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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 1 of 37)

problem #730

Apr 162024

Malibu

  • miles

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

The component that-??s messing up is the power steering causing a warning light to come up I got the car in January and been dealing with this issue since it-??s making my car hard to drive and I been getting stuck in places the warning lamps been popping up about two months after I got the car and it-??s been acting up since my steering wheel shakes uncontrollably and sometimes it slips and tries to turn on its own I haven-??t been in a accident but the issue is getting worse and will cause that

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #729

Apr 142024

Malibu

  • miles
Power steering intermittently went out while driving. It is unsafe and can cause a wreck

- Fairfield, OH, USA

problem #728

Mar 082024

Malibu

  • miles
Loss of Power Steering Assist while driving, increasing risk of crash, occurred on 3/8/24. No warning of failure, but upon failure the dash indicated Power Steering malfunction. When able to schedule into repair shop, system error codes indicated the Electronic Power Steering Motor Control Module and Steering Column required replacement (shop mechanic said these parts have worn out). Vehicle has not been repaired due to excessive cost ($1400 parts, plus $385 labor and shop supplies, plus sales tax). Vehicle only had 96,227 miles when malfunction occurred and has never been driven hard. Malfunctioning parts are still in vehicle and are thus available for inspection upon removal. Vehicle is still in use and probably poses an elevated and unnecessary risk to the general public and occupants of this vehicle due to poor manufacturer design and/or quality assurance. I have driven the vehicle 11 miles to date, without re-occurrence of malfunction (yet).

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #727

Jul 052012

Malibu

  • miles

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

In 2012, I was driving down a somewhat of a curvy road when all of a sudden when approaching a curve, the car would not turn!!! I was headed straight for a tree as well as traveling into opposing traffics lane. Fortunately, no one was coming. Eventually the steering came back which sent me back in the other direction as I was pulling on the wheel trying to get it to turn. This sent me over a curb that was on my side of the road, resulting in damage that had to be repaired at a collision center. I was scared to drive the car after this because of what happened, but everyone I talked to said there wasn't nothing wrong with the car. I started driving it again and everything was fine, until in 2022 as I was pulling into my mother's driveway, and it happened again!! I started the turn and boom no steering and ended up in her front yard. I haven't drove it since because I am terrified it will happen again. Today I decided to look into if anyone was having the same issue as I, and I found that my car was under a GM special coverage 15356 which has now expired. This should have been a RECALL!! If I wouldn't have thought to look into the problem I would have never known. Not only am I out money for the repair from the first incidence this could have ended poorly not just for me but other drivers around me as well.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #726

Mar 202024

Malibu

  • miles
Power steering intermittionly turns off and

- Gibsonville, NC, USA

problem #725

Dec 072023

Malibu

  • miles
See attached document for complaint

- Paso Robles, CA, USA

problem #724

Mar 112024

Malibu

  • miles

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

Power Steering suddenly quit working while driving. Code reader said steering wheel input torque sensor was bad.

- Roanoke, VA, USA

problem #723

Feb 272024

Malibu

  • miles
Loss of power steering while driving nearly causing an accident, very dangerous situation.

- Saint Johns, MI, USA

problem #722

Feb 152024

Malibu

  • miles
Electric power steering goes out while driving. Very hard to steer!!!! Major safety concern. Traction control and ESC don't work while this problem occurs.

- Madison, SD, USA

problem #721

Jan 052024

Malibu

  • miles
I brought car told dealer of air bag light on to service and tire monitor light I had my steering lock and ESC light on dealership did nothing to comply to safety of this called don't return calls

- Pine Bush, NY, USA

problem #720

Dec 112023

Malibu

  • miles

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

The power steering randomly goes out while I'm driving and triggers esc off. This creates a seriously dangerous driving situation as I have very little control of the vehicle. Why hasn't this been recalled. It's a seriously unsafe design that can kill someone.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #719

Oct 012023

Malibu

  • miles
The power steering stops working then the light comes on and reads power steering. This has happened multiple times so far. An example is when I was turning from one street to another. No other cars were coming or I may have hit them due to no steering at all. I was able to let it coast into the edge of someone's yard. I turned the car off. Then about 3 minutes later I turned it on and it worked again. 2nd time was at a food drive thru rounding the building. Turned off and back on and it worked. 3rd time in my driveway backing out. Again no one was near my car when I backed out onto a 55 mph road.

- Beaver Dam , KY, USA

problem #718

Dec 072023

Malibu

  • 226,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH the contact heard a chime and then the "Service Power Steering Loss SC" illuminated. The contact was able to steer the vehicle using extra effort to drive the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact continued driving and the power steering failure reoccurred. The contact pulled off the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that that failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 226,000.

- Middleborough, MA, USA

problem #717

Oct 292023

Malibu

  • miles
Intermittent loss off power steering while driving, usually in cold weather conditions. Absolutely no warning. This is EXTREMELY dangerous, especially when the driver is an elderly woman without the arm strength to steer the car without assisted power steering.

- Bethalto , IL, USA

problem #716

May 222023

Malibu

  • 184,553 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel seized and failed to operate as needed. The contact aggressively maneuvered the steering wheel to regain normal functionality. The air bag warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 184,553.

- Jennings, FL, USA

problem #715

Mar 282023

Malibu

  • miles
My vehicle can overheat at times and the thermostat won-??t work. That-??s during the summer and winter so the temperature could rise above normal and I wouldn-??t know because of the electric problems. It-??s happened too many times to count. The ESC sign comes on across the dash for me letting me know there are issues with power steering and traction. I can drive on my way to work and on the highway and it happens randomly. It-??s dangerous and scary I have to pull over on the side of the road to turn it off and on. Sometimes more than three to four times before it acts normal again. I tried to go to GM because my car has the symptoms of the cars being repaired in the recalls. But I-??m told there are none for my car but yet the car still locks on me. It jumps too as it-??s accelerating.

- Trenton, NJ, USA

problem #714

Jul 012023

Malibu

  • miles
My power steering continues to go in and out while driving. There is a -??service esc-?? light on the dash along with multiple other lights. I see this among thousands of other 2009 Chevrolet Malibus, yet they are not recalled. I feel this is a serious safety warning for everyone who has one or might get one in the future.

- Clarksburg, WV, USA

problem #713

Jun 232023

Malibu

  • miles
Electronic power steering goes out randomly while driving highway speeds. Traction control light and ESC light go on when this happens.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #712

Apr 102023

Malibu

  • miles
I purchased this car used on 3/27/2023. The previous owner took good care of the car and had any recalls issued taken care of. On 4/10/2023 the power steering went out. I had the Power Steering Control Module replaced on 4/17/2023 at a cost of $1,154.36 at my local Chevrolet dealer. Upon research on the Internet I found that some Chevrolet Malibus were issued a recall for this problem. This car should have been issued a recall and this problem taken care of years ago. I need for Chevrolet / GM to address this. Thank you.

- Kirkwood, PA, USA

problem #711

May 032023

Malibu

  • miles
The car suddenly turns off while driving shutting down the power steering making it difficult or impossible to maneuver. It is a death trap. This happened 3 times today May 5, 2023 Losing power while driving is a major safety issue that is putting innocent people's lives at risk.

- Rincon, GA, USA

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