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What 921 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (921)Crash / fire / injury (52)Electrical system (423)Engine (226)Steering (197)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (84)Airbags (69)Suspension (65)Transmission & drivetrain (61)Brakes (55)Visibility & wipers (44)Fuel system (40)

2 of 921 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 27, 2020BrakesCrash

MY BREAK BOOSTER WENT OUT AGAIN FOR 3RD TIME WITH IN A YEAR AND HALF I HAVE TAKEN TO A PLACE TO GET IT FIXED THIS IS ON SAFE.I WAS DRIVING ALL 3 TIMES WHEN IT WENT OUT. I WAS STOPPING AT A LIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11341609

May 22, 2019Electrical systemBrakesCrash

I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. SUDDENLY IT STARTED TO MOVE AND SUDDENLY TOOK OFF AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME (THE CAR HAD MOVED UP SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT I HADN'T, SO IT HAD A LOT OF MOMENTUM WHEN IT HIT)! AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORT WAS FILED, I TRIED TO START THE CAR TO LEAVE, BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T START. ADDITIONALLY, A TON OF ERROR MESSAGES WERE FLASHING, AS WELL AS ALL INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIGHTS FLASHING, EVEN THE DECORATIVE PANEL BLUE STRIP LIGHTS. I WAS TERRIFIED. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED FROM THE SCENE. AT FIRST, THE OFFICER DIDN'T BELIEVE ME, THAT IT WAS THE CAR'S FAULT, NOT MINE, BUT ONCE SHE SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, SHE BELIEVED ME. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID THE CAR WAS POSSESSED, HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. THE CAR HAD ALMOST 53,000 MILES ON IT, ONE YEAR TO GO WITH PAYMENTS, AND I HAD BEEN PLANNING TO KEEP IT ONCE IT WAS PAID OFF, UNTIL THIS HAPPENED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE. WHAT IF IT HIT PEDESTRIANS CROSSING THE STREET? I WAS AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL. WHEN MY MECHANIC EVALUATED IT, A BUNCH OF ERROR CODES PRINTED OUT, ONE OF WHICH WAS U0121 MULTI-AXIS ACCELERATION SENSOR LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. I'M PRETTY SURE THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT, BUT BOTH GENERAL MOTORS AND MY CHEVROLET DEALER SAY THIS MEANS NOTHING. I SOLD THE CAR AND BOUGHT A MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. I WILL NEVER BUY A CHEVY AGAIN. ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE HAPPENING TO OTHER CHEVY'S (MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR ALONE) - SO FAR ABOUT 167 THAT I'VE READ ABOUT, BUT NO ONE'S DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ODI 11209320

Working with the data? Download all 921 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco verdict →