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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,367 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.

2013 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 11 of 17)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #138

Jun 272018

Malibu

  • miles

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

While driving on the highway and city streets my car electrical system cut completely off while engine is still running. It jerks the car to left or right and then cuts back mlm on. Can't steer until the power comes back on if I'm driving or parked. This has happened on several occasions. Check engine lights comes on then message of engine power reduced. Have been in service several times about check engine light coming on and still cant fix the problem. This is dangerous and afraid I will get in an accident soon. Something has to be done about this.

- Virginia Bch, VA, USA

problem #137

Apr 012018

Malibu

  • miles
Touch screen goes black, lose sound, randomly lose power while driving, car completely stalls at stop as well as while driving, steering wheel locks while driving going straight or in the middle of turn, all this happens at random times doesn't matter how far and how long, no trigger has been found, dealership can not duplicate the problem. Car will lock key in the ignition and will not release for a while and no electricity works. This is a safety hazard and car was released back to me because no issue was found. Testing was done and found no issues with my car. This has been going on for a few months

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #136

May 302018

Malibu

  • 102,000 miles
While driving (on multiple occasions) on city streets my car experiences multiple electronic failures including.. flickering display screen, loss of my link radio system, shut down of power steering, and warning displays of need to service stability system. When it first occured I was turning right in a city intersection loss of power steering led the wheel to lock and this lack of control almost forced me into another vehicle, I was forced to slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the intersections and restart the car to regain control. It continues to display this issue until I made it to the mechanic. The mechanic also drove the vehicle and logged similiar experiences. After the issue was thought to be a loose ground in the car the problem seemed to be resolved.I emailed Chevy multiple times about my concerns wondering if this was a noted problem for my car, I was told that since there was no recall they would do nothing for me. Since it seemed to be okay I let it go and continued. A couple days later while driving the car experienced another reoccurrence of the incident while driving this time only loss of radio and other displays. I again emailed Chevy and took my car to the shop. I started googling to find answers where I found multiple forums with 100S of similar examples and Chevy via email still continues to deny issues with the manufacturering of the car. After 10 days in the shop, hounding Chevy for answers I was able to receive word of a memo from a local Chevy mechanic that stated that this was a known issue for my model/year and listed potential fixes. When I informed Chevy of my anger towards the memo being kept from me they replied that I wasn't allowed to have the information since I wasn't a Chevy mechanic. The issue has now occured again almost resulting in another accident and my car lost power completely. I have owned this car for 3 months.

- Pullman, WA, USA

problem #135

May 262018

Malibu

  • 85,000 miles

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

My 2013 Chevrolet Malibu lost power and shut off while driving on five different occasions to date. The first two times I had come to a complete stop and the key could not be removed from the ignition. I had to wait for 10 to 30 minutes before the power returned and could remove the key or restart the vehicle. On the third occasion, I was driving on the highway and the radio and air conditioning lost power and the car was threatening to shut off but regained power. The steering wheel briefly locked up during this event. I later turned off on the nearest exit making a complete stop at the light and the vehicle lost complete power and shut off in the middle of traffic.the steering wheel locked up, the radio and all lights went black and the air shut off for a few seconds and then came back on. I had to put the car in park and was then able to restart it. The same thing happened on a residential street with heavy traffic while slowing for a stop light.the next incident was in a parking lot while trying to back out with the car still in drive. There were also a few times where the radio went black and the steering wheel locked up briefly while making a turn but did not loose power. My daily commute to work requires me to take the highway. I am terrified of what may happen after the memorial day holiday when I am to return to work and travel the highway again.

- Anderson, IN, USA

problem #134

May 142018

Malibu

  • 95,000 miles
While driving, all electronic systems shut off. The engine is still running but the gauges, power steering, traction control, everything. Anything electrical shuts off. It's happened on the freeway going 60 mph and on residential streets only going 15 mph.

- Humble, TX, USA

problem #133

May 052018

Malibu

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at any speed, the power steering ability seized and the vehicle shut down and then restarted. In addition, the service power steering indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to classic lawton Chevrolet (8308 nw cache rd, lawton, ok 73505, 580-280-2800) where it was diagnosed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure recurred and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

- Lawton, OK, USA

problem #132

Nov 102015

Malibu

  • 35,200 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact attempted to start the vehicle, but it failed to start. In addition, the check engine and battery warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to viva Chevrolet (5915 Montana ave, el paso, tx 79925, (915) 247-2086) where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in any recalls. No further assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 35,200.

- New Port, MI, USA

problem #131

Apr 012018

Malibu

  • 50,000 miles
Steering ECU, instrument cluster, and center stack all reset while driving intermittently. These incidence have occurred numberous times and GM does not know the root cause. When an event occurs the driver looses power steering for a brief period of time. This has happened while making left hand turns, on the highway, and while stopped. GM released a technical service bulletin to check ground points on the negative battery cable this does not solve the problem and this is a serious safety concern. I have released production level software for numberous tier one suppliers that have gone into a variety of ecus. To me it seems like all of the body control modules have lost power. When checking car complaints this same behavior has been stated in over 40 reports and all reports state GM was unable to determine the cause. If an investigation has not been launched into this behavior I highly recommend it before the loss of power steering kills someone. M.carcomplaints.com/Chevrolet/Malibu/2013/electrical/loss_of_power_while_driving.shtml https://M.youtube.com/watch?V=26cz7qhvxck&feature=youtu.be https://youtu.be/lreeo3E9jya https://youtu.be/kv83C7anskq

- Plymouth, MI, USA

problem #130

Apr 022018

Malibu

  • 110,000 miles
When I was on my way home, my car's warning lights started to flicker, and 'power steering service' and 'charging system' warning lights appeared. My entire dash went completely black and steering wheel became completely hard. The car stayed on, but all the lights went off. After a few seconds, the car shut off. Car would not restart, even with a jump. Mileage on car was at 110,000 miles. Luckily I was on a residential street, so I just pushed the car safely in front of a random house. Upon further examination, this appears to be an on going problem. I've found hundreds of other owners with a similar problem on various forums. Some are very similar to my problem, while others are more dangerous. Below, I have quoted other owners personal stories as well 'the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving approximately 60 mph, the power steering malfunctioned and caused the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local Chevrolet dealer (phil smith Chevrolet, 1640 North state rd 7, lauderdale, fl 33313). The dealer reset the power steering module, but the failure continued. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.' 'charging system" engine light keep coming on. All lights come on dash board come on then go dim. Car shuts down on you while driving and steering wheel locks up. I almost crash into a light. - richton park, il' 'this is my second report. The vehicle loses power steering and the entire gauge cluster goes dark. Almost caused a wreck today. It happened twice today and once yesterday. This is getting out of hand. Needs to be recalled immediately. Thank you - ravenna, oh' this seems to be an on going problem and needs to be seriously looked at before an accident occurs.

- Humble, TX, USA

problem #129

Mar 052018

Malibu

  • 70,000 miles
Starting in October 23, 2017 got in the car started it and it started but dashboard lights did not come on. Proceeded to drive home the dashboard never came back on. I got in the car the next day the dashboard lights came on.. I took it george matick Chevrolet on October 24, 2017 and they were unable to diagnose anything, the car continued to do the same with the lights blinking on and off including the signal light while driving until one day the dashboard was completely black and the battery died completely down and I had to have the car towed to george matick Chevy on January 31, 2018. Once again they said they couldn't diagnose anything boosted the car and that's it. Still to this day the car continues doing the same and the dealership is saying nothing is wrong. I feel unsafe and believe this is electrical and wonder if the car will catch on fire. I also wonder if it will start up every day and what is going to happen when I drive it. Every single day it is doing this. I keep contacting the dealer and they basically are saying if the machine cannot do anything they cannot help me. I want to know if there is another way this issue can be checked or if I have to trade in a car that I just got over a year ago. They want me to bring it in and keep paying for diagnostic testing to tell me nothing is wrong. I am no mechanic but I do know that the dashboard instrument panel indicator light signals etc should not blink while driving and the dash should never go black while driving. Please help me because I am really afraid to drive and cannot get anyone to understand this is a safety hazard when you cannot see your speed, gas level, etc. In addition when signals are blinking and going crazy for no reason the car behind me could hit me. So this happens now in motion every single day on streets, highways. Turning or going straight.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #128

Feb 132018

Malibu

  • 113,000 miles

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

Keep stuck in ignition. No power. Had P0010 code. Changed the intake camshaft position solenoid.

- Fultondale, AL, USA

problem #127

Feb 062018

Malibu

  • miles
Safety risk: The entire electrical system shuts down while the car is in motion. Radio and dashboard lights go out and the power steering fails. This malfunction occurs randomly both on highways, street driving (stop-start), while making left or right turns and reversing out of parking spaces. I have taken the car to the dealer from which I purchased the vehicle (schumacher Chevrolet in clifton, NJ) 3 times and they claim they cannot replicate the problem on test driving. On the 1st visit they said it was the radio and replaced a part. On the 2nd visit they said it was the battery, which was replaced yet the problem persists. My Malibu is currently in the shop and they called and of course, they don't know what the problem is. In addition to the electrical failure, the "service front camera" light will display and after the last event, I selected the voltage reading on the electronic dashboard panel and watched the voltage meter fluctuate from 13.6 to 14.1 as I was driving, and it remained at 14.9 while stationary. This problem is extremely dangerous and I pray that no driver gets hurt before Chevrolet takes action to figure this problem out. I had no idea that so many other 2013 vehicles were similarly affected. I am going to report this issue to General Motors and I hope others continues to do the same.

- Hackensack, NJ, USA

problem #126

Dec 272017

Malibu

  • 82,000 miles
While driving the car informed me that I had an accident and onstar called. This happened several times. In order to stop the flashers I would have to pull over and restart the car. I informed the dealer and they have been testing, calling GM, and repairing for 6weeks. They keep telling me it is fixed and I drive it and the same thing happens again. This has been going on for 6 weeks now and it's still at the dealer. They can not seem to find the issue. The last time I tried to drive the car in addition to to the other problems the car would stop all together. This seems like a major saftey issue to me.

- Reisterstown, MD, USA

problem #125

Jan 292018

Malibu

  • 35,000 miles
Purchased car certified pre-owned. First winter entertainment display and warning lights started to flicker randomly, and car would not reliably start. Took to dealership and they were unable to recreate the symptoms. The following winter the entire electrical system began failing upon engaging it while in motion. For example: Using the the power windows, engagement of the traction control in slippery weather, using a turn signal, were all capable of shutting down all electrical options in the vehicle including the power steering. Nearly caused a couple accidents. The service stabiltrak light would also come intermittently come on. Brought to dealership again, they cleared the dash lights and reset a sensor that was showing bad in a diagnostic scan. Car ran smoothly for a few months. Showed symptoms again over the summer(lights flickering and loss of touch screen momentarily). Dealership was unable to recreate again. Now this winter the car is completely messed up again, same exact symptoms as last time. Power steering loss, full electrical loss while in motion, sometimes randomly, other times as a direct result of engaging with the electrical system as I described before. A aaa worker noticed the burning of electrical cable housing coming from the battery, I pointed this out to the dealership but they don't seem interested in it. Based on the consistent complaints about this vehicles electrical system, this car needs to be recalled and GM seriously investigated. They've already had to settle hundreds of death law suits due to this exact issues they claimed was a faulty ignition switch in the cobalt, yet this exact problem exists heavily in other models and the issue continues to be rampant in 'fixed' ignitions in the cobalts. This is a dangerous public health issue, GM needs to be held responsible

- Salisbury, MA, USA

problem #124

Jan 182018

Malibu

  • 54,000 miles
Instrument cluster will stop working while driving, or not work at all. It goes completely dark, with no readout. Speedometer, fuel gauge, temperature, tachometer. Nothing works. Vehicle has 54,000 miles on it.

- Waterford, MI, USA

problem #123

Dec 282017

Malibu

  • miles
Fuse caused low voltage power steering going on and off wiyhout the steering service light coming on. The steering became loose. Hard to control when driving. I could not get part for over a week.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #122

Jan 042018

Malibu

  • 136,000 miles
My 2013 Chevy Malibu has been having power and/or electrical issues. I have took it to the dealership numerous of times, but the issue is still ongoing. When I steer left or right, my car powers down and the steering wheel locks. Some times the car radio screen and dashboard lights flashes on & off. The only way to make it stop is to turn the car off and back on. I can be driving down the road and the car will shut down and power off on its own. It is extremely dangerous, but that is the only transportation I have right now. I am not sure what is going on and I have seen numerous of complaints from people with the same issues. Please investigate.

- Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

problem #121

Jan 062015

Malibu

  • 60,000 miles
Blend door functions do not work properly. Dual climate control only allows heat to drivers side of vehicle. Passenger side blows A/C cold air no matter if A/C is on or off. Periodically drivers side only works on defrost or feet only settings. Have to have heat to foot setting and stuff blanket under passenger side dash to heat car in winter. I cannot defrost entire window.

- Stevens Point, WI, USA

problem #120

Jan 012018

Malibu

  • miles
Radio screen blacks out

- Odessa, TX, USA

problem #119

Dec 262017

Malibu

  • 37,000 miles
While the vehicle is in motion the radio screen would flash off and on followed by lose of power steering the car was parked and towed to a local dealership to be inspected

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

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