266 problems related to steering have been reported for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu based on all problems reported for the 2010 Malibu.
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 2012 chevy Malibus. This special adjustment is for those vehicles 2010 through 2012 to have the power steering assist motor replaced for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original service date. The problem with that is I have a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu that has the exact same electric power steering assist motor that the 2004 through 2009 half but yet I only have a special coverage adjustment which is not even close to a recall where there is no expiration date on when the manufacturer would replace the electric power steering assist motor free of charge. The issue with the electric power steering assist motor was a malfunctioning of a bushing issues in the motor. I have the same electric power assist motor in my Malibu that all the recall Malibu's 2004 to 2009 have. So what made the difference after 2009 with this product the electric power steering assist motor? today February 13th 2026 my electric power steering assist motor will only work when I reset the system. I almost had an accident because the power steering went out and I was driving. Took my Malibu to repair shop called express pro in indianapolis indiana and they diagnosed it power steering assist motor failing. I do not fall under the special coverage adjustment although that's really for non-safety concerns a recall is first safety issues with no expiration date and my 2010 Malibu should be in the recall. I cannot afford $1,500 to get this motor replaced which I had no clue there was even a recall until today. The car will set until there is a recall issue which is the only fair thing to do when it was issued for 2004-2009 Malibu's since there was no change in the electric power steering assist motor.
My steering wheel is twitching & possibly failing due to the torque steering sensor & it is very unsafe to drive.
Power steering randomly goes off taking the traction control with it. Terrible for the snow roads to have. Have to life the steering wheel slightly when starting to the car get it to work. Steering angle sensor or torque position sensor maybe??.
I lost power steering while driving, making the wheel hard to turn. While the car is idle, the steering wheel shakes. Also “esc” pops on on the dashboard.
Lug studs repeatedly snap at wheel no matter how installed.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 30-40 mph, the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact stated while making a left turn, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver and the steering wheel vibrated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
My power steering quit working.
Steering not working correctly it is ver hard to turn steering wheel. Cluster lights went out so dashboard lights do not work, brake lights not working seems to be electrical problems with the vehicle.
Casi tengo un accident por q mi power steering dejo DE funcionar se puso duro y e visto muchos Malibu con el mismo problema.
My service esc light and no esc light randomly pop up and I lose power steering in my 2010 Malibu. I've heard there are warranties for this but only if your vehicle is at 150000 miles. Mine is at 160k. Ibe changed the torque sensor and motor to power steering. No fix. It seems that if gm knows about this problem, they should be responsible. I can't afford to keep dishing out money on parts that aren't working. Super annoying.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the engine / it stopped while I was driving / dealer charged me $2000 for a replacement engine, then after that my power steering gave out , my esc turns off and on / car jumps while driving my whole dashboard goes crazy how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the car stopped while I was driving multiple times , my kids were in the car for 2 of them, it stops with out warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes the used car dealership I bought it from is well aware and basically not helping at all were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no , no warnings signs came on until after the engine was changed and they go on and off.
After starting car, orange triangle indicator light came on (traction control I believe) and message: "eng reduction loss of power steering, drove to midas for oil change a couple miles away with manual steering(more difficult that my 61 pontiac tempest). I turned car off and immediately restarted and power steering was restored, car was fine driving home after oil change. In addition, I've owned the car about two months and have put on around 4,000 miles(drove it back from arizona), I've already had the thermostat replaced in s. Dakota, fuel pump replaced in wisconsin and exhaust manifold in michigan.
The esc is hard to steer and the seatbelt light stays on even when I'm wearing my seatbelt.
• yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. • the failure of the power steering system made it extremely difficult to steer the vehicle, especially at lower speeds, which put my safety and the safety of others at risk by increasing the likelihood of an accident. It would turn on and go off by itself at random spurts, which was very unusual. • no, the problem has not been reproduced by another dealer. • the vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer’s service department. As well as, not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. • no it just randomly had a warning light one day when I got in it to crank it like a normal day. But never warned me before hand, but when it did come on, but it appeared on the dashboard indicating a power steering issue, and abs and brake warning light. The abs and brake warning light first appeared about two weeks before the complete failure of the system. Which I became without a vehicle for about 3 months because of it.
First off the power steering goes out and can only be fixed by applying dielectric grease to the bcm but that will fix it. Second the airbag light will randomly go on but this can also be remedy by fixing the yellow connection under the passenger seat try jiggling it if that doesnt fix it just cut the two wires off the connector's and splice with crimp connectors. Hope this helps you as much as it did me :).
I was driving down the road after I bought the car and the steering suddenly went out the dic said "service esc" and "service traction" and I could barely move the steering wheel I was lucky to be on a country road because if I was on the highway I could have lost complete control and caused an accident I took it to a mechanic and they said "the dielectric grease in the bcm connector wore out" when I googled it I saw there was a recall but when I contacted the dealer they said there was nothing they could do for me. This is very concerning as who knows how many Malibus steering could randomly go out over such a stupid problem I could be available if you would like to inspect the car/systems.
Power steering and esc light on.
Hello I am very upset I was driving down the street normal day then all of a sudden my steering wheel got hard to turn. . . Then esc/power steering light came on. My steering wheel does shakes a little because it's dangerous to drive. I called to the chevy dealership they said that they couldn't fix the problem because it was pass the due date. But there's a big problem with this because there were recalls for this problem and I know about the special coverage but there's no way I should have to come out of pocket for this failure that chevy knows about! please help it's very dangerous to drive this car the way it is. . . Really my only transportation back & forth to work.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 60 mph the power steering failed and the vehicle steering wheel had become very hard to turn left or right. The contact stated her son was able to pull off the road and stopped the vehicle. He had not turned off the vehicle and noticed that the "power steering" light was illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering was intermittent, but had eventually become constant. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the needed the steering column torque sensor had to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to manufacturer technical service bulletin number: 15356 (steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,643.
The electronic power stearing and electronic stability control shut down while driving but would restart after key was cycled off. Dashboard would blink service esc and power stearing and the vehicle became very hard to turn and control. No there were no symptoms or warning messages prior to the incident. Yes it has been reproduced. My safety and the safety of everyone around me is put at risk becuase the car becomes almost impossible to controland stear. The car has not been inspected by anyone.
When I turn on car steering wheels locks in place unable to turn ,I hasn’t been inspected, and the dash says power steering.
Steering failed. No power assist and steering wheel shaking. Warning light for service power steering came on. Steering sensor torque? code c0545 ? the vehicle will suddenly lose power steering. Happens especially upon start up then have to turn vehicle off and sometimes power will come back on. Steering wheel visible shakes. Putting vehicle in shop for further evaluation. Gm has a known issue with steering on these vechiles and there was a recall done but not for my year yet it is being widely reported online that there is an issue with other years as well.
The power steering goes out while I am driving, and I find out I cannot make turns when the road curves or even to get off the road and be safe. Yes, the vehicle can be inspected anytime. This puts myself in danger of going off the road and others in danger if I cannot make a turn when going through an intersection. This is very dangerous in michigan on the winter roads where I live. I have had to stop 1/2 through intersections almost in the ditch and then just wait for all cars to be gone to back up & finish the turn. A message appears on dash but it doesn't stay on. I had the steering torque sensor and motor replaced per warranty about July 2020 (at about 98,000 miles)and now the car is doing the same thing again! I haven't taken it in because I am afraid of what it will cost. They said it would have been about $1000. 00 in 2020 if I had to pay for it. I called the dealership who fixed it to see if warranty would cover it the 2nd time and they said no. What good is it if they replace a faulty part with another faulty part?? the car has155,000 miles now as I am self employed doing food deliveries. Thank you.
The power steering system stops working. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning, the power steering will just disappear, you have to stop shut it off and turn it back on. Does not matter how fast you are going, it just does it. This is unsafe because there is no warning, and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working. This could easily cause an accident, if it would go out on the highway.
The power steering system stops working when it’s cold. There are no warning signs prior to it malfunctioning. When I get it towed to be seen or bring an mechanic to check out the problem it is always resolved before they can inspect it. This is unsafe because there is no warning and it comes and goes with no consistency. I could drive for 30 minutes without a problem and then it stops working or I could get in the car and it stops working within 5 minutes. This could easily cause an accident.
My 2010 chevy Malibu with 112,000 miles started having power steering failure while driving with my 9 yr old. At 55 miles an hour it was almost impossible to control the car and get pulled to the shoulder. I shut it off and when I turned the key on again I had power steering so I went ahead and drove home. The next day I start it and it has power steering but then I drive it for several miles or more and it dings and a message appears on the instrument panel saying power steering, esc/traction control and the steering almost completely seizes. I took it to have it looked at and of course it does not do it when the mechanic drives nor does it throw any codes. I told him that it happens at random so he needs to drive it until it does it again, and sure enough it does it again but still does not throw a code. I am told my only option is to replace the power steering motor for $800. It seems to me that if it was the motor it would not be working some times and then seize to work at random.
My vehicle lost power steering 3 months after buying it . Along with esc and traction controll . However there have been spraratic times when it works just fine . I have been driving the vehicle for 4 years with no power steering because the dealership has told me my rack and pinion is shot and that is not true I cannot afford to fix something that is not broke . That being said they also refuse to look deeper into the issue . So I am stuck driving a very unsafe vehicle until someone decide to do the right thing and admit this is a manufacturer issue and not and owner issue ??.
The car shut off while driving down the street. Lost all control over steering and braking components. After the car shut itself off was not able to get it to turn back on after several hours. Turned it back on but when attempted to drive it home, it shit itself off again. Still could not control steering wheel.
The steering wheel has started freezing to where it is difficult if not impossible to turn. When this issue occurs I will see the steering esc light notification appear with a chime. Stopping the vehicle and turning the engine off then on clears the issue for the moment but will occur again, almost daily. In doing research I encountered gm service bulletin no. 15356 which identifies this as a known issue. My car currently has 174,000 miles on it so it is outside the range specified in the bulletin. Being as this is a known safety issue why was a safety recall not issued. This seems to be a very serious issue yet not being handled as such.
Was driving. My speed was about 60mph car swerved into left lane slightly when I went to move back into my lane I had no power steering and I think lights on dash stated power steering esc. Pulled over at gas station and read a forum about this. It stated if I turned off car and restarted car I would have power steering again. It did. Next day started car at home and didn't have power steering again. Shut it off restarted car and again steering was back.
While driving home from work on a busy parkway my daughter lost control of her 2010 chevy Malibu (due to loss of power steering), after almost getting hit by another car she struggled to steer the car to the side of the parkway but turning the steering wheel was extremely difficult. She called me and I was able to drive it home but the power steering worked on and off. A warning message flashed [ service power steering - esc off ] my daughter doesn't recall seeing the warning light before the incident. I took the car to my mechanic, he said I was better off going to the dealer because it was a big electronic problem with power steering but he wasn't sure how to troubleshoot it. This could have ended a nightmare. . And, I am very upset after doing research on the electronic power steering assist problems and recalls for the chevy Malibu and other gm vehicles over the past 10 yrs it is quite troubling and what really angers me is they don't have a recall for her car which is ridiculous after you spend a little time researching the 2010 Malibu customer complaints due to the power steering failure.
Electrical power steering went out on highway. Loss partial control of the wheel!.
While driving the power steering goes out and a warning message pops up that says ‘service esc’ and ‘esc off’. It is near impossible to turn the wheel when this happens. I was able to turn the car off and back on, and the power steering returns/messages go away, but the same problem happens on and off.
While driving and making a left turn the steering wheel suddenly became difficult to steer. Power steering and service esc warnings showed up on dash. Able to pull off the road and turned off engine. When restarted, message cleared and power steering returned. Drove back home and problem occurred several more times. Parked car in driveway. Unable to drive due to this safety issue.