2010 Chevrolet Malibu complaints

Head light wire is out , electrical wire is messing up . Car is shaking bad and won’t start . Air bag light is on

I was driving down the road after I bought the car and the steering suddenly went out the DIC said "service esc" and "service traction" and I could barely move the steering wheel I was lucky to be on a country road because if I was on the highway I could have lost complete control and caused an accident I took it to a mechanic and they said "the dielectric grease in the bcm connector wore out" when I googled it I saw there was a recall but when I contacted the dealer they said there was nothing they could do for me. this is very concerning as who knows how many malibus steering could randomly go out over such a stupid problem i could be available if you would like to inspect the car/systems

Brake lights come on as soon as you start the car.Go off when press the brake pedal.Its like they are reversed or something.

Passenger side low beam headlight wiring harness connector keeps melting even after replacement. Noticed online that many owners are experiencing the same issue. Replaced harness multiple times and same issue reoccurs after two to three weeks of use.

Air bag light randomly pop on . Electrical system is so bad that I only have 1 head light and it’s very dangerous driving at night like that .

Brake lights stay on when not even pressing the brake pedal. This causes cruise control to shut off too. Sometimes "Service ESC" and "Traction Control" light will come on randomly too. Had taken it to Chevy dealership multiple times to have this issue fixed but problems seems to come back after a few months.

After starting car, orange triangle indicator light came on (traction control I believe) and Message: "eng reduction loss of power steering, drove to Midas for oil change a couple miles away with manual steering(more difficult that my 61 Pontiac Tempest). I turned car off and immediately restarted and power steering was restored, car was fine driving home after oil change. In addition, I've owned the car about two months and have put on around 4,000 miles(Drove it back from Arizona), I've already had the thermostat replaced in S. Dakota, fuel pump replaced in Wisconsin and exhaust manifold in Michigan.

First off the power steering goes out and can only be fixed by applying dielectric grease to the bcm but that will fix it. second the airbag light will randomly go on but this can also be remedy by fixing the yellow connection under the passenger seat try jiggling it if that doesnt fix it just cut the two wires off the connector's and splice with crimp connectors. hope this helps you as much as it did me :)

Was driving down highway at approximately 70 to 75 miles per hour when my drivers side window airbag and seat airbag deployed. It hit my face shoulder and arm. There was no collision and I was able to keep control of the vehicle for the most part. I swerved a little but regained control quickly. My seat belt is locked and is no longer usable

Power Steering and ESC light on

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 126,000.

Front Driver and Passenger door can not be opened from the inside or outside. Locking mechanism doesn't work. I've tried Unlocking the door with remote, button in the car, manually in the car and sticking the key in the actual door itself. When I pull on the handles nothing happens. You can hear the actuator working inside the doors, and the manual door lock knob goes up and down, but neither front door can be opened. The passenger side had the issue first, but I rarely have passengers in my car so I left it alone. Now, the driver side does the same thing. I've tried everything I can think of to get the door opened, but it does not work. I can not even get the inside of the door panel off to look and see what's wrong because the door is closed. This is a serious safety issue because I would not be able to get out of the car in an emergency. As of right now, the only way to get into and out of the car is climbing out through a back door.

Hello I am very upset I was driving down the street normal day then all of a sudden my steering wheel got hard to turn... Then esc/power steering light came on. My steering wheel does shakes a little because it's dangerous to drive. I called to the Chevy dealership they said that they couldn't fix the problem because it was pass the due date. But there's a big problem with this because there were recalls for this problem and I know about the special coverage but there's no way I should have to come out of pocket for this failure that Chevy knows about! Please help it's very dangerous to drive this car the way it is... Really my only transportation back & forth to work

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 60 MPH, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel had become very difficult to turn to the left or right. The contact stated her son was able to pull off the road and stop the vehicle. The steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering failure was intermittent, but eventually became constant. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering column torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to TSB Number: 15356 (Steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,643.

Brake lights stay on while driving but turn off when braking, engine and traction control lights come on, car acts like it's going to die. This happens intermittently and sometimes without any warning lights. I noticed this again most recently within the last week and several times on 2/25/23. Vehicle has not yet been inspected but was previously taken in for the same issue in 2020. Dealership stated that since the lights weren't staying on and no codes were stored, they weren't required to make repairs. It goes without saying that driving with faulty lights can cause an accident and is also illegal. It is highly irresponsible of GM not to repair this known issue and of NHTSA not to issue a recall.

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and made abnormal sounds. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. Additionally, while the contact was steering to the left, the vehicle was going in the opposite direction. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number- 10058788-9690 (Electric Power Steering Assist). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,269.

Steering failed. No power assist and steering wheel shaking. warning light for service power steering came on. Steering sensor torque? code c0545 ? The vehicle will suddenly lose power steering. Happens especially upon start up then have to turn vehicle off and sometimes power will come back on. Steering wheel visible shakes. Putting vehicle in shop for further evaluation. GM has a known issue with steering on these vechiles and there was a recall done but not for my year yet it is being widely reported online that there is an issue with other years as well.

When I turn on car Steering wheels locks in place unable to turn ,I hasn’t been inspected, and the dash says power steering.

Since sometime in 2016, these warning messages came on the dash periodically after hitting a bump - Service Traction, Service ESC, ESC off, Eng Power Reduced. The engine light stayed on. The car then ran slowly. After stopping and pulling off again, the car jerked forward. This could be dangerous in traffic! At first, I was told by a mechanic that my gas petal sensor needed to be replaced. After each of the 3 replacements, the problem seemed to be solved. But after a while, the warning messages would return after hitting another bump. The engine light would again stay on. Now, these warning messages come on every time I drive the car, with the engine light staying on. The same problems while driving still occur. A second mechanic advised me to put in this complaint, saying the problem was well-known to Chevrolet. He diagnosed it as being caused by water getting into a poor connection between the wire safety harness and the computer. The machine at AutoZone gave this assessment of the problem - "The ECH has detected that the APP sensor 1 and APP sensor 2 disagree more than 4.5 percent for less than 1 second. Probable cause: 1. Poor electrical connection. 2. Failed APP sensor." When I took the vehicle to a Chevrolet dealer in July 2016, they were unable to fix the problem. It would be really wonderful if this serious problem was the subject of a safety recall and was fixed for all affected drivers!

The electronic power stearing and electronic stability control shut down while driving but would restart after key was cycled off. Dashboard would blink service esc and power stearing and the vehicle became very hard to turn and control. No there were no symptoms or warning messages prior to the incident. Yes it has been reproduced. My safety and the safety of everyone around me is put at risk becuase the car becomes almost impossible to controland stear. The car has not been inspected by anyone.

The contact's mother owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was common and referred him to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the failure and provided the contact with an estimate for the repair. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

The power steering goes out while I am driving, and I find out I cannot make turns when the road curves or even to get off the road and be safe. Yes, the vehicle can be inspected anytime. This puts myself in danger of going off the road and others in danger if I cannot make a turn when going through an intersection. This is very dangerous in Michigan on the winter roads where I live. I have had to stop 1/2 through intersections almost in the ditch and then just wait for all cars to be gone to back up & finish the turn. A message appears on dash but it doesn't stay on. I had the steering torque sensor and motor replaced per warranty about July 2020 (at about 98,000 miles)and now the car is doing the same thing again! I haven't taken it in because I am afraid of what it will cost. They said it would have been about $1000.00 in 2020 if I had to pay for it. I called the dealership who fixed it to see if warranty would cover it the 2nd time and they said no. What good is it if they replace a faulty part with another faulty part?? The car has155,000 miles now as I am self employed doing food deliveries. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving over rough roads, the vehicle displayed a Service Traction, Service EFC and EFC Off, and Engine Power Reduced messages. After coming to a complete stop and then the attempting to accelerate, the vehicle started to jerk. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the accelerator pedal twice however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the certified mechanic, and it was determined that water was leaking into the wiring harness and the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 265,000.

Just Replaced Fuel Pump, Passenger Headlight Randomly Goes Out, Top Break Light Randomly Goes Out, Had To Replace Wiper Motor, & Fuel Pump Relay Wire Faulty. Wiring To Fuse Boxes Seem To Be Loose. Dealership or Any Other Certified Tech Will Listen or Touch To Fix The Car When Everything Is Working.

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while idling at a stop light and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering torque failed and an unknown piece from the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the warranty was expired and to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 236, 574.

I drive down the road and the brake lights come on I hit the brake then they go off. Randomly when I drive service esc service traction come on but as soon as I turn the car off and back on it is gone. Cruise control stopped working as well.

The power steering system stops working. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning, the power steering will just disappear, you have to stop shut it off and turn it back on. Does not matter how fast you are going, it just does it. This is unsafe because there is no warning, and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working. This could easily cause an accident, if it would go out on the highway.

I was driving the car safely as always and within the speed limits and an officer was heading the same direction, The brake lights got me cited for mechanical repairs. I have noticed the brake lights work yet they do not work with light pressure on the brake pedal. The officer gave a warning about brake lights and it has to be repaired ASAP. What explanation might there be for the brake light? What should I ask the mechanic to look for?

The power steering system stops working when it’s cold. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning. When I get it towed to be seen or bring an mechanic to check out the problem it is always resolved before they can inspect it. This is unsafe because there is no warning and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working or I could get in the car and it stops working within 5 minutes.This could easily cause an accident.

DEALER NOT ASSISTING IN RECALL REPAIRS THAT WEREN’T CORRECTED.

THE BRAKES ARE DOING THE SAME THING THAT WAS RECALLED AND REPAIRED BACK IN 2014. THEY ARE ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TURN OFF WHILE I HIT THE BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND CANNOT GET MY CAR INSPECTED WITHOUT GETTING THIS CORRECTED. I HAVE BOUGHT SEVERAL PARTS TRYING TO REPAIR THIS BUT THE PARTS ARE NOT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. CRUISE CONTROL, STABILITY CONTROL AND SEVER OTHER FUNCTIONS ARE NOT WORKING EITHER ALL OF THEM ARE RELATED TO THE SAME RECALL ISSUED BACK IN 2014. IS THERE ANY KIND OF WARRANTY ON THE RECALL THAT WAS REPAIRED?

MY CAR AIR PASSENGER DONT DETECT MY SEATBELT SAYS IM NOT BUCKLE AND I AM DONT KNOW IF ITS A WIRE MY LIGHTING INSIDE GOES ON AND OFF AND MY CAR SMELLS TOO MUCH GASOLINE

My 2010 Chevy MALIBU with 112,000 miles started having power steering failure while driving with my 9 yr old. At 55 miles an hour it was almost impossible to control the car and get pulled to the shoulder. I shut it off and when I turned the key on again I had power steering so I went ahead and drove home. The next day I start it and it has power steering but then I drive it for several miles or more and it dings and a message appears on the instrument panel saying power steering, esc/traction control and the steering almost completely seizes. I took it to have it looked at and of course it does not do it when the mechanic drives nor does it throw any codes. I told him that it happens at random so he needs to drive it until it does it again, and sure enough it does it again but still does not throw a code. I am told my only option is to replace the power steering motor for $800. It seems to me that if it was the motor it would not be working some times and then seize to work at random.

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into reverse as needed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

My vehicle lost power steering 3 months after buying it . Along with esc and traction controll . However there have been spraratic times when it works just fine . I have been driving the vehicle for 4 years with no power steering because the dealership has told me my rack and pinion is shot and that is not true I cannot afford to fix something that is not broke . That being said they also refuse to look deeper into the issue . So I am stuck driving a very unsafe vehicle until someone decide to do the right thing and admit this is a manufacturer issue and not and owner issue 😕

I would like to register a complaint concerning my 2010 Chevy Malibu, which has suffered from intermittent power steering problems since at least 2015. On June 9th, 2015, for example, I took it (with 73,252 miles) to the dealership in Maryland (Ourisman invoice CVCS465753) who traced the problem to an aftermarket insurance plugin. I paid for the repair, which only partially solved the problem. In August 2015 and March of 2017, Chevy issued special coverage bulletin (15356) for power steering failures on 2010 Malibus. When I took it to the dealership including Pohanka in Chantilly, VA, on 19NOV17 (invoice 642014), with the problem, it should have been automatically serviced, based on my recent conversations with Chevy customer care. This didn't occur, however, usually because the dealer argued that it did not apply to my VIN. Recently, I discovered that indeed the Bulletin does apply to my VIN but I was told that it's now outside of the coverage window which ended in 2020. I called Chevrolet corporate headquarters in late May and the representative there with whom I spoke argued that it didn't apply to the part numbers in question (Pohanka produced codes of 19332846 and 23232310), however when I asked him which part numbers they were we discovered that one of the two matched (bulletin identified codes of 23232310 and 22837369). He then told me they both had to match. I then quoted the bulletin which called for replacing one or both and he begrudgingly referred me to a special

The car shut off while driving down the street. Lost all control over steering and braking components. After the car shut itself off was not able to get it to turn back on after several hours. Turned it back on but when attempted to drive it home, it shit itself off again. Still could not control steering wheel

When I bought the car in December of 2018 the car only had 42,000 miles on it. I had two incidences where the anti theft system went off locking me out of the car. The second time the vehicle had to be towed back to the dealership. Fast forward to 2022 and the car only has 77,000 miles on it and in the past three months the anti theft system has gone off in this car more than ten times. I recently went to a Chevrolet dealership and had them recut keys from the vin number.

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING BACK FROM SCHOOL IN A VERY BUSY ROAD AND A MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE DASH BOARD THAT SAID ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND SPEED DROPED TO 5 MPH. I TOLD HER TO PARK SOMEWHERE AND TURN OFF CAR FOR LIKE 15 MINUTES AND TURN IT BACK ON AND CAR STILL DIDNT ACCELERATE. HAD TO GO GET HER AND LEAVE CAR THERE. I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON NOVEMBER 2021.

I purchased the car for my mother on 10/20/2015 from Mike Savoie Chevrolet in Troy, MI. At the time I had a concern because there was a message being displayed on the car “Service ESC”, I was informed by the dealer that it was a false message and there was no issue with the car, we should just disregard but if we had any problems to let him know moving forward. At that time we did not have issues with anything else. There was about 80,000 miles on the odometer when we bought it, there are only about 95,300 now. Recently the brake lights have been coming on when the brakes are not applied, we have taken the car to a mechanic three times for this issue but he has been unable to duplicate it, as a result he felt that the brake pedal sensor was at fault and replaced it, but the issue still exists, a wasted $200! My 17 year old grandson is now using the car, the issue occurred again today and I discovered that this issue may be associated with a recall which also includes the “Service ESC” message which has been on the car since I bought it. However, when I enter the VIN it shows no open recalls. Apparently it was not fixed and the dealer should have fixed it before I bought it or I should have been notified of the recall. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY GRANDSON’S SAFETY AND WILL NEED TO SWITCH MY CAR WITH HIM SO THAT HE CAN BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE! Not only do the brake lights come on when not applied, but you need to tap the brake to turn them off at that point other drivers are no

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. The power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a faulty power steering pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.

Car will not start. There is a recall for this, but my car seems not to be included. Turn the key over and over....battery is good....will not start.....after 50 or so tries, occasionally it will start, but when you get to your destination, you have to pray it will start again. Sometimes it will....most times it won't. This is a problem with a recall. Dealership will not fix it under the recall without the car being on the list. A little help from y'all would certainly help me. I'm 73, retired, on fixed income. Cannot afford to pay a Dealership to fix this when it is a known problem. Please help....

The steering wheel has started freezing to where it is difficult if not impossible to turn. When this issue occurs I will see the STEERING ESC light notification appear with a chime. Stopping the vehicle and turning the engine off then on clears the issue for the moment but will occur again, almost daily. In doing research I encountered GM Service Bulletin No.15356 which identifies this as a known issue. My car currently has 174,000 miles on it so it is outside the range specified in the bulletin. Being as this is a known safety issue why was a safety recall not issued. This seems to be a very serious issue yet not being handled as such.

Was driving. My speed was about 60mph car swerved into left lane slightly when I went to move back into my lane I had no power steering and I think lights on dash stated power steering esc. Pulled over at gas station and read a forum about this. It stated if I turned off car and restarted car i would have power steering again. It did. Next day started car at home and didn't have power steering again. Shut it off restarted car and again steering was back.

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the power steering would fail intermittently without warning. The contact would have to shut the vehicle off and restart the vehicle to regain power steering abilities. The failure had occurred a total of two times. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Electrical power steering went out on highway. Loss partial control of the wheel!

While driving home from work on a busy parkway my daughter lost control of her 2010 Chevy Malibu (due to loss of power steering), after almost getting hit by another car she struggled to steer the car to the side of the parkway but turning the steering wheel was extremely difficult. She called me and I was able to drive it home but the power steering worked on and off. A warning message flashed [ Service Power Steering - ESC off ] My daughter doesn't recall seeing the warning light before the incident. I took the car to my mechanic, he said I was better off going to the dealer because it was a big electronic problem with power steering but he wasn't sure how to troubleshoot it. This could have ended a nightmare.. And, I am very upset after doing research on the Electronic Power Steering Assist problems and recalls for the Chevy Malibu and other GM vehicles over the past 10 yrs it is quite troubling and what really angers me is they don't have a recall for her car which is ridiculous after you spend a little time researching the 2010 Malibu customer complaints due to the power steering failure.

“Engine Power Reduced” comes on suddenly, alongside numerous other lights (check engine, service traction, ESC, etc). This causes the vehicle to reduce speed in traffic, increasing risk of collision. Other models of Chevy Malibu have been recalled for this same issue (faulty throttle sensor).

While driving the power steering goes out and a warning message pops up that says ‘Service ESC’ and ‘ESC Off’. It is near impossible to turn the wheel when this happens. I was able to turn the car off and back on, and the power steering returns/messages go away, but the same problem happens on and off.

Power steering loss 3 times within last 2 months. ESC steering error. Probably an unprotected voltage surge of power steering torque sensor. The first time this happened I almost hit the wall.