What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

THE ENGINE STARTS TO SPUTTER , CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND OTHER DASH LIGHTS COME ON AND VEHICLE QUITS RUNNING . HAD IT IN CHEVROLET GARAGE AND NO CODE SHOWED UP THEY REPLACED A SENSOR TOLD ME IT WAS FIXED . PROBLEM RETURNED , THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL EXISTS. VERY DANGEROUS. NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO STALL OUT.

NHTSA ODI 10969473

TAIL LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING, BUT BREAK LIGHTS WORK, RADIO WILL CHANGE ON ITS OWN FROM TUNER TO AUX, DASH DOESNT STAY ILLUMINATED, POWER LOCKS AND WINDOWS DONT ALWAYS WORK. DOESNT MATTER IF ITS BEING DRIVEN OR SITTING. CHECKED FUSES THEY ARE ALL GOOD.

NHTSA ODI 10948334

THE HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT ON THIS VEHICLES , HAVE REPLACED THEM SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY JUST KEEP GOING OUT. MY AUNT HAS THE SAME MAKE , MODEL CAR AS I DO AND SHE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ODI 10947316

THE DRIVER'S SIDE BODY SEAM OF MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED. THIS ALLOWED WATER TO LEAK INTO MY ELECTRICAL PANEL CAUSE CORROSION TO ALL OF MY WIRING. I DETERMINED THIS AFTER DRIVING DOWN A HIGH WAY AT 60 MPH AND HAVING MY CAR DROP DOWN TO 10 MPH WITH SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS, ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNINGS ALL LIGHTING UP MY PANEL. IT HAD BEEN RAINING THAT DAY. I AM LUCKY THAT THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FOLLOWING AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF DISTANCE BEHIND ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10944360

I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AND MY MALIBU STOPPED AND APPEARED THE IMAGE OF TRACTION CONTROL OFF AND THE MOTOR WAS SHAKING AND MY LIGHT OF CHECK ENGINE WAS ON AND MY CAR DID NOT ADVANCE MORE THEN 10 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10944030

DROVE CAR THIS MORNING AND COUPLE MILES LATER THE CAR LOST MOST OF ITS POWER AND SERVICE ESC LIGHTS BECAME ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS ENGINE LIGHT TOO. NOW CAR IS SLOWER AND SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING. ALSO SHAKES REAL BAD WHEN STATIONARY. DRIVING AROUND 35-45 MPH. CAN'T DRIVE NOW DUE TO LOST POWER AND ESC ISSUES/ LOOKS LIKE IT IS A COMMON HISTORIC ISSUE WITH THESE MALIBU AS INTERNET IS POLLUTED WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT AND LOOKS LIKE GM CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. AS WELL GM TELLS ME ON THE PHONE JUST NOW THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT PART OF ANY RECALL NOTICE WHILE THE PROBLEMS GO BACK TO 2003 AND COVERS EVERY OTHER MALIBU EXCEPT MINE IT APPEARS. REALLY? BOUGHT IS LOCAL AS A PRE OWNED VEHICLE WITH ONLY ABOUT 30K ON IT. SOUNDS LIKE GM IS TRYING TO SKIRT THE ISSUE OF OWNING UP TO THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE ME ON HOLD FOR SOME TIME NOW. HELP! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10937209

FIRE IN TRUNK STARTED AT REAR FUSE PANEL. DRIVING AT 35 MPH IN DRIZZLE, TRUNK AJAR MESSAGE LIT, STOPPED TO CHECK IT & ENGINE STALLED AS I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, FOUND THE TRUNK SECURELY LATCHED, AND COULDN'T OPEN IT WITH KEY FOB OR BUTTON IN CABIN. THEN SAW PAINT TURNING BROWN (SCORCHING) AT REAR CORNER PANEL AT LOCATION OF REAR FUSE PANEL. BY THE TIME FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED THE CABIN AND TRUNK FULLY ENGULFED - TOTAL LOSS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10924366

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND THE ESC AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,333.

NHTSA ODI 10908153

BATTERY LIGHT COMING ON. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSE BAD ALTERNATOR. INSTALLED NEW ALTERNATOR. TWO WEEKS PASSED, ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS COME ON, LOST POWER STEERING, WHILE DRIVING. CAR TOWED IN. DEALERSHIP FOUND FUSIBLE LINK BURNT ON ALTERNATOR, WHICH CAUSED FIRST ALTERNATOR TO GO BAD. $25.00 PART.

NHTSA ODI 10885379

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10883190

MY CAR HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS ALL YEAR. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH SOMEONE WHO IN RETURN WAS SUPPOSE TO CALL CANNON MOTORS IN OXFORD,MS TO HAVE THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT ON THE DRIVER SIDE FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS ON RECALL. MY FATHER HAS REPLACED IT 3 TIMES AND IT KEEPS GOING OUT SO THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO CANNON TODAY AND NOW ITS A DIFFERENT STORY. THEY WAS TALKING ABOUT CHARGING 75.00 THEN THEY CHANGED IT TO 500.00 TO FIX A HEADLIGHT. I KNOW THE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM GOING ON WITH MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10876960

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED IN A CURVED PART OF THE HIGHWAY AT ~45 MPH. WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE DRIVE HOME WHICH WAS ~2 MILES. RESTARTED THE CAR AT HOME AND EVERYTHING WORKED FINE UNTIL 5 DAYS LATER - SAME PROBLEM. SERVICE ESC AND POWER STEERING ILLUMINATED ON DASH.

NHTSA ODI 10870719

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY THE MOTOR STARTED VIOLENTLY SHAKING AND THE DASHBOARD INFORMATION DISPLAY WOULD FLASH, "ENGINE POWER REDUCED, SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, AIR BAG LIGHTS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON". THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE, IT CAN SOMETIMES GO WEEKS/MONTHS WITHOUT ISSUES, BUT THEN OUT OF NOWHERE IT WILL START HAPPENING AGAIN. SOMETIMES SHUTTING THE CAR OFF, WAITING A FEW MOMENTS, AND RESTARTING WOULD USUALLY GET IT RUNNING CORRECTLY AGAIN. HOWEVER, OTHER TIMES IT WILL REMAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN BECOMING MORE FREQUENT AND STAYING LONGER AS TIME GOES ON. WHEN I STARTED SEEING THE ISSUE I LOOKED UP ONLINE TO SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE WERE SEEING SIMILAR ISSUES AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, MODEL CAR HAVING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. I HAVE SEEN ISSUES STARTED AT 50K MILES AND UP, BUT MINE STARTED DOING THIS AT APPROXIMATELY 72K MILES. THIS ISSUE HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GET IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, AND I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. HERE ARE SOME OF THE WEBSITES AT WHICH I FOUND PEOPLE SHARING THEIR STORIES OF THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. [XXX] I HAVE INCLUDED A COUPLE OF IMAGES OF A COUPLE OF THE DASH MESSAGES PLEASE HELP THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED 05/07/2016 BUT HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY FOR A YEAR OR TWO, IT STARTED AT 72542 MILES BUT MOST RECENT HAPPENED AT APPROXIMATELY 92K THANK YOU *TR 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). *CC

NHTSA ODI 10864361

CAR WHEN STARTED STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP ALL THE LIGHTS START FLASHING, LOCKS START TO UNLOCK AND LOCK THEMSELVES. ENGINE LINES COMES ON HARD TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS.

NHTSA ODI 10855006

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ESC THE SERVICE ESC LIGHT KEEPS TURNING ON AND THE CAR STARTS TO JERK AND THEY SAY MINE ISN'T IN RECALL BUT OTHER CHEVY MALIBUS ARE FROM THE YEAR 2003-2012 I THI THEY NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER BECAUSE MINE IS 2011 BUT NOT IN THE RECALL

NHTSA ODI 10853477

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 10850464

RECEIVED MESSAGES OF: SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE AIR BAG, ENG PWR REDUCED, ENGINE DISABLED THIS MORNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, HAD TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD TO TRY AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND ON, UNTIL I RECEIVED THE ENGINE DISABLED MESSAGE AND AFTER THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI 10836377

FIRST, I HAD TO JUMP THE CAR TO START IT. COLD MORNING BUT THE BATTERY WAS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD. DRIVING FROM DOWNRIVER MI AREA ALL EXPRESSWAY TO GRAND RAPIDS. JUST ENTERED GRAND RAPIDS AREA WHEN I HAD TO REDUCE SPEED FROM 75 TO 60. CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BACK TO ORIGINAL SPEED. CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN ENGAGED. PROBLEM RESOLVED ITSELF BUT 15 MINUTES LATER THE CAR WENT FROM 75 TO 25 MPH BY THE TIME I HAD EXITED THE FREEWAY AND STOPPED THE CAR. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE PEDAL WAS TO THE FLOOR. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WENT ON AS DID MESSAGES:REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE ESC, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. I WAS ABLE TO TURN CAR BACK AND ACCELERATE BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON AND THE ENGINE FELT LIKE IT CHUGGED A BIT. WHEN I STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS, THE CAR FELT AS IF IT WANTED TO STALL. MILEAGE IS 88,258.

NHTSA ODI 10826110

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE IGNITON KEY WAS TURNED, A LOUD CLICKING NOSE EMITTED AND THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR LOCKS ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE RPM GAUGE AND SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 10822756

CAR LOST POWER AT 65 MPH THAN REDUCED POWER AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TURN CAR OFF AFTER TRYING TO COAST TO TA STOP WITH CARS AND TRUCKS FLYING BY HONKING THERE HORN AND FLICKING ME OFF AND I WAS HELPLESS THE CARS MOTOR WAS SHUT OFF BECAUSE OF THE POWER REDUCE AND ESC THAN THE TRACTION CONTROL CAN ON TOO ALL NEED TO BE SERVICED FINE BUT THAN IT DID IT ALL AGAIN AFTER I GOT EVERYTHING FIXED AND THEN THE THROTTLE BODY HAD TO REPLACED AGAIN AND PEDDLE SENSOR AND TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR AND STILL DOES IT THE CAR IS TRYING TO KILL ME AND THE NEW MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO SAID HE SEES THIS A LOT AND ITS SOMETIMES HARD TO FIX BECAUSE IT COMES BACK AND THAN I READ ONLINE THE SAME THING I THOUGHT HE WAS TRYING TO GET MORE MONEY OUT OF ME WHY WONT CHEVROLET HELP GM HELP GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND MAKE THESE CAR PLACES FIX THIS STUFF BEFOR A LOT OF PEOPLE GET KILLED

NHTSA ODI 10822859

30 MINUTE DRIVE TO WORK, IN RAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 32 DEGREES, VEHICLE WAS RUNNING GOOD UNTIL I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT AND AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED (REDUCED ENGINE POWER). I LATER LEFT AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. I THEN RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE (SERVICE ESC) AND LATER AGAIN RECEIVED THE (REDUCED ENGINE POWER) WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS SNOWING DURING THIS TIME. I WAS UNABLE TO FULLY ACCELERATE BUT IT FELT AS THOUGH THE ACCELERATION WAS NOT RUNNING WELL. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVERED MANY PEOPLE/ CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH NO RESOLUTION; EVEN AFTER TAKING TO DEALER ON MANY OCCASIONS. GM NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVER A RESOLUTION.

NHTSA ODI 10821801

MY 2011 MALIBU WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY THROUGH A SENSOR CODE FOR MULTIPLE PROBLEMS THE FIRST STATING REDUCED ENGJNE POWER, THEN SERVICE ES, SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE AIRBAGS ETC... PROBABLY 8 CODES. AT WHICH POINT ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE ABOVE 40MPH CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME. THE CAR WAS JERKING AND SHAKING AND THE RPM WAS REVING UP BETWEEN 500 AND 1500 EVEN AFTER I STOPPED. I TURNED THE CAR OFF FEARING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND CALLED MYHUSBAND. HE ASKED ME TURN IT ON AGAIN SO I DID AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOW IDLING NORMALLY THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. HE SUGGESTED I CONTINUE MY COMMUTE. I PULLED BACK ON TO THE HIGHWAY AND EXPERIENCED THIS SAME DANGEROUS PROBLEM 7 YIMES BETWEEN JACKSON MI AND LANSING MI. WE TOOK IT IN TO A REPAIRSHOPAND THEY ASSESSEDWHAT THEY COULD STATING THAT IT APPEARED TO BE A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT APART TO LOOK AT IT. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATEDTHAT MANY OF THE CHEVY MADE VEHICLES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND HE WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THEREHAD NOT YET BEEN A RECALL ON THE PART.

NHTSA ODI 10821367

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING SEIZED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 10821197

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER FAILED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE THE FUSE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUSE MELTED INTO THE FUSE PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUSE PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 10820169

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO START. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT SMOKE AND UNKNOWN FLUID WERE BUBBLING OUT OF THE BATTERY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A SHORTAGE WITHIN THE BATTERY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 10819991