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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
70,481 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2011 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #35

Nov 042018

Malibu

  • 80,000 miles

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

I brought this vehicle three years ago from the original owner with 60,000 miles kept up with all the maintenance etc. And today the vehicle left me stranded a few blocks from my house. I currently have a no start no cranking issue all the diagnostic from fuses, relays, fuel pressure, ignition switch, battery, etc where done leading us too believe its a BCM issues as too seeing that many other Chevy Malibu and other GM products are experiencing these same issues

- Winter Park, FL, USA

problem #34

Aug 132018

Malibu

  • 160,000 miles
When I start the car the traction control light comes on ESC comes up and says it turned off. When stationary it will just die, when driving it will just die doesn't matter if I'm going 75mph on the highway or in the middle of an intersection of city streets!!!!! took it to the dealership they have no clue what's wrong with it I've add mechanics tell me it's my computer but they don't work on my make of a car. The car may start up or not. I've read of a recall for this particular problem back in 2014 for this make, model, and year. They said they fixed? and this happened when I first bought the car in 2016 after they kept it for 90days for the seat belt recall.

- Fort Scott, KS, USA

problem #33

Apr 242018

Malibu

  • 40,000 miles
Driving on the expressway at 55 miles per hr car lost all power and came to a stop on the highway. This happened twice 8 months apart. First time car was still under warranty and they replaced a rear fuse box thinking that was the problem. Apparently it wasn't because it happened again they kept the car for two weeks and could not find the problem and returned the car to us. We tried to escalate this issue GM headquarters who refuse to help us.

- Skokie, IL, USA

problem #32

Apr 102018

Malibu

  • 120,000 miles

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

While driving, a notice of reduced power, service traction and the check engine light came on. Pulled the car off the side of the road and shut it off, upon restart the whole car started shaking. I then shut it off for a few minutes, this time when I restarted only the check engine light was one. There are several reports of this issue and no fix from GM. This is a major risk when a car stalls out on the highway with a small child on board.

- Anita, IA, USA

problem #31

Jan 162018

Malibu

  • 89,500 miles
My son was driving his vehicle and the computer assisted power steering went out. Fixed at doug Chevrolet 1-12-2018. Now (after the warranty repair of a steering shaft torque sensor) when driving four days later he lost power, vehicle flashed service traction and reduced power and slowed immediately from 45 to 5 mph and he was able to limp it home. The loss of power while driving was immediate and drastic and cars behind him were able to slow down but it could have caused a severe accident.

- Massillon, OH, USA

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problem #30

Jan 032018

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles
My Chevy Malibu has had two leaking steel rims. The first time one of my rims was leaking it was while it was parked. I kept putting air in my tire and would not stay for long. I had to add air at least 2-3 times a day. The second time this happened the vehicle was moving. I was on a road trip when my tire started to slowly loose air and I had to fill it up a few times just to make it home since steel rims for my Chevy Malibu are so hard to find since its a very common problem that Chevrolet has yet to address.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #29

Jun 072017

Malibu

  • 78,733 miles

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

The sensor for airbags does not recognize me all the time sometimes it will but most the time wont

- Charlotte, MI, USA

problem #28

Nov 012017

Malibu

  • 84,000 miles
On November 1, 2017, while driving home on the expressway I hear this loud revving noise, I turn my radio off and realize it is my car making the noise and than the check engine light comes on. When I was able to I pulled over to the shoulder and turned my car off in hopes of the error clearing out. After a few minutes I turned the car back on only to find that the check engine light was still on, when it was save to do so, I pulled back into traffic with my hazard lights as I could not go over 20 to 30 mph without the RPM going up. I made it home, tried to back into my garage only to find that my car will not go in reverse. I put the car back in drive, pulled around to the front of the house and parked the car. Since it was after midnight, I called Chevrolet the next day and the only thing they could help me with was to get in touch with a dealership to schedule an appointment to take the car in for diagnostics as my car was no longer under warranty and there is no recall on this model year although there is a recall for models 2007 thru 2009 for the same issues. My service adviser called me later that day to tell me it was due to transmission failure, they found metal in the transmission and his advice was to replace the transmission. My diagnostic code was P0776( pressure solenoid 2 stuck off), my bill $3946 for car that has 84000 miles on it. A car that I am still paying a car note on. When I purchased it 4 years ago it had just under 30000 miles on it. I have done everything to maintain my car because my biggest fear is being stuck on the side of the road, especially since I am a woman working 2nd shift. I do not have my repair invoice yet as I have not picked my car up yet, its not so easy to come up with nearly $4000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #27

Nov 012017

Malibu

  • 99,000 miles
Ever since purchasing my 2011 Chevy Malibu, it has always had a problem shifting. I took it back to the dealership and they tested it saying nothing was wrong. I told them it seemed like it had a hard time shifting gears especially going from 2nd to 3rd. I could be at a stop light and it acted like it didn't want to go. I was driving to work and it started to over heat and stopped shifting gears. It wouldn't shift until I got the speedometer up to 95. Imagine being in the middle of the highway and your car just stops shifting gears. I went to three different places to be told nothing was wrong just to have this happen. After taking it to my mechanic, I was told that it needed a wave plate repair which would mean rebuilding the transmission. I took my car to 3 different places all quoting me the same amount of $3000. While at two of the auto shops I ran into 3 other people with Malibu that are having the exact same problems and my car and theirs has less than 100K miles

- Springdale, MD, USA

problem #26

Aug 212017

Malibu

  • 55,000 miles
Transmission failure at 55,000 miles

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #25

May 012017

Malibu

  • 130,000 miles

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

The service ESC and traction sensors flash, check engine light flashes. The car loses power and lurches and bucks. The car runs really rough and sounds horrible! the dealer said the fuel injectors needed $1700 worth of cleaning, but didn't mention any of the stuff we found from our research.

- Ontario, CA, USA

problem #24

Jan 012017

Malibu

  • miles
I have been having an issue with my 2011 Chevy Malibu since the beginning of the 2017 yr. Every time I slow down (20mph or less) or stop my car starts to shake uncontrollably and the ESC and tracking light comes on as well as the check engine line comes on and starts blinking. Also, the car looks like it is loosing power. Once I try to accelerate, the car will not go fast at all. It is like it has to build power back up. It is now the summer time and I cannot turn on my ac because if I am driving less the 40mph, my car will just cut off. I have replaced everything under my hood except my engine. I took my car to numerous mechanics and one particular one told me I need a new engine. How? when I see too many people with this reoccurring issue. This is a 2011 how could there be a bad engine in all these cars. I tried to take my car to Chevy due to a recall that is out for the ESC on these cars and since my VIN number did not match the location in which the recall came from, even though it is for a 2011 Chevy Malibu, they would not honor the recall. I am afraid I am going to get hit and killed. I am at a stopping point. My car tag expires in Dec I need to find a resolution. I don't know what to do anymore.. to beat it all I still am making payments on the car. Fml

- Chattanooga, TN, USA

problem #23

Apr 012017

Malibu

  • 93,000 miles
Heating/air doesn't want to blow unless a window or sunroof is open and car is in motion.

- Pineville, KY, USA

problem #22

Jan 032017

Malibu

  • 0 miles
This is not a complaint about a vehicle. It is to point out something that NHTSA should address, and that is: Daytime running lights. My question is: Why doesn't NHTSA require them on every vehicle. Just open your eyes on a rainy day, or any day at dusk, and notice how many drivers forget to turn on their lights. Especially when they come out of a well lighted shopping center onto a highway and haven't realized they haven't turned their lights on. If you don't think this is a problem, I can cite four instances where it has resulted in crashes resulting in death and that is only in my small part of the world.

- Dale City, VA, USA

problem #21

Nov 112016

Malibu

  • 73,000 miles
1. my car is 5 year old and 73,000 miles. We use it for commuting to work and grocery. And we do all the maintenance at dublin Chevrolet dealership. On Nov 11th, my car broke down on the highway and blocked the traffic. The front trunk was smoking. The car was towed to dealership. They said possible engine problem. Although the car is just out of warranty, it is hard to believe that this car has no quality problem with such few years and relatively low mileage. 2. a few months ago, I received a recall notice from the car making company and took the car to the dealership to get the recall done. But they said the part has not arrived and asked us to wait until they call us. We never get call from them. This time, I called their recall department and left a message. Never hear back from them.

- Dublin, CA, USA

problem #20

Jun 202015

Malibu

  • miles
Takata recall...I have had problems with this electronic stability control/traction control for almost 2 years had it repaired once and now its doing the same thing also my head light on the passage side keep going out.

- Meridian, MS, USA

problem #19

Jul 202016

Malibu

  • 38,327 miles
Malfunction indicator lamp came on while I was pulling out of the doctor's office. Vehicle completely shutoff, and nothing was working. I had to manually open my door to get out of the vehicle. I popped my hood to check whether or not my battery cables had become loose, but everything was ok. After returning to the driver's seat, the car started with ease. This was the second time my car had completely shutoff while driving it. In November 2015, as I entered an onramp, it cut off. This almost gave me a heart attack. I took my car to auto zone for a free check, they did not find anything. Today (7/20/2016), I went to auto zone and they ran a different test, gave me a printout that indicated the ECM needed to be replaced. I took it to the dealer (bohn GMC), where it is presently. When my vehicle completely turned off in traffic, I and my passenger, could have been seriously injured or killed. I consider this to be a serious safety hazard. In my owner's manual, it states that if the light comes on and stays own, 'diagnosis and service might be required'. no where does it indicate that the vehicle could turn off while driving.

- Harvey, LA, USA

problem #18

Jul 032016

Malibu

  • 40,000 miles
Car turns itself off when it feels like it. Put in park to restart and will not even turn over. May last as long as 5min. To 40 min. Then ready to call tow truck, try once more...starts right up. Happens more and more the last week. Have had complain to customer service, had voucher to put on computer to check that. Was told car working fine. Happened 5 times on trip, turned off going around a corner, at a stop sign 3 times, and in garage, would not turn over. It locks itself in park. Last time my husband just put it into neutral as rolling down a hill, and not park and it started up. The worse time was at a stop sign in 90 degree weather and it turned itself off, put in park to start, and no turning the over at all. Locked in park with no way to get it out of park. Lots of angry drivers behind me. Have no pictures, and have been keeping in touch with dealership with the on-going problem. I think it is the ignition or sensor somewhere to the shift lever. So afraid it will stall on the highway doing the speed limit. All this started around 30,000 miles to date of 43,000 miles, only getting worse.

- Waukesha, WI, USA

problem #17

May 112016

Malibu

  • 106,459 miles
My 2011 Chevrolet Malibu is cranking, but not starting. I had a it towed to a repair shop, who ran a test on the fuel system, battery, alternator, but nothing was found. I researched it and found that the anti-theft system can stop your vehicle from starting. It seems that the anti-theft system locked after I was sitting in my car during lunch listening to the radio for an hour. I turned the key twice to reset the radio after it timed out. As I left work to go home it wouldn't start. I found out that if you reset the system, it will start after 10-15 mins. After sitting overnight at the repair shop, it started. Here I am a week later and its doing it again, but now I'm getting a signal with a locked car symbol on the dash. It seems that that anti-system is locked again. I cannot find out how to reset it. I was not in the vehicle playing the radio at all that day. However, this issue happened to me a year after I got the car too after washing the car and listening to the radio. I forgot about that incident until now. I am seeing over 250 complaints about this same issue. There were some cars recalled, but mine does not have one associated with it. It GM recalled it on some, they should recall it on all, it's the same issue. I would like to know if they plan to do this, because I'm seeing and hearing they are no fixes at the repair shop. They try to fix it with expensive options, but the issue comes back. I read that some people car stalled when the anti-theft system locked. I don't want this to happen to me and my family. Thank goodness mine was parked each time.

- Tomball, TX, USA

problem #16

Apr 142016

Malibu

  • 73,000 miles
Transmission parts internally broke causing transmission to fail while driving and losing ability to move. Transmission was rebuilt at a specialty shop for over $4600 in repair costs. Only 73K miles on the car when transmission died. Vehicle was in motion on a city street when this happened. Transmission specialists said this is becoming a known issue with newer GM vehicles.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

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