2009 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
MY ESC LIGHT CAME ON RANDOMLY WHILE IN PARK AND I LOST POWER STEERING. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON IT WAS FINE, LIGHT WENT AWAY. A FEW DAYS LATER DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ESC LIGHT COMES ON, WHEEL BEGINS SHAKING AND LOST POWER CONTROL, TRIED TO PULL OFF AND TURN THE CAR OFF, LIKE BEFORE, THE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. NO POWER STEERING AT ALL IN MY CAR FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS.
POWER STEERING GOES OUT. WARNING MESSAGE ON DASH READS "POWER STEERING - SERVICE ESC" THIS HAPPENS WHEN I AM DRIVING AND GOES OUT WITHOUT WARNING. TODAY IT WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH ROUNDING A LONG SWEEPING CURVE. DANGEROUS! I SEE THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM - GM RECALL # N140115, BUT IT DOESN'T COVER THE MONTH THAT MY MALIBU WAS BUILT, WHICH IS 12/08. IT COVERS OTHER MALIBU'S AND OTHER VEHICLES. MY CAR HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS THEIRS. GM DEFINITELY NEEDS TO EXPAND THIS RECALL TO INCLUDE ALL CARS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT AT THIS TIME.
RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING THE ESC LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE CARS ELECTRIC STEERING GOES OUT AND MAKES IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. AS OF NOW YOU CAN SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND START THE VEHICLE AND IT WILL WORK BUT THEN SHUT DOWN WITHIN 10 MILES. THIS MAKES THE CAR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
TAKATA RECALL ! I CURRENTLY OWN A 2009 CHEVY MALIBU ECOTEC AND WHEN STARTING THE CAR ONE MORNING MY ELECTRIC STABILITY CONTROL CAME ON ALSO SAYING NO POWER STEARING THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE OTHER MODELS BUT NOT MY ECOTEC 4 CYLINDER..
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING FAILED AND THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE ESC AND POWER STEERING WARNING MESSAGES APPEARED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
INTERMITTENTLY UPON STARTING THE STATIONARY VEHICLE THE 'SERVICE ESC' LIGHT COMES ON FOLLOWED BY 'POWER STEERING' LIGHT. THE POWER STEERING WON'T WORK. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE 1-3 TIMES USUALLY CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURS WHERE THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT, WITHOUT WARNING. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN GOING AROUND BENDS OR TURNING. LASTLY, WHEN MOVING (USUALLY BACKING UP, BUT ALSO WHILE DRIVING) THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS BACK AND FORTH BY ITSELF AS IF THE POWER STEERING IS ENGAGING BUT NO TURNING IS REQUIRED. I'VE LOST CONTROL ON SLICK ROADS AND IN PARKING LOTS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE'S A RECALL FOR THE 2012 MALIBU FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT MY PROBLEM IS, BUT NOT FOR THE 2009 MODEL. HOWEVER, WHEN LOOKING UP THE 2012 RECALL IT SAYS 2004-2012 MALIBU WERE UNDER RECALL, YET MY VIN FOR 2009 MALIBU SHOWS NO RECALLS. VERY ODD. IF NOT FIXED FOR FREE, I'LL BE LOOKING INTO CLASS ACTION.
MY ESC LIGHT TO SERVICE CAME ON, WHICH ALSO TRIGGERED THE POWER STEERING TO GO OFF. THIS HAPPENED A WEEK AGO WHEN I WAS DRIVING . WHEN I CALLED GM, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL, THAT WAS A SPECIAL COVERAGE AND IT EXPIRED IN OCTOBER IF 2018. WELL IT'S NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE AND NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT HAS ISSUES THE MANUFACTURE KNOW ABOUT, AND THEY KNOW IT WAS A DEFECT BUT I AM NOW EXPECTED TO PAY FOR A $1300 REPAIR MYSELF.
POWER STEERING GOES OUT GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IT ALSO GOES OUT AFTER STARTING THE CAR. N TOUCHING THE WHEEL. THEY. ESC AN POWERSTEERING LIGHT COME ON
THE POWER STEERING MESSAGE COMES ON WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE AND THEN SAYS ESC OFF. STEERING WHEEL WON'T TURN. TURN THE CAR OFF AND MOST TIMES IF U TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE STARTING THE CAR IT WILL GO OFF. OTHER TIMES IT TAKES 2 TO 3 TIMES OF RESTARTING. TONIGHT DRIVING HOME THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WENT OUT. HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT. THE STEERING WHEEL IS SHAKING AND VIBRATING ALL THE TIME NOW.
ESC LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON 01-21. MORNING OF 01-22 WAS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE TRYING TO LEAVE DRIVEWAY. ECS LIGHT REMAINS ON AND POWER STEERING NEVER RETURNED EVEN AFTER 20 MILES OF HIGHWAY AND RURAL ROAD TRAVEL. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. FURIOUS THAT ONLY CERTAIN VIN #S ARE PART OF RECALL WHEN IT CLEARLY AFFECTS THE VAST MAJORITY OF VINS FOR THIS MODEL YEAR.
WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY POWER STEERING WILL QUIT WORKING AND IT BECOMES EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER(VERY UNSAFE CONDITION). BY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTING, STEERING WILL BE FINE UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN(WHICH IT DOES, CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, AGAIN VERY UNSAFE)
POWER STEERING AND SERVICE ESC/TRACTION LIGHT COMES ACROSS THE DASH AS I'M DRIVING RANDOMLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS MY STEERING WHEEL BECOMES STIFF AND HARD TO TURN. I CAN TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND IT'LL BE FINE BUT IT DOES COME BACK EVENTUALLY.
THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND POWER STEERING CAME UP ON MESSAGE BOARD WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY ON 11-11-18.AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE DROVE VEHICLE AROUND BLOCK WITHOUT POWER STEERING JUST AS I WAS PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY THE STEERING CAME BACK.WHAT HAPPENED.WORRIED IN OREGON.
WHILE DRIVING SERVICE ESC LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOLLOWED BY POWER STEERING LIGHT. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME DIFFICULTY TO TURN. I WOULD TURN INTO A SAFE PLACE TURN THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A MINUTE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD WORK FINE. THIS WILL HAPPEN OFF AND ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THE SERVICE ESC LIGHT COME ON FOLLOWED BY POWER STEERING AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TURN ALL THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I'M DRIVING SCARED THE DAY LIGHTS OUT OF ME EVERY TIME IT WOULD HAPPEN. BEING LOOKING AROUND TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AS FAR AS THIS GOES. WILL HAPPEN EVERY TIME I'M IN MOTION ON CITY STREET OR INTERSTATE VERY SCARY AS I'M A FEMALE DRIVING THIS CAR 2009 CHEVY MAILBU LTZ 4CYL THIS HAS BEING GOING ON FOR MONTHS NOW STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE VEHICLE STARTED PURCHASING IT IN 2017 NOT SURE OF THE EXACT TIME IT STARTED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, "POWER STEERING" AND "ESC OFF" WAS DISPLAYED AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTIONED. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.
WHILE DRIVING , POWER STEERING STOPPED WORK. STEERING GOT REAL HARD AND BECAME REAL HARD TO TURN MY VEHICLE. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE SOME PLAY (TWITCH) IN STEERING COLUMN WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. AFTER A RESTART, IT WENT AWAY BUT SAME PROBLEM CAME BACK AGAIN THE NEXT DAY. THERE WAS MESSAGE ON DASH REGARDING ESC SEVICE AND POWER STEERING. IT ALL SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE DORMAN RECALL ON OTHER GM VEHICLES.
WHILE DRIVING MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO TURN AND THE ESC OFF DISPLAYED ALSO WITH POWER STEERING ALERT
01/04/2018 WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON. CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT ALL THE WAY INTO WORK AND HAD NO POWER STEERING.
JUST BOUGHT THE CAR A FEW WEEKS AGO AND OUT OF NOWHERE THE POWER STEERING ESC LIGHT POPS ON. I DIDN'T EVER HIT POT HOLES OR ANYTHING JUST A BASIC HOME TO WORK CAR.
THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING GREAT THEN ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING THE ESC LIGHT AND POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT.
LOST STEERING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. SERVICE ESC AND POWER STEERING MESSAGE CAME ON.
EVERY TIME CAR IS DRIVEN POWER STEERING AND ESC ERRORS SHOW ON DISPLAY AND TRACTION CONTROL IS TURNED OFF. ERRORS SHOW UP WHILE DRIVING AND ALSO WHILE STATIONARY. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL BUT DOES NOT SHOW FOR MY VIN.
I LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. MY ESC LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME AS A WARNING ABOUT MY POWER STEERING. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE 1/19/18. IT IS VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR AT THIS POINT, OF COURSE AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY CAR IS ALSO VERY WELL-MAINTAINED.
MY CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY FINE UNTIL THE POWER STEERING JUST COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. THE ESC COMES UP AND STOPS WORKING AS DOES THE POWER STEERING MESSAGE. THIS MAKES IT NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AND IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS OTHER RECALLED VEHICLES BUT FOR SOME REASON MY VEHICLE ISN'T PART OF THE RECALL. I CAN'T PAY FOR THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM ON MANY OTHER VEHICLES AND SOMETHING GM NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF. ALSO MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY THANK GOD. THANK YOU
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu has 85 STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.