There are 48 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I purchase the 2010 Chevy malibu, 6/2013. The service traction lights comes on periodically until I am forced to take it in for service. I had to take the car in for this same problem at least 4 times, more or less, also the last time I took the car in, the technician was not able to reset the sensors. A more seasoned tech had to reset the sensors. I am filing a report, because this cost me money every time I take it to the dealer and it is certain a safety issue for me to continue to drive the car with the service traction light coming on and off and stationary at times. It appears to be a defect in the auto system. I should not be required to have to take the car in every year for the same problem and putting myself and others at risk. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
ESC , TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON. THEN REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WORK OPPOSITE OF STANDARD BRAKE LIGHT DESIGN. THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN OFF. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS NOW. THE DEALERSHIP JUST PATCHES THE REPAIR. THE REPAIR ONLY LASTS A FEW WEEKS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED AND THEN SLOWED DOWN. THE ESC AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KRAMER TIRE (6628 PROVIDENCE RD, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23464, (757) 346-5739) WHERE THE FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE CV JOINT WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.
TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKES MALFUNCTION ILLUMINATES WHEN I'M NOT PRESSING THE BRAKES AND GOES OUT WHEN I DO. DISABLES CRUISE CONTROL. REPLACED BODY CONTROL MODULE 6 MONTHS AGO TO CORRECT THESE ISSUES STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM VERY UNSAFE.
WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPG CAR RPG DROPPED TO NOTHING, COULDN'T USE THE ACCELERATOR. ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. GOT IT GOING AGAIN THEN NOT EVEN 5 MINS LATER CAR STARTED SHAKING BADLY, COULDN'T USE THE ACCELERATOR, PULLED OVER. DASH FLASHES WITH ESC. SERVICE, TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE REDUCED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR WELL OVER A YEAR. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COLDER MONTHS, FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS SEPTEMBER. WENT OUT TODAY TO WARM UP MY CAR AS IT WAS ICED AND SNOWED OVER, WHILE CLEANING IT OFF IT WAS FINE. CAME BACK INSIDE TO FINISH GETTING READY TO GO AND WHEN I CAME OUT TO MY CAR, IT WAS SHAKING, RPM WAS BOUNCING BETWEEN 1-3, ALL THE NOTICES WERE ON THE DASH AGAIN. TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK TO SEE IF IT WOULD RESOLVE, COULDN'T GET IT TO GO ABOVE 15 MPG. I'VE TAKEN IT TO NUMEROUS GARAGES TO GET LOOKED AT, ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. ONE "FIXED" THE ENGINE, ANOTHER DID AN OIL CHANGE AND FILTER CHANGE, ONE CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR, ETC. EVERYTIME I TAKE IT SOMEWHERE THEY "FIX" IT FOR IT TO RUN FOR A WEEK OR SO AT A TIME TIL THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. LUCKILY IT HAS NOT CAUSED ANY ACCIDENTS BUT I WILL NOT DRIVE IT IN THIS CONDITION. BEEN TOLD ITS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AS WELL BUT I'M TIRED OF SPENDING MONEY FOR IT NOT TO FIX THE UNDERLYING ISSUE WHICH NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIGURE OUT. I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR A LOT OF CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS. I AM UNABLE TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE SO I AM STUCK WITH WHAT I CURRENTLY HAVE.
MY CAR KEEPS POPPING UP SERVICE ESC, ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND SERVICE TRACTION LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON. HAVE HAD FIXED 3 TIMES AND SILL KEEPS HAPPENING. WHILE VEHICLE IS DRIVING IT WILL DIE FOR NO REASON, ONCE STARTED BACK UP SOMETIMES IT STOPS OTHER TIMES STARTS SHAKING AND AS NO POWER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON FEBRUARY 19, 2015 PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. JEFF WYLER SPRINGFIELD CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 2237 W 1ST ST, SPRINGFIELD, OH 45504, (937) 525-4646) WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000. *PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *AN
THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE BRAKES ARE NOT BEING DEPRESSED AND GOES OFF WHEN IT IS BEING DEPRESSED. THIS DISENGAGES THE CRUISE CONTROL AND ALSO THE SERVICE ESC LIGHT COMES ON WHEN IT HAPPENS. THE 2014 RECALL WAS DONE BY THE DEALER AND YET THE PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. THERE WAS AN UPDATE TO THE RECALL AND THIS WAS ALSO DONE BUT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY AND RANDOMLY.
I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A CITY STREET, WITH MY 3 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE, WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR STARTED VIOLENTLY SHAKING AND QUICKLY DECELERATED TO ABOUT 10 MPH. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND I JUST THOUGHT WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE I REGULARLY DRIVE. THANKFULLY I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME.
MY TAIL LIGHTS COME ON WITHOUT PRESSING THE PEDAL AND THEY DO NOT COME ON, WHEN THE PEDAL IS PRESSED. VERY, VERY CLOSE TO BEING REAR ENDED. ALL ROADS AND AT ALL SPEEDS. CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO AFFECTED. ESC LIGHT HAS COME ON. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. NHTSA SAYS THERE IS A RECALL, CHEVROLET SAYS THERE IS NOT.
THE FIRST TIME MY VEHICLE DIED WHILE DRIVING I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO TURN RIGHT. THE ENGINE DIED AND I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, TRIED TO RESTART AND IT WOULD NOT STAY STARTED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR GET THE CAR TO GIVE THEM CODES SO THEY HAD ME PICK IT UP. THE 2ND TIME THE CAR DIED ON THE FREEWAY A WEEK LATER. I WAS GOING 60MPH TRYING TO KEEP ACCELERATION WHEN IT LOST POWER. THANKFULLY I WAS NEAR AN EXIT AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE EXIT. AGAIN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S CAUSING IT.
TWO DAYS AGO MY HUSBAND, TWO CHILDREN AND I WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40-45 MPH WHEN OUR 2010 CHEVY MALIBU DRASTICALLY SLOWED DOWN AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE WITH THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AT THE SAME TIME SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED ILLUMINATED ON OUR DASH. THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO COAST INTO A GAS STATION. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD AND SITTING FOR OVER 30 MINUTES THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. WE HAD TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK COME GET THE CAR AND BRING IT TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP. TODAY WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DELEARSHIP SAYING WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT WOULD COST $630. THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AS THE CAR HAS ONLY 13,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. I PUT THE VIN INTO THE RECALL DATABASE AND THE ONLY RECALL ATTACHED TO OUR VIN IS THE BRAKE LAMP MALFUNCTION. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE MANUFACTURER.
ENGINE POWER REDUCED WHILE I WAS DRIVING INTO MY DAUGHTERS SCHOOL.
WHILE IN MOTION, MY 2010 CHEVY MALIBU LTZ HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY GIVING ME A "SERVICE TRACTION" "ESC OFF" NOTICE AND THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO WORKING INTERMITTENTLY.
ENGINE POWER REDUCE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY.
FREEWAY DRIVING SPEED OF 65 MPH. TURNED OFF FREEWAY ON TO A 50 MPH ROAD. ENGINE LIGHT, SERVICE ESC LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ALL CAME ON. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" AND REDUCED DRIVING TO ONLY 20 MPH. DROVE 5 MILES IN LIMP MODE TO GET HOME. GOT A "P1235" CODE. AFTER LEAVING CAR FOR AN HOUR AND RESTARTING, IT DRIVE NORMALLY BUT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON AND THE P1235 CODE IS STORED. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND CAR DROVE AS NORMAL. HE THINKS IT IS A BUTTON ON THE GAS PEDAL OR A THROTTLE BODY. BOTH ARE EXPENSIVE OPTIONS AND SHOULD BE UNDER SOME WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED ABNORMALLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,575.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE THROTTLE BODY REDUCED POWER MODE, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,200. UPDATED 05/03/17*LJ *CN
THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR 15 MINUTES, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH, REDUCED POWER MESSAGES, SERVICE ESC, AND SERVICE TRACTION MESSAGES APPEARED. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT "WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT COULD ACCELERATE WITHOUT A FOOT ON THE GAS."
REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON THIS VEHICLE FROM RECALL ID 14V252000, HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE HAS RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS DESCRIBED ON THE RECALL. THE SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE ESC AND ESC OFF WARNINGS DISPLAY ON THE DASHBOARD UNPREDICTABLY. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS IDLING OR IN MOTION. WHEN THE WARNINGS POP UP THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE PEDAL,THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN OFF BRIEFLY WHEN DEPRESSED, HOWEVER, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME BACK ON AND REMAINS ON. ALSO WHEN THE WARNINGS ARE DISPLAYED, THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES, AND I'M ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. TURNING THE KEY OFF RESETS THE WARNINGS, BUT THE WARNINGS AND SYMPTOMS RETURN AGAIN - SOMETIMES IMMEDIATELY AND OTHER TIMES IT MAY TAKE HOURS OF DRIVING. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL REPAIRS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
Showing 1–20 of 48 complaints
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