10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 1
Average Mileage:
79,915 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #48

Jun 192018

Malibu

  • miles
About a month ago my traction control light started coming on and I would have to shut the car off to reset it after that I was notified that my brake lights would stay on while I was driving and would turn off when I hit the brakes pretty much working in reverse now at the moment it is happening all the time and it is making it very unsafe for me and my child to drive in. Also when I am driving on the highway my car will shift from fifth gear down to 4th gear and I would have to switch to the manual shift mode to shift correctly due to the car not shifting correct.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #47

Mar 132018

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles
I was driving down the road and stopped at a stop light and my power steering went out.

- Spencer, IN, USA

problem #46

Nov 222017

Malibu

  • 10,800 miles
Car states engine power reduce on my car, will be driving and the codes will come on, speed reduced, traction turned off, acceleration is slow. No warning this is going to happen, can happen while driving high speeds or regulars speeds. Has happened or city streets and highway. If you fix one thing code some back saying it's another thing. Don't feel safe in driving the car, never know when this mode will come on.

- Gary, IN, USA

problem #45

Oct 062017

Malibu

  • 173,000 miles
Vehicle has electrical lighting issues interior and exterior, service air bag and check tire sensor is flashing on the dashboard when U start the car and stays flashing, on some occasions the vehicle randomly throws off the traction and that light comes

- Sapulpa, OK, USA

problem #44

Apr 152017

Malibu

  • miles
It saying service power steering. Then I can't turn the car. I turn it of and back on then it works. I've had proplems with this car since I bought it.

- Scio, OR, USA

problem #43

Mar 282017

Malibu

  • miles
When I start the car the steering wheel does not move at all. On the dash it says power steering then ESC off pops up. I have to restart the car a few times in order for it to be able to move and the message is gone. When im driving the steering wheel shakes and turning gets a little stiff. I drive both city streets and highways im afraid it will lock up on me when in motion.

- Long Branch, NJ, USA

problem #42

Mar 012017

Malibu

  • 150,000 miles
Brake lights illuminate during normal driving when brakes pedal is not being pushed. Brake lights then turn off when brake pedal is pushed and don't come back on until brake pedal is pushed at least half way down. Cruise control doesn't work when this is happening. Problem happens when driving at any speed. This has been happening for about a month this time. Was previously fixed under a recall but the fix is not working.

- Lehi, UT, USA

problem #41

Jan 022017

Malibu

  • 128,000 miles
Traction control light comes on, ESC turns off, vehicle sputters when these lights illuminate and engine light blinks while driving down the road, similiar recall for older model was found NHTSA recall 14V252 but my year of vehicle is not included, can this be the same issue

- Lufkin, TX, USA

problem #40

Jun 152015

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles
I am a owner of a 08 Chevy Malibu lt 2.4 liter. When I first got the car from the dealer (used) for about two years it was running fine with just little maintenance. When the third year comes around I start having problems with the traction control and engine reduce power light. I've looked up fixes for these problems and I'm currently invested over 5,000 on fixing this problem and it's still not fixed the dealer didn't fix it other auto shops couldn't fix it and it the engine reduce power light on the car sometimes N shuts off where it sits (like in busy traffic). I have a [xxx] son and I dont trust putting him in my car because of this problem of stalling out and not being able to start back up. My car is a daily driver so it cuts off in traffic, when stopped at redlights, takes about 2 to 3 minutes to get it started and idling properly. I fear that one day I wont be able to start my car back up and get into a crash if it stops in the middle of traffic again. This is the most unsafe car I have owned. 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)

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #39

Jan 052017

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 136,000 miles
There is a recall no 14116 and 14116B involving the torque sensor on 2008 Chevrolet Malibu but not on my particular VIN. It causes a loss of power steering which I am having. I do not understand why my particular model is not covered in this safety issue and what can I do about it. I have had no accidents yet but have to pull off the road and restart my car.

- Waldo, AR, USA

problem #38

Dec 272016

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 131,000 miles
As I'm driving down the freeway going about 70 mph I hear about 3 or 4 dings go off all at one time. The service ESC, engine pwr reduced, service traction, and ESC off warnings came on my 2008 Chevy Malibu lt dash as well as the traction warning light and check engine light. My car almost instantly starting to decelerate at an exceptional speed. I had to "floor it" to make it stop and then it slowly accelerated. Once I got home I googled the problem and a lot of people were saying it has to do with the fuse box or throttle body or both. I don't know what is wrong with it and I don't have a lot of extra money right now so I'm kinda stuck driving it like this for awhile since it is not under any type of warranty and I have to go to work.

- Victorville, CA, USA

problem #37

Dec 272016

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles
Power locks have only worked for front doors for as long as ive had the car, about a year..... over the past month - service air bag light came on shortly after starting the car one day. A few weeks later, service ESC and traction control popped up after starting the car. Now my power steering has gone out and does not reset upon restarting the car.

- South Charleston, WV, USA

problem #36

Oct 102016

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
Brake lights remained illuminated even if brake pedal was not pushed, both while stationary and in motion. Traction control was disabled while in motion. Body control module was malfunctioning and had to be replaced. Brake lights remained illuminated on all roads, in all conditions, and at all times. Traction control was disabled primarily on city streets but sometimes on highways. The Chevrolet dealer service department said the cause was a malfunctioning body control module and had to replace it. The problems with the car are the same as those in NHTSA campaign number 14V252000, although a search by VIN reveals no outstanding recalls. The vehicle is currently undergoing repair and I will have repair invoices after the repairs are completed.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #35

Sep 042016

Malibu

  • 76,000 miles
I was turning right at about 20 mph, the normal speed I turn at. My Malibu slid and I couldn't turn the steering wheel. The car beeped at me and it said ESC on the dash computer. I called about the recall for eps, and my car does not have one. Kind of weird to see when others are recalled for this issue. I did have the power steering torque replaced in 2015. The car is still drivable, but to me I feel unsafe because the steering wheel now has a mind of its own when turning, and I cannot afford a replacement right now, as well as an accident.

- Lakemoor, IL, USA

problem #34

Sep 272016

Malibu

  • 200,000 miles
Takata recall I lost control of my 08 Chevy Malibu as it was in motion. Driving to school the ABS, brake, traction control and battery light turned on and the power steering locked. I had to forcefully turn the steering wheel to get out of traffics way and park somewhere to avoid an accident.

- Hidalgo, TX, USA

problem #33

Jul 272016

Malibu

  • 36,000 miles
Just took possession of a 2008 Chevy Malibu ltz V6 3.6 with on 36K original miles on it. Have had for only 5 days and got a dash notification of check ESC soon, traction control, eng power reduced warning with the check engine symbol. I pulled in my driveway home from work and immediately notified my local dealership. Backed out of driveway to take to the dealership and had no power to go anywhere so pulled back in drive and shut the car off to go inside my house, came back out turn the car back on and put in reverse, all seemed find with power, then proceeded on to the dealership with no power failure, but engine light stayed on. With only 36K miles and lots of reviews I am reading on the internet about this problem seems to be an issue and recurring that no one can seem to find a fix for. How many complaints before there is a recall on this issue. I travel out of town at least two weekends a month and being a single female I cannot afford to get stranded and cause a wreck due to power failure. Seriously when does this problem get recognized and corrected to save a life.

- Lebanon, TN, USA

problem #32

Jan 082016

Malibu

  • 127,000 miles
Displays, ESC off, traction control service, and engine power reduced. And when accelerating it doesn't really move. It takes a while to get speed up. And I was almost run over by a tractor trailer. This just started all of a sudden. And I have only had this car for about a year. It is stated that the Malibu has recalls.

- Glen Burnie, MD, USA

problem #31

Jan 082016

Malibu

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the steering wheel seized and the power steering and the electronic stability control warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of 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 unknown. The VIN was not available.

- Bryan, TX, USA

problem #30

Jan 082016

Malibu

  • 195,160 miles
Brake lights would be on when not applying brakes and brakes lights would not come on when applying brakes - ESC and service traction indicators remained on. On the way to have this problem repair for the 3rd time, the engine loss power while I was driving approx 75mph on an extremely busy interstate. One of the scariest moments of my entire life. Pulled over, put the car in park & then is shutoff. The engine light came on at the same time as the reduced engine power warning. After waiting awhile, I restarted the car and was able to get to the dealership. Service tech said the brake lights worked find - he had no evidence that they were staying on. He said the ESC & traction was related to the reduced engine power & I needed to have the throttle body replaced - $550. Had the throttle body replaced and driving home-approx 30 mins later-the car starts doing weird idle things. In park the RPM hand flucuated between 1.5-2 and then out of nowhere 3.0-in park, not applying gas or brakes. I had to apply brakes and put the car in gear to make it stop. When I released the brakes at the stoplight-not applying gas-car accelerated to 20 mph on it's own. Called dealership back-they implied it was my fault for leaving the lot if something was wrong. The only thing that the car did before leaving dealership was for approx 5 secs it was a tad be louder than normal when I started the engine. The other problems did not present until after I was several miles away (interstate) and more so when I was off the interstate where there was more slowing, stopping, etc. I parked after my concern increased. Turned the car and then restarted after a period-that is when it idled up to 3.0 rpms in park-people walking by looked at me strange as if I was sitting in the parked car just pressing the gas-not. I am just as terrified to drive the car tonight as I was before it was repaired earlier today.

- Dalzell, SC, USA

problem #29

Mar 012013

Malibu 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at various speeds, the ESC and traction control warning lights illuminated. In addition, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake lights failed to illuminate. The brake lights illuminated independently without the brake pedal being depressed. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who repaired the vehicle under NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control); however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. Update 01/15/16

- Wilmington, DE, USA

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