There are 50 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The issue I'm having is the traction light is on and my rear break lights stay on constantly. I took the car to a shop and had the break light switch replaced. Two days later the lights was back on. I did some research and there was a recall for the exact issue I'm have (NHTSA14V252) when I gave the Chevrolet dealership my VIN they said there were no recalls but there was three recalls but they are no longer open. Is there any thing I can do? Please help
Brake lights stay on when not even pressing the brake pedal. This causes cruise control to shut off too. Sometimes "Service ESC" and "Traction Control" light will come on randomly too. Had taken it to Chevy dealership multiple times to have this issue fixed but problems seems to come back after a few months.
Brake lights come on as soon as you start the car.Go off when press the brake pedal.Its like they are reversed or something.
Recently I was almost rear-ended a few times and got curious as to why?? Well yesterday I was following my 2010 Chevy Malibu in another car and noticed that my brake lights stay on when I'm driving and go off when I brake. Very dangerous! I have read other complaints regarding this issue and I think a recall needs to be issued on these cars. It had also disabled my cruise control.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS SON WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN HIS BRAKES LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED WITH THE STABILITY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (RON NORRIS BUICK GMC1350 S WASHINGTON AVE, TITUSVILLE, FL 32780) FOR A DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A REPLACEMENT STABILITY CONTROL MODULE. HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS FAILURE. THE CONTACT'S DAD WAS REFERENCING THIS FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
I PURCHASED MY MALIBU FROM A FRIEND WHO BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD THE RECALL FIXED. THE PROBLEM CAME BACK LAST YEAR, MARCH OF 2018, I CALLED GM THEY SAID THERE WASN'T A RECALL AND THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN FIXED. I SAID MAYBE SO BUT THE PROBLEM IS BACK. I WAS TOLD THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS TO TAKE IT TO A CHEVY DEALER AND HAVE THEM RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON IT, WHICH COSTS ABOUT $150 THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR. WHY WHEN WE KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS?! I TOOK IT TO A SHOP, JUNE 2018, WHERE THEY CHANGED THE BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH, I STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP WHERE THE POOR GUY WORKED ON IT FOR 3 HOURS, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. HE FINALLY JUST CLEANED AND RE-GREASED THE PLUG AND IT HAS BEEN FINE UP UNTIL YESTERDAY, MAY 10,2019, AND MY PROBLEM IS BACK. ALSO, MY THIRD BRAKE LIGHT WORKS WHENEVER IT FEELS LIKE IT.
VEHICLE CAN SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITHOUT BRAKE BEING APPLIED
THE BRAKES LIGHTS STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AND GO OFF WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THE TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE ALERT COMES ON THE DASH ALSO. CONCERNED THAT NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE CAR COMPLAINTS WEB SITE NOTING THE DEALERS HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE. MEANWHILE, OCCUPANTS ARE AT RISK OF REAR COLLISION DUE TO BRAKE LIGHTS NOT COMING ON DURING BRAKING.
HIGH MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE (3RD BRAKE LIGHT) - I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR RECALL REPAIR THIS AUTHORIZED CHEVY DEALER: HALEY CHEVROLET LOCATED IN: HALEY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP ADDRESS: 12400 TENNESSEE PLAZA, MIDLOTHIAN, VA 23112 HOURS: OPEN ⋅ CLOSES 8PM PHONE: (804) 818-7660 ** WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE I WAS NOT TOLD THAT WHATEVER WORK THEY DID DID NOT WORK. IN FACT, THEY PULLED THE CAR UP TO THE PICKUP AREA, SAID NOTHING ABOUT THEIR FAILURE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, DID NOT TELL ME THAT THE BRALE LIGHT WAS STILLM NOT WORKING, THEREBY LEAVING ME WITH A CAR STILL BROKEN AND ME AT SAFETY RISK TO DRIVE A CAR WITH BRAKE LIGHT NOT WORKING, AND IN FACT I GOT A WARNING TICKET BY THE POLICE FOR THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT STILL BEUNG OUT
THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OFF.
THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING WITH OUT PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IT PRESSED THE LIGHTS GO OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT FUCTIONING AND THE ESC INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON.
"TAKATA RECALL" THE TRACTION SERVICE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND SAYS SERVICE ESC , THEN BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE LIGHT SO OFF.
BRAKE LIGHTS ON WHEN BRAKE NOT APPLIED. BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OFF WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. REF. RECALL 14V252000. TO DATE 4 RETURNS TO DEALER TO FIX BUT ISSUE STILL PRESENT. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND LAST OCCURRENCE RESULTED IN NEAR END COLLISION FROM VEHICLE BEHIND.
BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKES. WHEN TOUCHING THE BRAKES THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND HAVE ZERO BRAKE LIGHTS. THE TRACTION CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHTS ON DASH WILL POP UP ON AND OFF.
THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR KEEPS FAILING INTERMITTENTLY WHILE IN MOTION, RESULTING IN FAILED CRUISE CONTROL AND REVERSING MY BRAKE LIGHTS. WHEN THE SENSOR FAILS, THE CRUISE AUTOMATICALLY TURNS OFF, LIKE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED. WHILE ACTIVELY IN MOTION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL TURN ON AS IF THE PEDAL IS ENGAGED, HOWEVER THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN OFF WHILE ACTIVELY BRAKING THE MOVING VEHICLE. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL BE TRIGGERED AND SAYS "SERVICE ESC" WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR FAILS. MY LOCAL CHEVORLET DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE ISSUE SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2017, AND WILL NOT FIX IT. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH CHEVORLET DIRECTLY IN JULY 2019, AND WAS PROMPTLY DISREGARDED. THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED OVER 5 TIMES SINCE 2017.*DT
MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON WHEN I AM DRIVING AND THEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OFF. IT'S A SCARY THING BECAUSE IT REALLY CONFUSES THE CARS BEHIND ME.
ON AUG 19TH, I WENT TO DEALER IN DULLES TO LOOK FOR A CAR POSTED AS PRIVATE, BUT ANY HOW, I ENDED UP BUYING CHEVY BECAUSE DEALER EXPLAINED ME THE CARS GOOD FEATURES AND MISLED ME ABOUT THE PREVIOUS CARS CONDITION AS THE CARFAX SHOWS IT WAS HAILDAMAGED, USED AS RENTAL, AND IT HAS A OPEN RECALL. WITHOUT INFORMING ME ABOUT THE OPEN RECALL OR ANYTHING ELSE, THE DEALER SOLD ME THIS CAR WITHOUT SHOWING ME CARFAX, AS I ASKED CARFAX, HE SHOWED ME MINOR PART OF MINOR IN HIS PHONE AND MISLED AND LIED TO ME AND SOLD THIS CAR. I DROVE FOR ALMOST 3 WEEK AND WENT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT IT HAD OPEN RECALL, HAILDAMAGED, AND USED AS RENTAL, BUT THE DEALER DIDNT DISCLOSE ME ANYTHING. WHEN I WENT TO RETURN THIS CAR, THEN DEALER NAMED CHRIS SAID IT DOESNT HAVE TO DISCLOSE ANYTHING. NOTE, EVENTHOUGH, IT MIGHT BE SAFETY CONCERN LIKE THAT OPEN RECALL. I AM TIRED OF DRIVING THIS CAR WITH A OPEN RECALL FOR ALMOST ONE AND HALF MONTH, AND I DON'T LIKE THIS CAR AND WANT TO RETURN TO A DEALER BECAUSE HE LIED AND MISLED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE CAR AND ENDANGER MINE AND MY FAMILY LIFE WITHOUT EVEN INFORMING ME ABOUT THE RECALL. PLEASE KINDLY TAKE A CONCRETE MEASURE, SO THAT DEALERS THIS ARE NOT MISLEADING AND LIEING ABOUT THE CAR'S CONDITION. I FILED COMPLAINT IN CONSUMER PROTECTION TOO AND THEY MENTIONED ABOUT TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. PLEASE KINDLY HELP ME.
THE ORIGINAL RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE IS 13036, THIS INVOLVED THE BRAKE LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO A FAULTY CONNECTOR AND OR CONNECTION. GM INSTRUCTED THEIR PERSONNEL TO CLEAN THE PART, APPLY CORROSIVE RESISTANT GREASE TO IT AND REATTACH. THE ISSUE IS, THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX AND THE PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO MANIFEST ITSELF UNLESS THE ENTIRE HOUSING IS REPLACED (AT A COST OF ALMOST 600.00). I TOOK MY CAR FOR THE RECALL "REPAIR" IN SEPT OF 2014, THE THIRD WEEK OF JUNE 2015 MY BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED WORKING IN REVERSE ORDER AGAIN. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, NOT CLEANED. THE PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID AS MUCH, TELLING ME THAT CLEANING IT WOULD HELP IN THE SHORT TERM BUT ONLY FOR A FEW MONTHS, IF THAT. THAT MEANS THAT GM IS ALLOWING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO DRIVE THESE CARS KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTING SYSTEM IS SUBJECT TO FAILURE, WHICH IS VERY HARD FOR THE DRIVER TO DETECT. PLEASE REOPEN THIS RECALL, OR OPEN A NEW ONE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED CORRECTLY, JUST THINK OF A MALIBU WITH A FAMILY IN IT STOPPED IN TRAFFIC ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE SEMI COMING UP BEHIND THEM DOESN'T KNOW TRAFFIC IS STOPPED BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON, THE DRIVER OF THE MALIBU HAS NO CLUE THAT THEIR LIGHTS ARE WORKING IN REVERSE ORDER, YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW TRAGIC THE ENDING OF THAT STORY COULD BE.
WHENEVER I PRESS THE GASS AND I LET IT GO THE CAR KEEPS GOING AND WHEN I TRY TO STOP THE CAR TAKES LONGER TO STOP BECAUSE THE ENGINE TRY TO KEEP GOING SO I HAVE TO PRESS THE BREAK HARDER AND WHEN FINALLY STOPS AFTER LIKE 5 MINUTES THE CAR GOES NORMAL.
2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ESC LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATING AND TRAC CONTROL SWITCH ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE PART WAS REPLACED, THE ESC LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO REPORT THE TRAC SERVICE LIGHT WAS STILL DISPLAYED. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS A POSSIBLE BCM INTERNAL FAILURE. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE SHORTLY THEREAFTER REGARDING AN ISSUE WITH THE BCM CONNECTION SYSTEM WHICH COULD RESULT I A MALFUNCTION. ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM, AS STATED IN THE NOTICE WAS TRACTION CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND PANIC BRAKING ASSIST FEATURES, IF EQUIPPED MAY BE DISABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER *JB
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Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026