Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2009 record →
Power steering failed when turning from a stop and/or low speed into traffic. Steering was nearly impossible and required great effort from driver. A brief message flashed on the Driver Information Center and a unique chime was heard. The safety of the driver was affected by oncoming traffic. The failure has not been inspected by a mechanic as of yet, but the vehicle is available for inspection at any time.
Steering failed when driving on freeway, abruptly stopped and had to restart on the road to can control of steering. Spent several hundred dollars, replacing breaks and to fix the check engine light error. Despite service, ABS, service tire pressure, service + passenger air bag and other controls flash in and out when driving at various speeds/times. Breaks seem not to work right when stopping and speeding up is strained. Now cruise control is not disengaging consistently.and power steering issues are returning this winter. Dashboard lights are in and out and I can't read speed. Do not purchase!
The power steering will just randomly shut off, no rhyme or reason and then when the car is turned off and on it will be back.
While making a turn, power steering message appeared on the dash, but went away after I parked. I continued to drive and the next time I attempted a turn the message appeared again and I lost steering capability. This happens periodically and the car is impossible to steer when it does occur.
There was a recall in 2014 on this car.I did not receive a notice so I did not know anything about it. My car has 78,500 miles.I have noticed a power steering leak. I am unable to purchase a new car or have this fixed without the past recall being honored. I am afraid of having a crash. Please send me a recall from the year it was recalled so that I can have it fixed.I have owned this car sense 2009 the year it was manufactured.
While driving the "power steering" light and traction control light came on the dash and immediately the car became almost uncontrollable as the steering became VERY hard to steer. I pulled over and turned the car off and restarted and it seemed to be fine, but did it a couple of days later. I have not driven the car since as it is unsafe to drive in this condition since there is no warning when it will happen. The car is available for inspection if needed.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while turning the ignition key, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering and the service ESC warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated when she turned off the vehicle, the failure would cease. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 202,000.
I purchased the car used and been driving one week. I was driving at approx 55-60 and attempted to accelerate going over hill. The car rpm went up to about 3000 and was reving high until I let of gas. I attempted again to push pedal which repeated same acceleration of rpm. I stopped and checked Trans fluid and oil both were fine. Pulled into drive and turned off ignition to check fluids again. Which were ok. Got back in car to move and had no reverse. Car would slowly go forward but Nothing else. In searching onstar ran codes and I found info about 3/5-r wave plate “service bulletin”. Had car towed to dealer who confirmed and said metal flakes in tranny and was due to “common issue of wave plate” Contacted gm several times and gm will not cover cost of tranny replacement because my car is inoperable. This is a “common problem” with 09 Malibu. Why isn’t it recalled tranny. Very sad I feel I’ll never buy a Chevy/gm product again
December 25th, 2019- Driving home from work, steering wheel twitched then began to shake. Thought it was just needing alignment or tires. Drove on highway (70mph) 8.5months pregnant and then abs light, Traction off/service traction, service ESC and Power steering pop up on cluster panel and then steering became hard and my car shut off on its own. Wouldn't start back up. For 2 days. After it being look at by 4 DIFFERENT mechanics they all seem to have no idea except one. Complete Steering Column replacement. This is extremely unsafe for anyone and I have 2 kids I can't risk to drive in this vehicle AND just paid off.Recalls shouldn't expire and they should be honored if a new owner has the same issue. This is deadly and if I wasn't as strong as I am, I doubt I'd be able to steer it like I did.
2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION AND SUSPENSION FAILURES. *LD
Electric power steering failure while vehicle was in motion resulting in difficulty to steer vehicle. "Power Steering," "ESC OFF" message codes on information panel. GM issued a recall for a series of 2009 Chevrolet Malibus regarding the same safety issue with the power steering, unfortunately my NIN is not covered under the recall. Issue started at ~188k miles and has not yet been verified by a certified mechanic. Power Steering failure has occurred once while vehicle was in motion and on multiple occasions on start-up; would clear on restart.
Transission was recalled by GMC, however my VIN# was not included. I was told to contact you to include the VIN# in the recall. I paid $3300 to repair the transmission only to be told after the fact I need to contact NHTSA to include.
When i turn the wheel almost all the way i loose power steering i almost hit some one & their car due to this i took it to the dealer and they said my vin wasn't apart of the recall
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the ESC and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The contact was informed that while pulling into the driveway, the brake lights were not operational. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake sensor and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
There is a clicking noise in the steering wheel column while it jerks both left and right while driving. Happening every time it is driven hard to turn steering wheel both left and right.
My power steering has intermittently gone off making the vehicle nearly impossible to steer at times while driving. It appears to be in line with recall # 14V153000. When I brought this to the attention of a local dealership, they advised my car now has too many miles and is past the end date of this recall. For one, I never received notice that my car was eligible for this recall and two, it wasn't causing these issues until recently- and the dealership said to repair this would be in excess of $2000. The car is still drivable and available to be inspected. It would be preferred that it was examined soon as this is not only a hazard to myself & those in my vehicle, but others on the road as I would not be able to avoid them. The power steering alert comes on when this occurs, but obviously it is too late as it provides no prior warning that this is about to happen - and this has happened multiple times.
UNKNOWN I was driving to work last week on Thursday and when I attempted to make a right turn my steering wheel was difficult to turn and a few seconds later it locked and the car turned off and on the dash board the battery light turned on and the words that appeared were Service Traction, Service ESC, and Power Steering.
I started my vehicle and began to drive it as I normally would. After stopping at a stop sign, I began accelerating and turning 90° left onto the street. Mid-turn my power steering completely shut off and I almost got into an accident. Luckily there was a turn around right there I was able to veer to. Turning this vehicle without power steering is nearly impossible. I'm a strong guy and it was pretty tough for me. This issue happened completely out of the blue without any warning whatsoever. When it happened, the ESC light came on as well as saying something about power steering. I turned the car off and then back on and noticed that the ESC light and power steering message were now gone and the car drive as it should. But it decides to go out randomly at any given time while driving and that is a HUGE safety hazard for not only me but others on the road as well. It has come to my attention after plenty of research that this seems to be massive issue among Chevrolet Malibu owners. The issue was recalled for different models/engines but not the 2.4 liter. At this point it's obvious that this is a vehicle wide issue and needs to be recalled for all models/engines.
As I drive on highway and go a certain speed it slows down and engine power reduced and service traction pops up on my dashboard if cut it off it will not crank back up until I let the car cool down
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated after he had the vehicle serviced for maintenance at the local dealer, he noticed an ignition odor after parking the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,276.
Electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control
Occassionally and unpredictably, the service ESC, power steering, traction control and anti theft light come on and the car goes on limp mode, unable to shift past first gear. Also power locks do not work (all four doors) and tire pressure sensor is on and service tire sensor pressure light is on all the time. Took car to an independant mechanic who stated that when using his diagnostic tool, no code or fault indicated for ESC, power steering, traction control or anti theft device. It should be noted that these reset themselves when car is turned off and then go back on unpredictably, once you start driving the car. This mechanic then tried fixing the powerlocks, and stated that after replacing two of the powerlocks, he realized that they still did not work. This mechanic contacted GM and was told that the issue with the powerlocks came from the the body control module, which aparently was causing the powerlocks to fail and was also the cause of the tire pressure sensors being on all the time, since the body control module controlled the powerlocks and the tire pressure sensors. He also stated that the Chevy dealer was the only ones who could change the body control module, since they were the only ones who reprogram the new module to the car. This mechanic also stated that all four tires pressure sensors were working. I took the car to a Chevy dealer with same problem. The dealer claimed that gasoline which contained a high level of ethanol was causing the ESC, traction cont
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the brake lights, service traction, and ESC warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the cruise control was inoperable. While driving the brake pedal was depressed however, the brake lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pedal switch and calibration needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the brake pedal switch was replaced. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical system, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control). The failure mileage was 98,514.
Steering is difficult after driving and components get hot, research shows many other Vehicles have same issue. costing 300.00 to 1200.00 for repairs. Needs reported this to GM and the NHTSA. You never know, GM might cover some of the replacement cost. There is a video on youtube that covers replacing the torque tube sensor but what if that is not the cause? Yes, a GM tech 2 scan tool is required to set up the front end once the part has been replaced. Keep any bills you acquire during this job so that GM may reimburse you in the future should they decide to cover this repair. it also could be a module in the steering colum plus the turn signals do not shut off making it a hazard to drive while turn signals are still on! SEE LINK BELOW: THIS IS HARD TO TURN WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS! https://www.chevymalibuforum.com/threads/2009-esc-service-light-no-power-steering.47242/
Driver seats horizontal bar has snapped it now leans to th e left. Comes up off of floor when breaking and accelerating. Concerned that the seat will become detached if ever in a rear or front end collision sending me out of the vehicle
Question: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer: The drivers seat frame failed via a broken weld. The weld is located on the front and right hand side of the seat (assuming you are sitting in the seat). The seat became very unstable and I do not believe the seat is safe if a crash would occur. The seat is available for inspection. I am an average sized adult in terms of weight (<200 lbs). Question: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Answer: The seat is no longer rigid and thus in the event of a crash I cannot believe the seat is safe. Question: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Answer: It is clear the seat failed - see the picture. Searching online I found many people with the same problem and the pictures online of the failure matched what happened with my seat. Question: Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Answer: No, reading online people with the same problem were not happy with GM's lack of response so I did not bother to consult with GM on this broken seat. Question: Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Answer: No. The failure occurred this year. Picture: I am uploading a picture of the broken weld which I temporarily repaired using a hose clamp (I do not have a pictur
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 14V153000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The passenger front light stops working no matter his w many times I fix it. Replaced bulb 3 times within two weeks. Works for 1-2 days then stops. Everyone I know who has a Malibu is having the same problem. The right wheel rubs and makes noise. No matter how many times I have it fixed, no matter how many times I replace the noise continues. Mechanic cannot figure out why.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in, and repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control). After the vehicle was repaired, the ESP system with the warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the braking system activated without the brake pedal being depressed. Additionally, on occasions, the brakes failed to operate as intended with the brake pedal depressed. The contact stated that the brakes functioned opposite to what was intended. The failure was intermittent but started occurring more frequently. The contact contacted the local dealer who confirmed the failure however, the dealer was not able to do the repair under the recall. The contact was informed that in 2017 the manufacturer released information for a special coverage regarding the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
POWER STEERING LIGHT ON PROBLEM OF THE 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU AS I WAS AT THE HOUSE WAYNESBORO GEORGIA IT HAPPENED ON HIGHWAY 25 IT HAPPENED TAKING OFF FROM WORK ON HIGHWAY 56 IN AUGUSTA GEORGIA MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND WAS HARD TO TURN CAUSING ME TO ALMOST CRASH. IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE SPEEDING UP OR SLOWING DOWN MAINTAINING SPEED IS OKAY THE ESC LIGHT AND POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON. THE STEERING WHEEL IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. THIS IS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS THE END OF APRIL THIS IS NOW MAY 10 2020 I AM ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND I AM TRYING TO GET THE CAR THAT I GOT FOR MY DAUGHTER FIXED
SERVICE ESC WARNING RANDOMLY COMES ON AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. MANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND NO RECALLS.
HAVE PLMS FOR ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IT LITTL HARD TURN AND IT NOT SAFE
INTERMITTENTLY MY CAR ESC SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT GOES ON AND THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN THE POWER STEERING COMES ON. I'M AN OLDER WOMAN AND AM TERRIFIED TO GET ON A FREEWAY OR BUSY STREET BECAUSE I CAN BARELY STEER THE CAR WHEN THE POWER STEERING GOES OFF. AFTER READING NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE, THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT WITH THE CAR AND IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. SINCE I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO SPEND THE MONEY RIGHT NOW, IT FEELS AS THOUGH I TAKE MY LIFE IN MY HANDS EVERY TIME I DRIVE. THERE IS NO PREDICTING WHEN THE STEERING GOES OUT. SOMETIMES IT'S SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, SOMETIMES IT'S MONTH BETWEEN. VERY DANGEROUS!!!!
THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES BACK AND FORTH ON ITS OWN WHILE IDLING. IT GETS HARD TO STEER WHEN THE TRACTION LIGHT COMES ON. THE LIGHT ABOVE OUR HEADS DON'T WORK. THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON WHILE WE'RE DRIVING WHEN I'M NOT PRESSING ON THE BRAKES. THE TIRE PRESSURE DON'T WORK TO LET US KNOW HOW MUCH AIR IS IN THE TIRE AND THE TIRE CAUTION LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES. THE FRONT FENDER ON THE BOTTOM IS BROKE. WE JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE LAST MONTH
POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING OUT SAYS NO ESC SERVICE POWER STEERING. WAS THE STEERING COLUMN MODULE COSTED ME 1600 BECAUSE MINE WASN'T INCLUDED IN RECALL SO MANY ALBUMS WERE COVERED WHY WAS MINE NOT
DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST AND THE SERVICE ESC WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN HOWEVER, SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HER DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER BLEECKER CHEVROLET (1200 E CUMBERLAND ST, DUNN, NC 28334, (910)891-1001) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE STEERING SENSOR MODULE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000.
AS I WAS DRIVING, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND WAS HARD TO TURN CAUSING ME TO ALMOST CRASH. THE ESC LIGHT AND POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON. THE STEERING WHEEL IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. THE CAR HAS 100K MILES AND IS A 2009 CHEVY MALIBU. THIS IS NOT PART OF A RECALL THAT IS EXTENDED TO MY CAR BUT I AM AWARE THAT MANY MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SAME CAR SINCE 2015! THANK YOU.
MY POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT 2X NOW IN LESS THAN A YEAR OF HAVING THE VEHICLE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEXT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER VANDEVERE CHEVROLET (1490 VERNON ODOM BLVD, AKRON, OH 44320, (330) 800-0230) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED ON THE VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
MY STEERING WHEEL AGGRESSIVELY SHAKES WHEN I'M IN PARK, AT SLOW SPEEDS AND AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE 'ESC OFF' DISPLAYS ON THE DASH AND I LOSE POWER STEERING. THIS USE TO HAPPEN RARELY, BUT NOW IT IS ALMOST EVERY TIME I START MY VEHICLE. EVEN WHEN I'M ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THIS WARNING DISPLAYING, IT IS STILL VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED DUE TO THE SHAKING. THIS STARTED 3 YEARS AGO AND HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE SINCE.
2014 I WAS TOLD THE CAR HAD THE RECALL FIXED, I DID T PURCHASED THE CAR UNTIL THREE YEARS WHICH WAS 2017 ,NOW IT'S 2021 THE SAME ISSUES THAT THE RECALL NEEDED I NEED FIX AND CHEVY SAID THEY CAN'T FIX IT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 4-5 YEARS AND NOW APPARENTLY THE SAME ISSUES IS REOCCURRING
POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WENT OUT, AND ESC SERVICE LIGHT TURNED ON WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH
POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND LOCKS UP.
OUT OF NO WHERE MY POWER STEERING IS GONE AND 'SERVICE ESC' DISPLAYS ON MY DASH WHILE I'M STATIONARY AS WELL AS IN MOTION AND TURNING.
DRIVING ON INTERSTATE A LIGHT COMES ON DASH SAYING SERVICE ESC POWER STEERING AND THEN ESC OFF. THE POWER STEERING GOES AND CAN BARELY TURN THE WHEEL ENOUGH TO GET OFF . GOING 60 MPH AND SCRAPE THE RETENTION WALL. NO WARNING AT ALL JUST STOPPED. THIS IS INSANE.
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND HEAR A BEEPING NOISE THEN A LIGHT COMES ON DASH SAYING SERVICE ESC POWER STEERING AND THEN ESC OFF. THE POWER STEERING GOES OFF AND I CAN HARDLY HANDLE TURNING THE WHEEL. I GOT IT TURNED AROUND AND TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK HOME THEN LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL VEHICLE FOR AWHILE NOW AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ISSUED BUT MY VIN IS NOT LISTED FOR THIS RECALL. OBVIOUSLY IT NEEDS TO BE ADDED.
POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND LIGHT COMES ON
HAS A PROBLEM WITH COLD START NEEDS A JUMP ALOT, SERVICE ESC COMES ON WITH LOSE OF TRACTION AND POWER STEERING, SENSOR IN WHEELS GO OUT OFTEN WHEELS SOUND WEIRD WHEN TURNING, HEADLIGHT GOES OUT OFTEN WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE OUT ,GEARSHIFT LINKAGE HAS BROKEN WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT GEARS PROBLEM OCCURS BOTH NON-STATIONARY
POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. MAKES STEERING/DRIVING/TURNING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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