2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU Steering Problems

444 NHTSA complaints on file

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Steering Issues in the 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU

444 steering complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. Of these, 11 involved a crash, 1 involved a fire, and 6 resulted in injury.

444
Complaints
11
Crashes
1
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths

All Steering Complaints

#11717933 |
In 2014 there was a recall issue on 2004 to 2009 Chevrolet malibus 2.4 l motors with the electric power steering assist motor. They were to be replaced with labor and free cost. A recall is a safety issue that has no expiration date. In 2015 GM issued a special coverage adjustment for 2010 through 2012 Chevy malibus. This special adjustment is for those vehicles 2010 through 2012 to have the power steering assist motor replaced for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original service date. The problem with that is I have a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu that has the exact same electric power steering assist motor that the 2004 through 2009 half but yet I only have a special coverage adjustment which is not even close to a recall where there is no expiration date on when the manufacturer would replace the electric power steering assist...
#11717284 |
My steering wheel is twitching & possibly failing due to the torque steering sensor & it is very unsafe to drive
#11705344 |
Power Steering Randomly Goes off taking the Traction Control with it. Terrible for the snow roads to have. Have to life the steering wheel slightly when starting to the car get it to work. Steering Angle Sensor or Torque Position Sensor Maybe??
#11697960 |
I lost power steering while driving, making the wheel hard to turn. While the car is idle, the steering wheel shakes. Also “ESC” pops on on the dashboard.
#11668298 |
Lug studs repeatedly snap at wheel no matter how installed.
#11651517 |
My power steering quit working
#11640675 |
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH, the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact stated while making a left turn, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver and the steering wheel vibrated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
#11632940 |
Steering not working correctly it is ver hard to turn steering wheel. Cluster lights went out so dashboard lights do not work, brake lights not working seems to be electrical problems with the vehicle
#11595843 |
• Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. • The failure of the power steering system made it extremely difficult to steer the vehicle, especially at lower speeds, which put my safety and the safety of others at risk by increasing the likelihood of an accident. It would turn on and go off by itself at random spurts, which was very unusual. • No, the problem has not been reproduced by another dealer. • The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer’s service department. As well as, not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. • No it just randomly had a warning light one day when I got in it to crank it like a normal day. But never warned me before hand, but when it did come on, But it appeared on the dashboard indicating a power steering issue, and abs and brake...
#11575709 |
Casi tengo un accident por q mi power steering dejo de funcionar se puso duro y e visto muchos malibu con el mismo problema
#11572419 |
Power steering and yes it is. Not safe to drive because of the steering. The dealership has changed the part under the recall as well as the warranty Yes by several people No warning lights or anything came on to show that there was a issue
#11560147 |
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the engine / it stopped while I was driving / dealer charged me $2000 for a replacement engine, then after that my Power steering gave out , My ESC turns off and on / car jumps while driving my whole dashboard goes crazy How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the car stopped while i was driving multiple times , my kids were in the car for 2 of them, it stops with out warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes the Used car dealership i bought it from is well aware and basically not helping at all Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no...
#11549929 |
My service esc light and no esc light randomly pop up and I lose power steering in my 2010 malibu. I've heard there are warranties for this but only if your vehicle is at 150000 miles. Mine is at 160k. Ibe changed the torque sensor and motor to power steering. No fix. It seems that if gm knows about this problem, they should be responsible. I can't afford to keep dishing out money on parts that aren't working. Super annoying
#11535178 |
THE ESC IS HARD TO STEER AND THE SEATBELT LIGHT STAYS ON EVEN WHEN I'M WEARING MY SEATBELT
#11528235 |
I was driving down the road after I bought the car and the steering suddenly went out the DIC said "service esc" and "service traction" and I could barely move the steering wheel I was lucky to be on a country road because if I was on the highway I could have lost complete control and caused an accident I took it to a mechanic and they said "the dielectric grease in the bcm connector wore out" when I googled it I saw there was a recall but when I contacted the dealer they said there was nothing they could do for me. this is very concerning as who knows how many malibus steering could randomly go out over such a stupid problem i could be available if you would like to inspect the car/systems
#11521835 |
after starting car, orange triangle indicator light came on (traction control I believe) and Message: "eng reduction loss of power steering, drove to Midas for oil change a couple miles away with manual steering(more difficult that my 61 Pontiac Tempest). I turned car off and immediately restarted and power steering was restored, car was fine driving home after oil change. In addition, I've owned the car about two months and have put on around 4,000 miles(Drove it back from Arizona), I've already had the thermostat replaced in S. Dakota, fuel pump replaced in Wisconsin and exhaust manifold in Michigan.
#11517767 |
First off the power steering goes out and can only be fixed by applying dielectric grease to the bcm but that will fix it. second the airbag light will randomly go on but this can also be remedy by fixing the yellow connection under the passenger seat try jiggling it if that doesnt fix it just cut the two wires off the connector's and splice with crimp connectors. hope this helps you as much as it did me :)
#11513273 |
Power Steering and ESC light on
#11512149 |
Hello I am very upset I was driving down the street normal day then all of a sudden my steering wheel got hard to turn... Then esc/power steering light came on. My steering wheel does shakes a little because it's dangerous to drive. I called to the Chevy dealership they said that they couldn't fix the problem because it was pass the due date. But there's a big problem with this because there were recalls for this problem and I know about the special coverage but there's no way I should have to come out of pocket for this failure that Chevy knows about! Please help it's very dangerous to drive this car the way it is... Really my only transportation back & forth to work
#11509587 |
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 60 MPH, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel had become very difficult to turn to the left or right. The contact stated her son was able to pull off the road and stop the vehicle. The steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering failure was intermittent, but eventually became constant. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering column torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to TSB Number: 15356 (Steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,643.
#11504385 |
steering failed. No power assist and steering wheel shaking. warning light for service power steering came on. Steering sensor torque? code c0545 ? The vehicle will suddenly lose power steering. Happens especially upon start up then have to turn vehicle off and sometimes power will come back on. Steering wheel visible shakes. Putting vehicle in shop for further evaluation. GM has a known issue with steering on these vechiles and there was a recall done but not for my year yet it is being widely reported online that there is an issue with other years as well.
#11504202 |
When I turn on car Steering wheels locks in place unable to turn ,I hasn’t been inspected, and the dash says power steering.
#11501874 |
The electronic power stearing and electronic stability control shut down while driving but would restart after key was cycled off. Dashboard would blink service esc and power stearing and the vehicle became very hard to turn and control. No there were no symptoms or warning messages prior to the incident. Yes it has been reproduced. My safety and the safety of everyone around me is put at risk becuase the car becomes almost impossible to controland stear. The car has not been inspected by anyone.
#11498408 |
The power steering goes out while I am driving, and I find out I cannot make turns when the road curves or even to get off the road and be safe. Yes, the vehicle can be inspected anytime. This puts myself in danger of going off the road and others in danger if I cannot make a turn when going through an intersection. This is very dangerous in Michigan on the winter roads where I live. I have had to stop 1/2 through intersections almost in the ditch and then just wait for all cars to be gone to back up & finish the turn. A message appears on dash but it doesn't stay on. I had the steering torque sensor and motor replaced per warranty about July 2020 (at about 98,000 miles)and now the car is doing the same thing again! I haven't taken it in because I am...
#11494541 |
The power steering system stops working. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning, the power steering will just disappear, you have to stop shut it off and turn it back on. Does not matter how fast you are going, it just does it. This is unsafe because there is no warning, and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working. This could easily cause an accident, if it would go out on the highway.
#11492694 |
The power steering system stops working when it’s cold. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning. When I get it towed to be seen or bring an mechanic to check out the problem it is always resolved before they can inspect it. This is unsafe because there is no warning and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working or I could get in the car and it stops working within 5 minutes.This could easily cause an accident.
#11479058 |
My 2010 Chevy MALIBU with 112,000 miles started having power steering failure while driving with my 9 yr old. At 55 miles an hour it was almost impossible to control the car and get pulled to the shoulder. I shut it off and when I turned the key on again I had power steering so I went ahead and drove home. The next day I start it and it has power steering but then I drive it for several miles or more and it dings and a message appears on the instrument panel saying power steering, esc/traction control and the steering almost completely seizes. I took it to have it looked at and of course it does not do it when the mechanic drives nor does it throw any codes. I told him that it happens at random so he needs to drive it until it does it again, and...
#11474332 |
My vehicle lost power steering 3 months after buying it . Along with esc and traction controll . However there have been spraratic times when it works just fine . I have been driving the vehicle for 4 years with no power steering because the dealership has told me my rack and pinion is shot and that is not true I cannot afford to fix something that is not broke . That being said they also refuse to look deeper into the issue . So I am stuck driving a very unsafe vehicle until someone decide to do the right thing and admit this is a manufacturer issue and not and owner issue 😕
#11470757 |
I would like to register a complaint concerning my 2010 Chevy Malibu, which has suffered from intermittent power steering problems since at least 2015. On June 9th, 2015, for example, I took it (with 73,252 miles) to the dealership in Maryland (Ourisman invoice CVCS465753) who traced the problem to an aftermarket insurance plugin. I paid for the repair, which only partially solved the problem. In August 2015 and March of 2017, Chevy issued special coverage bulletin (15356) for power steering failures on 2010 Malibus. When I took it to the dealership including Pohanka in Chantilly, VA, on 19NOV17 (invoice 642014), with the problem, it should have been automatically serviced, based on my recent conversations with Chevy customer care. This didn't occur, however, usually because the dealer argued that it did not apply to my VIN. Recently, I discovered that indeed the Bulletin does apply to my VIN but I was...
#11467639 |
The car shut off while driving down the street. Lost all control over steering and braking components. After the car shut itself off was not able to get it to turn back on after several hours. Turned it back on but when attempted to drive it home, it shit itself off again. Still could not control steering wheel
#11461679 |
The steering wheel has started freezing to where it is difficult if not impossible to turn. When this issue occurs I will see the STEERING ESC light notification appear with a chime. Stopping the vehicle and turning the engine off then on clears the issue for the moment but will occur again, almost daily. In doing research I encountered GM Service Bulletin No.15356 which identifies this as a known issue. My car currently has 174,000 miles on it so it is outside the range specified in the bulletin. Being as this is a known safety issue why was a safety recall not issued. This seems to be a very serious issue yet not being handled as such.
#11459450 |
Was driving. My speed was about 60mph car swerved into left lane slightly when I went to move back into my lane I had no power steering and I think lights on dash stated power steering esc. Pulled over at gas station and read a forum about this. It stated if I turned off car and restarted car i would have power steering again. It did. Next day started car at home and didn't have power steering again. Shut it off restarted car and again steering was back.
#11457190 |
Electrical power steering went out on highway. Loss partial control of the wheel!
#11455894 |
While driving home from work on a busy parkway my daughter lost control of her 2010 Chevy Malibu (due to loss of power steering), after almost getting hit by another car she struggled to steer the car to the side of the parkway but turning the steering wheel was extremely difficult. She called me and I was able to drive it home but the power steering worked on and off. A warning message flashed [ Service Power Steering - ESC off ] My daughter doesn't recall seeing the warning light before the incident. I took the car to my mechanic, he said I was better off going to the dealer because it was a big electronic problem with power steering but he wasn't sure how to troubleshoot it. This could have ended a nightmare.. And, I am very upset after doing research on the Electronic Power Steering Assist problems and...
#11451315 |
While driving the power steering goes out and a warning message pops up that says ‘Service ESC’ and ‘ESC Off’. It is near impossible to turn the wheel when this happens. I was able to turn the car off and back on, and the power steering returns/messages go away, but the same problem happens on and off.
#11451224 |
Power steering loss 3 times within last 2 months. ESC steering error. Probably an unprotected voltage surge of power steering torque sensor. The first time this happened I almost hit the wall.
#11449270 |
Lost power steering and increasing the risk of a crash. There is a recall on several Malibu just not the 2010 LTZ. I am wondering why this vehicle does not a recall when the 2004 to 2006 on the electric power steering has a recall???
#11447743 |
While driving and making a left turn the steering wheel suddenly became difficult to steer. Power Steering and Service ESC warnings showed up on dash. Able to pull off the road and turned off engine. When restarted, message cleared and power steering returned. Drove back home and problem occurred several more times. Parked car in driveway. Unable to drive due to this safety issue.
#11447170 |
The ESC and engine light came on and then the stability track light came on for a matter of a min and then all the lights just went off. I seen there are recalls on these issues but not for my vin number.
#11446364 |
Lost Electric Power Steering (EPS) Assist while driving during a turn. The dashboard Information Display acknowledged a failure in the Power Steering. The dealer found code C0545 which relates to power steering torque sensor assembly. GM issued a Safety Recall in October, 2014, Bulletin #16146B, for the Malibu 2009 model but not the 2010 model. The bulletin directs the dealer to replace P/S torque sensor module. The dealer replaced the torque sensor module and the P/S assist motor (remanufactured) at the customer cost of $989.63.
#11445575 |
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would intermittently fail to operate as needed with the power steering assist fault message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that excessive force was needed to operate the vehicle during the failure. Occasionally, the power steering assist functionality would return upon restart. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
#11443356 |
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking lot and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the power steering functionality was restored. The vehicle was driven back to the residence and had not been driven since. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) as a possible solution however, the vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was 130,000.
#11439820 |
Had test drove the vehicle everything was fine, picked the vehicle up and drove it home everything was fine, parked in the back of my house the car sat over night I go to pull it out the drive way, the power steering has gotten stuck and I mean it was STUCK!, the “power steering” light came on the dash so I tried my best to turn to just pull it back in the driveway. It was so hard to turn I thought I would brake the steering wheel. Another thing whenever I ride over a bump my radio changes stations or turns off.
#11439379 |
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speed, the steering wheel felt abnormal including when making small turns. After continuing to drive, a few minutes later the power steering failed and the “power assist esp” warning message illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle however the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the service control for the steering which is a function of the steering control module would needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,439.
#11422261 |
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle loss control while driving at various speeds without warning. After taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, the contact replaced the struts, the axles, and inner tie rods himself however, the failure persisted. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where they linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) however, the Vin was not under recall. The contact paid out of pocket to have the u-joints replaced however, the repair did not fix the failure. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer where it remained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000.
#11406381 |
WHEN MAKING A TURN AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND THE DASH SAYS "POWER STEERING - ESC SERVICE". TURNING OFF THE CAR AND WAITING A MINUTE TEMPORARILY FIXED THE ISSUE
#11405614 |
UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, A "POWER STEERING" WARNING DISPLAYS ON THE DASH AND THE POWER STEERING DOES NOT WORK. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING RESUMED OPERATING PROPERLY. THE NEXT DAY, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED UPON STARTING, AND WAS AGAIN REMEDIED BY RESTARTING THE CAR.
#11397579 |
THE POWER STEERING ON OUR VEHICLE BEGAN RANDOMLY GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING AND WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF/ON FOR THE POWER STEERING TO RETURN. EVENTUALLY THE POWER STEERING WENT OFF AND WOULDN'T COME BACK ON.
#11396377 |
UPON START UP THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL MODULE WARNING LIGHT COME ON AND UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OR MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. THE WARNING LIGHT WILL GO OFF BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND RESTART THE CAR. I AM CONCERN THIS WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND NOT A DAILY OCCURRENCE.
#11395502 |
WHILE IN MOTION I TURN AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND ON THE SCREEN POWER STEERING AND ESC TRACTION CONTROL OFF POPS UP IT'S LOCKING UP MORE FREQUENTLY NOW AND THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THEN A COUPLE DAYS LATER MY ENGINE LIGHT POPS ON I FIGURED IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE POWER STEERING ESC TRACTION CONTROL PROBLEM BUT AFTER SERVAL DAYS LATER I'M AT WORK AND THE CAR WANT START . I TRY A COUPLE TIMES AND GIVES IT SOME GAS THEN IT STARTED SO I WAS ON MY WAY THEN MAYBE 15 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEELS LOCKS UP AGAIN AND THE SAME MESSAGE POPS UP ON THE SCREEN THIS IS REALLY WEIRD AND AGAIN DANGEROUS.

Other 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU Problem Areas

Electrical System 287 complaints Electronic Stability Control Esc 226 complaints Service Brakes 183 complaints Exterior Lighting 176 complaints Air Bags 140 complaints Power Train 120 complaints Engine 115 complaints Vehicle Speed Control 111 complaints Unknown Or Other 63 complaints Fuelpropulsion System 31 complaints Structurebody 31 complaints Wheels 29 complaints Traction Control System 23 complaints Seats 20 complaints Visibilitywiper 19 complaints Seat Belts 15 complaints Service Brakes Hydraulic 15 complaints Exterior Lightingbrake Lights 13 complaints Latcheslockslinkages 13 complaints Power Trainautomatic Transmission 13 complaints Suspension 12 complaints Structurebodydoor 10 complaints Engine And Engine Cooling 8 complaints Fuel System Gasoline 8 complaints Exterior Lightingheadlights 4 complaints Seatsfront Assemblyseat Heatercooler 4 complaints Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control 4 complaints Air Bagsfrontal 3 complaints Air Bagssidewindow 3 complaints Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel 3 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control 3 complaints Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatch 3 complaints Structure 3 complaints Tires 3 complaints Wheelsrim 3 complaints Engine And Engine Coolingengine 2 complaints Equipment 2 complaints Steeringcolumn 2 complaints Steeringhydraulic Power Assistpower Steering Fluid 2 complaints Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems 2 complaints Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer 1 complaint Electrical Systemwiring 1 complaint Electrical Systemwiringfuses And Circuit Breakers 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System 1 complaint Equipmentapplianceair Conditioner 1 complaint Exterior Lightingbrake Lightsswitch 1 complaint Exterior Lightinghazard Flashing Warning Lights 1 complaint Interior Lighting 1 complaint Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection 1 complaint Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslock 1 complaint Seat Beltsfront 1 complaint Seatsfront Assemblyhead Restraint 1 complaint Service Brakes Air 1 complaint Steeringelectric Power Assist System 1 complaint Steeringrack And Pinion 1 complaint Suspensionfront 1 complaint Tirestemporaryemergency Spare Tire 1 complaint Tirestreadbelt 1 complaint Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System 1 complaint Visibilitypower Window Devices And Controls 1 complaint Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly 1 complaint Visibilitywindshield 1 complaint Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasherlinkages 1 complaint Wheelshub 1 complaint
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