Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 44 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 44, in the owner's own words
I WAS GOING TO WORK , WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK MY DRIVER FRONT DOOR WAS STUCK SHUT IT WOULD NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE . I HAD TO CRAWL OVER CONSOLE TO GET OUT OF CAR THRU PASSENGER SIDE, AND NOW I HAVE TO GET IN IT TO DRIVE IT FROM PASSENGER SIDE.
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WON'T OPEN. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN USING EITHER THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND I CAN USUALLY GET IT WORKING BY OPENING THE DOOR WINDOW AND MANUALLY LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOOR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLING AND RELEASING THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. SOMEHOW THIS REESTABLISHES THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AND IT WILL OPEN. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD.
FRONT DOOR LOCKS MECHANISM SEIZES PREVENTING THEM FROM OPENING EITHER FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, OCCUPANTS WILL BE TRAPPED. I HAD TO CHANGE BOTH FRONT DOORS AT 5 YEARS OF LIFE AND THEN AGAIN AT 8 (DRIVERS). BOTH TIMES ORIGINAL OEM PARTS. INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR FAILED TO OPEN BACK IN AUGUST 2015, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOW NOT OPEN AS OF 5/30/19. SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, NEITHER FRONT DOOR WILL OPEN. PULLED INTO A PARKING GARAGE AND TRIED EXITING THRU THE PASSENGER SIDE ( LIKE I HAVE THE LAST 3+ YEARS) AND DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. HAD TO CLIMB OUT THRU THE BACKSEAT.
DOOR LOCKS DON'T UNLOCK THE DOORS TRAPPING OCCUPANTS INSIDE THE CAR. MANUAL OR ELECTRICAL DON'T WORK. MODULES ARE DEFECTIVE, AND MANUAL LOCK PULL DOES NOT WORK EITHER. VEHICLE COULD BE RUNNING OR NOT RUNNING-STILL DOES NOT WORK. IF YOU ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND TRY THE OUTSIDE HANDLE, STILL DOES NOT WORK. SOLENOID, IN THE DOORS MAKE A SOUND LIKE THE DOORS UNLOCK, BUT THEY DON'T. MAYBE ONE IN THE BACK WILL WORK, BUT VERY DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. YOUR STUCK WITH NO OPTIONS TO GET OUT. THIS IS A VERY SEVER SAFTY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS. TRIED TO BUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, AND BACK INTO PARK AND TURN OFF THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES WITH NO LUCK. TRIED TO ROCK THE DOOR LOCK SWITCH DOES NOT HELP. BELIEVE THE MODULES ARE DEFECTIVE. DOOR PULLS FOR UNLOCKING THE DOORS SHOULD STILL WORK, EVEN IF THE POWER WAS LOST. THEY DO NOT. TRIED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AND STATIONARY. BECAUSE I WAS STUCK IN THE CAR, I WENT AROUND THE BLOCK WONDERING IF IT WAS A CHARGING PROBLEM. IT'S NOT, AFTER GOING AROUND THE BLOCK AND PULLING BACK INTO THE DRIVE WAY, THEY STILL DID NOT WORK. WHEN CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS STILL DID NOT WORK. HAD TO CHECK THE BACK DOOR AND FOUND IT FINALLY WORKED. HAD TO CRAWL OVER THE FRONT SEAT AND CRAWLED OUT THAT WAY. WAS STUCK IN THE CAR FOR 25 MIN. COULD NOT DO ANYTHING.
2010 CHEVY MALIBU BRAKE LIGHT ON WITHOUT BRAKE BEING APPLIED CAR SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ON AND SERVICE ESC I BELIEVE IT'S DUE TO A BAD BODY CONTROL MODULE
AT RANDOM OCCASIONS, THE FRONT DOOR LATCHES WILL NOT WORK. LAST NOVEMBER, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR DID NOT OPEN EVEN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO OPEN IT MANUALLY AND USING THE POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH. THIS MORNING, I HAD TWO ISSUES WITH THE DRIVER DOOR. FIRST, IT WOULD NOT SHUT UNTIL AFTER I USED THE BUTTON TO MANUALLY LOCK THE DOOR ("USED" MEANING I PULLED IT UP AND PUSHED IT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION). THEN, AFTER I PARKED MY CAR, THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN UNTIL AFTER PUSHING THE BUTTON UP AND DOWN SEVERAL TIMES, USING THE REMOTE A COUPLE TIMES, ROLLING THE WINDOW UP AND DOWN, AND PUSHING THE BUTTON UP AND DOWN AGAIN. I WONDER IF HUMIDITY AND/OR MOISTURE MAY BE AFFECTING THE DOORS' ABILITY TO FUNCTION, AS IT HAD RAINED AND/OR SNOWED ON BOTH OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, THE WEATHER HAS NOT AFFECTED THE DOORS ON OTHER CARS I HAVE USED TO SUCH AN EXTENT. THE ISSUE WITH DOORS NOT OPENING/SHUTTING AS EXPECTED HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY OTHER 2008-12 MALIBU OWNERS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED IMMEDIATELY.
DEFECTIVE DOOR LATCHES. BOTH DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND BACK DOOR PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU BACK IN 2012. DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN OR NOT SHUT. CONTACTED GM TWICE AND NO ASSISTANCE FROM GM. I PURCHASED A AFTERMARKET DOOR LATCH AND REPLACED THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH IN JAN 2018 AND HAVE NO MORE PROBLEM SINCE. DRIVER BACK DOOR I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OPEN SINCE 2015 AND BECAUSE THE BACK DOOR WONT OPEN, THERE IS NO WAY TO REPLACE THE LATCH. IF A FIRE OR ACCIDENT HAPPENS THERE IS NO EXIT FROM DRIVERS SIDE BACK DOOR. WITHOUT WARNING ON A 7 YEAR OLD VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN AUG 2017 136000 MILES. EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT.
DRIVER SIDE DOOR AT TIMES FAILED TO OPEN FROM EITHER OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. KEYFOB REMOTE PROPERLY LIFTS AND LOWERS THE LOCK KNOB LIFTER TO LOCK OR UNLOCK POSITION. MINUTES, HOURS AND ONE TIME, TWO DAYS WOULD GO BY THEN THE DOOR WOULD EVENTUALLY UNLOCKS TO OPEN. SAME FOR THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR SINCE 2015. ALSO, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE UNLESS I SLAM THE DOOR SHUT. I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE PROGRAMMING CHANGES ON THE DOOR LOCKING FEATURES THROUGH THE ON BOARD COMPUTER AND MOVING TRANS SHIFTIER TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS. NO SUCCESS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE TWICE (2015 & 2016) AND BOTH TIME WAS TOLD BY CHEVROLET THEY WILL NOT COVER SINCE OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO THE MILES ON MY 2010 CHEVY MALIBU. FOR ME BEING A OVER WEIGHT OLDER INDIVIDUAL ITS DIFFICULT TO EXIT AND ENTER FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR. SOMEONE ELDERLY IT WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BE IMPOSSIBLE.
IT IS A 2010 MALIBU LS. YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS CLOSING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, IT WOULD NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY FROM THE OUTSIDE. I LOOKED AT THE CATCH AND THE AREA MIDWAY ON THE DOOR TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS CAUGHT IN IT OR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS MISSING. I DIDNT SEE ANYTHING. I GOT IN AND SHUT THE DOOR AND IT CLOSED, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN IT IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I TRIED PUSHING THE POWER LOCK BUTTON INSIDE A FEW TIMES LOCKING AND UNLOCKING AND IT STILL DOES NOT OPEN. WHEN YOU PULL THE LTACH ON THE INSIDE IT FEELS LIKE IT IS NOT CATCHING ANYTHING. I TRIED JUST USING THE KEY ON THE OUTSIDE AND THE HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE SEEMS LIKE IT IS NOT CATCHING ANYTHING. THE LOCKS STILL GO UP AND DOWN, WITH AND WITHOUT USING THE REMOTE. ALSO I NOTICED THAT THE RADIO STAYS ON WITH THE DOORS CLOSED AND NO KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE PASSANGER SIDE AND REAR DOORS WORK FINE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE PUSHING THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE OR WHILE INSERTING THE KEY IN THE DOOR LOCK. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
"TAKATA RECALL": THE DOOR LOCK DOES NOT WORK AT TIMES. THE DOOR WILL NOT SHUT AS WELL AS THE DOOR'S LOCK ASSEMBLY NOT DISENGAGING. THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY WILL EITHER NOT UNLOCK OR WILL NOT ALLOW THE DOOR TO STAY LATCHED. IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING WHEN MOVING, STATIONARY, DRIVING ON ANY TYPE OF ROAD OR PARKING AREA. WE HAD DAVIDSON CHEVROLET IN WATERTOWN, NEW YORK ON MARCH 7, 2016 FOR A SEAT BELT PROBLEM AND HAD THE DOOR LOOKED AT THAT DAY. WE WERE INFORMED IT WOULD COST OVER $500.00 TO REPLACE THE PART. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE ALMOST FALLEN OUT OF CAR WHILE DRIVING WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT AND NOTHING CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. THE LAST DATE THIS HAPPENED WAS 10-27-2016. THE FIRST IT HAPPENED WAS LAST YEAR. *TR
DRIVER DOOR WON'T OPEN. RIGHT BEFORE IT WOULDN'T OPEN, THE DOOR WOULDN'T CLOSE. IT WOULD JUST BOUNCE OPEN. GOT THE DOOR TO FINALLY CLOSE AND NOW IT WON'T OPEN. TRIED UNLOCKING AND LOCKING IT AND NOTHING. SEEN LOTS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING AND HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR MALIBUS. *TR
THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL RANDOMLY STAY LOCKED EVEN WHEN ITS NOT LOCKED. THIS IS A SAFTEY HAZARD. YOU CANNOT OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE LOCK ACTUATOR.
MY 2010 CHEVY MALIBU DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE DOORS ARE UNLOCKED OR FROM THE OUTSIDE BY PULLING ON THE HANDLE. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU UNLOCK FROM INSIDE USING UNLOCK/LOCK BUTTON ON DOOR OR OUTSIDE USING KEY FOB, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR AN EMERGENCY, THE DRIVER OR PASSENGERS WHOSE DOORS ARE AFFECTED WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE AFFECTED DOOR. TRIED PENETRATING OIL AND GREASE TO LUBRICATE ACTUATOR AND HAS NOT FIXED PROBLEM. ALSO HAPPENS RANDOMLY, DOES NOT MATTER TEMPERATURE OR WEATHER CONDITIONS. NO CURRENT RECALLS OUT ON THIS ISSUE, AND REPAIR COSTS RANGE UPWARDS OF $350. THE PULL HANDLE INSIDE THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS NOT ENGAGING WITH THE COMPONENTS TO UNLATCH THE DOOR, AND THE SAME FEELING IS OBSERVED WHEN TRYING TO OPEN THE CAR ON THE OUTSIDE USING THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE.
CHROME PAINT ON INTERIOR HANDLERS IS PEELING CAUSING CUTS/LACERATIONS ON PEOPLE'S HANDS.
DOOR LATCH MALFUNCTIONS. THE AUTO LOCK FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM DRIVE TO PARK, AND THE DOOR IS UNABLE TO BE OPENED AND CLOSED. THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT/ENTER THE VEHICLE IS BY CRAWLING ACROSS PASSENGER SEAT - SAFETY CONCERN.
MY MALIBU LEAKIN WATER BY THE METALLIC STRUCTURE OF THE ROOF IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S AUTO GLASS BUSINESS UP AND NOTED THAT THE WINDSHIELD IS NO PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM IS IN THE METAL CEILING JOISTS FACTORY DEFAULT IN THE INSULATION CEILING. THAT SAME DIAGNOSIS IT ISSUED THREE WORKSHOPS OF CAR REPAIR. IT IS A PROBLEM OF MAKING THE 2010 MALIBU.
DRIVER DOOR HANDLES INCONSISTENTLY WORK. ONE DAY THEY WILL BE FINE, THE NEXT NEITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HANDLES WORK. THE MECHANISM FOR THE DOOR LOCK APPEARS TO BE WORKING FINE.
DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM IN THE DRIVERS DOOR HAS BEEN FAILING, POWER DOOR LOCK ON DRIVERS DOOR FAILS QUITE OFTEN. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE DRIVER CAN NOT OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR EITHER WITH THE POWER UNLOCK OR MANUALLY WITH THE DOOR LOCK IN THE UP POSITION OR FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE DRIVERS DOOR WITH THE DOOR HANDLE. IT IS LIKE THE DOOR MECHANISM IS DISABLED. DOES NOT MATTER IF THE CAR IS IN MOTION OR NOT HAPPENS WHEN PARKED OR THE CAR HAS JUST COME TO A STOP. THE DRIVER MUST CRAWL OVER THE CENTER DIVIDER AND OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE TO EXIT OR BACK OVER TO DRIVE THE CAR. HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT REPAIRED FOR $350 AT THE CHEVROLET DEALER ON NOVEMBER 11TH BUT THINK THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY GM AS I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2008 TO 2010 MALIBU CARS AND CERTAINLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE BEING TRAPPED IN THE CAR.
I WENT TO OPEN MY FRONT, DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR (FROM THE OUTSIDE) AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I CLIMBED THROUGH THE PASSENGER FRONT AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR FROM THE INSIDE...IT STILL WOULD NOT OPEN. USING THE PALM OF MY HAND, I BUMPED THE EFFECTED DOOR ON THE OUTSIDE DOOR PANEL, BY THE HANDLE AND IT OPENED. I LUBED THE INSIDE DOOR CATCH AREA AS MUCH AS I COULD AND IT SEEMED OK. 48 HOURS LATER, I WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES DURING THIS TIME FRAME WHERE I WENT TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND IT BOUNCED BACK OPEN AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE DOOR LATCH NEVER CAUGHT THE POST ON THE FRAME. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. AN ELDERLY OR DISABLED DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. NOT EVERYONE IS PHYSICALLY CAPABLE OF FOLDING THEMSELVES UP AND CLIMBING OVER THE ARMREST INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT. ALSO, IT STANDS TO REASON THAT IF THE DOOR MAY NOT LATCH SHUT, IT MAY OPEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. AFTER SHUTTING IT SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT IT LATCHING, IT FINALLY STAYED SHUT. I HAVE NOW BEEN UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR SINCE. THE DOOR STILL WILL NOT OPEN. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR DID THE SAME THING, AND I WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE DOOR. I HAD TO CRAWL TO THE BACK SEAT TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENS NOW, BUT STILL DOESN'T SHUT PROPERLY AT LEAST 2 TIMES A WEEK
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHROME PLATING ON ALL THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES WAS PEELING AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN MINOR CUTS ON THE HAND. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ESN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT AN UNKNOWN PART NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO UNLOCK THE FRONT INTERIOR PASSENGER DOOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK SPORADICALLY WORKED ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND BACK INTO PARK VARIOUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS MOLDING IN THE DOOR FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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