2011 Chevrolet Malibu Complaint Log

While driving, my vehicle will abruptly lose power steering and the wheel will lock up. I am unable to turn my steering wheel. I have to stop my vehicle and turn off the ignition in order to the power steering to work properly. This only last for a few minutes and then it will happen again. This is dangerous and I have had to pull over on the highway to stop and start my vehicle. This first happened in March 2023. Also, my vehicles shows a SVC notification on the dashboard. And the tire pressure sensor is always on even with inflated tires. Lastly, my auto start does not work.

I have bought multiple Chevy Malibu manufactured in the 2008-2012 year range and I have experienced the same problems on all of them. The first one is almost everytime I remotely start the car and begin to drive the electric power steering feature goes out until I park the car and restart it. Another problem I’ve been experiencing is the the passenger door malfunctions and does not open from The inside or outside even though the locking system is working properly. Upon looking online I have also seen there’s been a good amount of people reporting the same problem

The power steering light came on on my car after driving on the highway. Pulled over turn car off and on then sign went away. Two days later the power steering and esc light came on and then it went away. Took it to Holm dealership and they requested I change the outer tie rods and lower control arms. Made them changes and the power steering still twitches. This can be a deadly situation if this aint figure out. I don't feel like I should pay all these fees to try to figure the cause of this. Everything I read come up with this electrical power steering sensor.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt lap strap had separated from the floor anchor bolt. The contact stated that the lap belt failed to properly restrain the driver while seated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V269000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 66,800.

I was driving on 2/5/23 when my car started making a ding sound and the steering wheel locked up. This begin on 1/20/23. There has been 4 incidents with the steering locked while driving. Once results in someone almost getting hit on the side walk as I was turning in the back parking lot. Twice turning left on to my street and once driving around a curve almost hit another car in the other lane.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle as having a steering torque sensor failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 182,000.

2011 Malibu LS 2.4 power steering keeps going out. Service ESC and traction control keep coming on. Very dangerous

It started out as a minor intermittent problem, alerting that I need to service traction and service esc. When this problem occurs, the car hesitates to accelerate from stop. Problem has gotten to the point that the vehicle is trying to die when idling for more than a minute or so and is struggling to accelerate. From doing research, I have found that this problem is very common in this Make and Model, with years varying. This is an issue that needs to be addressed as many people have experienced this and filed complaints and are spending lots of money out of pocket to try to find the issue.

Power steering failed and locked up the steering wheel. Had to stop car mid road to restart car. Car no longer has any power steering. This is a very dangerous issue!

to begin with CD player stopped working the service tire light stays on the seat adjuster went out this is used to support your back while driving while driving on a residential road the car would not go in drive. The car just suddenly stopped while in drive. It goes in reverse and stays in park but the other gears do not work. It was a good thing that I was on a residential road and not the freeway. I keep having to repair the headlights left and right they keep burning out for some reason. Gets frustrating. And I have been pulled over for a burned headlight but the officer was aware the the make and model of my car have defects with headlights. He didn't site me but said to get it fixed.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control). The contact stated that on various occasions while driving at various speeds, the traction control and power steering disengaged independently as the "Reduced Engine Power" warning message was displayed and the vehicle decelerated to 10 MPH. The contact also stated that the brake lights flickered intermittently without depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the intake camshaft actuator, mass air flow, and manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

Power steering fails when driving. Upon restart of the vehicle, power steering comes back and will go off randomly at a later point. Symptom is felt more frequently at lower speeds and less often at high speeds, but still happens. My car is available upon request for inspection. My safety and other's safety was put at risk because it occurred a few times while driving on highways. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center because I refuse to pay out of pocket for an issue that should be covered under a recall. However, a quick YouTube search will show that the symptom is wide spread and the public is not aware that it is a known issue to GM. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Symptoms have been identified as part of a GM Special Coverage 15356. The issue is that mass dissemination of this information has not reached the public. Owners of this vehicle, who are now just experiencing this issue, are not included in the special coverage because it expired at 150,000 or May 10, 2021. As an active duty service member, if any letters were sent, they were delivered to my home address and not my physical address, therefore if any attempt was made to contact me or my family would have been futile. Just like many consumers, I only track recalls and not special coverages.

My timing belt snapped which broke my gaskets and messed messed up my engine.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel felt loose and unstable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that failure had been reoccurring increasingly. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering). An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

I have supposedly had the recall fixed. But when using the cruise control my car will not shut down the cruise unless I stomp on the brake or use the off button on my steering wheel. So I am wondering why I should have to pay big dollars for something that was supposedly done???

When I cranked my car, the power steering immediately went out. I had no previous issues and the car uses an electrical power steering component that does not allow me to add fluid.

Sudden and complete loss of windshield wipers while on the interstate in a intense rain storm. Driving the vehicle became impossible and stopping on the shoulder was dangerous because other drivers were dealing with poor vision because of the intense rain and came close to hitting me several times. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING CONDITION. My research found that this is not an isolated problem as multiple years and models (vans as well cars) are affected. The cause of the failure was caused by failure of the windshield wiper transmission, linkage and bushing that a part of or attached thereto.

While driving at highway speed, vehicle stated to shake and the "Engine Power Reduced" and Service ESC. I was able to move to a safe zone and drive the vehicle home. The following day started normal and drove it, same problem occurred.

My 2011 malibu has approx 170000 miles. was driving on the highway when one by one, low fuel range, tire pressure, and antitheft lights illuminated blinking in dash. The radio flickers like loosing power, the car jerks pulling hard to right side and the power steering goes out and the car literally shuts down in drive on the highway not even giving me time to get off road. Pushed car to side of road. When i try and restart engine turns but sputters like out of gas. Again and again i try until the battery is dead but car wouldnt stay running. I check battery terminals and fuses, a friend brings gallon of gas and jumps car. Same result. I have towed home. I put battery on charger put battery back in car and it starts immediately and stays running. Again i try to go to town. The same thing happens 2 miles further from where it previously did, this time the ESC was added to the others illuminating on dash. I tried the same things i did before getting same result. I take battery call a ride and go home to put battery on charger. When i return 48 hours later and put battery in, it cranks right up.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud cracking sound coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, the wheels failed to respond while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was similar to the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 160,000.

The transmission has a rough shift in third and fifth. It won't down shift when slowing down. It was confirmed from a independent service center. There was no warning when it did it the check engine light came on. There is many people with the same complaint with the transmission being faulty. My safety and others was at risk because the car would not down shift and come to a stop.

Warranty policy 15356 on Torque Sensor Steering Wheel. Replaced and repaired by Chevrolet dealership in 2018. Reocccured problem started again on April 13th, 2022. Code ESC power steering started May 6th, 2022 but shaking, vibration, and "twitching" started April 13th, 2022. When turning on the vehicle now the code will show and the steering wheel will lock not allowing power steering. In 2018 this code would show up during driving and lock up not allowing you to use power steering.

I drove my car to a store and parked, when I returned and proceeded to backup, the steering wheel locked and I couldn’t drive and was stuck in the road. Finally after a while I turned the ignition off and back on and was able to drive home. There was no advance warning that The power the steering needed to be serviced.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he had experienced the failure multiple times. The contact took the vehicle to an unknown dealer and made the dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,719.

Airbag light and ESC power steering light on at the same time. Service ESC on and of on the screen and after awhile the steering wheel locked and I lost control of my direction while I am turning left on a traffic light. I end up in a ditch. I took it to Chevy service dealership and they find out a diffect on steering torque sensor shaft and they recommend me to replace it. They ask me $1024.00 for labor and part.

The headlights have went out over 10 times. The wiring keeps burning. This is a known issues. Why is there not a recall? It’s extremely expensive and hard to get the front end of the car off to replace the bulb to find out it’s not the bulb. It goes out every few months. Even the dealership service department has told me it’s a known issue!

Chevy is aware that around 90k miles the ESC light comes on indicating that the torque sensor has gone bad and indicating you are about to lose power steering. My car is 93k miles, this light came on and the power steering is completely out. My 16 year old son drives this car. This is a major safety issue and Chevy/GM say the special coverage expired in 10/2021 so they will not pay for the repair. Chevy/GM is allowing customers to drive like this without helping.

I was driving up a hill and my Service ESC power steering came up and I suddenly couldn’t turn my steering wheel so it had locked up… I slowed down and drove closes to the side of the road as I could safe as possible … after research online I notice this has happen to several others at this mileage and that there was a recall on esc system

ESC off shows up on dashboard and after driving I get "engine power reduced"

While I was driving in the freeway steering wheel became hard . The dash said service ecs , ecs off. Pulled over turned car off and once turned on again car was driving perfectly fine. The dashboard no longer indicated any issues or messages.

MAP sensor was physically broken and replaced during a particularly cold snap (below -10 degrees F), but the check engine light and "Service ESC," "Service Traction," and "ESC off" messages continued to appear in the following weeks. Acceleration repeatedly dropped off for a split second, and would continue to dip and return until I let off the accelerator and tried again. This acceleration problem always coincided with the three ESC/Traction messages listed above, and happened multiple times every time I drove it. During a second trip to the mechanic, some "frayed wiring" was replaced and the throttle relearned, but the symptoms continued as before, prior to the MAP sensor replacement and the wiring repair. The symptoms progressed to delayed, pulsing acceleration, not just dropping out. The following week, the power steering went out while driving, preceded by a gentle automated jerking on the steering wheel upon startup. The mechanic confirmed that it was electrical, nothing wrong with the physical components.

Power steering went completely out as I'm driving down the road! It's only got around 65k miles maybe 66k,not that many miles at all for this to have happened. And they were aware of the issue as well. Now I'm out my car,I am in-between jobs at the moment,no money,and no transportation for my wife and I!! No way to go to job interviews,her very important medical appointments,and everything else!! I do not have the money to take to the shop,I don't have the knowledge either to do such a major task like that,not do I even have the space to work on it myself or anyone else for that matter.its winter time,And this car is my home,Soo now what are we supposed to do? It's unsafe to drive,and will probably just make it worse,more wear and tear on other parts by driving it the way it is now

The power steering in the car has went out and its incredibly hard to steer the car.

I have had my Chevy Malibu since 2016. In the almost 7 years I have had this car I has had the same issue with both starting and stalling while driving. There has been many time it has completely shut off while on the expressway. I have had it looked at by an outside mechanic and the dealership. The back Fuse box has been completely replacement 3 times twice of which were in the past year. There is a shot with the fuel pump relay causing the issue. The dealership will not acknowledge this issue. Each time I have been told it was the fuse box going out however a fuse box does not go completely bad every few years and now few month. I have same many many videos and comments from other owners of Chevy Malibu 2011 with the exact same issue. I have been lucky that I have been able to pull to the side of the road without accident due to this issue. This issue should be recalled if the vast number of 2011 Chevy Malibu's having the same issue.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the ESC warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

My power steering randomly goes out and the warning lights come on. It’s hard to diagnose, as it doesn’t show up as an error and happens randomly. The wheel locks up and with no distinguishable pattern. Once I turn off the engine and start it up again, the issue seemingly disappears and I can drive as normal. Issue started around 120k, and I’m currently at 127k. Between then and now, it’s locked up about 5-6 times. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened while around others in traffic so far. But it’s definitely concerning since it’s my daily driver. Got a diagnostic done, but nothing shows up/no error codes.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds in inclement weather, the vehicle displayed DCT: P2138, causing the vehicle to lunge forward, then remain idle for several seconds, before accelerating forward. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that water was intruding into the throttle wiring. The contact was informed that there was no recall for the failure; however, the failure was related to service bulletin NHTSA Campaign Number: 10139090 (Electrical System, Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 100,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel started to jerk. The contact stated that the electric stability control (ESC) off warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the electrical pump to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.

car unexpectedly died on the way home with 2 children in car. Car would crank, but wouldn't start up, and sounded like a typical fuel pump problem. We had the car towed to a shop and they showed the fuel pump as working within the normal ranges and then started up the next day just fine, but paid 750 for work. A few days later the car died again, so we had it towed to the same shop, by the next day when the mechanic said it started up just fine so he wasn't able to diagnose the problem. He and i don't want to spend a 1000 every week putting parts in it that don't fix the problem while getting towed each week at 150 dollars. This is a safety concern and leaves the consumer hopeless. We want to get rid of the car, but don't want to sell it to a person for them to have the same issues and then in return blame us. GM NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I've read hundreds of forums of other people having the same problem with no actual fix.

Rear window brake light stays illuminated have to keep raising the brake pad up to get it to go off and in the daytime you arent able to see it. The alarm system is not allowing the car to start correctly. It is very frustrating to have to remove battery cables in many circumstances in order to operate the vehicle. These are all issues that occur many times for over a year. not just an isolated account.

The steering wheel just shaking and doesn’t move is hard to move. The light in the board say steering wheel problem.

Power steering would go in and out while driveing makeing i hard to turn wheel. 137,000 miles had to have steering column replaced $1900 just for the dealer to replace this part.

Engine starts but stalls shortly after. 89,000 miles. Never had any problems like this before. Dash display states "Service ECM," "service traction control," "reduced engine power," etc..A shop diagnosed it with a bad ECM, but that isn't the problem, as it didn't fix it. Based on the codes we're getting ready to swap out the APP (Accelerator pedal position sensor) This is a well known issue, that many other owners of various years have encountered, and reported. In fact, I just read that GM did a recall for newer Malibu's, for this exact same problem, (the APP causing "reduced engine power" and therefore not running) So I'm really not happy. They left out all the older vehicles with the exact same problem!

Power steering turned off. Lost all steering while driving.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the "Service Air Bag" warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and was diagnosed with needing the fuel pump replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,400.

Headlights keep going out and service airbag light keep coming on

While driving down a highway at 60mph, the transmission failed, at just over 118,000. It started surging without moving forward any faster, and reverse doesn't work at all anymore. My son was in the car, and we were miles from home. I was lucky to be able to get off the highway fairly quickly before we got run over, or hit along the side of the road. This particular transmission failure is a well known issue for GM, it is covered for older vehicles up to 2010, and fixed in newer vehicles in 2012, but dealership (Paul Richard's Peru, IN) said "these things happen" and it could cost $3000-$5000 to replace. They will do nothing to help, because they won't acknowledge that this model year needs extended coverage, too. (Actually a recall!) This is completely unacceptable, I've only put 30,000 miles on this car. I had the fluids lab tested when purchased, and it in no way indicated any failure imminent! In fact, it said everything was in fantastic condition for the mileage. We also flushed and filled the transmission ~25,000 miles ago, as recommended by the maintenance schedule. We shouldn't be on the hook for thousands of dollars, when we in no way caused this failure, especially after it could have killed my son and I. Our old 2005 Malibu has 170,000 miles on the original drivetrain, and it's still going. There is no acceptable reason that our 2011 should only last 118,000 miles before needing major repairs, or the transmission replaced already, 100% on our dime.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the contact avoided hitting a dog that was on the road, but the brakes failed and the vehicle crashed into a porch. None of the air bags deploy upon impact. The contact received medical attention after his head hit the steering wheel upon impact. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact replaced the CAM sensor, intake, radiator, and front end body, and on three separate occasions, the brakes were replaced. However, the failure recurred. Additionally, the accelerator pedal would go to the floorboard and the vehicle would stall. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light and a "Reduced Power" warning message were displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact also stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed him that a diagnostic test needed to be performed to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.