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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,732 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.

2010 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems

electrical problem

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2010 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 1 of 14)

problem #277

Jan 052024

Malibu

  • miles

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

My 2010 Chevy Malibu randomly started having electrical problems a few weeks ago. My gauge cluster lights will not turn on and I cannot see my blinkers or other information I need in the gauge cluster. The gauge cluster lights wont come on so I cannot see how fast i am going at night. The brake lights illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed. The car is difficult to get out of park. After researching the problems I found that GM has issued recalls for the BCM on Chevrolet Malibus recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012. I then contacted my local chevy dealership and they told me my vehicles VIN does not fall under the recall they issued so I would have to pay to have the problems addressed. I explained to the dealership that this is a well known issue and how unsafe that it is and they then told me -??There is nothing we do about it.-??. I do not feel safe driving the vehicle and I feel that these issues that it is having will put my life at risk and others because these malfunctions will obviously increase the risk of a crash. I feel that it is wrong to have a customer pay for repairs on a part of a vehicle that has recalls and is a crucial safety component.

- Louisiana, MO, USA

problem #276

Nov 072023

Malibu

  • miles
My airbag light just recently came on driver frontal airbag may explode NHTSA-19001900 Power steering NHTSA- 14E044000 u joint premature failure Electrical system all out of wack NHSTA-14V252000 bcm resistance result in voltage fluctuations in brake Power train- NHTSA 12V460000 4 speed automatic transmission the tabs on transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate

- Attleboro , MA, USA

problem #275

Jun 262023

Malibu

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" the engine / it stopped while I was driving / dealer charged me $2000 for a replacement engine, then after that my Power steering gave out, My ESC turns off and on / car jumps while driving my whole dashboard goes crazy How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the car stopped while i was driving multiple times, my kids were in the car for 2 of them, it stops with out warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes the Used car dealership i bought it from is well aware and basically not helping at all Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" no, no warnings signs came on until after the engine was changed and they go on and off

- Philadelphia , PA, USA

problem #274

Oct 182023

Malibu

  • miles

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

I submitted a complaint regarding traction service/escape alerts at any given time of my 2010 Chevolet Malibu and have not received an acknowledgment of my complaint. Therefore I am hoping it has been resolved. Thank goodness, the car passed inspection on 10/17/2023 for which the complaint of the traction service alerts have affected my yearly inspection for at least 3 years. I am asking for the status of your assessment of my complaint. Thank you. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #273

May 072023

Malibu

  • miles
The ESC is hard to steer and the seatbelt light stays on even when I'm wearing my seatbelt

- Springfield, GA, USA

problem #272

Jul 212023

Malibu

  • miles
Head light wire is out, electrical wire is messing up. Car is shaking bad and won-??t start. Air bag light is

- Arlington , TX, USA

problem #271

Apr 012023

Malibu

  • miles

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

I was driving down the road after I bought the car and the steering suddenly went out the DIC said "service esc" and "service traction" and I could barely move the steering wheel I was lucky to be on a country road because if I was on the highway I could have lost complete control and caused an accident I took it to a mechanic and they said "the dielectric grease in the bcm connector wore out" when I googled it I saw there was a recall but when I contacted the dealer they said there was nothing they could do for me. this is very concerning as who knows how many malibus steering could randomly go out over such a stupid problem i could be available if you would like to inspect the car/systems

- Shelburne, VT, USA

problem #270

Mar 092023

Malibu

  • miles
Passenger side low beam headlight wiring harness connector keeps melting even after replacement. Noticed online that many owners are experiencing the same issue. Replaced harness multiple times and same issue reoccurs after two to three weeks of use.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #269

Apr 122022

Malibu

  • miles
Air bag light randomly pop on. Electrical system is so bad that I only have 1 head light and it-??s very dangerous driving at night like that.

- Euless, TX, USA

problem #268

May 122023

Malibu

  • miles
after starting car, orange triangle indicator light came on (traction control I believe) and Message: "eng reduction loss of power steering, drove to Midas for oil change a couple miles away with manual steering(more difficult that my 61 Pontiac Tempest). I turned car off and immediately restarted and power steering was restored, car was fine driving home after oil change. In addition, I've owned the car about two months and have put on around 4,000 miles(Drove it back from Arizona), I've already had the thermostat replaced in S. Dakota, fuel pump replaced in Wisconsin and exhaust manifold in Michigan.

- Flushing, MI, USA

problem #267

Apr 122023

Malibu

  • miles

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

First off the power steering goes out and can only be fixed by applying dielectric grease to the bcm but that will fix it. second the airbag light will randomly go on but this can also be remedy by fixing the yellow connection under the passenger seat try jiggling it if that doesnt fix it just cut the two wires off the connector's and splice with crimp connectors. hope this helps you as much as it did me :)

- Shelburne, VT, USA

problem #266

Feb 252023

Malibu

  • miles
Brake lights stay on while driving but turn off when braking, engine and traction control lights come on, car acts like it's going to die. This happens intermittently and sometimes without any warning lights. I noticed this again most recently within the last week and several times on 2/25/23. Vehicle has not yet been inspected but was previously taken in for the same issue in 2020. Dealership stated that since the lights weren't staying on and no codes were stored, they weren't required to make repairs. It goes without saying that driving with faulty lights can cause an accident and is also illegal. It is highly irresponsible of GM not to repair this known issue and of NHTSA not to issue a recall.

- Danville, IN, USA

problem #265

May 052016

Malibu

  • miles
Since sometime in 2016, these warning messages came on the dash periodically after hitting a bump - Service Traction, Service ESC, ESC off, Eng Power Reduced. The engine light stayed on. The car then ran slowly. After stopping and pulling off again, the car jerked forward. This could be dangerous in traffic! At first, I was told by a mechanic that my gas petal sensor needed to be replaced. After each of the 3 replacements, the problem seemed to be solved. But after a while, the warning messages would return after hitting another bump. The engine light would again stay on. Now, these warning messages come on every time I drive the car, with the engine light staying on. The same problems while driving still occur. A second mechanic advised me to put in this complaint, saying the problem was well-known to Chevrolet. He diagnosed it as being caused by water getting into a poor connection between the wire safety harness and the computer. The machine at AutoZone gave this assessment of the problem - "The ECH has detected that the APP sensor 1 and APP sensor 2 disagree more than 4.5 percent for less than 1 second. Probable cause: 1. Poor electrical connection. 2. Failed APP sensor." When I took the vehicle to a Chevrolet dealer in July 2016, they were unable to fix the problem. It would be really wonderful if this serious problem was the subject of a safety recall and was fixed for all affected drivers!

- Pioneer , LA, USA

problem #264

Dec 172022

Malibu

  • miles
Just Replaced Fuel Pump, Passenger Headlight Randomly Goes Out, Top Break Light Randomly Goes Out, Had To Replace Wiper Motor, & Fuel Pump Relay Wire Faulty. Wiring To Fuse Boxes Seem To Be Loose. Dealership or Any Other Certified Tech Will Listen or Touch To Fix The Car When Everything Is Working.

- Redford, MI, USA

problem #263

Nov 242022

Malibu

  • miles
I drive down the road and the brake lights come on I hit the brake then they go off. Randomly when I drive service esc service traction come on but as soon as I turn the car off and back on it is gone. Cruise control stopped working as well.

- Sandusky, OH, USA

problem #262

Oct 262022

Malibu

  • miles
I was driving the car safely as always and within the speed limits and an officer was heading the same direction, The brake lights got me cited for mechanical repairs. I have noticed the brake lights work yet they do not work with light pressure on the brake pedal. The officer gave a warning about brake lights and it has to be repaired ASAP. What explanation might there be for the brake light" What should I ask the mechanic to look for"

- Deforest, WI, USA

problem #261

Nov 082022

Malibu

  • miles
The power steering system stops working when it-??s cold. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning. When I get it towed to be seen or bring an mechanic to check out the problem it is always resolved before they can inspect it. This is unsafe because there is no warning and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working or I could get in the car and it stops working within 5 minutes.This could easily cause an accident.

- Earlton , NY, USA

problem #260

Aug 052022

Malibu

  • miles
The brakes are doing the same thing that was recalled and repaired back in 2014. They are illuminating while driving down the road and turn off while I hit the brakes. I have been pulled over several times and cannot get my car inspected without getting this corrected. I have bought several parts trying to repair this but the parts are not correcting the problem. Cruise control, stability control and sever other functions are not working either all of them are related to the same recall issued back in 2014. Is there any kind of warranty on the recall that was repaired?

- Brady, TX, USA

problem #259

Jun 052022

Malibu

  • miles
The car shut off while driving down the street. Lost all control over steering and braking components. After the car shut itself off was not able to get it to turn back on after several hours. Turned it back on but when attempted to drive it home, it sh*t itself off again. Still could not control steering wheel

- San Antonio , TX, USA

problem #258

May 312022

Malibu

  • miles
When I bought the car in December of 2018 the car only had 42,000 miles on it. I had two incidences where the anti theft system went off locking me out of the car. The second time the vehicle had to be towed back to the dealership. Fast forward to 2022 and the car only has 77,000 miles on it and in the past three months the anti theft system has gone off in this car more than ten times. I recently went to a Chevrolet dealership and had them recut keys from the vin number.

- Lansdowne, MD, USA

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