2009 Chevrolet Malibu Vehicle Speed Control Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 20, 2026 · 73 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 73 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (32% of reports).

What owners describe

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

  • Cruise control: mentioned in 23 of 73 complaints (32%)
  • Service ESC: mentioned in 14 of 73 complaints (19%)
  • Electronic stability: mentioned in 9 of 73 complaints (12%)
  • Exterior lighting: mentioned in 9 of 73 complaints (12%)

At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?

Based on 58 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles2 · 3%
10k–25k miles2 · 3%
25k–50k miles9 · 16%
50k–75k miles14 · 24%
75k–100k miles10 · 17%
100k–150k miles13 · 22%
150k+ miles8 · 14%

How serious are the reports?

None of the 73 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Chevrolet Malibu vehicle speed control complaints by model year

Peak: 2016, with 152 complaints
1997: 1319971998: 221999: 719992000: 212001: 2520012002: 62003: 8520032004: 272005: 2720052006: 352007: 3120072008: 422009: 7320092010: 1162011: 8720112012: 522013: 2820132014: 172015: 2820152016: 1521522017: 13520172018: 1142019: 1220192020: 182021: 120212022: 42023: 220232024: 1

n = 1,181 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearVehicle Speed Control complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2024 Malibu12%—
2023 Malibu23%38,706
2022 Malibu44%60,000
2021 Malibu11%5,000
2020 Malibu189%80,000
2019 Malibu126%26,115
2018 Malibu11416%51,670
2017 Malibu13519%58,000
2016 Malibu15218%60,100
2015 Malibu2810%85,000
2014 Malibu175%45,000
2013 Malibu283%72,000
2012 Malibu526%56,700
2011 Malibu879%72,000
2010 Malibu1169%69,750
2009 Malibu735%82,500
2008 Malibu424%93,000
2007 Malibu313%99,840
2006 Malibu353%95,750
2005 Malibu273%150,000
2004 Malibu272%91,000
2003 Malibu8515%70,000
2002 Malibu61%84,000
2001 Malibu253%82,000
2000 Malibu212%73,000
1999 Malibu71%92,000
1998 Malibu222%60,410
1997 Malibu133%95,797

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 13 complaints
2010: 1201012011: 222012: 1201212013: 10102014: 132014132015: 11112016: 5201652017: 442018: 4201842019: 662020: 4202042021: 552022: 3202232023: 112024: 320243

n = 73 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.

Had a recall repaired yet it still randomly my brake lamps still don’t function correctly

Received Nov 30, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11628018

I've been trying to fix the car I've put alternator new starter wires everything you can think of new fuses and the esc light burnt out 2 brand new battery's I've lost my job because it's unfixable almost killed after the power steering went out because of what's going on with this problem I can't…

Received Nov 24, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11627060

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and the lights became inoperable. When the brake pedal was released, the lights returned to normal functionality. The contact also stated that the cruise control failed to…

Received Aug 5, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11606468
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 2009 Chevrolet Malibus have vehicle speed control problems?

No. NHTSA has 73 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu (5% 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 vehicle speed control?

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

At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?

The median reported mileage is 82,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu?

The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 23 of 73 complaints, followed by “service esc” (14).

Other 2009 Chevrolet Malibu problems

See all 2009 Chevrolet Malibu problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Malibu years.