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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

116 reports

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13,000 miles · Jan 23, 2018

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Unknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

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TWO DAYS AGO MY HUSBAND, TWO CHILDREN AND I WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40-45 MPH WHEN OUR 2010 CHEVY MALIBU DRASTICALLY SLOWED DOWN AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE WITH THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AT THE SAME TIME SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED ILLUMINATED ON OUR DASH. THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO COAST INTO A GAS STATION. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD AND SITTING FOR OVER 30 MINUTES THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. WE HAD TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK COME GET THE CAR AND BRING IT TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP. TODAY WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DELEARSHIP SAYING WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT WOULD COST $630. THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AS THE CAR HAS ONLY 13,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. I PUT THE VIN INTO THE RECALL DATABASE AND THE ONLY RECALL ATTACHED TO OUR VIN IS THE BRAKE LAMP MALFUNCTION. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ODI #11064517

42,000 miles · Jan 9, 2018

Exterior LightingService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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I'VE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE DEALER HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT BECAUSE MY CAR NEVER SHOWED ANY "CODES". MY CAR HAS ACCELERATION PROBLEMS, THE RIGHT HEAD LIGHT SOCKET HARNESS KEEPS BURNING OUT AND I'M ALSO STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKE LIGHTS. MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T GO ON WHEN I PRESS ON MY BRAKE AND WHEN I DO THEY SOMETIMES STAY ON AFTER I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM HAPPENS ON A FULL STOP AND ON THE HIGHWAY. I USUALLY GIVE MY SELF EXTRA SPACE TO ACCELERATE BECAUSE MY CAR FAILS AT TIMES. IN THE HIGHWAY MY CAR SOMETIMES STRUGGLES TO CATCH UP TO SPEED WITH THE OTHER CARS. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALMOST CAUSE AND ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES.

NHTSA ODI #11061495

69,500 miles · Nov 30, 2017

Exterior LightingService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ALL THE TIME. SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT ON. SERVICE CVS LIGHT ON.

NHTSA ODI #11051487

140,000 miles · Nov 8, 2017

Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

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I HAVE 2010 CHEVY MALIBU I LOVE MY CAR IT HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS THE WHOLE 3 YEARS OF OWNING IT JUST THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE. ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH AND I CROSSED OVER AN INTERSECTION AND AS SOON AS I DID SO I PUSHED TO GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE AND I NOTICED THAT IT WASN'T GOING. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A CAR CRASH. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS STILL WORK RADIO WAS ON , LIGHTS WERE WORKING. SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULDN'T START. THE ENGINE JUST KEPT TURNING OVER AND NOT GETTING A GOOD SPARK. AND IT ALSO CAUSED THE BATTERY TO FAIL SO I HAD TO GET A NEW BATTERY. I CHANGED THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR, THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. THIS IS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE FOR ME BECAUSE NO ONE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS BECAUSE THE BATTERY DIED O LOST ALL DIAGNOSTIC CODES. NOW WHAT?

NHTSA ODI #11044654

117,000 miles · Oct 16, 2017

Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

ENGINE POWER REDUCED WHILE I WAS DRIVING INTO MY DAUGHTERS SCHOOL.

NHTSA ODI #11033916

76,633 miles · Oct 2, 2017

Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LACKED FORWARD MOMENTUM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WAVE PLATE IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,633. *LN CONSUMER STATED ON 9/17/11 CAR NOT GETTING POWER. MADE LOUD NOISE DROVE APPOX. 15 MILES. TOOK CAT TO MENKE MOTOR, TRANSMISSION FAILED HAD ENGINE REPAIRED FOR $2300.00 UPDATED 7/24/18*JB

NHTSA ODI #11030773

10,200 miles · Sep 6, 2017

Electronic Stability Control (esc)SteeringVehicle Speed Control

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THE VECHILE LOST SPEED AS I WAS DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE. I THEN PUT IT IN PARK. AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING. THE CAR WAS SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY AS IF IT WOULD ALL JUST FALL APART IN PIECES. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN AND ALSO RAPIDLY SHAKING. THE SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, AND A LIGHT WITH A CAR ON A CURVED ROAD WAS ALSO ON. THIS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT A PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND ALL THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE STREERING COLOUMN OR AN ELECTRIAL ISSUE. I READ ON SOME RECALLS AND I THINK IT IS SIMILAR TO THE RECALL #14E044000. HOWEVER, WHEN I SEARCH MY VIN IT IS NOT LISTED UNDER IT. YET IT IS THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11021699

72,000 miles · Aug 25, 2017

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

WHILE IN MOTION, MY 2010 CHEVY MALIBU LTZ HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY GIVING ME A "SERVICE TRACTION" "ESC OFF" NOTICE AND THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO WORKING INTERMITTENTLY.

NHTSA ODI #11019626

142,285 miles · Jun 30, 2017

Fuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

ENGINE POWER REDUCE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA ODI #11002440

Mileage unknown · May 30, 2017

Electrical SystemService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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HAD CAMSHAFT SENSOR INSTALLED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND ENGINE CAME ON WITH SAME SENSOR CODE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS GOING OUT CONSTANTLY AND HEADLIGHT BULB WAS REPAIRED 4 TIMES LESS THAN A YEAR. COST ME OVER 600 TOTAL ONE SERVICE WAS DONE FOR FREE BECAUSE IT WAS REPAIRED AND BLEW THE NEXT DAY. SO MUCH WORK AND BARELY DRIVE TO CAR TO AND FROM WORK ONLY 2 MILES. I PLAN TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR EXPLANATIONS IF NOT SOLVED OR REIMBURSED. THE VEHICLE STAYS IN THE SHOP MORE THAN USE. TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR REPLACES AND CAME BACK 2 WEEKS LATER. THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLED WITH MY CHILDREN ON A BUSY STREET WHERE A VEHICLE ALMOST STRUCK THE BACK SIDE MISSING MY DAUGHTER BY INCHES. UNSAFE VEHICLE AND TOO MANY MALFUCTIONS.

NHTSA ODI #10992156

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)