2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU — Owner-Reported Problems
Verdict & Safety Summary
- Crashes 40
- Fires 14
- Injuries 47
- Deaths 0
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)
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 |
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
- 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 |
Safety Recalls (4)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.