2007 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 12, 2026 · 113 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 113 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, 12% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 118,850 miles. The words owners use most often: “electronic stability control” (5% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Electronic stability control: mentioned in 6 of 113 complaints (5%)
  • Exterior lighting: mentioned in 6 of 113 complaints (5%)
  • Turn steering: mentioned in 6 of 113 complaints (5%)

At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?

Based on 84 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles0 · 0%
10k–25k miles2 · 2%
25k–50k miles6 · 7%
50k–75k miles11 · 13%
75k–100k miles20 · 24%
100k–150k miles27 · 32%
150k+ miles18 · 21%

How serious are the reports?

Of 113 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 an injury.

Chevrolet Malibu electrical system complaints by model year

Peak: 2013, with 376 complaints
1997: 8719971998: 1301999: 1442000: 19920002001: 2852002: 2592003: 28920032004: 1512005: 1802006: 14220062007: 1132008: 2332009: 36820092010: 2942011: 2352012: 29120122013: 3763762014: 862015: 6820152016: 2222017: 1612018: 19220182019: 622020: 572021: 3020212022: 332023: 122024: 1820242025: 4

n = 4,721 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearElectrical System complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2025 Malibu436%—
2024 Malibu1842%—
2023 Malibu1217%31,000
2022 Malibu3334%15,901
2021 Malibu3033%53,100
2020 Malibu5729%22,324
2019 Malibu6232%43,500
2018 Malibu19227%46,560
2017 Malibu16123%50,000
2016 Malibu22226%51,650
2015 Malibu6825%54,000
2014 Malibu8625%64,550
2013 Malibu37645%76,904
2012 Malibu29132%87,830
2011 Malibu23524%80,000
2010 Malibu29422%85,000
2009 Malibu36824%90,000
2008 Malibu23324%82,000
2007 Malibu11312%118,850
2006 Malibu14213%97,980
2005 Malibu18018%102,500
2004 Malibu15113%90,000
2003 Malibu28951%80,000
2002 Malibu25946%78,000
2001 Malibu28540%88,000
2000 Malibu19922%80,000
1999 Malibu14418%86,000
1998 Malibu13013%91,500
1997 Malibu8720%88,500

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 27 complaints
2010: 2201022011: 2201122012: 7201272013: 9201392014: 272014272015: 202015202016: 132016132017: 122017122018: 7201872019: 4201942020: 4202042022: 1202212023: 4202342024: 120241

n = 113 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiringMay 14, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V252000 · 2,440,524 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

The steering wheel start shaking and then on the middle console it showed “POWER STEERING”. Now whenever I drive it it’ll pop up and the steering wheel locks up and it is scary because it doesn’t move. And when I turn of the car it’ll unlock but as soon as I start driving it again it does…

Received Feb 19, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11572843

I bought the car and the next day it randomly locked up my steering in the middle of traffic. If I turn my car off then turn it on while jerking the wheel side to side it will allow me power steering for just a short moment. Once it worked for a month continuously without shutting off on me then it…

Received Nov 30, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11557797

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the four doors would inadvertently lock and unlock, causing the battery to drain quickly. The contact used pliers to unlock and open the doors. Additionally, the headlights were dimmed, and the turn signals intermittently failed to…

Received Sep 8, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11543383
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Malibu (E2XX). Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Benespit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2007 Chevrolet Malibus have electrical system problems?

No. NHTSA has 113 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu (12% of the 977 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu electrical system?

Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do electrical system problems start?

The median reported mileage is 118,850 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu?

The most frequent phrase is “electronic stability control”, in 6 of 113 complaints, followed by “exterior lighting” (6).

Other 2007 Chevrolet Malibu problems

See all 2007 Chevrolet Malibu problems or electrical system problems across all Malibu years.