Your vehicle report
2011 Chevrolet Malibu
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 978
- Received Oct 2010 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night114 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power steering cuts out while driving82 complaints · 8.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly53 complaints · 5.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #19V019000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
- Recall #15V269000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Power steering cuts out while drivingFirst signal: Nov 2017
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 40 crashes, 17 fires, 41 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 16 |
| 2012 | 14 |
| 2013 | 24 |
| 2014 | 130 |
| 2015 | 161 |
| 2016 | 100 |
| 2017 | 72 |
| 2018 | 118 |
| 2019 | 135 |
| 2020 | 73 |
| 2021 | 36 |
| 2022 | 29 |
| 2023 | 19 |
| 2024 | 23 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 12 |
| Total | 978 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 114 | 12% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 82 | 8.4% | 19× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2017 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.1% |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 53 | 5.4% | 5.8× | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 51 | 5.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 41 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #15V269000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 41 | 4.2% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 28 | 2.9% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 26 | 2.7% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 22 | 2.3% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 22 | 2.3% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 22 | 2.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 22 | 2.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 21 | 2.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 17 | 1.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 17 | 1.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 15 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 13 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 10 | 1.0% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 10 | 1.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 9 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #19V019000January 16, 20191,145 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N182206630.
NHTSA recall #15V269000May 8, 2015437,045 vehicles affected
seat belts
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.
NHTSA recall #14V252000May 14, 20142,440,524 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring; electronic stability control (esc); exterior lighting: brake lights; exterior lighting: brake lights: switch; vehicle speed control: cruise control
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN