2010 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,363 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 2nd out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (454 complaints, 33%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 41 crashes, 14 fires, 47 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 1,363owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 41complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 454 | 33% | 100,000 | “service esc” (15%) | $1,100 |
| Electrical System problems | 295 | 22% | 85,000 | “traction control” (15%) | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 227 | 17% | 85,125 | “traction control” (31%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 194 | 14% | 96,573 | “low beam” (19%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 184 | 13% | 73,400 | “traction control” (26%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 144 | 11% | 55,000 | “air bag” (54%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 133 | 10% | 74,200 | “traction control” (10%) | $4,050 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 116 | 9% | 69,750 | “cruise control” (32%) | — |
| Engine problems | 115 | 8% | 76,000 | “engine power” (27%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 64 | 5% | 85,427 | — | — |
| Structure | 44 | 3% | 70,684 | — | — |
| Wheels | 33 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 31 | 2% | 83,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 25 | 2% | 72,560 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 23 | 2% | 70,200 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 19 | 1% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 17 | 1% | 59,933 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 16 | 1% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 1% | 25,395 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 1% | 989 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 1% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 1% | 43,033 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 0% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 0% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 0% | 147,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 1,006 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 2,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
Risk: If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
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.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was listed as 170,225. During a service appointment for the check engine warning light illumination, the…
ESC light is on and steering started to be hard to steer . My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety for myself and others was a very risky.. vehicle was inspected by dealership, but was told that vehicle could not be scanned.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. After starting the vehicle with the transmission in park(P), the gear shift indicator indicated that the transmission was in drive(D). The transmission was shifted into drive(D), and the vehicle jerked and the engine revved loudly, but the vehicle failed to…
They do not have brake lights. I was behind them for probably 3-5 miles, their blinkers and other lights seemed to work because they were just the plain lights cars have. They are also a red chevy.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after driving for 5 miles, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with the message "Service Traction" displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as intended after cooling down; however, the failure recurred after driving 5…
Other Chevrolet Malibu years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 11 | 1 |
| 2024 Malibu | 43 | 2 |
| 2023 Malibu | 71 | 2 |
| 2022 Malibu | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Malibu | 90 | 2 |
| 2020 Malibu | 198 | 1 |
| 2019 Malibu | 192 | 1 |
| 2018 Malibu | 700 | 6 |
| 2017 Malibu | 703 | 4 |
| 2016 Malibu | 839 | 9 |
| 2015 Malibu | 270 | 3 |
| 2014 Malibu | 351 | 6 |
| 2013 Malibu | 836 | 10 |
| 2012 Malibu | 907 | 2 |
| 2011 Malibu | 978 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1,363 | 3 |
| 2009 Malibu | 1,509 | 5 |
| 2008 Malibu | 989 | 4 |
| 2007 Malibu | 977 | 3 |
| 2006 Malibu | 1,116 | 6 |
| 2005 Malibu | 975 | 3 |
| 2004 Malibu | 1,147 | 6 |
| 2003 Malibu | 569 | 2 |
| 2002 Malibu | 567 | 2 |
| 2001 Malibu | 721 | 2 |
| 2000 Malibu | 922 | 3 |
| 1999 Malibu | 789 | 1 |
| 1998 Malibu | 976 | 3 |
| 1997 Malibu | 443 | 4 |
See all Chevrolet Malibu problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, electronic stability control (esc) problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 454 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Malibu model years, the 2010 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.