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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,995 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.

2011 Chevrolet Malibu brakes problems

brakes problem

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2011 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 1 of 9)

problem #171

Oct 142020

Malibu

  • miles

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

This isn't the first time I've encountered this exact issue, and have had previous issues after purchasing the vehicle (used) back in 2013. Both times this exact issue at hand occurred, both happened while driving. First time, I was driving in a sharp curve with my children in the back seat. This last time I was driving on the highway. Luckily nothing was hit in either cases, however this past time I pulled muscles in my back straining so hard to try and steer the vehicle to get at least very minimum off the road and onto a side street and to safety. As both times I were driving the ESC light came on, and power steering light came on. Resulting in me not being able to brake, or steer - the only steering I were able to do was very strained (as previously stated), I had to put forth extreme efforts to get it to barely turn. The steering wheel acted as if it were locked. This needs to be addressed, and covered under a recall as I've read/heard a multitude of the same issues that are all common with this exact year, model/car. And for this be such a danger, it needs to be corrected before it costs someone their life. I'm terrified to think what if everyone around me weren't paying attention when both events took place, it could've resulted in my life. My spouse being single raising our precious 4 children. How Chevy/GM can live knowing these issues happen and not address it is horrible, knowing very well it could result in a life I'd not more being lost. The only way I could get the lights to turn off and me to be able to drive, I had to shut the car off, wait, and turn it on in order to continue my drive to work. I'm terrified to drive this death trap of a car, especially knowing these issues could happen at any time, without warning or reason. This needs to be fixed. Otherwise this is a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

- Hallsville, TX, USA

problem #170

Sep 072020

Malibu

  • 151,000 miles
My vehicle is experiencing all symptoms related to NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 and there is no active recall for my VIN. That problem his causing high voltage which keeps causing electrical issues like burning cables to the headlights and not getting power to multiple interior equipment such as the ipc which stops working while driving and I am no longer able to my speed and other information. I also get a engine power reduced error from a bad connected from the app to the BCM, code P1238.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #169

Jan 102019

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles
My headlights keep going off. I use to hit the front and it turns on but not anymore. Had it fixed 3 times within a year. No ac doesn't turn on when I start the car as well.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #168

Feb 022015

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles

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

Since I purchased my vehicle back in 2015 (used) I have had ongoing steering issues. The steering feels much looser than most vehicles. It has almost taken me off of the road several times. I have had mechanics look at the car and they have all suggest I take it into Chevy for diagnostics since it is electrical steering. There is a recall for the steering on this exact year, make and model, though it says my VIN was not affected. It is a huge concern for myself to have this steering corrected as I have a toddler in my back seat. When roads are wet, uneven pavement, or the weather windy.. my car pulls off the road drastically I have to grip my steering wheel so hard to the point my hands turn red from grabbing so tightly in order to maintain somewhat control of this vehicle.. with this year. Make and model having steering recalls, I request Chevy honors my request to have my vehicle inspected by a licensed Chevy dealer to determine what the issue is. This has been an issue since purchasing the vehicle and I find it unlikely that I have the same exact issues as the recall though a completely different issue. I am afraid this will cause me to lose control of my car and wreck. Higher speeds (for example on the freeway) make the steering almost unmanageable and difficult to control. I have spoke to numerous Chevy Malibu owners who have had this exact issue with their recalls. I have reached out to Chevrolet directly to express my concerns and it was disregarded, they said my VIN was not effected so it couldn't be the issue. Consumer had the parts replaced on 6/19 again on 6/29 but vehicle is still unsafe to drive and problem is recurring.

- Turlock, CA, USA

problem #167

May 092020

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 91,500 miles
My vehicle has approx. 91,500 miles. Upon starting the car recently, an error appeared saying "service traction" and "engine power reduced." The vehicle could not go above 35 mph and the traction control system was disabled. Upon inspection by the dealership, they discovered the sunroof drain tubes had shrunk and water had accumulated in the floorboard, eventually leading to corrosion. I have researched this issue and found several other drivers reporting issues with the drain tubes becoming disconnected and causing leaks. I have also found several instances where drivers lost engine power on the highway. If this were to happen, it could easily cause a crash.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #166

Mar 162020

Malibu

  • 1 miles
The ESC lights, traction control lights and ABS lights are on. Took it to the dealership in January and they 'fixed' it by replacing the hub assembly. Worked ok for a month. Lights are back on as well as randomly while driving the speedometer, gas gauge, temp gauge, and RPM's will drop to 0 then back to normal and this will continue for the a whole trip. Then the next day or few days it will be fine then do it again. All the lights are on continuously.

- Fulton, NY, USA

problem #165

Feb 192020

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles

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

I was driving at 70 miles per hour, the steering wheel started shaking and locked up, I almost loss control of the car. This is my 2nd 2011 Malibu and the other car had the same problem. It an issue with the power steering control. The car is currently cannot be driven.

- Ypsilanti, MI, USA

problem #164

Feb 102020

Malibu

  • miles
The ESC turns off pretty much every time I drive the car. Last Monday the check engine light came on when the transmission was slipping M. the the transmission would no longer shift and the solenoid is stuck open while driving home from work. Prompting the dealership to try and sell me a whole new $5,000 trans. When the car only has 130,000 miles on it. The transmission has been running slow on acceleration but has never been stuck in first gear leaving me left on the side of the road waiting for help to come get me. The headlight burn out like every 6 months resulting in taking off the bumper or paying $200 from the dealership for a $5 bulb. I have no pictures since my car is at the dealership waiting for me to either go get or pay for the transmission.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #163

Feb 152020

Malibu

  • 65,674 miles
Per online reviews from recalls for 2011 Malibu the power steering warning light flashed. This recall was not sent to me, however, my car is affected.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

problem #162

Nov 292019

Malibu

  • 96,000 miles
The ABS, ESC, and service traction lights came on while I was on the interstate suddenly my cruise control stopped working. I exited the highway and as my car came to a complete stop it started rolling backwards and the breaks locked up so I couldnt stop. It only stopped rolling after putting the car in park, hitting the emergency break, and quickly getting the key out before hitting the family behind me. I tried to turn on my hazards and they wouldnt come on. I restarted the car, and the whole dash was flickering. After trying this 3 times it started, but when I tried to accelerate the car went to 7/8 RPM and did nothing. Then it started to roll backwards again before I could put it in park I was thrusted forward into the center of a roundabout. After that it began to drive. I was less than 5 minutes from a family members home so I tried to make it. I was able to get the car going 30 mph for less than 5 minutes before the speed immediately dropped to zero, and the car began to roll backwards again. My face hit the steering wheel because of the jolt which resulted in facial bruises. The air bags did not deploy. When this issue happened all of the electric in the car started going crazy. I was on a backroad, and luckily a good samaritan stopped to help me. I called my uncle who is a mechanic who towed me back to the house. This isnt the first time ive had issue with these warnings coming up and then I have to suddenly start fighting to survive being trapped in a car trying to kill me. Since this last incident I have not tried to drive the car. After seeing multiple mechanics they confirmed this was a common issue in this year make and model of the vehicle. No one seems to know what has been causing this. This kind of issue could kill someone. It needs to be investigated, and GM needs to be held responsible for selling unreliable, unsafe, death traps to consumers.

- Avon, IN, USA

problem #161

Oct 072019

Malibu

  • 121,000 miles

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

When we are driving the car it will start shaking, the ESC light comes on and the car completely dies. This has happened while driving 15 mph and 70 mph on city streets and highways. We have had it in multiple shops and been told this is a common issue nobody has found a resolution for. Very dangerous and afraid to put our kids in the car as we don't know when it will do it, there hasn't been a common variable.

- Minnetrista, MN, USA

problem #160

Nov 052019

Malibu

  • miles
These are recalls that I was never made aware of and have not been repaired.

- Cranston, RI, USA

problem #159

Feb 282018

Malibu

  • 140,899 miles
Tires go flat really fast. The electrical system is not ready my tires no more and don't show if there's an issue including airbags. The light was on for a month and wen tawau I got his in the front of my car and my airbags didn't not deploy.

- West Lafayette, IN, USA

problem #158

Dec 212018

Malibu

  • 70,000 miles
While driving on the road, the car will just stop moving forward although the engine is still running. We have to immediately pull off the side of the road, which is very difficult to do in heavy traffic. The indicator lights for power steering / ESC come on and the chimes ring 3 times. Upon stopping the car, if the engine remains off for approximately 5 minutes, then the car will start back up and run normally for up to 2 months before it has the same problem again. This has happened at least 6 times over the past 18 months. We have had the car to the local Chevrolet dealer in St. Louis 4 times but they have been unable to determine the source of the problem. They have replaced a number of parts related to the power steering but this has proven to be ineffective. We also replaced the battery and cleaned the cables with no results. This is a real safety issue and the mechanics at the dealer have no idea how to fix it. We cannot believe our 2011 Malibu is the only car with this problem.

- St Louis, MO, USA

problem #157

Sep 162019

Malibu

  • miles
Vehicle lights dim, loss of power, ESC, traction control, illuminates on dash. Car sputters with no acceleration. Car is unable to turn. This happened as I began to leave my subdivision, luckily I was able to push it back. I have a new battery no car will not crank unless I have a jump.

- Dallas, GA, USA

problem #156

Sep 062019

Malibu

  • 90,000 miles
ESC light comes off and on headlights burnout after maybe a few months of being changed for the last couple years.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #155

Aug 132019

Malibu

  • 106,000 miles
Service ESC light came on and disabled my engine twice! 1 time on February 14,2019 which I was told it was the throttle body got that replaces in March. Come June samething happened service ESC engine disabled and we had to be towed off of the expressway in June of 2019. After taking the car to the mechanic to get it serviced for the same issue again I was told that the body control module has a shortage in it and fuses in my fuse box had melted to the fuse box and caused a shortage ! the car stopping on the expressway could have killed me and my mom!!!

- Griffith, IN, USA

problem #154

May 012019

Malibu

  • 52,000 miles
While driving service traction and service ESC lights come on and car starts driving weird and doesn't feel safe!

- Utica, NY, USA

problem #153

Jun 212019

Malibu

  • 105,000 miles
I recently obtained my 2011 Malibu lt from superior auto in bedford, in. It is a truly outstanding machine. I was pleased with the entire ecotec 2.4 engine and fuel economy. The drivetrain is a little different topic. I was looking forward to trying the new push button shift setup. It was smooth for the first 3 weeks or so. Oh by the way it barely turned 105,000 on the odometer. It started with 3rd shifting late and hard. Then it was reverse not catching once shifter was engaged, making me use my brake to stop the vehicle. All of a sudden it completely stopped pulling forward or reverse. Initially I assumed transmission just burned out. Waited until the next morning, trying again and it engaged gear. It was ultimately short lived, once transmission warms it starts to fail completely. I'm very disgruntled and disappointed in the car company I was raised on. As well as my family for generations. Not to mention, this my very first Chevy buying on my own. Please return my concerns please. I purchased the Malibu from a local buy here pay here. This leaves me on a most aggravated note, due to me being absolutely hustled into paying for a operationaless motor vehicle from what I once thought was 2nd to none, Chevrolet and GM in general. I am very disappointed and will most definitely never buy this brand again, as well as my family of 80+ years of business. GM, has lowered itself to an all time low! please return my submission asap. I need transportation for my union career I drive a very large amount for as well. Minds blown by the utter laziness of this massive auto titan. Disgusted!!

- Heltonville, IN, USA

problem #152

Jun 072019

Malibu

  • 48,332 miles
My check engine light has been coming on lately. So I took it to a place so they could check it. The results states that the camshaft position sensor needs to be replaced. My lights are dimming, the bright headlights symbol comes on if I am sitting under a viaduct, the radio is disappearing on the dashboard, and my heating system is on when it's off. Then the car is jerking erratically when I proceed to drive after a stop. My vehicle is under 50,000 miles. It's at 48342 now. I need to know if there are any recalls because 3 years ago I, was under 35000 miles and had to pay for a new engine that should have been covered under the emissions act, and I had to pay $800 for that, plus getting disrespected by the manager at the dealership. Please let me know if anything comes up concerning this matter. Thank you

- Chicago, IL, USA

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