2009 Chevrolet Malibu Electronic Stability Control (esc) Problems
Owners have filed 255 complaints with NHTSA about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “service esc” (26% of reports).
- 255electronic stability control (esc) complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Service ESC: mentioned in 67 of 255 complaints (26%)
- Traction control: mentioned in 52 of 255 complaints (20%)
- Steering went: mentioned in 13 of 255 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems happen?
Based on 221 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 255 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu electronic stability control (esc) complaints by model year
| Model year | Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 2 | 1% | 13,650 |
| 2019 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 52,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2017 Malibu | 53 | 8% | 55,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 76 | 9% | 55,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 16 | 6% | 59,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 31 | 9% | 68,500 |
| 2013 Malibu | 72 | 9% | 79,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 129 | 14% | 93,438 |
| 2011 Malibu | 174 | 18% | 84,250 |
| 2010 Malibu | 227 | 17% | 85,125 |
| 2009 Malibu | 255 | 17% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 68 | 7% | 100,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 22 | 2% | 167,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 29 | 3% | 107,100 |
| 2005 Malibu | 30 | 3% | 162,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 21 | 2% | 129,662 |
| 2003 Malibu | 3 | 1% | 6,750 |
| 2002 Malibu | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2001 Malibu | 2 | 0% | 120,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 1 | 0% | 170,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 1 | 0% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiring
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 contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, it lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. The failure reoccurred every mile while…
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that in 2017 the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control) however, the brake lights would illuminate randomly without the brake…
I've been having an issue with my vehicle registering which gear it is in. The gears shift hard, and when placing the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle vigorously jerks back and forth. While driving the vehicle on the road, it slowed down to a complete stop in the middle of traffic. The vehicle would…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Chevrolet Malibus have electronic stability control (esc) problems?
No. NHTSA has 255 owner complaints about electronic stability control (esc) for the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu (17% of the 1,509 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 2009 Chevrolet Malibu electronic stability control (esc)?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electronic stability control (esc). Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “service esc”, in 67 of 255 complaints, followed by “traction control” (52).
Other 2009 Chevrolet Malibu problems
- Steering problems (768)
- Electrical System problems (368)
- Exterior Lighting problems (172)
- Service Brakes problems (142)
- Power Train problems (121)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (73)
- Air Bags problems (62)
- Engine problems (61)
See all 2009 Chevrolet Malibu problems or electronic stability control (esc) problems across all Malibu years.