETTER BE A RECALL BEC WHY DO I GOT TO SPEND MY MONEY TO FIX THIS IT'S BS

NHTSA ODI #10786111

48,200 miles · Oct 8, 2015

Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior Lighting

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I HAVE ONLY BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR 5 MONTHS. PURCHASED USED AT DEALERSHIP. I DO NOT DRIVE FAR. ALL OF A SUDDEN ESC AND "SERVICE TRACTION" SHOWS UP ON MY DASH. MY REAR BREAK LIGHT TURNS ON AND I'M NOT TOUCHING THE BREAK. THE "SERVICE TRACTION ESC" SHOWS UP MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. TO ME, THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND I SEE THAT MY CAR IS DOING THE SAME AS OTHERS BUT GM TOLD ME VIA PHONE CALL, "ONLY CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS ARE RECALLED". SOMETHINGS WRONG HERE. IS IT GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE TO BE SEVERELY INJURED OR WORSE FOR THIS TO GET HANDLED? I BELIEVE IN AMERICAN MADE CARS, BUT WHY AREN'T THE REST OF US WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND YEAR ALSO IN THIS RECALL? WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS! ALL I WAS DOING WHILE DRIVING WAS DRIVING 45 MPH ON A STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD, WHERE SPEED LIMIT WAS 50MPH!

NHTSA ODI #10780755

98,000 miles · Oct 1, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior LightingService Brakes

1. DIFFICULTY PUTTING CAR IN GEAR NEED TO PUT EXCESSIVE BRAKE PRESSURE TO CHANGE GEARS 2. "SERVICE ESC" "SERVICE TRACTION" LIGHT FLASH DAILY 3. BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OFTEN ENGAGED AND OR WON'T ENGAGE 4. CRUISE CONTROL WON'T ENGAGE EFFECTIVELY ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AND IN A PARKED POSITION

NHTSA ODI #10778937

Official recalls

19V019000 · 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)