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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
13 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
100,888 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 steering problems

steering problem

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2009 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 2 of 37)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #710

Apr 092023

Malibu

  • miles

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

My steering wheel shakes and jerks while driving and when I start the car. Also, my car steers and pulls to the left while I-??m driving until the electric power steering light comes on and then the steering locks up and I am unable to turn the steering wheel to make a turn which can lead to a crash because I have to force the wheel in order to turn. I was driving on the highway and my steering locked and I pulled over safely and tried turning the car off and on. This has turned the electric power steering light off and I was able to turn the wheel but my steering wheel still shakes and jerks and the car pulls to the left. To add, a few minutes later my steering locks up and the electric power steering light comes on again and I am unable to turn the steering wheel. A couple of days ago I was coming off of an exit and the power steering light came on and I could turn the wheel to make the turn, almost causing an accident. Fortunately, I was able to force the steering to make the turn. *This has been a reoccurring issue. I will post the date below for the latest occurrence.

- Jackson, NJ, USA

problem #709

Mar 292023

Malibu

  • miles
When accelerating the car glides to the right even tho you-??re holding the steering wheel straight there-??s not any play in the steering that i can observe. When you are driving it is unpredictable which way you feel the said -?? gliding motion -?? when braking I would say that it usually glides to the left but at times it-??s caught me off guard and I vear off to the right the esc service light is now on also I made a appointment for safety inspection at a local dealership

- Dewer, OK, USA

problem #708

Mar 262023

Malibu

  • miles
As I'm driving down the road my vehicle will engage the brake without warning while I'm in a curve or turning and it's extremely dangerous. I had a 18 wheeler behind me and my car came to an abrupt stop without warning as I was getting onto the interstate

- White Oak, TX, USA

problem #707

Mar 212023

Malibu

  • 76,500 miles

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

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his wife was backing out of the driveway, the power steering failed without warning. Due to the failure, his wife hit a pole on their property. The contact's wife was not injured, the air bags did not deploy due to low impact, a police report was not filed, and no property damage was reported. The contact went to assist his wife after the failure and used excessive force to steer the vehicle back into the driveway. The contact called the dealer and informed him that the vehicle was not under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 76,500.

- El Reno, OK, USA

problem #706

Mar 182023

Malibu

  • miles
Unknown when I try to turn the steering locks up and then it lets go it-??s like grabbing not wanting to let me turn

- Bakersfield , CA, USA

problem #705

Mar 152023

Malibu

  • miles
When I am going down the road the vehicle comes to a complete stop in a curve sometimes and it's dangerous. Only the bright lights work on the vehicle. The esc activates and turns off a lot when you least expect

- Gilmer, TX, USA

problem #704

Feb 202023

Malibu

  • miles

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

Electric power steering failure, while driving service ESC and power steering came up on the dash along with a traction control indicator. The only symptom prior was a Shakey steering wheel which was assumed to be mechanical. Problem persists on and off even with resetting system powering off and then back on.

- Grand Junction, MI, USA

problem #703

Feb 132023

Malibu

  • miles
The power steering went out when my son was driving. He was barely able to get out of the road for safety purposes. We took it to a dealer and they are recommending a whole new steering column and sensors. They say this is very common on these models. In looking at a $1,500-$2,000 fix and from what I researched this is very common with these models but only some were 'recalled.' Seems to be a way bigger issue. Im lucky my son wasn't in an accident.

- Catlin , IL, USA

problem #702

Feb 192023

Malibu

  • miles
I was pulling out of my alley onto a main street and my power steering went out I had to pull over I shut the car off and restarted it and it came back. When this happened got a message on dash ESC active and service power steering.

- Lehighton, PA, USA

problem #701

Feb 142023

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles
The contact's daughter owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer, where it was diagnosed as EPS System failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.

- Punxsutawney, PA, USA

problem #700

Feb 132023

Malibu 4WD 4-cyl

  • 115,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed as power steering assist failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

- Holmen, WI, USA

problem #699

Feb 012023

Malibu

  • miles
Loses power steering and switches to manual steering, making it hard to steer.

- Saint Paul, MN, USA

problem #698

Feb 012023

Malibu

  • miles
Electric power steering failure (EPS). I looked on the website and shows a recall but I called my dealer and said my VIN does not come up. I have loss of power steering. driving down the road it will stop working or when in a parking lot trying to maneuver around. Warning lamps are on. Steering is very difficult. I do not feel safe having anyone drive my car because it is so hard to steer when it stops working. It will catch you off guard and when you are in traffic it could be fatal. Loss of steering has been happening for about 6 months but has gotten worse the last week to the point I cant even drive and feel safe.

- Conklin, MI, USA

problem #697

Dec 292022

Malibu

  • miles
While driving vehicle on highway a sudden loss of power steering happened. A message did appear on the dash stating -??service powering steering system ESP-??. I immediately turned off the highway as I was very afraid of what had happened. I got a ride from a friend and left the car on the side road overnight. After researching what happened it is a very common issue with this year, make and model. Since I researched it was a loss of power steering I knew I had to get it serviced and knew it would be difficult to steer under manual steering. I was able to drop it off at a local AAA service center. The service center contacted me the next day and said this particulat steering column has been recalled by GM. I called GM and they said my vehicle was not recalled by the VIN I had. I called the service center back and they called a certified GM technician and again stated the steering column had been recalled. I decided to go ahead with the repair the service center had to get a remanufactured GM steering column and that-??s what was replaced. I am requesting an investigation to why my VIN was not part of the recall and I would like to request reimbursement by GM. The NTHSA campaign id# is 14V153 and the GM technical bulletin that was issued for my year make and model is bulletin 14116 and 14116B.

- Orwigsburg , PA, USA

problem #696

Jan 012023

Malibu

  • miles
The power steering just stopped working. Not really safe to drive. I did research and found that many GM cars have had this problem. No warning messages came on prior to the problem happening. I think this is a sensor problem with this car.

- Belleville, IL, USA

problem #695

Dec 202022

Malibu

  • miles
Bought a 2009 Malibu (2.4 engine with electric power steering) a few weeks ago. Pulled into my driveway today and the power steering goes out and the traction control light comes on and service ESC message comes across the message center. Turn the car off and back on and the light goes out, power steering comes back for a second then the light trips again and it's out again as soon as I turn the wheel. It-??s absolutely insane and I can-??t even drive it half the time. I-??m a nurse and a mother of two. This is the same recall in many of the same year and vehicle type, and we have snow. Severe snow. It can kill me. The ESC LIGHT TRACTION CONTROL ABS POWER STEERING AND CHECK ENGINE LOGHT ARE ALL ON BECAUSE OF THIS DEATHTRAP OF AN electronic steering system you have

- Mount Pleasant , MI, USA

problem #694

Dec 152022

Malibu

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and exiting a highway exit ramp, the steering wheel and column started to shake and vibrate abnormally. The contact stated she drove the vehicle to a nearby independent mechanic. The contact was able to place the vehicle in park P) and turned off the vehicle. The contact returned to the vehicle to drive to a maintenance bay however, the power steering function was unavailable. The contact stated she observed an unknown warning light. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the independent mechanic determined that the steering motor and the steering angle sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was driven back to the same mechanic who diagnosed that the u-joint on the steering shaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

- Dearborn Heights, MI, USA

problem #693

Oct 152016

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles
At the time I bought my Chevy Malibu Hybrid in 2009, I was not aware nor was it made known to me by the dealership or the Sales Rep. that the steering mechanism was electronically controlled and not hydraulic. Had I known that to be the case, I would have reconsidered the purchase. In September of 2015 GM issued a notice informing me and those who were owners of my particular vehicle equipped with electric power assist (EPS): "... the steering column torque sensor or the EPS motor/controller may cause the vehicle to suddenly lose EPS...The vehicle will revert to a manual steering mode, which requires greater driver effort to operate at low vehicle speeds." GM's resolution: 10 year warranty from date of purchase or 105,000 mile whichever occurs first. About two years after the warranty was issued, I started experiencing an intermittent failure with the steering upon starting on extremely cold mornings though not while driving. Once the car warmed up the steering problem went away. But because it was not continuous and difficult to replicate and thus to diagnose, the dealership as well as GM found that it would be hard for my unique problem to be covered by the warranty. I verbalized my complaint to GM on Oct. 15, 2016. Additionally, I was told by the dealership, if a diagnostic code (ESP) could not be found at the time the vehicle was bought in, a fee of $119 for diagnostics would be owed at that time. Note: A total failure of the torque sensor is the only time a code is present therefore I was reluctant to bring the vehicle in. The warranty expired for my vehicle in 2019. Recently, within a year or two, the steering has failed me while driving - twice, intermittently. When failure does occur on a car with this type of steering it is extremely difficult to steer and very dangerous especially at low speeds. Therefore, my plea is for NHTSA to issue a recall, not a limited warranty for this kind of safety issue. The estimated cost to repair: $1,500.

- Parkville, MD, USA

problem #692

Dec 132022

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 81,230 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with an alarm engaged. Additionally, the message "Service ESC" was displayed. The contact pulled into his driveway and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering responded as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering) because an unknown TSB had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 81,230. The dealer diagnosed the defect as the torque sensor and along with the power assist motor needed to be replaced to fix the power steering loss issue. The manufacturer informed the consumer that since the repairs were not made by the dealer, they could not even offer the minimal remedy of a loyalty certificate.

- Ocean, NJ, USA

problem #691

Nov 302022

Malibu

  • miles
I have lost power steering multiple times while driving! I was able to turn the car off and turn it back in to regain steering! It is a reoccurring issue! The issue has not been taken to a dealer, as they told me if it was the Steering shaft torque sensor that it would be roughly 700$ to fix it! (This is what was fixed in both my sister and cousins 2009 Malibu-??s and I can provide the Vins if requested! As they had the exact same issues! I believe the code it throws is a EPS code on the dash! This issue seems to Happen more so when it is cold as it has happened in the past as well and finally quit giving me problems after it got warm again! But now that it is cold again it is starting to act up again as it has reoccurred 7 Times in the last 200 miles

- Atlantic, IA, USA

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