IllustrationPOWER STEERING WARNING COMES ON. ESC. TRACTION STEERING IS STIFF TO TURN IS HARD.
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
What owners actually said
1,360 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON, AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. A FAILURE CODE REGARDING THE POWER STEERING ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. TOM KELLEY CHEVROLET BUICK (…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON, AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. A FAILURE CODE REGARDING THE POWER STEERING ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. TOM KELLEY CHEVROLET BUICK (1313 S 13TH ST, DECATUR, IN 46733, (260) 724-8525) STATED THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN RECALL REGARDING THE POWER STEERING, BUT THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE 150,000 MILE LIMIT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ALSO MENTIONED THE MILEAGE LIMITATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 177,000. *TT *TR
STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN AND HAS A HESITATION WHEN TURNING
WE PURCHASED THIS MALIBU LT 2010 IN SEPTEMBER 2018, IT HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON IT. A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY & THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT & THE ESC & POWERSTEERING WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I SHUT THE CAR OFF & TURNED IT BACK ON IT WAS WORKING FINE UNTIL 3 DAYS LATER. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY & IT DI…
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WE PURCHASED THIS MALIBU LT 2010 IN SEPTEMBER 2018, IT HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON IT. A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY & THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT & THE ESC & POWERSTEERING WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I SHUT THE CAR OFF & TURNED IT BACK ON IT WAS WORKING FINE UNTIL 3 DAYS LATER. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY & IT DID IT AGAIN POWERSTEERING WENT OUT & THE ESC & POWERSTEERING WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON & ITS BEEN DOING IT EVER SINCE. IT HAD DONE IT IN MID TURNS, DRIVIBG STRAIGHT, ANY TIME IT FEELS LIKE IT.I CAN FEEL IN THE STEERING WHEN ITS ABOUT TO DO IT. I FEEL LIKE A PULL A CATCH I WOULD SAY. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY EHEN YOU HAVE TEENAGE DRIVERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD. I'VE FOUBD MULTIPLE ONLINE REPORTS ABOUT THIS VERY PROBLEM OVET THE PAST FEE DAYS AS I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING.
THE HEADLIGHT (LOW BEAM) OF MY VEHICLE KEEP GOING OUT, I DONE CHANGES IT 3 TIMES WITHIN A MONTH. EVERYONE THAT HAS THE SAME CAR AS ME HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS AS WELL. DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE WIRING BUT IT'S BECOMING A BIG PROBLEM
BOUGHT IN FEBRUARY 2018 93 K MILES JAN OF 2019 WITH 124 K ON IT REPLACED FRONT TIRES AND BRAKES AND ROTORS IMMEDIATELY GOT IN TO TEST DRIVE STEERING HAD A VIOLENT TWITCH. TOOK IT TO HAVE STEERING SENSOR RECALIBRATED .. GOT IN CAR ZERO ELECTRIC STEERING.. UNHOOKED BATTERY.. HOOKED BACK UP STEERING EXTREMELY LOSE WITH EVEN WORSE …
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BOUGHT IN FEBRUARY 2018 93 K MILES JAN OF 2019 WITH 124 K ON IT REPLACED FRONT TIRES AND BRAKES AND ROTORS IMMEDIATELY GOT IN TO TEST DRIVE STEERING HAD A VIOLENT TWITCH. TOOK IT TO HAVE STEERING SENSOR RECALIBRATED .. GOT IN CAR ZERO ELECTRIC STEERING.. UNHOOKED BATTERY.. HOOKED BACK UP STEERING EXTREMELY LOSE WITH EVEN WORSE TWITCH TWITCH STARTED IN PARK WHILE RUNNING AND HAS PROGRESSED TO A TWITCH ALL THE TIME WHILE RUNNING.. BY TWITCH I MEAN A VIOLENT LEFT TO RIGHT VIBRATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL
VEHICLE CAN SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITHOUT BRAKE BEING APPLIED
THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AND DISENGAGE WHEN BRAKING CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR NOT ONLY HE DRIVER BUT OTHERS FOLLOWING BEHIND. BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON WHILE DRIVING FOLLOWING CARS CRASH DETECTION SYSTEMS ENGAGE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE AWHILE. IT WAS "FIXED" BY A CHEVROLET …
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THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AND DISENGAGE WHEN BRAKING CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR NOT ONLY HE DRIVER BUT OTHERS FOLLOWING BEHIND. BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON WHILE DRIVING FOLLOWING CARS CRASH DETECTION SYSTEMS ENGAGE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE AWHILE. IT WAS "FIXED" BY A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP ONCE ALREADY BUT IT IS BACK. HUGE CONCERN FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DRIVING THE CAR.
WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPG CAR RPG DROPPED TO NOTHING, COULDN'T USE THE ACCELERATOR. ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. GOT IT GOING AGAIN THEN NOT EVEN 5 MINS LATER CAR STARTED SHAKING BADLY, COULDN'T USE THE ACCELERATOR, PULLED OVER. DASH FLASHES WITH ESC. SERVICE, TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE REDUCED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES O…
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WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPG CAR RPG DROPPED TO NOTHING, COULDN'T USE THE ACCELERATOR. ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. GOT IT GOING AGAIN THEN NOT EVEN 5 MINS LATER CAR STARTED SHAKING BADLY, COULDN'T USE THE ACCELERATOR, PULLED OVER. DASH FLASHES WITH ESC. SERVICE, TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE REDUCED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR WELL OVER A YEAR. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COLDER MONTHS, FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS SEPTEMBER. WENT OUT TODAY TO WARM UP MY CAR AS IT WAS ICED AND SNOWED OVER, WHILE CLEANING IT OFF IT WAS FINE. CAME BACK INSIDE TO FINISH GETTING READY TO GO AND WHEN I CAME OUT TO MY CAR, IT WAS SHAKING, RPM WAS BOUNCING BETWEEN 1-3, ALL THE NOTICES WERE ON THE DASH AGAIN. TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK TO SEE IF IT WOULD RESOLVE, COULDN'T GET IT TO GO ABOVE 15 MPG. I'VE TAKEN IT TO NUMEROUS GARAGES TO GET LOOKED AT, ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. ONE "FIXED" THE ENGINE, ANOTHER DID AN OIL CHANGE AND FILTER CHANGE, ONE CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR, ETC. EVERYTIME I TAKE IT SOMEWHERE THEY "FIX" IT FOR IT TO RUN FOR A WEEK OR SO AT A TIME TIL THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. LUCKILY IT HAS NOT CAUSED ANY ACCIDENTS BUT I WILL NOT DRIVE IT IN THIS CONDITION. BEEN TOLD ITS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AS WELL BUT I'M TIRED OF SPENDING MONEY FOR IT NOT TO FIX THE UNDERLYING ISSUE WHICH NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIGURE OUT. I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR A LOT OF CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS. I AM UNABLE TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE SO I AM STUCK WITH WHAT I CURRENTLY HAVE.
I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN DECEMBER 2018, IT HAD 123,500 MILES ON IT. THIS MORNING AS MY SON WAS PROCEEDING THROUGH A LEFT TURN THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, THE STEERING SUDDENLY LOCKED UP, WARNING LIGHT "SERVICE ECS" CAME ON, AND HE HAD NO POWER STEERING! WE TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND EVE…
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I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN DECEMBER 2018, IT HAD 123,500 MILES ON IT. THIS MORNING AS MY SON WAS PROCEEDING THROUGH A LEFT TURN THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, THE STEERING SUDDENLY LOCKED UP, WARNING LIGHT "SERVICE ECS" CAME ON, AND HE HAD NO POWER STEERING! WE TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING AGAIN, SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO A SAFE SPOT TO PARK. THIS WAS A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE ONLINE REPORTS ABOUT TODAY IN MY SEARCH FOR SOME ANSWERS.
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.