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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,169 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 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2011 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 1 of 11)

problem #211

Mar 012023

Malibu

  • miles

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

Air bag, supplemental restraint system failure caused by a faulty electrical connector under the driver's seat. GM is aware of this issue and may have issued a TSB. A recall and repair at GM's expense would be a better way to address this issue as some people might not be willing or able to pay for the one hundred plus dollars repair cost and continue to drive the car with repairing the supplemental restraint system.

- Roscoe, IL, USA

problem #210

Jan 212023

Malibu

  • miles
I was driving on 2/5/23 when my car started making a ding sound and the steering wheel locked up. This begin on 1/20/23. There has been 4 incidents with the steering locked while driving. Once results in someone almost getting hit on the side walk as I was turning in the back parking lot. Twice turning left on to my street and once driving around a curve almost hit another car in the other lane.

- Decatur, GA, USA

problem #209

Jan 012023

Malibu

  • miles
2011 Malibu LS 2.4 power steering keeps going out. Service ESC and traction control keep coming on. Very dangerous

- Cambridge, IL, USA

problem #208

Dec 242022

Malibu

  • miles

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

to begin with CD player stopped working the service tire light stays on the seat adjuster went out this is used to support your back while driving while driving on a residential road the car would not go in drive. The car just suddenly stopped while in drive. It goes in reverse and stays in park but the other gears do not work. It was a good thing that I was on a residential road and not the freeway. I keep having to repair the headlights left and right they keep burning out for some reason. Gets frustrating. And I have been pulled over for a burned headlight but the officer was aware the the make and model of my car have defects with headlights. He didn't site me but said to get it fixed.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #207

Dec 252022

Malibu

  • miles
Power steering failed and locked up the steering wheel. Had to stop car mid road to restart car. Car no longer has any power steering. This is a very dangerous issue!

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #206

Jul 082022

Malibu

  • miles
My 2011 malibu has approx 170000 miles. was driving on the highway when one by one, low fuel range, tire pressure, and antitheft lights illuminated blinking in dash. The radio flickers like loosing power, the car jerks pulling hard to right side and the power steering goes out and the car literally shuts down in drive on the highway not even giving me time to get off road. Pushed car to side of road. When i try and restart engine turns but sputters like out of gas. Again and again i try until the battery is dead but car wouldnt stay running. I check battery terminals and fuses, a friend brings gallon of gas and jumps car. Same result. I have towed home. I put battery on charger put battery back in car and it starts immediately and stays running. Again i try to go to town. The same thing happens 2 miles further from where it previously did, this time the ESC was added to the others illuminating on dash. I tried the same things i did before getting same result. I take battery call a ride and go home to put battery on charger. When i return 48 hours later and put battery in, it cranks right up.

- Hamilton, GA, USA

problem #205

Apr 162018

Malibu

  • miles

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

4/16/2018) Codes pulled 16188 Brake Lamp Malfunction, 13036D, and 13036C. Code 16188 was repaired and replaced by the Chevrolet dealership. A warning code would show on the dashboard then brake lights would show that the brakes are being applied at all times while driving or not show when braking.

- Des Moines, IA, USA

problem #204

Apr 132022

Malibu

  • miles
Warranty policy 15356 on Torque Sensor Steering Wheel. Replaced and repaired by Chevrolet dealership in 2018. Reocccured problem started again on April 13th, 2022. Code ESC power steering started May 6th, 2022 but shaking, vibration, and "twitching" started April 13th, 2022. When turning on the vehicle now the code will show and the steering wheel will lock not allowing power steering. In 2018 this code would show up during driving and lock up not allowing you to use power steering.

- Des Moines, IA, USA

problem #203

Apr 062022

Malibu

  • miles
I drove my car to a store and parked, when I returned and proceeded to backup, the steering wheel locked and I couldn-€™t drive and was stuck in the road. Finally after a while I turned the ignition off and back on and was able to drive home. There was no advance warning that The power the steering needed to be serviced.

- Hyattsville , MD, USA

problem #202

Jan 212022

Malibu

  • miles
MAP sensor was physically broken and replaced during a particularly cold snap (below -10 degrees F), but the check engine light and "Service ESC, " "Service Traction, " and "ESC off" messages continued to appear in the following weeks. Acceleration repeatedly dropped off for a split second, and would continue to dip and return until I let off the accelerator and tried again. This acceleration problem always coincided with the three ESC/Traction messages listed above, and happened multiple times every time I drove it. During a second trip to the mechanic, some "frayed wiring" was replaced and the throttle relearned, but the symptoms continued as before, prior to the MAP sensor replacement and the wiring repair. The symptoms progressed to delayed, pulsing acceleration, not just dropping out. The following week, the power steering went out while driving, preceded by a gentle automated jerking on the steering wheel upon startup. The mechanic confirmed that it was electrical, nothing wrong with the physical components.

- Little Canada, MN, USA

problem #201

Feb 022022

Malibu

  • miles

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

ESC off shows up on dashboard and after driving I get "engine power reduced"

- Hanover Park, IL, USA

problem #200

Jan 152022

Malibu

  • miles
Power steering went completely out as I'm driving down the road! It's only got around 65k miles maybe 66k, not that many miles at all for this to have happened. And they were aware of the issue as well. Now I'm out my car, I am in-between jobs at the moment, no money, and no transportation for my wife and I!! No way to go to job interviews, her very important medical appointments, and everything else!! I do not have the money to take to the shop, I don't have the knowledge either to do such a major task like that, not do I even have the space to work on it myself or anyone else for that matter.its winter time, And this car is my home, Soo now what are we supposed to do? It's unsafe to drive, and will probably just make it worse, more wear and tear on other parts by driving it the way it is now

- Ligonier, IN, USA

problem #199

Jan 072022

Malibu

  • miles
I have had my Chevy Malibu since 2016. In the almost 7 years I have had this car I has had the same issue with both starting and stalling while driving. There has been many time it has completely shut off while on the expressway. I have had it looked at by an outside mechanic and the dealership. The back Fuse box has been completely replacement 3 times twice of which were in the past year. There is a shot with the fuel pump relay causing the issue. The dealership will not acknowledge this issue. Each time I have been told it was the fuse box going out however a fuse box does not go completely bad every few years and now few month. I have same many many videos and comments from other owners of Chevy Malibu 2011 with the exact same issue. I have been lucky that I have been able to pull to the side of the road without accident due to this issue. This issue should be recalled if the vast number of 2011 Chevy Malibu's having the same issue.

- Winter Park , FL, USA

problem #198

Aug 012021

Malibu

  • 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the contact avoided hitting a dog that was on the road, but the brakes failed and the vehicle crashed into a porch. None of the air bags deploy upon impact. The contact received medical attention after his head hit the steering wheel upon impact. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact replaced the CAM sensor, intake, radiator, and front end body, and on three separate occasions, the brakes were replaced. However, the failure recurred. Additionally, the accelerator pedal would go to the floorboard and the vehicle would stall. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light and a "Reduced Power" warning message were displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

- Morehead, KY, USA

problem #197

Nov 122021

Malibu

  • miles
car unexpectedly died on the way home with 2 children in car. Car would crank, but wouldn't start up, and sounded like a typical fuel pump problem. We had the car towed to a shop and they showed the fuel pump as working within the normal ranges and then started up the next day just fine, but paid 750 for work. A few days later the car died again, so we had it towed to the same shop, by the next day when the mechanic said it started up just fine so he wasn't able to diagnose the problem. He and i don't want to spend a 1000 every week putting parts in it that don't fix the problem while getting towed each week at 150 dollars. This is a safety concern and leaves the consumer hopeless. We want to get rid of the car, but don't want to sell it to a person for them to have the same issues and then in return blame us. GM NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I've read hundreds of forums of other people having the same problem with no actual fix.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #196

Nov 032021

Malibu

  • miles
Rear window brake light stays illuminated have to keep raising the brake pad up to get it to go off and in the daytime you arent able to see it. The alarm system is not allowing the car to start correctly. It is very frustrating to have to remove battery cables in many circumstances in order to operate the vehicle. These are all issues that occur many times for over a year. not just an isolated account.

- Auburn , KY, USA

problem #195

Sep 132021

Malibu

  • miles
Engine starts but stalls shortly after. 89,000 miles. Never had any problems like this before. Dash display states "Service ECM, " "service traction control, " "reduced engine power, " etc..A shop diagnosed it with a bad ECM, but that isn't the problem, as it didn't fix it. Based on the codes we're getting ready to swap out the APP (Accelerator pedal position sensor) This is a well known issue, that many other owners of various years have encountered, and reported. In fact, I just read that GM did a recall for newer Malibu's, for this exact same problem, (the APP causing "reduced engine power" and therefore not running) So I'm really not happy. They left out all the older vehicles with the exact same problem!

- Bunker Hill, IN, USA

problem #194

Aug 272021

Malibu

  • miles
Headlights keep going out and service airbag light keep coming

- Muskegon, MI, USA

problem #193

Jul 012021

Malibu

  • miles
The rear defrost stopped working. Had my auto mechanic review and Rear Fuse Box had melted fuses which was effecting rear defrost. The rear Fuse Box needs replacing per mechanic. ($400) My concern is what is cause of the electrical issue in my Malibu and if not corrected by Chevrolet will it occur again?

- Billerica, MA, USA

problem #192

Sep 062021

Malibu

  • miles
Power steering turned off. Lost all steering while driving.

- Westminster, CO, USA

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