The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,867,909 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2,200 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS19V0190002019-01-161,145 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
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.
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…
Consequence
Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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…
POWER TRAIN12V4600002012-09-18426,240 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
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…
Remedy
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…
Complaints by component
STEERING
448
11crashes1fires6injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
287
4crashes4fires7injuries
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
226
2crashes3injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
183
5crashes6injuries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
176
2crashes1fires3injuries
AIR BAGS
140
24crashes26injuries
POWER TRAIN
120
3crashes4injuries
ENGINE
115
1fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
111
3crashes1fires3injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
63
1injuries
Total complaints2,200
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Power steering has gone out.”
“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…”
“The driver's seat bracket broke causing the seat to sag to the right and for the back of the seat to rise up. Pictures were taken and are attached. Available for inspection until fixed. The view is from the front. My finger points to the failed weld. In an accident, the seat might break off…”
“Power steering went out and I'm told it's a sensor that is in the steering column. Very expensive to have fixed due to location of the sensor. I seen a recall for this problem however it is only good for 150,000 miles or 10 years. I just purchased this car 2 years ago with 172,000 miles. This…”
“The power steering goes out at times. When I start up or when I am driving my steering will get harder and I get a power steering warning on the dash. If I shut the car off, sometimes it goes away but most of the time it does not.”
“In 2014 there was a recall issue on 2004 to 2009 chevrolet malibus 2.4 l motors with the electric power steering assist motor. They were to be replaced with labor and free cost. A recall is a safety issue that has no expiration date. In 2015 gm issued a special coverage adjustment for 2010 through…”
“My steering wheel is twitching & possibly failing due to the torque steering sensor & it is very unsafe to drive”
“Odometer fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while reviewing o'reilly diagnostic report, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 159,000, and the current…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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