RecallRadar

HomeChevroletMalibu → 2010

2010 Chevrolet Malibu Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Serious

2,204 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.25 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V019000

Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy & full details

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 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.

Serious14V252000

Electrical System:Wiring

Any of the above failure conditions raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious14E044000

Steering

joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious12V460000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

2,204 this model-year 11 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

72Crashes
17Fires
90Injuries
0Deaths

Across 2,204 complaints. Severity Index 0.25.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Steering449 · 20%Electrical System288 · 13%Electronic Stability Cont…227 · 10%Service Brakes183 · 8%Exterior Lighting176 · 8%Air Bags140 · 6%Power Train120 · 5%Engine115 · 5%
  1. Steering — 449 reports
  2. Electrical System — 288 reports
  3. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 227 reports
  4. Service Brakes — 183 reports
  5. Exterior Lighting — 176 reports
  6. Air Bags — 140 reports
  7. Power Train — 120 reports
  8. Engine — 115 reports
  9. Vehicle Speed Control — 112 reports
  10. Unknown Or Other — 63 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1997 (6) · 1998 (5) · 1999 (3) · 2000 (5) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (4) · 2003 (3) · 2004 (9) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (9) · 2007 (6) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (6) · 2010 · 2011 (4) · 2012 (3) · 2013 (10) · 2014 (6) · 2015 (3) · 2016 (9) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (6) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (1) · 2021 (2) · 2022 (1) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.