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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
88,763 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems

engine problem

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2009 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 3 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #21

Nov 042015

Malibu

  • 138,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have cracked exhaust manifold. This is the second time I have to get it replaced at the dealership. This time the part only lasted 18 months. Exhaust gases are coming into the interior compartment of the vehicle. I have contacted Chevy customer service and they acknowledge that it happens to other similar vehicles.

- Brighton, MI, USA

problem #20

Oct 282015

Malibu

  • miles
Power steering, traction light, engine power down all come on and car shut down

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #19

Sep 282015

Malibu

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming excessive oil, causing oil to spill into the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.

- Smithtown, NY, USA

problem #18

Oct 052015

Malibu

  • 160,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

One October 5, 2015 owner was driving at or around 35mph when the vehicles, ESC, check engine light, and brake dashboard icons came on. Then car then lost engine power, and would not accelerate. Owner then cruised the car to the side of the road, where turned the key to the off position and then tried to restart it. Owner tried turning the key to restart the vehicle multiple times over the course of 15 minutes and the vehicle would not start. Finally, the vehicle restarted and the owner was able to drive off the freeway and contacted the GM customer service number to report the incident.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #17

Sep 082009

Malibu

  • 69,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 60 mph, the steering wheel seized, the engine stalled, and an unknown warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the diagnostic testing was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #16

Jan 012015

Malibu

  • 120,000 miles
Excessive oil consumption

- Andalusia, AL, USA

problem #15

Jun 032015

Malibu

  • 85,378 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Some times when getting on highway.or from a stop the car bogges down and then starts to race. I think this is a safety issue because getting on the highway your car should not bog down and then start to race. Me and my family was getting on the highway and almost rear ended by a semi thats not safe.bought the car three months ago and they tell me it be 150 to do diagnostics almost two thousand to fix. That should be a safety recall.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #14

Aug 132015

Malibu

  • 59,000 miles
While driving home from work, traveling at 60mph on oh St rt 108, vehicle suddenly started shaking and slowed to 20 mph. Warning light stated, "reduced engine pwr". I had to pull the car to the side of the rode in order for the car traveling behind me to pass. Drove the remaining 4 miles home at the reduced speed. Tried to turn off the vehicle and restart to clear the message. Did not work. Not sure what the cause is at this point. Review of possible causes on line showed numerous cases just like mine. This appears to be an issue which could result in significant injuries.

- Wauseon, OH, USA

problem #13

Feb 042014

Malibu

  • 65,000 miles
While driving the car at any speed the vehicle will accelerate on its own and the RPM will increase to 4 or higher as if I am smashing the gas. During this time of the RPM fluctuation you can hear the engine sound louder and feel the acceleration almost like a jolt. At night when driving the car you can see the brake light illuminate without ever touching the brakes. I've taken the car to the dealership several times regarding this matter they claim it has been fixed, however I'm still having the same problem. When it is warm/hot outside, when using the keyless remote to lock/unlock the car all locks will stick. The only way I can get into the vehicle is to use the key to open the doors and if I have groceries in the back seat I will have to crawl from the front to the back to open the doors.

- Brewton, AL, USA

problem #12

Mar 242015

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 99,648 miles
I was driving just a few blocks from my house when I stopped at a red light. The light turned green so I went to go. My car then flashed a service ESC warning, then it flashed ESC off & then flashed engine power reduced. My check engine light also came on and has stayed on. My car wouldn't even go over 10mph, and was shaking so bad I thought I was going to lose control of the vehicle. Thank god I didn't make it out of town. I just recently had my car at the Chevrolet auto shop to have my transmission completely rebuilt and for the brake light malfunction recall. Then my car ended up back in the shop apparently for a bad Cadillac converter, which I think really was this problem all along. I have only had this car for a year, and I am beyond disgusted with all the problems. I don't think I will be purchasing another vehicle from Chevrolet, as they just aren't good cars apparently. Side note: I take really good care of my vehicle and do all the normal service maint. On time etc so there is no excuse for this. It's just a bad car! I have a 2009 Chevy Malibu.

- Lockport, NY, USA

problem #11

Jan 302015

Malibu

  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at 35 mph during inclement weather, the vehicle stalled and the traction control warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the fuel sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

- East Haven, CT, USA

problem #10

Feb 272014

Malibu

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. Upon depressing the brake pedal, the RPM meter fluctuated independently. Also, the brake warning lamps on the rear of the vehicle flashed intermittently without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

- Burton, AL, USA

problem #9

Feb 032015

Malibu

  • 148,000 miles
On Tuesday February 3rd 2015 I was on my way home from work when my 2009 Chevy Malibu cut off on me. The check engine and traction lights came on and a message of power steering service ESC came on. Cars had to swerve around me to avoid collision luckily I had not yet made it onto the interstate. I turned the engine off, waited for five minutes and restarted the vehicle. Upon restart all of the lights and messages were gone and the car was operable. I researched this issue and found that is a known issue and even on recall. I called GM and I was informed by a rep that while this is a known issue and is a recall for my model my VIN number does not meet the recall. I do not understand how a known issue that I am currently experiencing is not covered by GM. This is a extreme hazard to myself, other drivers and my newborn child that I travel with. I am very angry, disappointed and I feel betrayed by GM and Chevrolet. I will be contacting my lawyer, sending letters to GM and blogging to warn people of the dangers and hassles of purchasing and driving a Chevy.

- Marrero, LA, USA

problem #8

Jan 302015

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 147,000 miles
Friday morning at 8am, attempted to backup car from parking space and go to work but had the hardest time turning the wheel and googled information and found recall id # 105304 for steering issue recalled July 21, 2014 & found recall id # 103669 for ESC recall date May 14,2014, I've contacted Chevrolet at 800.680.7031 and had case#: [xxx] initiated for steering and had a rep call GMC royal to service my car but found out that they wouldn't fix my steering or ESC issue since my VIN# personally hasn't been notified as a mass recall but they will fix two other issues affecting a lamp and a clamp, if I could have someone research this in depth I would greatly appreciate it as I would hate to have to pay money to have the car fixed and they send a recall letter for the same situation years later and then I'm stuck out of pocket for the prior services the main issue I experience is with the steering out of no where the car states power steering in green letters and freezes and I'm sometimes stuck in the middle of the street and can only move if I keep restarting the car and with the ESC, the car states ESC disabled which affects steering and no traction and messes with the pedals, if I can have these issues escalated since they are the same issue as those other recalls I would greatly appreciate it!!! information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #7

Jan 282015

Malibu

  • 72,000 miles
I was picking my little brother up from school I was at the light and the car started to shake violently and engine reduced power light came on is does this on and off and this is not safe for any driver.

- Bowie , MD, USA

problem #6

Dec 152014

Malibu

  • 145,000 miles
During a seven day period the car was towed three times to luther brookdale Chevrolet Buick GMC. The first time they replaced the battery. The dealer also stated there was only 2 qts of oil in the car. My daughter was dealing with the dealer until the third time when I called GM. GM just told me (20 minutes ago, [xxx] (sp) on a GM recorded conversation) that he knows of no internal GM phone number to call for life and death safety issues. The third time the dealer stated the cars engine is bad and needs "pistons, cyl head, crank and rod and main bearings, needs engine". they state they found metal shavings in the engine. I again asked the GM senior advisor if there was any mechanism to report life and death safety issues for GM products and he stated no and the car is out of warranty. He will call the dealer and talk with them about replacing the engine. I stated this is a GM issue and not a dealer issue, he stated this is what he will do. There is certainly something wrong here. My daughter was stalled three times, 1 when she tried to start the car and twice driving the car - the car stalled on the interstate. I also stated for his own job security he should route this call to a quality control department function - he stated this is not his job - again this is recorded. Valvoline checked the battery and changed the oil. If the dealer was accurate, doubtful, then the car loses oil in three months and stalls when driving. If the dealer is not accurate, has oil, which is the probably the case, the engine goes bad and the car stalls. Help. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Bayport, MN, USA

problem #5

Dec 292014

Malibu

  • 109,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

- Carencro , LA, USA

problem #4

Jul 162013

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles
Seats - front driver power seat, there is a bracket or brace that goes across the front and supports the seat, it is welded, the weld is broken, after doing forum and google searches this is a common problem for years with the broken weld, causing the seat to become unstable and allowed to rock while driving. Engine - the front engine oil seal or crankshaft pulley seal is prone to leaking, there is service bulletin out about this issue for a 6 cyl model, apparently the 4cyl model has the same problem. The fix is to have the seal replaced with an updated style constructed with a better spring and seal wiper. This can cause a substantial oil leak, even though this could not cause (to the best I know) a serious problem, it does cause oil to leak along the frame and onto the bottom of the engine and possibly onto the exhaust piping behind the engine. It also cause an environment issue causing motor oil to leak onto the ground.

- Brick, NJ, USA

problem #3

Jul 262014

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 58,459 miles
GM: some dtc codes may be set, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0008, or P0009. 3.6 LY7 with cam actuator dtc.the reluctor for the crankshaft sensor pressed on the crankshaft may have moved. My code is P0016 car is still under warranty please help!

- Auburn, NY, USA

problem #2

Jul 232014

Malibu

  • 26,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to be restarted after the first attempt, but the failure recurred multiple times. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (vehicle speed control) however, the dealer stated that the part needed for the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.

- De Queen , AR, USA

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