What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Hev

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

MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU WITH 2.4 ECOTEC JUST BROKE A TIMING CHAIN GUIDE. 67,000 MILES. WAS GETTING THE P0016 AND P0017 CRANK / CAM CORRELATION CODES. MAN AM I TICKED!! I BOUGHT THIS CAR WITH 18,000 MILES ALWAYS CHANGED OIL. GM WILL DO NOTHING!! I HAVE OWNED A 2001 SATURN L200 THAT BROKE A TIMING CHAIN WITH 106,000 MILES AND CRASHED THE HEAD. GM WOULD DO NOTHING!! I HAD A CUTLASS SUPREME AND CUTLASS SIERRA IN THE 90'S. BOTH OF THESE CARS HAD THE OUTER HARMONIC BALANCER RING JUST COME UN-GLUED AND FALL OFF! GM DID NOTHING. THIS IS THE LAST STRAW FOR ME , I AM NOW FOCUSED ON HONDA WHO ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT RELIABILITY!!!!!

NHTSA ODI 11190432

'POWER STEERING RECALL ' MY POWER STEERING ON MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU WENT OUT. IT IS OVER $ 1000 TO GET OT FIXED ON MY OWN AND ITS CAUSING ME TO MISS WORK AS WELL AS OTHER PLACES AND THINGS I HAVE A OBLIGATION TO ATTEND. WHEN THE INCIDENT FIRST OCCURED, I WAS DRIVING OVER 60 MPH PUTTING ME AS WELL AS OTHER PASSENGERS AT RISK FOR BEING EXTREMELY JARMED. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL CAR DEALERSHIP AND THERE OS NOTHING THEY COULD DO PR WANTED TO DO. I CAN NOT DRIVE A CARE THAT I'VE BEEN PAYING ON BECAUSE PF THE RECALL AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP.

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STARTING CAR AND POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON. I TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT'S FINE. THIS JUST STARTED.

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TAKATA RECALL WE WERE IN MOTION GOING DOWN A HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR JUST STOP, WE PUT IT IN REVERSE IT MOVED WHEN WE PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE WOULD NOT MOVE.THE CAR IS NINE YRS OLD I WAS SCARE TO DEATH.

NHTSA ODI 11186646

WHILE DRINKING THE CAR THE STEERING QUITS WORKING ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR, THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL WAS THE ISSUE. I TAKE IT TO A SHOP AND THEY TELL ME THE MALIBU, G6, AND IMPALAS ALWAYS DO THAT AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL PLACED ON IT, & IT IS EITHER THE ELECTRIC STEERING MOTOR OR THE TOURQE SHAFT SENSOR. THEY SAID THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE IN ACCIDENTS WHICH RESULTED IN DEATH DUE TO THIS ISSUE. COULD YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE AS I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS EVEN AFTER THE $1500 FOR REPAIRS ARE DONE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER AND CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER NEW CAR. THIS IS VERY SCARY WHEN THIS GOES OUT ESPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I HAVE A VIDEO OF WHAT THE CAR DOES WHEN YOU START IT UP WHEN THE STEERING GOES BACK TO WORKING. IT DOES THIS WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STATIONARY. WHEN LOOKING ON A CHEVROLET FORUM THERE WERE THOUSAND OF PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO WITH NUMEROUS CAUSING ACCIDENTS.

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CODE P2135

NHTSA ODI 11184773

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE BEGAN APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO AND WAS WORSENING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FOUR DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, BUT NONE OF THEM COULD RESOLVE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11184548

DRIVERS SEAT STARTED LEANING TO THE RIGHT OVER TIME. THEN ONE DAY WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR, THE SEAT WAS WOBBLY. THOUGHT MAYBE A LOOSE BOLT, BUT FOUND SEAT FRAME IS BROKEN. LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MALIBU, BUT NO RECALLS. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY CHEVY.

NHTSA ODI 11183760

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE EARLY MORNING OF OCTOBER 17TH 2018, MY TIE ROD END SNAPPED IN MY VEHICLE, CAUSING ME TO GO OFF THE COUNTY ROAD INTO A TREE HEAD ON GOING 60 MPH. I ALSO WAS NOT WEARING A SAFETY BELT SO FORTUNATELY I AM STILL HERE TO WRITE THIS. ITS BEEN A ROAD TO RECOVERY AND STILL GOT A WAYS TO GO BUT THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKED INTO SO IT DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANY ONE ELSE. I UNDERSTAND ACCIDENTS HAPPEN BUT THIS IS PLAYING WITH PEOPLES LIVES IF THIS IS A FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE.

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DRIVING CAR AND THE SERVICE ECS AND SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON. THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. HAD CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED THEN 3 WEEKS LATER ALL THE SAME LIGHTS CAME ON ALONG WITH ENGINE POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED, ONCE AGAIN GOT CAR TO DEALER. REPAIRED IT, THE A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR STALLED. WOULD START BUT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING.

NHTSA ODI 11182846

CAR CONTINUES TO GO INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND WILL NOT DRIVE/RUN LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES. I HAVE ALREADY HAD ALL RECALLS FIXED ON THE VEHICLE INCLUDING THE ONE THAT SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11182421

THE CABLE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE. EVIDENTLY, OTHER MALIBU'S THIS YEAR HAD A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. BUT, MY VIN # IS NOT ACCEPTED. CHEVY IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN THE OUTCOME IF THIS HAPPENED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN IT CAME COMPLETELY APART.

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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

"TAKATA RECALL".... WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE MAKING A LEFT TURN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, POSITION GOT UNCOMFORTABLE HAVE TO SIT VERY VERY LOW WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES SEAT KIND OF LIFT UP WHEN MOVING. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND TELLS ME MY SEAT IS BROKE AND IT REQUIRES A NEW ASSEMBLY. HOW DOES A SEAT JUST BREAK? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX SO DRIVING UNSAFE IS NOT GOOD AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11180565

TRANSMISSION COMPUTER (TCM) FAILED AT 87,700 MILES. PART HAD TO BE REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED.

NHTSA ODI 11180698

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS IN 2016 AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF RANDOMLY AND WOULD NOT COMPLETELY STAY ON TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE CORRECTLY AND WHEN IT WOULD COME ON IT KEPT SAYING IT WAS DIFFERENT SENSORS. AFTER REPLACING SEVERAL SENSORS THAT WERE DIAGNOSED TO BE INCORRECT AND CHANGING SPARK PLUGS AND ALL FILTERS AND FLUSHING SEVERAL PARTS OUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH POWER AS IT DID IN THE PAST AND SEEMED TO BE SHIFTING DIFFERENTLY. THE CAR PROGRESSIVELY KEPT GETTING WORSE AND LOOSING POWER AND NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY. I HAD TAKEN IT TO 3 MECHANICS IN THE NASHVILLE AREA AND EACH OF THEM COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM ALSO BUT ALL HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE ISSUE AND HAD RELAYED THAT THEY BELIEVED IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN FROM PREVIOUS CLIENTS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. I THEN TOOK IT TO THE CHEVY DEALER BECAUSE IT HAD GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE SEEMED UNSAFE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY AND I WOULD BE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT AND WHEN I WENT TO TAKE OFF THE VEHICLE WOULD IDLE UNTIL CATCHING AND IT WOULD SIT THERE IDLING AND ALMOST STALL OUT AND THEN AFTER 60-160 SECONDS THE VEHICLE WOULD FINALLY CATCH AND TAKE OFF. THIS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED WITH THE REST OF THE TRAFFIC. ANYTIME THE VEHICLE REALLY NEEDED TO SHIFT IT TENDED TO JUST SIT AND IDLE UNTIL THE CHAIN CAUGHT EXACTLY WHERE IT NEEDED TO WHICH IS WHAT CAUSED THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE CHAIN WAS MISSING IN CERTAIN SPOTS SO ONCE IT FINALLY CAUGHT THE CORRECT SPOT IT WOULD TAKE OFF BUT MADE IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS YOU NEVER KNEW HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO CATCH ON AND TAKE OFF OR IF IT WAS GOING TO COMPLETELY BREAK AT SOME POINT AND JUST NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE VEHICLE ALSO DID NOT WANT TO START KEPT ROLLING OVER MULTIPLE TIMES BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO CHEVY TO FIX IT.

NHTSA ODI 11180471

IT IS NOTED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON THE 3.3 L FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINES FOR YEARS HAVE A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD THERE BY LEACHING CARBON MONOXIDE INTO THE CAB INTERIOR OF SAID AUTOMOBILES. PARTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE HAVE BEEN NOTED TO BE 20 TO 30 PPM WHEN READINGS HAVE BEEN DONE

NHTSA ODI 11180096

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

MY PASSANGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT IS CONTINUALLY GOING OUT. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED OVER 5 TIMES THIS YEAR. ONLY HAVING ISSUES WITH PASSANGER SIDE.

NHTSA ODI 11179860

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM KEEPS GOING OUT I HAVE REPLACED THE BULB 5 TIMES AND KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF. SOME DAYS IT WORKS SOME DAYS IT DOESN'T. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER FOR THIS A FEW TIMES AND I HAVE TO SHOW OFFICER THE RECEIPTS I HAVE TO PROVE I HAVE TRIED TO FIX MY LIGHT. PLEASE DO A RECALL ON THIS AS I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE.THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHT AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE CORRECTLY WHILE IM DRIVING AND IS DISTRACTING TO OTHER VEHICLES AS WELL.

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THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. IT STAYS ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN GOES AWAY. IT WAS ON FOR FOUR DAYS THIS LAST TIME, WENT AWAY FOR ONE DAY AND CAME BACK ON TODAY. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER MALIBU OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I DECIDED TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR AND THERE ISN'T. SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE IF THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11176162

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

WHILE DRIVING MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU, I RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE FOR POWER STEERING. I TRIED THE STEERING AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. I TURNED OFF THE CAR COMPLETELY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND THE STEERING FELT NORMAL, SO I DROVE IT ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, I WENT TO START THE CAR TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERS AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT WAS LIT UP IN THE DASHBOARD AND AGAIN, THE WHEEL WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AND AT THE POINT I NEEDED A TOW. I WANT TO ADD THAT THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED, SO I WAS GETTING NO POWER AT ALL TO THE CAR. IN MY SPARE TIME AND WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK I LOCATED A BULLETIN ON-LINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BULLETIN 15356, WHICH WILL COVER YOUR CAR, IF YOU HAVE OWNED IT LAST THEN 10 YEARS AND IT HAS LESS THEN 150K MILES ON IT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT GM AND WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED, BUT LEARNED WHEN CHECKING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE, IT WAS COVERED. IT IS NICE THAT GM PUT THIS BULLETIN OUT TO COVER THIS WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT OF TIME AND MILEAGE. THIS IS NOT FAIR! WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALERS, 2 OTHER PEOPLE WERE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE POWER STEERING FAILURE. GM REPLACED TORQUE SENSOR AND THE MOTOR MODULE. APPARENTLY BOTH FAILED AND FORTUNATELY BOTH WERE COVERED UNDER THE "SPECIAL WARRANTY BULLETIN 15356, WHICH I AM VERY HAPPY ABOUT. I AM STILL UPSET THOUGH, BECAUSE GM KNOWS THAT THE POWERING STEERING A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO COVER THE PEOPLE THAT SPENT THEIR HARD OWNED DOLLARS ON BUYING YOUR CAR, ONLY FOR THEM TO GET SCREWED LATER WHEN THE POWERING STEERING SYSTEM FAIL PREMATURELY. I PICKED UP THE CAR TODAY FROM THE DEALER AND SO FAR, IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING OKAY. IF THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURS, I HOPE IT HAPPENS BEFORE I OWN THE CAR FOR 10 YEARS, OR BEFORE MY MILES GET TO 150K

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