2011 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems
Owners have filed 214 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 89,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “service esc” (15% of reports).
- 214steering complaints
- 89,500median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%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 32 of 214 complaints (15%)
- Difficult turn: mentioned in 16 of 214 complaints (7%)
- Steering went: mentioned in 14 of 214 complaints (7%)
- Torque sensor: mentioned in 12 of 214 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu at $1,200, and half of them between $970 and $1,500.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 142 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 214 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 7 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 5 | 7% | 54,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 29,901 |
| 2021 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 16 | 8% | 61,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 2 | 1% | 48,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 42 | 6% | 15,484 |
| 2017 Malibu | 47 | 7% | 65,782 |
| 2016 Malibu | 42 | 5% | 51,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 9 | 3% | 71,500 |
| 2014 Malibu | 26 | 7% | 36,731 |
| 2013 Malibu | 181 | 22% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 191 | 21% | 103,794 |
| 2011 Malibu | 214 | 22% | 89,500 |
| 2010 Malibu | 454 | 33% | 100,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 768 | 51% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 460 | 47% | 83,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 667 | 68% | 105,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 811 | 73% | 85,142 |
| 2005 Malibu | 506 | 52% | 91,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 798 | 70% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 21 | 4% | 67,623 |
| 2002 Malibu | 13 | 2% | 92,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 41 | 6% | 94,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 45 | 5% | 108,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 37 | 5% | 68,500 |
| 1998 Malibu | 74 | 8% | 82,500 |
| 1997 Malibu | 80 | 18% | 82,827 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My power steering went out while pulling out of a parking spot. The message read âpower steering/service ESC. I have read that these vehicles between the years 2007-2012 had a recall for this issue. My car has less than 46000 miles on it. I am confirming the recall so I can have this repair done…
Power steering assist motor is out and it was under recall in 2011 but it was out of the recall window but it has less than 150000 miles
Everytime I turn on my car, I get a warning for ESC power steering and I have no power steering. Usually it will fix itself have shutting it off once and starting it again immediately. There has been a couple times where it has taken multiple starts to fix itself.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Chevrolet Malibus have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 214 owner complaints about steering for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu (22% of the 978 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 2011 Chevrolet Malibu steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 89,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,200 (half paid between $970 and $1,500), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “service esc”, in 32 of 214 complaints, followed by “difficult turn” (16).
Other 2011 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2011 Chevrolet Malibu problems or steering problems across all Malibu years.