What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

I purchased this 2011 Cheverolet Malibu brand new. A few years prior to me giving it to my daughter, I had to get the headlights replaced several times, one would go out a month or so after I had the other one fixed. I gave it to her in 2019 and lately every other week one or even BOTH of the front headlights have gone out. Also, the third brake lamp randomly goes out and now one of the rear brake lamps has gone out. There’s already over 100 complaints about these issues with this particular model but GM has yet to do a recall! WHY?? It’s clearly an issue with the vehicle and the fact that the ENTIRE front bumper has to come off to get to it is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen!!! Headlights, of all things, randomly going out on a vehicle is not safe at all! There are people out here who have children in these faulty vehicles and clearly neither GM nor the NHTSA cares. What is it going to take for someone to do something about this, deaths???

NHTSA ODI 11524274

Driverside Airbag light will come on with Service Airbag message. This does occasionally turn off but comes back for days or weeks at a time. Driver side seatbelt light will randomly come on and stay on or turn off. Both airbag and seatbelt light may be on at the same time. If they are all off or the airbag light turns off it's only for a day or two. Most of the time it will be the airbag light only that is on and tends to stay on longer than seatbelt light.

NHTSA ODI 11522179

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.

NHTSA ODI 11520822

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.

NHTSA ODI 11518361

Power steering keeps failing. Steering wheel shakes. Power steering light with the ESC Service light come on. If I turn the vehicle off and back on again, Sometimes the power steering will work again.

NHTSA ODI 11516189

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.

NHTSA ODI 11513097

Air bag, supplemental restraint system failure caused by a faulty electrical connector under the driver's seat. GM is aware of this issue and may have issued a TSB. A recall and repair at GM's expense would be a better way to address this issue as some people might not be willing or able to pay for the one hundred plus dollars repair cost and continue to drive the car with repairing the supplemental restraint system.

NHTSA ODI 11511336

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.

NHTSA ODI 11511339

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently stopped without depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a sharp left or right turn, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The power steering assist warning light, the check engine warning light, the ESC warning light, and the traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Napa Auto Parts to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11509839

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.

NHTSA ODI 11509937

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.

NHTSA ODI 11509503

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

NHTSA ODI 11506750

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.

NHTSA ODI 11506650

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.

NHTSA ODI 11505873

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.

NHTSA ODI 11503603

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.

NHTSA ODI 11501663

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

NHTSA ODI 11500969

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.

NHTSA ODI 11499350

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!

NHTSA ODI 11498879

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.

NHTSA ODI 11495565

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

NHTSA ODI 11494810

Headlights fail. I have had to replace my headlights several times. I have also had to replace the entire headlight assembly.

NHTSA ODI 11486995

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.

NHTSA ODI 11485455

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???

NHTSA ODI 11485026

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.

NHTSA ODI 11481955