What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Hev

THE DASHBOARD SEAT BELT LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. THE RADIO AT TIMES GOES SILENT. THE HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OFF AND HAVING TO REPLACE. THE ECM OR ECU HAS WENT OUT. AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ONE. ON THIS WHILE THE CAR IS ON, DRIVING AND STATIONARY.

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ACCORDING TO DEALER, A PRODUCT FAILURE OCCURRED. A PLATE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE AND DAMAGED 3RD, 4TH AND REAR GEARS. CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS AND 78,000 MIKES WITH A YRANSMISSION FLUSH AT 60,000. DEALER STATES IT COULDNT BE A BAD FLUSH.

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SPEED SLOW DOWN ON A 55 MPH HIGHWAY TO 10 MPH AND WOULDNT GET NO SPEED AND IT THROTTLE AND SHAKE UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP THE MOST SCARY THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME I WENT FROM A FORD TO CHEVY THE MOST STUPID IDEA I COULD'VE EVER DONE AND EVER LIGHT ON DASH BOARD IS ON AND BLINKING TO BRAKE LIGHT,TRACTION LIGHT,ETC LIGHT, RADIO AND CLOCK LIGHTS THE SPEED DOOR AND WINDOW LIGHTS ITS TO MUCH TO DEAL WITH IM AFRAID THAT THIS CAR IS GONNA TAKE MY LIFE FROM ME BUT NOONE CAN FIND NO PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR I'VE GOT AN OIL CHANGE TO SPARK PLUGS AND SO MUCH MORE DONE ON THIS CAR AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED THIS THE FOURTH TIME THIS CAR HAS PUT ME DOWN IN THE SIX MTHS OF ME HAVING THIS CAR SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP I LOVE THE CAR BUT ITS NOT A SAFE CAR TO HAVE AND I CAN EVEN EXCHANGE IT OUT FOR ANOTHER ONE AT LEAST THATS WHAT THE PEOPLE AT THE CAR LOT SAYS.

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DRIVER SEAT FRAME BREAKING - NO NOTICE THE DRIVER SEAT RIGHT SIDE SAGS AND IS LOOSE MOVES AROUND. NORMAL GETTING IN AND OUT OF CAR. HAD DEALER LOOK AT IT AND SAID FRAME BROKEN. SEAT NEED TO BE REPLACED 1100.00 VERIFIED SEAT FRAME BROKEN WITH CHEVROLET DEALER IN GA HAZARD DRIVING WHEN DRIVER SEAT FRAME BREAKS WITHOUT NOTICE.

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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.

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THE INCIDENT HAPPENED TWICE THUS FAR. ONCE WHILE WAITING AT A LIGHT AND ANOTHER TIME WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT, AS WELL AS THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS FLASHED ON. THE CAR BEGAN TO REV ERRATICALLY AND ACTUALLY CAUSED THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD. SOME MESSAGES BEGAN TO COME UP ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY AND THE MESSAGE THAT REMAINED WAS ENGINE POWER REDUCED. TRYING TO TAKE OFF FROM THE LIGHT TO FIND A PLACE TO PULL OVER THE CAR WAS JERKING AND I COULD BARELY ACCELERATE. WHILE DRIVING THIS SLOWDOWN AND JERKING HAPPENED SUDDENLY AND ALMOST CAUSED A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR. AFTER PULLING OVER AND SHUTTING OFF THE CAR THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS FOR WHILE BEFORE HAPPENING AGAIN. ONCE PARKED, OPENING THE HOOD SHOWED A VIOLENTLY SHAKING ENGINE. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE WITH MALIBU AROUND THAT TIME AND THE MILEAGE I HAVE ON THE CAR (66500). THE CULPRIT APPEARS TO BE A FAULTY THROTTLE BODY, FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHER DRIVERS.

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FOR SOMETIME NOW IN THE PAST FEW YEARS WHEN I GET INTO THE DRIVER SEAT IT FEELS LIKE THE SEAT IS SHIFTING TO THE RIGHT. THE ISSUE WAS FELT BUT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AS TIME WENT ON. I DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AS I AFTER 1-2 YEARS WENT TO THE BACK SEAT TO THE REAR OF THE SEAT AND PUT MY HANDS UNDER THE LOWER RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SEAT AND LIFTED. THE SEAT MOVED! I THEN CALLED CHEVROLET TO SEE IF THEY HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT OR THE FRAME AND I WAS TOLD NO. I THEN TALKED WITH MCDERMOTT AND I WAS TOLD THE SEAT WOULD COST ME CLOSE TO $1,000 DOLLARS. I THEN CONTACTED CNA NATIONAL WARRANTY CORPORATION AND I HAVE BUMPER TO BUMPER COVERAGE THROUGH THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. CNA IS REFUSING TO COVER THE SEAT FRAME BUT WOULD COVER THE SEAT TRACK. I CALLED CHEVROLET AGAIN ON 03/27/2017 AND THEY TOLD ME BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULDN'T COVER THE SEAT? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAVE DEALT WITH A DRIVER SEAT BREAKING ON A CHEVROLET PRODUCT. I WEIGH 200LBS AND THE SEAT FRAME SHOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THIS SEAT IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND MOVEMENT FROM A HUMAN BODY WITH A SEAT BELT? I HAVE A CASE NUMBER FROM CHEVROLET: 2844719955. I'M WORKING ON GETTING A CASE NUMBER FROM CNA TODAY. I HAVE ALSO READ ABOUT THE 2006, 2010, 2011 AND 2012 MALIBU ISSUES WITH CAR SEATS. I NEED THE SEAT REPLACED AND IT HAS DONE SOME DAMAGE TO THE CENTER CONSOLE FROM THE MOVEMENT FROM THE SEAT. THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT CHEVROLET AND CNA IS REFUSING TO FIX.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,260.

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A KNOWN CHEVROLET ISSUE ON THEIR 2.4 L ENGINE CAUSED FAILURE IN MY AUTOMOBILE WHILE TRAVELLING 70 MPH ON I94 IN MINNESOTA. IF THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP WE MAY HAVE DIED. THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN TO GM AND HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN OTHER VEHICLES BUT THE MALIBU THEY LEFT OUT. GM WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THIS. THE TIMING CHAIN, OR CHAIN TENSIONER, OR CHAIN GUIDES FAILED CAUSING THE CHAIN TO BREAK AND LOSE POWER WHILE TRAVELLING DOWN THE ROAD. EVERY GM MECHANIC I HAVE TALKED TO AFTER THIS HAPPENED HAS SAID THAT THESE VEHICLES REQUIRE AN OIL CHANGE EVERY 3000 MILES BUT GM STATES DIFFERENTLY. THEY SAY IF YOU FOLLOW GM STANDARDS THIS WILL HAPPEN ALMOST EVERY TIME. VEHICLE HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON ON WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED MASS CASUALTY. AGAIN THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN ON GM VEHICLES AND THEY REFUSE TO ADDRESS IT UNTIL MORE PEOPLE WITH A MALIBU COME FORWARD. THIS NEED TO BE RESOLVED AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TRAVELLING DOWN THE ROADS IN MN. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

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REACTOR GEAR BROKE, BLOWING INTO ALL PARTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. BROKE WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, WASN'T ABLE TO SPEED UP OR MOVE OUT OF FIRST GEAR. ALSO WAS NOT ABLE TO REVERSE. RESULTED IN A NEED FOR A TOTAL NEW TRANSMISSION.

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CHECK LIGHT WITH EVAPORATIVE LEAK AT LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND APPROX 97800 MILES. DEALER REPLACED HEAVILY CORRODED FUEL PUMP MODULE, AND A WEEK LATER THE FUEL TANK ITSELF, ALSO DUE TO HEAVY CORROSION. DEALER PROVIDED DISCOUNTS AND FREE LOANER, I HAVE NO COMPLAINT WITH DEALER. MY COMPLAINT IS WITH CHEVROLET FOR NOT PROPERLY DESIGNING THESE PARTS WHICH WERE HEAVILY CORRODED IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS. I AM OUT A SUBSTANTIAL SUM, ABOUT $1600, AND HAVE LOOKED ONLINE AND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INSTANCE. A FUEL OR VAPOR LEAK IS CERTAINLY DANGEROUS AND I ASSUME IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL EMISSIONS REGS. I HAVE CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN RESPOND TO EMAIL. I WAS HOPING FOR SOME COMPENSATION AS I AM A LONGTIME/MULTI CHEVY OWNER. WHILE NOT AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE, IT SEEMS A FUEL LEAK IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND I WANTED TO LOG A COMPLAINT SO NHTSA CAN DETERMINE IF A MANUFACTURING/DESIGN DEFECT EXISTS. I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE THE ONLY MALIBU WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

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THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HAS BROKEN. IT IS THE RIGHT SIDE AND IT IS SITTING LOWER THAN THE LEFT SIDE. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. THE OTHER ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION. IT IS VERY WORRISOME. WHEN YOU ARE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN/LIGHT OR ANYTHING AND YOU GO TO TAKE OFF IT FEELS LIKE CAR SHUTS DOWN BRIEFLY AND THEN IT KICKS IN. THE PROBLEM CAN NEVER SEEM TO BE REPLICATED AT A DEALERSHIP IMAGINE THAT.

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THE HEADLIGHT BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES AND CONTINUE TO BLOW OUT INTERMITTENTLY WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF REPLACEMENT. THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE FACTORY INSTALLED HIGH BEAM LAMPS ONLY THE LOW BEAM LAMPS ARE BLOWING OUT AFTER REPLACEMENT.

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I DID HAVE A RECALL ON THE FRONT SEAT BELTS, NOT SURE IF THE SEATS WERE REMOVED. SINCE THEN THE DRIVERS SEAT FELT AS IF IT WAS CLOSER TO THE CENTER CONSOLE AND LEANING MORE TO THE RIGHT NOT TO MENTION A TOOL (BATTERY POWERED ANGLE DRIVER) WAS FOUND IN THE BACK LEFT SEAT LATER AND RETURNED TO MCDERMOTT. MY SEAT IS LEANING MORE AND MORE AS TIME PASSES AND I WENT TO THE REAR SEAT TO LOOK AT THE DRIVERS SEAT AND THE RIGHT SIDE MOUNTED TO THE FLOOR RAIL IS LIFTING UP? I THE SPOKE WITH CHEVROLET DIRECT ONLINE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I WAS TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND ME THE SEAT WITH MY SEAT BELT ON WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND MY SEAT IS ALSO DAMAGED FROM THE MOVEMENT, LEATHER SEAT. THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

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TIMING CHAIN FAILURE IN THE 4 CYL. ECHO TECH ENGINE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD US THEY HAVE MANY VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME ENGINE COME IN BUT THE MALIBU HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME ENGINE AS THE TRAVERSE RECALLS. NOT REPLACING THE TIMING CHAIN AND PULLEYS WILL RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE.

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VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING REDUCED POWER TO JUST IDLE WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND SEVERAL ERROR MESSAGES WERE DISPLAYED INCLUDING "REDUCED POWER." I DROVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT ONLY 2 MPH AND THEN PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I SHUT THE CAR OFF FOUR (4) TIMES AND THEN THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY. I DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED PROBLEM TO AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AT THE TPS CONNECTOR FOR THE ECM. TSB # PIP5019 (DOC ID#2834731) IDENTIFIES REPAIR PROCEDURE TO REPLACE PINS/CONTACTS FOR THE TPS CONNECTOR. EVIDENCE IDENTIFIES A LATENT MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY REDUCE ENGINE POWER PLACING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS AT GREAT RISK.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND IS STAYING ON.

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ENGINE REDUCED POWER MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED AND THE ENGINE LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. CAR MAY STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. ENGINE CODE IS P2135. IT HAPPENS BETWEEN 4-10 MINUTES AFTER STARTUP. WHEN IT HAPPENS WE HAVE TO SHUT THE IGNITION OFF WAIT A COUPLE MINUTES AND RESTART THE VEHICLE WHICH THE VEHICLE RUNS NORMAL AT THAT POINT. THIS IS A REPEATED DAILY PROCESS AND STILL IS NOT RESOLVED. WE REMOVED THIS VEHICLE FROM HIGHWAY USE DO TO THE UNSAFE CONDITION. IT IS WINTER HERE IN MICHIGAN AND MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISSUE.. CAR HAS 130,000 MILES. *TR

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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.

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THE POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURS WHEN DRIVING. *TR

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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.

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I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND JERK, AND THEN THE ALERTS ACROSS THE DASH CAME UP AS "SERVICE ESC", "SERVICE TRACTION", AND "ENGINE POWER REDUCED". I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER PAYING $550.00 FOR THE REPAIR THE CAR SEEMED TO WORK FINE UNTIL RECENTLY, ONLY TWO MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL REPAIR THE SAME EXACT THING HAS HAPPENED, AND NOW THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR, THERE IS NO RECALL AND I'LL EITHER HAVE TO TRADE THE CAR IN (WHICH I CAN'T AFFORD TO DO) OR JUST DRIVE IT AND HOPE THE PROBLEM WILL CORRECT ITSELF. I AM BEYOND SCARED TO DRIVE IT AS MY DAUGHTER IS IN THE CAR WITH ME, AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVING A DEATH TRAP DOWN THE HIGHWAY. PLEASE HELP.

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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

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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

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