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2013 Chevrolet Malibu complaints

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 2013 record →

Suspension
Filed Aug 19, 2024DE

After being repaired for recall - 99recall N212330130 rear suspension safety recall. There is a noise coming from the rear of vehicle when driving

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 19, 2024DE

STABLITRAC: ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL ERRORS

Electrical System
Filed Aug 8, 2024CA

While driving the car restarts as if i was just starting the car and all the light flicker on and off

Electrical System
Filed Jun 18, 2024OH

Battery voltage going up and down. Car will make clicking sound. Car will shut off and start back up. Battery issue will pop up n steering wheel will lock while driving and service battery charging will pop on dashboard.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed May 7, 202491,000 milesNM

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond, causing a stopping distance delay. Additionally, the contact noticed a burning odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, he noticed that brake fluid had spilled all over the vacuum pump. The contact stated that he added brake fluid in the vacuum pump, but the brake fluid immediately leaked out of the vacuum pump. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 12, 2024MI

2013 Chevy Malibu LS Headlight found shorted and was causing other electrical issues. I found out the 8pin plug one of its pins showing burnt and its male mate same You can see this issue is not just one owner incident and it’s a public complaint in this public forum link [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Unknown or Other
Filed Apr 9, 2024148,929 milesMO

This car stop on the middle of the highway with my kids in the car we we’re almost crashed it’s un safe and they need too recall the Chevy Malibu it’s very dangerous to stop out of nowhere and cut off I can kill somebody one day everything has been replaced and it’s still cutting off I shouldn’t be responsible for paying for this lemon

Electrical System
Filed Apr 5, 2024150,000 milesNH

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the systems displayed on the instrument panel suddenly powered off. The radio, heater, AC, and other electrical systems also turned off independently. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle during the warmer seasons, the vehicle stalled while idling. The contact restarted the vehicle and was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the failure was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Power Train
Filed Apr 5, 2024CA

78153 miles 2013 Malibu econotec never 1 problem until out of the blue timing chain eats thru plastic and metal tensioners with metal and plastic shavings going into engine delillo Chevy Huntington Beach ca along with my mechanic confirmed engine replacement here lies my hazard and or product defect timing chain causes stalling idling compete shutdown rpms up and down no engine light comes I was on the freeway and on streets car completely stalls I have to shift in nuetral and pray it’s starts almost getting rear ended 3 times if this is not a safety issues wow you got to kick me I’ve read numerous reports of same issues and still no recalls plus 78,153 miles and I’m to replace the engine I’ve never heard a mechanic say old is that engine it’s how many miles this is my safety complaint

Suspension
Filed Apr 4, 202462,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the stabili-trak warning light illuminated. While attempting to move the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway, the vehicle began to shake with smoke coming from the passenger’s side rear suspension. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and it was determined that the shock, an alignment, brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced and a new tire needed to be installed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 23, 2024CA

Not starting due to loss of power I believe it's electrical.

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 19, 2024KY

Brake booster blew out due to a defect in the brake booster vacuum pump causing me to have no brakes.

Engine
Filed Mar 11, 2024IN

The car suddenly shows the service StabiliTrak engine power reduced, just like what was recalled on the 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu. Even though it's a 2013 Chevy Malibu, mine has the same issues. Please call me back at [XXX] to provide more information on the issues my car is experiencing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Air Bags
Filed Feb 22, 2024111,000 milesHI

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage after two weeks, he started the vehicle and reversed onto the driveway. The driver's side and passenger's side air bags deployed without impact or warning. There were no reported injuries. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 21, 2024OK

The dash board goes out and you can not see speed or anything goes completely black and sometimes won't come back on for days. Unable to see information center.

Air Bags
Filed Jan 27, 2024AL

Air bag warning light stays on and will not reset. Driver power seat controls buttons out of plastic control cover and jammed in metal part of seat. Can not get seat control unjammed and no way to adjust driver seat.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jan 19, 2024MD

The Generator control module failed on the vehicle causing the battery to lose charge and then the car to shut down. When looking for the part online I came across a bulletin 13142c which talked about the same exact issue that I faced. according to the bulletin the gcm was to have been replaced, however when searching the service history at the Chevy dealer there was a note that the gcm had been inspected, but never replaced. I am looking into this matter to see if I can be reimbursed for the costs of the labor and parts related to the gcm. On a side note this failure did come directly after the car was in a accident where the driverside front end of the car was damaged. The technicians said that the gcm failure had no relationship to the accident.

Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
Filed Jan 4, 2024250,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear tow link fractured. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V633000 (Suspension) and the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

SuspensionCrash
Filed Jan 4, 2024OH

While driving my vehicle the rear toe link broke leaving me stranded on the side of the road. With no dealers close I replaced the passenger rear toe link to get the car mobile again. Once that was done I called the dealer to setup an appointment to do the recall repair. After dropping the car off at the dealer I received a call back stating that I would need to replace my OEM lug nuts at an inflated dealer price in order for them to do the repair. My issue is that these OEM lug nuts should also be included in the recall because I've done nothing to create an issue with the lug nuts. Swelling lug nuts is a major ongoing issue among the big 3 automakers and this should be corrected. Allowing the companies to sell cars with low quality lug nuts is insane. Dealers thinking that customers should pay for a flaw in their own design of the lug nuts before they will do any repairs is even more insane. How my car sits now I am refused recall service on my car that is unsafe to drive due to them releasing cars with unsafe lug nuts. Then to add a paywall to you getting your recall repairs. This is extremely unsafe and unethical, and I pray that the NHTSA will do something about this ongoing issue that is putting millions of Americans in danger and allowing these companies to take advantage of their customer base. I took action to bring this to your attention and I hope you will take preventive action to keep Americans safe on the roads.

Air Bags
Filed Nov 28, 2023WI

The airbag maintenace light comes on every time I start it. Alot of my friends who own GMC say that it is a normal problem with a GMC vehicle and there should be a recall on it. But there is none.

Power Train
Filed Nov 2, 2023IN

In July 2023, my husband was driving ON THE HIGHWAY when the car suddenly decelerated itself. A system error message came up saying service stabilitrak and reduced engine power - he couldn't go more than 40 mph. We took it to the repair shop and they determined the high pressure fuel failed and the engine was running off the lift pump. They replaced the high pressure fuel pump with gasket and pressure line. Then, in late September 2023, the car turned off while my husband was driving (while he was stopped). He was able to turn it back on and drive it home. There were no warning lights/messages. We took it to the repair shop, but there were no error codes and they were unable to determine the issue. Next, at the end of October 2023, when coming to a stop the vehicle shut off again - almost every time my husband would come to a stop. When this happened, it still had power (because the radio was still on), but he had to shut vehicle off completely and restart it each time. There were no warning lights/messages. We took it back to the repair shop. Again, no codes were stored in ecm/tcm. This time, they test drove it while monitoring the data. They determined that the torque converter clutch was hanging up. They also experienced some long shifts and occasional slippage and determined that the transmission would need to be replaced. The issues above are just the most recent issues. Aside from regular brakes, tires, and oil changes, other work I’ve had done on the car includes the r

Air Bags
Filed Oct 10, 2023OH

After my car battery was professionally replaced my airbag light came on. GM dealer service got a code of B101D requiring the airbag control module to be replaced. There are no new compatible modules available in the US. Two GM dealers advised getting a used module that had not been in an airbag deployment. Upon obtaining a compatible module the dealer is now getting a code of B3902, this code indicates that the environment identifier of the module does not match the vehicle and prohibits further programming permitting the airbags to function properly. So GM has intentionally prohibited compatible modules from salvage cars and they are no longer making new modules for my car. How is this ethical, legal, safe or environmentally sound? Are consumers expected to junk a perfectly good automobile absent a $100 part? Is this practice required by some regulation prohibiting airbag modules from being salvaged and reprogrammed?

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Sep 23, 2023NY

I was looking up some info and noticed that some 2012-2014 Chevy malibu had an issue with the front and rear defrost not properly working . How would I know if my car was involved in that recall or if it was fixed. Because right now I am having trouble with front windshield defrost and also the rear window defrost and I see that was a recall and I don’t know if my car was done

Electrical System
Filed Sep 18, 2023190,000 milesIN

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the instrument panel lights started flickering, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. Additionally, when the brake was depressed, the brake pedal was abnormally firm. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was then towed to the residence where the battery was charged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the generator control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 8, 2023OK

The instrument cluster goes out. Can't see anything on the dash speed gas or anything while driving or goes out completely. Can not drive car. Not safe to drive don't know if I have gas or how fast I'm going or if I have any warnings on the car.

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 1, 2023TN

LOSS OF BATTERY CHARGE - INSPECT GENERATOR CONTROL MODULE Previous recall issued, Chevy says car issue was resolved but is not

Engine
Filed Aug 22, 2023TX

Car randomly goes into engine reduced power mode and won't go over 50mph. Power steering either won't turn the wheels and will start working again without warning while driving and jerks wheel to the right. Service stabilitrac warning would come on intermittently and disable traction control. Service stabilitrac warning is on now everytime I crank the vehicle and traction control is never working. I have pictures where it has went in limp mode and videos of the gauges doing crazy things after this warning has come up. Very dangerous. Car will jerk the wheel without warning when power steering warning comes on.

Electrical System
Filed Jun 6, 202356,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V764000 (Suspension). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact replaced the wheel bearings; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

Electrical System
Filed Jun 3, 2023AL

5/31/23, while driving uphill, car shuttered as I was slowing down at stop sign and displayed "Service Stabilitrak" & "Engine power reduced" which caused the car engine power to drop drastically. I was barely able to make it home safely with my children. On 6/1/23 tried to crank it, first time it wouldn't turn over, second time it started up. Check engine lights and messages still on, radio screen completely black (has gone out multiple times at random over past two years). Drove around the block with half power. On 6/2/23, attempted to crank three times, never turned over. Popped the hood to discover negative battery terminal severely coroded. While cleaning terminal, find battery cables possible faulty. Upon research, discovered how many thousands of others have the exact same issue, GM refuses to acknowledge to release a recall for those like me who can't afford hundreds wasted having anyone even looking at it, much less paying for guesstimating the wrong solution. So now I'm stranded along with my children, and don't have any resources to hope for a solution in the near future.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 29, 2023CO

My 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco 2LT has 120,000 miles on it. I purchased the vehicle at 68,000 miles from the only owner of the car. I have had the car 6 years and kept up on all maintenance. While I was driving in a 45mph zone my vehicle’ s interior lighting started flashing. My dash flashed then said service stability track, car went blank then back on said service power steering flashed again and said service battery charging system and then went completely dead. When I got to the bottom of the hill to turn off main road my brakes had locked up in the rear and I had no power steering and wheel locked could not turn wheel. Vehicle would not allow me to shift into neutral so I could be pushed out of traffic and I had no flashers or any power. Battery was 1year old. My biggest concern is that the vehicle never alerted me with a service engine light. There was no indication that my alternator was not responding. And mechanics and dealership service shop are wanting thousands of dollars for possible parts and labor without a clear idea of what the exact issue is. I believe that this issue was recalled but since my vehicle was not manufactured in a specific state was never repaired. I believe that my GCM has a malfunction that was to be replaced and reprogrammed with the appropriate software!!

Engine
Filed Apr 4, 2023FL

I was trying to see if I could get a recall for a new motor because my motor makes weird popping noises when driving and reversing also a recall for suspension front and back shocks and springs because those are also making bad horrible noises

Electrical System
Filed Mar 24, 2023IL

The Dash board instrument cluster is turning on and off randomly. loosing steering control due to electronic steering. Mechanics cant find a problem and seems to be common with this year Malibu. wont replicate at Mechanics completely random. Just had a new battery installed also and Mechanics say everything is within specs. No warning on this it just happens. 83000 miles on car and it happened about a year ago once and last two weeks several times. The front passenger seat got some water on it and the presence sensor must have deactivated the air bag system. Much to sensitive to be reliable.

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 14, 2023WI

Brake booster

Suspension
Filed Mar 10, 2023120,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that he had taken his vehicle to the dealer for a repair on the failure he was experiencing that was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V764000 (Suspension) however, the dealer informed him that the repair could not be performed due to the extensive corrosion underneath the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage 120,000. The consumer declined the offer letter and instead requesting a replacement vehicle.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 4, 2023AR

Driving the vehicle it just shuts off, the will cause an accident driving down the road. It’s a major issue with shutting off an the ignition switch at that. I can’t drive it it’s parked. Along with the engine. My mechanic told me these are the troubles there should be a recall on these cars.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 2, 202396,000 milesDE

The contact's son owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the brake and power steering warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where she was informed that in 2014, a software update was performed to fix the failure. The contact was then provided an estimate for the repair. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V173000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 1, 202365,000 milesIN

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, the instrument cluster display suddenly went dark, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Later while the contact was driving 75 MPH, the instrument cluster went dark, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who replaced a battery cable and the failure had not reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Feb 26, 2023OK

Dashboard light don't work majority of the time is started like month ago and before that started there was something on the dash I believe is said brake/stability trak And now the battery keeps dying

Electrical System
Filed Feb 25, 2023NY

El tablero de mi carro se apagó y más nunca a querido prender. Y se agota la batería del carro

Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 29, 2023UT

My daughters 2013 Chevy Malibu sporadically for no reason shuts off when she stop at a stop light or when she is idling. Then it requires her to turn the vehicle off and then back on. Some times it stars right up and she can go and other times it starts up and shuts right back off and other times she will have to do it twice. I find it to be pretty dangerous to for her to be stalled in the middle of a busy road. I also pray that it doesn’t just shut off while she is driving where a car may rear end my daughter. No it has not been verified by any one do to the sporadic times it happens. However as I do my research trying to find a solution to the problem it sound like it is a common occurrence with the 2013 Chevy Malibu. So far there have been no warning lamps triggered. Like I said it is sporadic and there is no rhyme or reason it happens. This is definitely something that Chevy should be forced to recall and fix because it definitely if a major safety issue. If you look up why is my 2013 Chevy Malibu shutting off on the internet you will see that there definitely is a issue with this happening to others since it pops up right away telling you that it is a regularly searched topic. Please help. Thanks for your time

Electrical System
Filed Dec 30, 2022IL

The gauge cluster in my car has intermittently lost power for about two years. It is now almost always off. I have been unable to have this repaired as the parts have been unavailable nationwide since I initially started having problems. I can't see any of my gauges. I have no idea how much gas I have, if my car is overheating, or if my car is having any other sort of problem.

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 28, 2022NJ

The reluctor ring which sends the signal to the abs and stability control system has delaminated from the wheel bearing to which it is attached. First it happened on the right rear wheel and necessitated replacement of the wheel bearing because the abs system is non functional. Now it has happened in the right front wheel. The abs and stability control are non functioning until I replace the front wheel bearing. The wheel bearing is fine, it’s the magnetic reluctor ring which has failed and no longer sends a signal to the abs sensor. This shouldn’t be happening on a 9 year old car. It is a very common problem and a danger on our roads as many people will drive it like this due to lack of funds.

Suspension
Filed Dec 19, 202250,000 milesMO

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated the while driving at various speeds an intermittent popping, clicking, and humming noise was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by the local dealer, but no failure was found. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

EngineFire
Filed Dec 13, 2022119,000 milesTX

The contact owned a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH and his son another vehicle behind made him aware of sparks seen coming from underneath the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that smoke was seen coming from underneath the hood and exit the highway. The contact stated that soon after exiting the vehicle, it caught fire. The check engine and loss of power steering warning lights were illuminated. The fire department extinguished the flames and informed the contact that the origin of the fire came from the engine compartment. Both a fire department and police report were filed. The vehicle remained at an out-of-state junkyard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 8, 202297,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after experiencing a hard braking failure, the vehicle started exhibiting electrical issues. The contact stated that the instrument panel lights would flicker on and off. Additionally, the vehicle failed to start up immediately. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the diagnostic module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 12V224000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 97,000.

Power Train
Filed Dec 5, 2022CA

Transmission stopped cold still on the.freeway due to codes.These codes that read on the code reader were (P0796) pressure solenoid control performance and the other code(P0722) speed sensor,no signal .These 2codes are coming from the transmission.GM ISSUED a recall for 2013 Chevy Malibu engine stalling.7-10-2020 Chevy Malibu were flagged for electrical system power train..

Electrical System
Filed Dec 5, 2022CA

My wife and I bought this beautiful 2013 Chevy Malibu.upon the first couple of days we had to take the car back to the dealer cause it was repeatedly shut down on us.The used car dealership never fixed the problem.As I done my research on this à2013 Chevy Malibu it has 9 recalls and these recalls been issued since 11-13-2013.These are all the recalls on 2013 Chevrolet Malibu by National highway traffic safety.suspension 12-22-2021.suspension 08-12-2021.... suspension 12-10-2020...... electrical system tran 7-5-2016.....visibility 03-23-2015.... electrical system seats 11-13-2013... electrical system software 5-7-2012. Please tell me how to go abought all these defects

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Oct 25, 202284,084 milesCA

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the instrument panel went blank. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that an unknown electrical connector needed to be replaced. The air check valves and air pump were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure but provided no instance. The failure mileage was 84,084.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 25, 2022FL

I'm having a lost of battery power in my 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco. when it happens it shows that i should service the charging system. and as i continue to drive both batteries lose power and run out. i have checked the recall for it and it is not coming up under my vin number. at times have no problem but when it does happen the battery light comes on then the check engine light comes on and I start loosing more power and it tells me to check my charging system. what should i do the next time it happens?

Engine
Filed Sep 19, 2022WI

2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN AND THEN RESTARTS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ALL THE CONNECTORS WERE CLEANED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED.

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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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