2010 Chevrolet MALIBU

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2010 Chevrolet MALIBU has 2200 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 27.5x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is steering problems (21% of all complaints), specifically: can someone please see if the 2010 chevrolet malibu has the same steering as the cobalt? i have owned this car for 1 month now and have the same issue. problem: over 45mph there is a disconnected feeling in the steering. on rough roads or on a windy day the car is hard to keep in your lane. i hav. ⚠️ 8 fire reports filed.

8 fire reports 56 crash reports 63 injuries

2200

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

27.5x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

STEERING

454 complaints

21%

• CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SEE IF THE 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS THE SAME STEERING AS THE COBALT? I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR 1 MONTH NOW AND HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. PROBLEM: OVER 45MPH THERE IS A DISCONNECTED FEELING IN THE STEERING. ON ROUGH ROADS OR ON A WINDY DAY THE CAR IS HARD TO KEEP IN YOUR LANE. I HAV
• RENTED A BRAND NEW (45 MILES) 2010 CHEVY MALIBU. SEVERAL TIMES OVER 4 DAYS, THE POWER STEERING WOULD GIVE OUT BRIEFLY. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN MOUNTAIN ROADS AND COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. I RETURNED THE CAR WITH A NOTE TO THE RENTAL COMPANY. *TR
• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ESC SERVICE WARNING AND POWER STEERING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE STEERING WHEEL THEN BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE SHE WAS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 11 crashes

“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SEE IF THE 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS THE SAME STEERING AS THE COBALT? I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR 1 MONTH NOW AND HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. PROBLEM: OVER 45MPH THERE IS A DISCONNECTED FEELING IN THE STEERING. ON ROUGH ROADS OR ON A WINDY DAY THE CAR IS HARD TO KEEP IN YOUR LANE. I HAV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

293 complaints

13%

• I BOUGHT A 2010 CHEVY MALIBU IN NOVEMBER OF 2010 AND THE CAR ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN JANUARY OF 2010. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I WAS SLEEPING. AT APPROXIMATELY 9 P.M. MY NEIGHBORS AWAKE ME TO NOTIFY ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. THEY HAD CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD SHOWN
• THE THEFT SYSTEM IS HANGING UP IN MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU AND MAKING IT NOT START. I CAN BE STUCK WITHOUT IT STARTING DAY OR NIGHT. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AT $500 EACH. THEY KEEP SAYING THAT IT IS NOT A RECALL AND HAS TO BE PAID 4 BY ME. ON THE INTERNET THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS
• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER CHIP IN THE VEHICLE CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO MALFUNCTION. THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD BLOW HOT AIR AND CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VEHICLE IN 95 DEGREE WEATHER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE RE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“I BOUGHT A 2010 CHEVY MALIBU IN NOVEMBER OF 2010 AND THE CAR ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN JANUARY OF 2010. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I WAS SLEEPING. AT APPROXIMATELY 9 P.M. MY NEIGHBORS AWAKE ME TO NOTIFY ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. THEY HAD CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD SHOWN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

226 complaints

10%

• I PURCHASED THE 2010 MALIBU, USED FROM THE DEALERSHIP- THEY WERE THE OWNERS PREVIOUSLY. I PURCHASED IT IN OCT. 2011 AND HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 8 TIMES IN THE 9 MONTHS OF OWNING IT. ONE TIME THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR HAD 1+ INCHES OF STANDING WATER IN IT, AFTER A RAIN. THE ESC LIGHT CONTI
• I'VE HAD MY CAR IN THE WARRANTY REPAIR SHOP 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. FIRST OCCURRENCE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON FOR ESC OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ESC AT 20 MPH. THEY'VE REPLACED 4 PARTS ON MY CAR AND TODAY THE SAME LIGHTS SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL A
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AND ERRONEOUSLY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE NOT DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED. THE CONTACT ALS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“I PURCHASED THE 2010 MALIBU, USED FROM THE DEALERSHIP- THEY WERE THE OWNERS PREVIOUSLY. I PURCHASED IT IN OCT. 2011 AND HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 8 TIMES IN THE 9 MONTHS OF OWNING IT. ONE TIME THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR HAD 1+ INCHES OF STANDING WATER IN IT, AFTER A RAIN. THE ESC LIGHT CONTI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

199 complaints

• VERY DELAYED RESPONSE TO BRAKING. I WAS ABOUT FOUR CARS AWAY WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 40MPH WHEN I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE. VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING UNTIL EVENTUALLY IT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT FELT LIKE I WAS JUST DRIVING WITH THE FOOT ON THE GAS VERY SLOWLY. ITS IN THE SHOP NOW BEI
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL GRINDING COMING FROM THE BRAKES WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN
• I'VE HAD MY CAR IN THE WARRANTY REPAIR SHOP 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. FIRST OCCURRENCE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON FOR ESC OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ESC AT 20 MPH. THEY'VE REPLACED 4 PARTS ON MY CAR AND TODAY THE SAME LIGHTS SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL A

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 8 crashes

“VERY DELAYED RESPONSE TO BRAKING. I WAS ABOUT FOUR CARS AWAY WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 40MPH WHEN I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE. VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING UNTIL EVENTUALLY IT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT FELT LIKE I WAS JUST DRIVING WITH THE FOOT ON THE GAS VERY SLOWLY. ITS IN THE SHOP NOW BEI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

LIGHTING

196 complaints

• BRAND NEW 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU LEAKS WHEN RAINS AND IT RUNS INTO MY FLOORBOARD, AIRBAGS AND WIRE HARNESS CAUSING CAR TO SHORT OUT. MOST OF THE TIME THE LIGHTS IN DASH WON'T WORK. *TR
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU LT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BCM AND THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR ENGAGED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED THE BRAKE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NO
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED AND WOULD ILLUMINATE WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WOULD DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“BRAND NEW 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU LEAKS WHEN RAINS AND IT RUNS INTO MY FLOORBOARD, AIRBAGS AND WIRE HARNESS CAUSING CAR TO SHORT OUT. MOST OF THE TIME THE LIGHTS IN DASH WON'T WORK. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

LIGHTING(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 2200 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
STEERING: CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SEE IF THE 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS THE SAME STEERING AS THE COBALT? I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR 1 MONTH NOW AND HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. PROBLEM: OVER 45MPH THERE IS A DISCONNECTED FEELING IN THE STEERING. ON ROUGH ROADS OR ON A WINDY DAY THE CAR IS HARD TO KEEP IN YOUR LANE. I HAV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: I BOUGHT A 2010 CHEVY MALIBU IN NOVEMBER OF 2010 AND THE CAR ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN JANUARY OF 2010. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I WAS SLEEPING. AT APPROXIMATELY 9 P.M. MY NEIGHBORS AWAKE ME TO NOTIFY ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. THEY HAD CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD SHOWN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS: I PURCHASED THE 2010 MALIBU, USED FROM THE DEALERSHIP- THEY WERE THE OWNERS PREVIOUSLY. I PURCHASED IT IN OCT. 2011 AND HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 8 TIMES IN THE 9 MONTHS OF OWNING IT. ONE TIME THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR HAD 1+ INCHES OF STANDING WATER IN IT, AFTER A RAIN. THE ESC LIGHT CONTI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: VERY DELAYED RESPONSE TO BRAKING. I WAS ABOUT FOUR CARS AWAY WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 40MPH WHEN I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE. VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING UNTIL EVENTUALLY IT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT FELT LIKE I WAS JUST DRIVING WITH THE FOOT ON THE GAS VERY SLOWLY. ITS IN THE SHOP NOW BEI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)