2011 Chevrolet Malibu problems and complaints
Owners have filed 978 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (235), Steering (214), Electronic Stability Control (esc) (174).
Key takeaways
- 978 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 40 involve a crash, 17 a fire, 41 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 235 | 24% |
| Steering | 214 | 22% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 174 | 18% |
| Engine | 160 | 16% |
| Exterior Lighting | 130 | 13% |
| Power Train | 112 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 93 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 87 | 9% |
| Unknown Or Other | 60 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 53 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 44 | 4% |
| Seats | 38 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Steering - filed 2026-09-22
My power steering went out while pulling out of a parking spot. The message read “power 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. Thank you
Steering,electrical System,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-08-28
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
Steering - filed 2026-06-25
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.
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More for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.