Electrical System. Review the 235 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 213 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 174 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

40 crash reports17 fire reports30 injury reports

Power Train complaints

112 reports

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1 miles · Jun 27, 2017

Power Train

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DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED, CAR "SQUEALED", CAR STARTED SHAKING, AND TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST FIRST GEAR. IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, HAD TO COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY TO SAFETY. NO PRIOR NOTIFICATION (LIGHTS, WARNINGS, NOISES) THAT THERE WAS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. CAR JUST RECENTLY EXCEEDED THE 100000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. WAS NOTIFIED IT WAS THE WAKE PLATE THAT FAILED. CONSIDERING ALL OF THE OTHER CHEVY OWNERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE, I THINK CHEVY SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11001811

33,000 miles · May 16, 2017

EnginePower Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO GO INTO DRIVE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASTER OVERHAUL KIT, PISTONS, CONTROL SOLENOID, AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE PLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE …

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NHTSA ODI #10986005

7,100 miles · May 5, 2017

EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

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MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR BACK IN 2014 THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS NO BIG DEAL THAT THE LIGHT WOULD EVENUALLY GO OUT. UPON PURCHASE IT HAD 51,000 MILES ON IT, BECAUSE THEY HAD IT FOR A FEW WEEKS DUE TO IT HAVING HAIL DAMAGE THE FINANCE COMPANY WOULDN'T APPROVE THE LOAN BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS. THE CAR WAS RIDING OK UP UNTIL A FEW MONTHA AGO I NOTICED I WAS LOOSING POWER IT WAS DRIVING SLOWER, I STARTED FEELING IT TUGGING WHEN I WANTED TO PICK UP SPEED. THEN 3 DAYS AGO IT JUST WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE, WHEN I TRIED TO SWITCH BACK TO DRIVING IT WOULDN'T GO INTO DRIVE ULTIMATELY I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BECAUSE THE TRANMISSION WENT OUT ON IT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 71,000 MILES ON IT. I BARELY DRIVE IT ANYWHERE. THE ENGINE TO LOOK AT IT IS VERY CLEAN. I LOOKED UP ALL THE RECALLS ON MY CAR AND NONE OF THEM I WAS NOTIFIED FOR AND THERE ARE MANY. SO WHY AM I NOT GETTING A LETTER ABOUT THIS TRANSMISSION THAT HAS OBVIOUSLY GONE OUT. UP UNTIL NOW I WAS IN LOVE WITH THIS CHEVROLET MALIBU AND WAS A DEVOTED CUSTOMER ADVISING PEOPLE THIS WAS A GOOD CAR, NOW I'M NOT SO SURE. LOOKING AT ALL THESE RECALLS ARE ALARMING.

NHTSA ODI #10983676

100 miles · Apr 4, 2017

Power Train

ACCORDING TO DEALER, A PRODUCT FAILURE OCCURRED. A PLATE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE AND DAMAGED 3RD, 4TH AND REAR GEARS. CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS AND 78,000 MIKES WITH A YRANSMISSION FLUSH AT 60,000. DEALER STATES IT COULDNT BE A BAD FLUSH.

NHTSA ODI #10970606

95,000 miles · Mar 22, 2017

Power Train

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A KNOWN CHEVROLET ISSUE ON THEIR 2.4 L ENGINE CAUSED FAILURE IN MY AUTOMOBILE WHILE TRAVELLING 70 MPH ON I94 IN MINNESOTA. IF THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP WE MAY HAVE DIED. THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN TO GM AND HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN OTHER VEHICLES BUT THE MALIBU THEY LEFT OUT. GM WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THIS. THE TIMING CHAIN, OR CHAIN TENSIONER, OR CHAIN GUIDES FAILED CAUSING THE CHAIN TO BREAK AND LOSE POWER WHILE TRAVELLING DOWN THE ROAD. EVERY GM MECHANIC I HAVE TALKED TO AFTER THIS HAPPENED HAS SAID THAT THESE VEHICLES REQUIRE AN OIL CHANGE EVERY 3000 MILES BUT GM STATES DIFFERENTLY. THEY SAY IF YOU FOLLOW GM STANDARDS THIS WILL HAPPEN ALMOST EVERY TIME. VEHICLE HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON ON WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED MASS CASUALTY. AGAIN THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN ON GM VEHICLES AND THEY REFUSE TO ADDRESS IT UNTIL MORE PEOPLE WITH A MALIBU COME FORWARD. THIS NEED TO BE RESOLVED AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TRAVELLING DOWN THE ROADS IN MN. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #10967751

125,000 miles · Mar 20, 2017

Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

REACTOR GEAR BROKE, BLOWING INTO ALL PARTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. BROKE WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, WASN'T ABLE TO SPEED UP OR MOVE OUT OF FIRST GEAR. ALSO WAS NOT ABLE TO REVERSE. RESULTED IN A NEED FOR A TOTAL NEW TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ODI #10967188

92,000 miles · Mar 2, 2017

Power TrainSeats

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HAS BROKEN. IT IS THE RIGHT SIDE AND IT IS SITTING LOWER THAN THE LEFT SIDE. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. THE OTHER ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION. IT IS VERY WORRISOME. WHEN YOU ARE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN/LIGHT OR ANYTHING AND YOU GO TO TAK…

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NHTSA ODI #10957979

78,450 miles · Jan 12, 2017

Electronic Stability Control (esc)EnginePower Train

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I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND JERK, AND THEN THE ALERTS ACROSS THE DASH CAME UP AS "SERVICE ESC", "SERVICE TRACTION", AND "ENGINE POWER REDUCED". I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER PAYING $550.00 FOR THE REPAIR THE CAR SEEMED TO WORK FINE UNTIL RECENTLY, ONLY TWO MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL REPAIR THE SAME EXACT THING HAS HAPPENED, AND NOW THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR, THERE IS NO RECALL AND I'LL EITHER HAVE TO TRADE THE CAR IN (WHICH I CAN'T AFFORD TO DO) OR JUST DRIVE IT AND HOPE THE PROBLEM WILL CORRECT ITSELF. I AM BEYOND SCARED TO DRIVE IT AS MY DAUGHTER IS IN THE CAR WITH ME, AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVING A DEATH TRAP DOWN THE HIGHWAY. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ODI #10944519

97,000 miles · Jan 5, 2017

Power Train

TRANSMISSION, THE CAR JERKS AT ALL SPEEDS, SLOWS DOWN AND SPEEDS UP .THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT THE WORSE IT GETS.WHEN YOU GO TO TAKE OFF AND PUSH THE GAS IT'S LIKE YOU PUSHED THE GAS AND LET OFF AND THEN ALL THE SUDDEN TAKES OFF . IT'D LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS CONSTANTLY SLIPPING AND THEN GRABBING .

NHTSA ODI #10940033

103,000 miles · Dec 16, 2016

Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PLACE THE GEAR SHIFT IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REVERSE AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NO…

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NHTSA ODI #10935668

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.

15V269000 · Seat Belts

May 8, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.

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)