What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST AS I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE IN A CITY ROAD. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES AN HOUR ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, NOT TURNING AT THE TIME. THE SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR JERKED TO THE SIDE, WHICH WAS TERRIFYING WITH MY TWO YOUNG KIDS IN THE CAR. THIS REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER THE GM BULLETIN 15356 AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE EPS MOTOR AND TORQUE SENSOR. HOWEVER, SINCE HAVING THE WORK DONE, THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT MY STEERING COLUMN IS NOW BENT. AS I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT, THIS COULD ONLY BE FROM THE IMPACT OF LOSING MY POWER STEERING. I FEEL LIKE THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THIS SPECIAL BULLETIN AS WELL. THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE JEOPARDIZED THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND THIS SHOULD BE MADE A FULL RECALL COVERING ALL THE STEERING COMPONENTS TO THE 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR WHAT WILL BE OVER $700 TO FIX THE ISSUE CAUSED BY THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE. *DT

NHTSA ODI 11196745

I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY GOT AN ESC/POWER STEERING ALERT. I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND NOT ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11196089

LIGHTS ON PANAL COME ON GO OFF WHEN I STOP THE CAR AND TURN BACK ON. I WAS DRIVING MAYBE 30-35 MPH ON CITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT. NO WE RAIN, POT HOLES OR SPEED BUMPS

NHTSA ODI 11191938

UPDATE ON COMPLAINT #'S 1144041 & 11172602. ON 2/8/19, I WAS 2 BLOCKS FROM WORK WHEN MESSAGES DISPLAYED FOR (SERVICE ECS, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). I DROVE RIGHT FROM WORK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS 9 MILES AWAY, WITH MY HAZARDS ON AND AT A MAX SPEED OF 25 MPH. I DROVE IT INTO THE BAY AND TOLD A SERVICE ADVISOR THAT I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK WHILE THE PROBLEM WE KEEP TRYING TO FIX WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. HE TRIED TO GET SOMEONE TO COME HOOK UP THE CODE READER TO IT BUT WAS UNABLE TO SO HE TURNED OFF MY CAR. I RECEIVED A VOICEMAIL MID-DAY MONDAY 2/11/19 TO SAY THAT BECAUSE MY BATTERY HAD BEEN OUT OF MY CAR TOO LONG, THEY HAD TO RELEARN THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. I LEFT A MESSAGE TO SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT THE LAST TIME THE BATTERY HAD BEEN OUT OF MY CAR TO MY KNOWLEDGE WAS 3/2018. WHEN THEY CALLED BACK, THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE BATTERY HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED OR SECURED PROPERLY WHICH CAUSED THEM TO HAVE TO RELEARN THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. ON 2/19/2019, IT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT THEY COULD NOT READ A CODE WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN, SO WAS AGAIN SENT TO COME BACK WHEN IT WAS OCCURRING SO THEY COULD HOOK UP THE CODE READER WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. ON 3/5 I DROVE MY CAR TO THEM WHILE IT WAS DISPLAYING THE MESSAGES AND RUNNING ROUGH. THEY AGAIN TRIED TO PUT THE BLAME ON THE BATTERY. EVEN THOUGH THE CODES WHERE P2176 AND P2135, THE RECOMMENDED FIX WAS NEW BATTERY AND BATTERY CABLES ($733). I STILL HAD WARRANTY FOR THAT BATTERY AS IT WAS INSTALLED NEARLY A YEAR AGO AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENCE, SO I WENT BACK TO THAT AUTO SHOP. HE DID NOT FIND ANYTHING ASSOCIATED TO BATTERY BUT DID FIND GM BULLETIN FROM 2012 (PIP5019). HE RE-CRIMPED THROTTLE BODY CIRCUIT PINS AFTER DOING A PEN OUT TEST AT ECU. IT IS NOW 3/25 AND NO OTHER ISSUES! HOPING WE HAVE FOUND ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. NO THANKS TO DEALER OR CHEVY CUSTOMER CARE...

NHTSA ODI 11191393

CODE P2135

NHTSA ODI 11184773

SERVICE ESC MESSAGE - ESC OFF MESSAGE - AND POWER STEERING MESSAGES COME ON AND I CANNOT TURN MY CAR. HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON DAILY COMMUTE AND CAUSES ME TO BE PUT IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ESPECIALLY ON THE EXPRESSWAYS. THERE IS NOT ALWAYS A PLACE TO PULL OVER. THESE INDICATORS HAPPENS WHETHER DRIVING OR SITTING STILL. SERVICE AIR BAG MESSAGE STAYS ON.

NHTSA ODI 11180952

ESC OFF "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" LIGHTS FLASHED ON UPON START OF VEHICLE, POWER STEERING WAS OFF/NOT WORKING. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ERRORS DISAPPEARED AND IT WAS DRIVEABLE. THIS HAPPENED 7-8 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF 2 WEEKS, AS IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE AND THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO WOULD SHAKE WHEN DRIVING, ESPECIALLY WHILE TURNING, AND THIS WAS A DANGER AT TIMES ON ICY ROADS IN NORTH DAKOTA!!

NHTSA ODI 11180127

POWER STEERING FAILS WITHOUT WARNING, RESTSTART IF WORKS FOINE FOR A WHILLE... VERY DANGEROUS. BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHY THE SPECIAL WARRANTY FOR GM BULLETIN 15356 IS NOT SHOWING UP ON YOUR WEBSITE. I WAS NEVER GIVEN A RECALL NOTICE BY MAIL. I HASD TO DO INTERNET RESEARCH TO FIND MY RECALL. THIS IS SOME SHADY S%^T. NEVER BUYING A CHEVY AGAIN.THIS SHOULD BE A CRIME.

NHTSA ODI 11176039

UPON STARTING MY 2011 MALIBU, THE ALERT TONE SOUNDED AND A MESSAGE APPEARED FLASHING "POWER STEERING AND ALSO ESC". IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN WHEEL. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, WAITED A MINUTE, THEN STARTED IT AGAIN. IT WAS FINE, BUT HAS DONE THE SAME THING SEVERAL AT LEAST ONCE DAILY OVER THE LAST WEEK. WHEN ERROR MESSAGE IS NOT PRESENT, THE WHEEL PULSES & MOVES- WHILE IN PARK AND IN DRIVE. 149,700 MILES ON CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11176091

I WAS DRIVING DOWN TROY AVE IN ILLINIOS WHEN MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST POWER AND SAID ENGINE REDUCE AND AND STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF. I WENT ALL THE WAY FROM 60 TO 20 MPH AND ALMOST CRASH AND GOT HIT FROM BEHIND. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM NON STOP AFTER FIX AFTER FIX. BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW THE PROBLEM. THEN MY HEAD LIGHT GO IN AND OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE EVER SINCE I HAD IT FIXED OVER AND OVER.

NHTSA ODI 11173231

THIS IS AN UPDATE ON NHTSA COMPLAINT #11144041. I BROUGHT IT TO DEALER EARLY NOVEMBER 2018, BUT THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AS THERE WERE NO CODES. LAST WEEK TUESDAY(1/22/19), IT HAPPENED AGAIN(REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE ESC, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT) WHILE DRIVING ON MY WAY TO WORK. I WAS ABOUT 2 MILES FROM HOME SLOWING DOWN FROM 45 MPH TO STOP AT LIGHT , I HAD MY HUSBAND BRING IT IN TO CHECK CODES WHEN DEALERSHIP OPENED. THEY REPLACED ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND PUT A NEW PIGTAIL ON THROTTLE BODY. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON SATURDAY (1/26/19)WHEN I WAS 4 MILES FROM HOME ON A CITY STREET AT 45 MPH. I DROVE IT THE LAST TWO MILES TO WORK W/ HAZARD LIGHT ON AND SLOWLY AS I COULD ONLY GET SPEED UP TO 25-30 MPH. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO TURN OFF AND RESTART CAR TO "RESET" TO NORMAL. TODAY THE DEALER IS REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD ONE IN 7 MONTHS AT A COST OF OVER $1000 IN REPAIRS. DEALER WILL NOT LOOK AT ANY OTHER OPTIONS UNTIL IT HAS CLEARED THIS CODE. SEEMS TO ME, THERE MUST BE A WIRE, FUSE OR SOMETHING ELSE ELECTRICAL WRONG THAT KEEPS TRIPPING THIS CODE. I HAVE RECEIPTS OF ALL WORK DONE TO DATE.

NHTSA ODI 11172602

CAR SHUT OFF AFTER DRIVING TO THE STORE, IT WOULDN'T START AND SAID SERVICE ESC

NHTSA ODI 11166417

TAKATA RECALL. POWER STEERING AND ESC LIGHT CAME ON WHILE BCAR WAS WARMING UP FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT COMES AND GOES AS IT PLEASES SOMETIMES WHILE IN MOTION, SOMETIMES WHILE STATIONARY, AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO TURN OR STEER. IT ALSO MAKES MY CAR FEEL AS IF THE WHEELS ARE ABOUT TO FALL OFF THE FRONT END. MY AIR BAG LIGHT IS ALSO ON AND WON'T GO OFF. GUESSING IT DOESN'T WORK. PULLED SOME CODES BUT NOTHING FOR POWER STEERING, ATTACHED ARE A FEW IMAGES OF A FEW CODES THAT WERE PULLED. NOT ALL CODES.

NHTSA ODI 11164439

UPON STARTING VEHICLE, "POWER STEERING" YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT AND THE "SERVICE ESC" LIGHT ILLUMINATE. SOMETIMES ON RESTARTING VEHICLE THEY DO NOT COME BACK ON, WHEREAS AT OTHER TIMES THEY REMAIN ON.

NHTSA ODI 11162368

WHILE NORMAL DRIVING. CAR WILL GIVE THE FOLLOWING ERROR CODES: "SERVICE ESC" "SERVICE TRACTION" "ESC OFF" AND "ENGINE PWR REDUCED" BACK TO BACK. THE CAR WILL POWER ITSELF DOWN UNTIL ~10 MPH WHILE MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. THE CAR WILL START AND ACT AS IF EVERYTHING IS FINE ONCE I PULL OVER AND FULLY SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY POINT, DRIVING HIGHWAY OR NEIGHBORHOOD SPEEDS, WHILE TURNING AND EVEN WHEN IDLE.

NHTSA ODI 11160871

MY BREAK LIGHTS LIGHT UP WHEN I AM NOT PUSHING ON THE BREAK PEDAL AND TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF WHEN I AM IN MOTION. ONLY HAPPENS SOMETIMES.

NHTSA ODI 11154282

SINCE OF BOUGHT THE CAR FROM DEALER THE ESC LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND IN THE WINTER MONTHS IF I GET STUCK I CAN'T SHUT OFF TRACTION CONTROL TO TRY AND GET OUT BECAUSE IT IS DISABLED. HAS POWER REDUCED

NHTSA ODI 11153598

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES THE POWER STEERING AND SERVICE ESC MESSAGE WILL FLASH ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE STEERING WHEEL WILL BE LOCKED AND CANNOT BE TURNED. WHEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE MESSAGE MAY BE GONE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WILL MOVE AGAIN OR OTHER TIMES IT WILL STILL BE LOCKED AND THE MESSAGE PERSISTS. ALSO WHEN DRIVING AND SITTING IN IDLE THE STEERING WHEEL JERKS AND VIBRATES ON ITS OWN AND MAKES A WEIRD RATTLING/RUBBING SOUND, ESP. WHEN IN PARK. I HAD THIS SAME ISSUE LAST YEAR AND MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP "FIXED" IT FOR NO COST SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL PERTAINING TO THE ISSUE, BUT NOW THE SAME PROBLEM IS OCCURRING.

NHTSA ODI 11150950

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE AIR BAG AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN BEFORE REGARDING THE ISSUE WITH THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT BEFORE. JUST RECENTLY THE SERVICE ESC (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) LIGHT HAD COME ON. I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS REGARDING IF THERE ANY RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE, AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NOT ACTIVE RECALLS, BUT I SHOULD TAKE MY VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT SERVICED FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG NOT WORKING PROPERLY (NOT ON). I HAVE ALSO HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH MY TMP(TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING) SYSTEM AS WELL WITH REGARD TO LOW TIRE PRESSURE THAT KEEPS SHOWING THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. WHEN I PUT AIR IN THAT TIRE AIR PRESSURE IS REGISTERING IN THE OTHER TIRES AS WELL. THESE ARE ALL SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THIS COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH.

NHTSA ODI 11145089

FROM 5/2018 UNTIL PRESENT, MULTIPLE OCCASIONS UPON TURNING THE KEY TO START CAR HAVE EXPERIENCED: ENGINE POWER REDUCED ON MESSAGE BOARD ALONG W/ ESC LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CAR SHAKES AND SPUTTERS. USUALLY CAN MAKE ALL SYMPTOMS EXCEPT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DISAPPEAR BY RESTARTING MULTIPLE TIMES. UNTIL LAST WEEK, THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY OCCURRED UPON FIRST STARTING THE CAR REGARDLESS OF THE LENGTH OF TIME IT HAS SET BETWEEN STARTS AND IN ANY WEATHER (IE COLD, WARM, RAINY). LAST FRIDAY, IT CRANKED BUT DID NOT START THE FIRST ATTEMPT OF STARTING AND THEN AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS DID START NORMALLY BUT DURING A TWO MILE DRIVE IT REOCCURRED TWO MORE TIMES AND TOOK MULTIPLE TRIES EACH TIME TO GET IT TO START NORMALLY. EACH TIME I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OFF STREET TO AVOID TRAFFIC AS IT DECREASED IN POWER AND STARTED SHAKING. THE CODE IT SENDS IS P-2135. THE FIRST TIME BACK IN MAY, I DROVE IT THE 6 MILES TO WORK BUT HAD TO TOW IT AS IT RESULTED IN DEAD BATTERY. THE CODE IT SENDS IS P-2135, SO WE HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY TWICE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS NOT A DEFECTIVE PART. OTHERWISE AFTER MANY HOURS WAITING AT MY MECHANICS, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO ACTUAL DIAGNOSIS THAT WE CAN FIND THAT SEEMS TO TRULY FIX THIS ISSUE. HAVE EMAILED CHEVY AND DO HAVE A SERVICE REQUEST # AND WILL BE CALLING TODAY TO SET UP APPOINTMENT W/ LOCAL DEALER ASAP IN REGARDS TO BULLETIN 15-08-45-001 TO SEE IF THEY WILL COVER THIS AND PRAY THAT IT MAY ACTUALLY ONCE AND FOR ALL FIX THIS ANNOYING PROBLEM. MY CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 11144041

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, AND THEN IT CAME BACK MOMENTARILY, AND THEN WENT OUT AGAIN A LITTLE LATER. THANKFULLY IT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, BUT NOW I HAVEN'T HAD POWER STEERING IN OVER 4 MONTHS AND IT'S STARTING TO CAUSE NERVE DAMAGE IN MY ARMS AND HANDS FROM THE CONSTANT STRESS TO DRIVE, AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I WAS QUOTED AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT JUST TO LOOK AT CAR TO GET DIAGNOSIS.

NHTSA ODI 11139025

FRONT PASSENGER HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET A WARNING COMES ACROSS THAT SAYS ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THEN THE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL COMES ON. THE CAR THEN DROPS TO 5 MPH AND STOPS. I TURN IT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON AND THERE IS NOTHING. I WAIT A FEW SECONDS AND TRY AGAIN AND IT STARTS UP AND I'M ABLE TO DRIVE IT.

NHTSA ODI 11129787

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.

NHTSA ODI 11119561

UPON DRIVING THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AND LIGHTS FLASHED WITH A DING. THE ESC LIGHT IS ON AND THE DASH IS PROMPTING "POWER STEERING" AND "SERVICE ESC" THIS HAS MADE DRIVING AND TURNING DIFFICULT. CAR IS NOW PARKED UNTIL IT CAN GO TO A REPAIR SHOP. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART WHICH ALLOWED ME TO DRIVE WITHOUT AN ISSUE. THE NEXT DAY IT PROGRESSED TO EVERYTIME I START THE CAR AND ATTEMPT TO TURN THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP AND THE WARNINGS FLASH.

NHTSA ODI 11092122

ABOUT A YEAR AGO I WAS DRIVING CAR GOING AROUND 40 MILES AN HR AND IT WOULD JUST DIE ON ME, NO LIGHTS CAME UP NO WARNING. IT HAPPENED AT LEAST 6 TIMES AND EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED IT HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO GET CHECKED OUT. I'VE HAD FUEL PUMP, FUEL RELAY, CAM SHAFT SENSOR 2 TIMES AND OTHER THINGS REPLACED. STILL SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN. DIED AGAIN ON ME HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE AND MY TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN, REPLACED THAT AND CAM SHAFT SENSOR AGAIN. DROVE AWAY AND IT DIED ON ME AGAIN. THE ONLY WAY MY CAR STAYS RUNNING IS WHEN CAM SHAFT SENSOR IS UNPLUGGED BUT ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. WHEN CAR DIES I HAVE NO LIGHTS THAT COME ON TO TELL ME I HAVE A ISSUE, IT JUST SHUTS OFF. I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE CAR JUST SHUTTING DOWN ON ME FOR A YEAR. I'M AFRAID TO HAVE OTHER PEOPLE IN MY CAR CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF OR WHEN IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN THIS HAPPENED I HAD AROUND 92000 MILE ON CAR.

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