10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 13 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 3 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 100,888 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Power steering intermittently went out while driving. It is unsafe and can cause a wreck
- Fairfield, OH, USA
Loss of Power Steering Assist while driving, increasing risk of crash, occurred on 3/8/24. No warning of failure, but upon failure the dash indicated Power Steering malfunction. When able to schedule into repair shop, system error codes indicated the Electronic Power Steering Motor Control Module and Steering Column required replacement (shop mechanic said these parts have worn out). Vehicle has not been repaired due to excessive cost ($1400 parts, plus $385 labor and shop supplies, plus sales tax). Vehicle only had 96,227 miles when malfunction occurred and has never been driven hard. Malfunctioning parts are still in vehicle and are thus available for inspection upon removal. Vehicle is still in use and probably poses an elevated and unnecessary risk to the general public and occupants of this vehicle due to poor manufacturer design and/or quality assurance. I have driven the vehicle 11 miles to date, without re-occurrence of malfunction (yet).
- Colorado Springs, CO, USA
In 2012, I was driving down a somewhat of a curvy road when all of a sudden when approaching a curve, the car would not turn!!! I was headed straight for a tree as well as traveling into opposing traffics lane. Fortunately, no one was coming. Eventually the steering came back which sent me back in the other direction as I was pulling on the wheel trying to get it to turn. This sent me over a curb that was on my side of the road, resulting in damage that had to be repaired at a collision center. I was scared to drive the car after this because of what happened, but everyone I talked to said there wasn't nothing wrong with the car. I started driving it again and everything was fine, until in 2022 as I was pulling into my mother's driveway, and it happened again!! I started the turn and boom no steering and ended up in her front yard. I haven't drove it since because I am terrified it will happen again. Today I decided to look into if anyone was having the same issue as I, and I found that my car was under a GM special coverage 15356 which has now expired. This should have been a RECALL!! If I wouldn't have thought to look into the problem I would have never known. Not only am I out money for the repair from the first incidence this could have ended poorly not just for me but other drivers around me as well.
- Louisville, KY, USA
Power steering intermittionly turns off and
- Gibsonville, NC, USA
See attached document for complaint
- Paso Robles, CA, USA
Power Steering suddenly quit working while driving. Code reader said steering wheel input torque sensor was bad.
- Roanoke, VA, USA
Loss of power steering while driving nearly causing an accident, very dangerous situation.
- Saint Johns, MI, USA
Electric power steering goes out while driving. Very hard to steer!!!! Major safety concern. Traction control and ESC don't work while this problem occurs.
- Madison, SD, USA
I brought car told dealer of air bag light on to service and tire monitor light I had my steering lock and ESC light on dealership did nothing to comply to safety of this called don't return calls
- Pine Bush, NY, USA
The power steering randomly goes out while I'm driving and triggers esc off. This creates a seriously dangerous driving situation as I have very little control of the vehicle. Why hasn't this been recalled. It's a seriously unsafe design that can kill someone.
- Chicago, IL, USA
The power steering stops working then the light comes on and reads power steering. This has happened multiple times so far. An example is when I was turning from one street to another. No other cars were coming or I may have hit them due to no steering at all. I was able to let it coast into the edge of someone's yard. I turned the car off. Then about 3 minutes later I turned it on and it worked again. 2nd time was at a food drive thru rounding the building. Turned off and back on and it worked. 3rd time in my driveway backing out. Again no one was near my car when I backed out onto a 55 mph road.
- Beaver Dam , KY, USA
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH the contact heard a chime and then the "Service Power Steering Loss SC" illuminated. The contact was able to steer the vehicle using extra effort to drive the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact continued driving and the power steering failure reoccurred. The contact pulled off the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that that failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 226,000.
- Middleborough, MA, USA
Intermittent loss off power steering while driving, usually in cold weather conditions. Absolutely no warning. This is EXTREMELY dangerous, especially when the driver is an elderly woman without the arm strength to steer the car without assisted power steering.
- Bethalto , IL, USA
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel seized and failed to operate as needed. The contact aggressively maneuvered the steering wheel to regain normal functionality. The air bag warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 184,553.
- Jennings, FL, USA
My vehicle can overheat at times and the thermostat won-??t work. That-??s during the summer and winter so the temperature could rise above normal and I wouldn-??t know because of the electric problems. It-??s happened too many times to count. The ESC sign comes on across the dash for me letting me know there are issues with power steering and traction. I can drive on my way to work and on the highway and it happens randomly. It-??s dangerous and scary I have to pull over on the side of the road to turn it off and on. Sometimes more than three to four times before it acts normal again. I tried to go to GM because my car has the symptoms of the cars being repaired in the recalls. But I-??m told there are none for my car but yet the car still locks on me. It jumps too as it-??s accelerating.
- Trenton, NJ, USA
My power steering continues to go in and out while driving. There is a -??service esc-?? light on the dash along with multiple other lights. I see this among thousands of other 2009 Chevrolet Malibus, yet they are not recalled. I feel this is a serious safety warning for everyone who has one or might get one in the future.
- Clarksburg, WV, USA
Electronic power steering goes out randomly while driving highway speeds. Traction control light and ESC light go on when this happens.
- Mobile, AL, USA
I purchased this car used on 3/27/2023. The previous owner took good care of the car and had any recalls issued taken care of. On 4/10/2023 the power steering went out. I had the Power Steering Control Module replaced on 4/17/2023 at a cost of $1,154.36 at my local Chevrolet dealer. Upon research on the Internet I found that some Chevrolet Malibus were issued a recall for this problem. This car should have been issued a recall and this problem taken care of years ago. I need for Chevrolet / GM to address this. Thank you.
- Kirkwood, PA, USA
The car suddenly turns off while driving shutting down the power steering making it difficult or impossible to maneuver. It is a death trap. This happened 3 times today May 5, 2023 Losing power while driving is a major safety issue that is putting innocent people's lives at risk.
- Rincon, GA, USA
- Birmingham, AL, USA