2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,356 complaints · 4 recalls

Verdict & Safety Summary

Most-reported system: STEERING (415 complaints · 30.6%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 40
  • Fires 14
  • Injuries 47
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution STEERING appears in 415 of 1,356 owner complaints (30.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. STEERING: 415 complaints, 30.6% of reports STEERING 415 · 30.6% · 8 crash reports 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 173 complaints, 12.8% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 173 · 12.8% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 126 complaints, 9.3% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 126 · 9.3% · 3 crash reports 4 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 99 complaints, 7.3% of reports POWER TRAIN 99 · 7.3% · 1 crash reports AIR BAGS: 90 complaints, 6.6% of reports AIR BAGS 90 · 6.6% · 18 crash reports ENGINE: 63 complaints, 4.7% of reports ENGINE 63 · 4.7% · 1 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 56 complaints, 4.1% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 56 · 4.1% · 2 crash reports 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 52 complaints, 3.8% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 52 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports WHEELS: 30 complaints, 2.2% of reports WHEELS 30 · 2.2% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 241 complaints, 17.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 241 · 17.8% · 5 crash reports 6 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
STEERING 415 30.6% 8 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 173 12.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 126 9.3% 3 crashes · 4 fires
POWER TRAIN 99 7.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 90 6.6% 18 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 63 4.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 56 4.1% 2 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 52 3.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
WHEELS 30 2.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 241 17.8% 5 crashes · 6 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2009; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2012. 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2010-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2010-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2011-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2012-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2013-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2013-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2013-Q3: 34 owner reports 34 2013-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2014-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2014-Q2: 79 owner reports 79 2014-Q3: 57 owner reports 57 2014-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2015-Q1: 61 owner reports 61 2015-Q2: 33 owner reports 33 2015-Q3: 41 owner reports 41 2015-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2016-Q1: 35 owner reports 35 2016-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2016-Q3: 42 owner reports 42 2016-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2017-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 2017-Q2: 31 owner reports 31 2017-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2017-Q4: 31 owner reports 31 2018-Q1: 55 owner reports 55 2018-Q2: 39 owner reports 39 2018-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2018-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2019-Q1: 59 owner reports 59 2019-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2019-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 2019-Q4: 37 owner reports 37 2020-Q1: 52 owner reports 52 2020-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2020-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2020-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2021-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2021-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2022-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2023-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2023-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Oct 2009 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 12V460000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V460000 Recall campaign 14V252000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V252000 Recall campaign 14E044000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E044000 Recall campaign 19V019000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V019000
  • Campaign 12V460000 was reported 1,023 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14V252000 was reported 1,534 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V019000 was reported 3,179 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 5
2010-Q2 Owner reports 6
2010-Q3 Owner reports 17
2010-Q4 Owner reports 13
2011-Q1 Owner reports 4
2011-Q2 Owner reports 3
2011-Q3 Owner reports 7
2011-Q4 Owner reports 4
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 9
2012-Q4 Owner reports 12
2013-Q1 Owner reports 18
2013-Q2 Owner reports 15
2013-Q3 Owner reports 34
2013-Q4 Owner reports 20
2014-Q1 Owner reports 36
2014-Q2 Owner reports 79
2014-Q3 Owner reports 57
2014-Q4 Owner reports 39
2015-Q1 Owner reports 61
2015-Q2 Owner reports 33
2015-Q3 Owner reports 41
2015-Q4 Owner reports 26
2016-Q1 Owner reports 35
2016-Q2 Owner reports 29
2016-Q3 Owner reports 42
2016-Q4 Owner reports 39
2017-Q1 Owner reports 44
2017-Q2 Owner reports 31
2017-Q3 Owner reports 23
2017-Q4 Owner reports 31
2018-Q1 Owner reports 55
2018-Q2 Owner reports 39
2018-Q3 Owner reports 23
2018-Q4 Owner reports 39
2019-Q1 Owner reports 59
2019-Q2 Owner reports 17
2019-Q3 Owner reports 26
2019-Q4 Owner reports 37
2020-Q1 Owner reports 52
2020-Q2 Owner reports 15
2020-Q3 Owner reports 12
2020-Q4 Owner reports 20
2021-Q1 Owner reports 18
2021-Q2 Owner reports 10
2021-Q3 Owner reports 3
2021-Q4 Owner reports 10
2022-Q1 Owner reports 10
2022-Q2 Owner reports 9
2022-Q3 Owner reports 5
2022-Q4 Owner reports 9
2023-Q1 Owner reports 12
2023-Q2 Owner reports 8
2023-Q3 Owner reports 5
2023-Q4 Owner reports 6
2024-Q1 Owner reports 5
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 4
2025-Q1 Owner reports 4
2025-Q2 Owner reports 5
2025-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 6
2026-Q2 Owner reports 3
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 12V460000
Recall campaign 1 14V252000
Recall campaign 1 14E044000
Recall campaign 1 19V019000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V460000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14E044000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V252000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V019000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 1,356 complaints · page 1 of 55

No complaints match the current filters.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources