2009 Chevrolet Malibu
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 1,509 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 Malibu model years with reports.
Of the 2009 reports, 41 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 44 people were injured and 3 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
SteeringJul 21, 2014
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2009 Saturn Aura vehicles. The affected steering shafts may have a yoke that inadequately supports the u-joint bearing resulting in a premature failure.
A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
Campaign 14E044000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringMay 14, 2014
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.
Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 14V252000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemMar 31, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
Campaign 14V153000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Sep 18, 2012
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 12V460000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, column shiftMar 6, 2009
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".
THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Campaign 09V073000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, defroster/defogger/hvac systemDec 2, 2008
GM IS RECALLING 77 MY 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEM." THE HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIRCONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEM MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE BLOWER WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND THE MODE SELECTOR WOULD REMAIN IN THE LAST KNOWN SETTING.
IF THE WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO FOG OR FROST, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH AIRFLOW TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD, RESULTING IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE HVAC CONTROL HEAD MODULE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
Campaign 08V634000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
1,509 reports, newest first.
Steering, Jan 12, 2022
The power steering will just randomly shut off, no rhyme or reason and then when the car is turned off and on it will be back.
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 12, 2022
Steering failed when driving on freeway, abruptly stopped and had to restart on the road to can control of steering. Spent several hundred dollars, replacing breaks and to fix the check engine light error. Despite service, ABS, service tire pressure, service + passenger air bag and other controls flash in and out when driving at various speeds/times. Breaks seem not to work right when stopping and speeding up is strained. Now cruise control is not disengaging consistently.and power steering issues are returning this winter. Dashboard lights are in and out and I can't read speed. Do not purchase!
Steering, Jan 7, 2022
There was a recall in 2014 on this car.I did not receive a notice so I did not know anything about it. My car has 78,500 miles.I have noticed a power steering leak. I am unable to purchase a new car or have this fixed without the past recall being honored. I am afraid of having a crash. Please send me a recall from the year it was recalled so that I can have it fixed.I have owned this car sense 2009 the year it was manufactured.
Steering, Jan 5, 2022
While driving the "power steering" light and traction control light came on the dash and immediately the car became almost uncontrollable as the steering became VERY hard to steer. I pulled over and turned the car off and restarted and it seemed to be fine, but did it a couple of days later. I have not driven the car since as it is unsafe to drive in this condition since there is no warning when it will happen. The car is available for inspection if needed.
Steering, Dec 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while turning the ignition key, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering and the service ESC warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated when she turned off the vehicle, the failure would cease. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 202,000.
Power train, Engine, Dec 19, 2021
I purchased the car used and been driving one week. I was driving at approx 55-60 and attempted to accelerate going over hill. The car rpm went up to about 3000 and was reving high until I let of gas. I attempted again to push pedal which repeated same acceleration of rpm. I stopped and checked Trans fluid and oil both were fine. Pulled into drive and turned off ignition to check fluids again. Which were ok. Got back in car to move and had no reverse. Car would slowly go forward but Nothing else. In searching onstar ran codes and I found info about 3/5-r wave plate “service bulletin”. Had car towed to dealer who confirmed and said metal flakes in tranny and was due to “common issue of wave plate” Contacted gm several times and gm will not cover cost of tranny replacement because my car is inoperable. This is a “common problem” with 09 Malibu. Why isn’t it recalled tranny. Very sad I feel I’ll never buy a Chevy/gm product again
Steering, Electrical system, Dec 15, 2021
December 25th, 2019- Driving home from work, steering wheel twitched then began to shake. Thought it was just needing alignment or tires. Drove on highway (70mph) 8.5months pregnant and then abs light, Traction off/service traction, service ESC and Power steering pop up on cluster panel and then steering became hard and my car shut off on its own. Wouldn't start back up. For 2 days. After it being look at by 4 DIFFERENT mechanics they all seem to have no idea except one. Complete Steering Column replacement. This is extremely unsafe for anyone and I have 2 kids I can't risk to drive in this vehicle AND just paid off.Recalls shouldn't expire and they should be honored if a new owner has the same issue. This is deadly and if I wasn't as strong as I am, I doubt I'd be able to steer it like I did.
Power train, Dec 13, 2021
2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION AND SUSPENSION FAILURES. *LD
Steering, Dec 12, 2021
Electric power steering failure while vehicle was in motion resulting in difficulty to steer vehicle. "Power Steering," "ESC OFF" message codes on information panel. GM issued a recall for a series of 2009 Chevrolet Malibus regarding the same safety issue with the power steering, unfortunately my NIN is not covered under the recall. Issue started at ~188k miles and has not yet been verified by a certified mechanic. Power Steering failure has occurred once while vehicle was in motion and on multiple occasions on start-up; would clear on restart.
Power train, Dec 10, 2021
Transission was recalled by GMC, however my VIN# was not included. I was told to contact you to include the VIN# in the recall. I paid $3300 to repair the transmission only to be told after the fact I need to contact NHTSA to include.
Steering, Nov 22, 2021
When i turn the wheel almost all the way i loose power steering i almost hit some one & their car due to this i took it to the dealer and they said my vin wasn't apart of the recall
Exterior lighting, Nov 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the ESC and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The contact was informed that while pulling into the driveway, the brake lights were not operational. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake sensor and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Nov 16, 2021
There is a clicking noise in the steering wheel column while it jerks both left and right while driving. Happening every time it is driven hard to turn steering wheel both left and right.
Steering, Nov 10, 2021
My power steering has intermittently gone off making the vehicle nearly impossible to steer at times while driving. It appears to be in line with recall # 14V153000. When I brought this to the attention of a local dealership, they advised my car now has too many miles and is past the end date of this recall. For one, I never received notice that my car was eligible for this recall and two, it wasn't causing these issues until recently- and the dealership said to repair this would be in excess of $2000. The car is still drivable and available to be inspected. It would be preferred that it was examined soon as this is not only a hazard to myself & those in my vehicle, but others on the road as I would not be able to avoid them. The power steering alert comes on when this occurs, but obviously it is too late as it provides no prior warning that this is about to happen - and this has happened multiple times.
Steering, Electrical system, Wheels, Nov 8, 2021
UNKNOWN I was driving to work last week on Thursday and when I attempted to make a right turn my steering wheel was difficult to turn and a few seconds later it locked and the car turned off and on the dash board the battery light turned on and the words that appeared were Service Traction, Service ESC, and Power Steering.
Steering, Electrical system, Oct 19, 2021
I started my vehicle and began to drive it as I normally would. After stopping at a stop sign, I began accelerating and turning 90° left onto the street. Mid-turn my power steering completely shut off and I almost got into an accident. Luckily there was a turn around right there I was able to veer to. Turning this vehicle without power steering is nearly impossible. I'm a strong guy and it was pretty tough for me. This issue happened completely out of the blue without any warning whatsoever. When it happened, the ESC light came on as well as saying something about power steering. I turned the car off and then back on and noticed that the ESC light and power steering message were now gone and the car drive as it should. But it decides to go out randomly at any given time while driving and that is a HUGE safety hazard for not only me but others on the road as well. It has come to my attention after plenty of research that this seems to be massive issue among Chevrolet Malibu owners. The issue was recalled for different models/engines but not the 2.4 liter. At this point it's obvious that this is a vehicle wide issue and needs to be recalled for all models/engines.
Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 1, 2021
As I drive on highway and go a certain speed it slows down and engine power reduced and service traction pops up on my dashboard if cut it off it will not crank back up until I let the car cool down
Electrical system, Sep 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated after he had the vehicle serviced for maintenance at the local dealer, he noticed an ignition odor after parking the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,276.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Sep 24, 2021
Electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Sep 7, 2021
Occassionally and unpredictably, the service ESC, power steering, traction control and anti theft light come on and the car goes on limp mode, unable to shift past first gear. Also power locks do not work (all four doors) and tire pressure sensor is on and service tire sensor pressure light is on all the time. Took car to an independant mechanic who stated that when using his diagnostic tool, no code or fault indicated for ESC, power steering, traction control or anti theft device. It should be noted that these reset themselves when car is turned off and then go back on unpredictably, once you start driving the car. This mechanic then tried fixing the powerlocks, and stated that after replacing two of the powerlocks, he realized that they still did not work. This mechanic contacted GM and was told that the issue with the powerlocks came from the the body control module, which aparently was causing the powerlocks to fail and was also the cause of the tire pressure sensors being on all the time, since the body control module controlled the powerlocks and the tire pressure sensors. He also stated that the Chevy dealer was the only ones who could change the body control module, since they were the only ones who reprogram the new module to the car. This mechanic also stated that all four tires pressure sensors were working. I took the car to a Chevy dealer with same problem. The dealer claimed that gasoline which contained a high level of ethanol was causing the ESC, traction control and limp mode problem. They suggested for me to run the gas out and fill the car up three times with regular gasoline (87 octane) and that this would resolve this issue. They claimed that the tire pressure sensors on two of the tire were not reading properly and needed to be replaced and that the power lock switch was the root of the powerlocks not working, since two of them (the ones that were not replaced by the first mechanic) were not working. Problem with ESC wasnt resolved
Electrical system, Service brakes, Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the brake lights, service traction, and ESC warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the cruise control was inoperable. While driving the brake pedal was depressed however, the brake lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pedal switch and calibration needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the brake pedal switch was replaced. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical system, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control). The failure mileage was 98,514.
Steering, Aug 20, 2021
Steering is difficult after driving and components get hot, research shows many other Vehicles have same issue. costing 300.00 to 1200.00 for repairs. Needs reported this to GM and the NHTSA. You never know, GM might cover some of the replacement cost. There is a video on youtube that covers replacing the torque tube sensor but what if that is not the cause? Yes, a GM tech 2 scan tool is required to set up the front end once the part has been replaced. Keep any bills you acquire during this job so that GM may reimburse you in the future should they decide to cover this repair. it also could be a module in the steering colum plus the turn signals do not shut off making it a hazard to drive while turn signals are still on! SEE LINK BELOW: THIS IS HARD TO TURN WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS! https://www.chevymalibuforum.com/threads/2009-esc-service-light-no-power-steering.47242/
Seats, Aug 12, 2021
Driver seats horizontal bar has snapped it now leans to th e left. Comes up off of floor when breaking and accelerating. Concerned that the seat will become detached if ever in a rear or front end collision sending me out of the vehicle
Seats, Aug 11, 2021
Question: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer: The drivers seat frame failed via a broken weld. The weld is located on the front and right hand side of the seat (assuming you are sitting in the seat). The seat became very unstable and I do not believe the seat is safe if a crash would occur. The seat is available for inspection. I am an average sized adult in terms of weight (<200 lbs). Question: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Answer: The seat is no longer rigid and thus in the event of a crash I cannot believe the seat is safe. Question: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Answer: It is clear the seat failed - see the picture. Searching online I found many people with the same problem and the pictures online of the failure matched what happened with my seat. Question: Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Answer: No, reading online people with the same problem were not happy with GM's lack of response so I did not bother to consult with GM on this broken seat. Question: Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Answer: No. The failure occurred this year. Picture: I am uploading a picture of the broken weld which I temporarily repaired using a hose clamp (I do not have a picture before I installed the hose clamp). In the picture you can clearly see the broken weld.
Steering, Aug 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 14V153000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.