2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems & reliability
1,359 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
35 complaints report injuries (47 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2010 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles were involved in 114 fatal crashes with 77 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 454 | 33% |
| Electrical System | 294 | 22% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 227 | 17% |
| Exterior Lighting | 194 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 183 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 144 | 11% |
| Power Train | 132 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 116 | 9% |
| Engine | 115 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 63 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 84,000 miles (middle 50% between 55,000 and 115,000 miles), based on 1,043 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 miles. The vehicle was…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jul 23, 2026
“The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking and locked up, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. A dealer or an independent mechanic was…”
Steering · filed Jul 20, 2026
“1.The ESC system and power steering lights come on and sometimes go off making it extremely unsafe to drive due to not having proper control of the steering wheel. It is available for inspections at any time. 2.Being able to turn and use steering wheel correctly puts me and my family at risk for collisions…”
Steering · filed May 11, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,252 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The 10 most recent:
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
PIT5214G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2025
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
13598 · Other · issued Sep 9, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2025
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 9, 2025
This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.
25-NA-156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 84,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.