general problems of the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu - part 1

Steering locks while driving.

While driving down the road my power steering went out , driver side head light and it was like my breaks tried to lock up on me when I would press on them. I was driving down the interstate and pretty much had zero control of my car . Very scary. While trying to slow down and get off the interstate it's like it all just turned back on I had power steering back but my head light stayed out. So I went and purchased a new one put it in worked drove 2 miles up the road head light right back off. Something is going on with my esc control system and power steering. I could have been really hurt or could have hurt someone.

No power steering feels like manual steering.

Failed steering control sensor.

My electrical power steering is going out. A “power steering” flashes on my dash. I turn off my car and turn it back on and is able to be steered. However, my steering wheel read only moves/jiggles on its on at idle and in park. When I drive I feel the steering wheel jiggling on it’s on requiring to constantly correct so I stay in the lines.

We own this vehicle with 147,xxx miles on it. There was extended warranty coverage of 10-years or 150,000 miles for the power steering position sensor and torque sensor, all part of the electronic stability control system the bulletin is 15356. A very costly repair that could result in a crash if a driver has the steering wheel lock up while driving. Zero help from gm because the period has "expired. " I feel it should be covered since it is under the 150k mileage.

The vehicle has recently started to have power steering failure, making it a hazard while driving at times.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the power steering failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

While driving my steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. My dashboard then flashed “esc” then “power steering” then the traction control issue came on. I eased over turned the car off then on again. The issue cleared until I turned my car off again. My steering wheel started rocking back and forth/side to side. Then I stopped to get gas turned it off then when I turned it back on the issue resumed. This time it took 10 mins for the issue to clear. I drove home and the car made noises and etc. I made it home safely but have not attempted to drive the car since.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while the contact was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering did not function as intended. The electronic stability control warning light illuminated and the power steering seized. In addition, the contact stated that the steering was difficult to turn or to steer forward. . The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed of special coverage program 15356 which had a similar failure description, however the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the program. In addition, the contact was also informed of nhsta campaign number: 14v252000(electrical system, exterior lightening, vehicle speed control, electronic stability control(esc) which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the power steering assist suddenly failed. The contact used an excessive amount of force to steer the vehicle. The steering stability control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,987.

About 8 weeks ago first my driver side speaker in the front went out then my passenger low beam light had went out and I had replaced twice then my ac quit working. I thought it was a fuse or battery or alternator issue even checked if it was it a relay fuse and it was not. Then my dash lit up esc off and then my back driver side brake has been locked up and squealing really bad than my power steering light came on and it’s really hard to turn all of this happened within three weeks and when I looked up recalls and special warranties, my car had a few so I called gm and a couple of dealerships a few times and they have been extremely rude and unhelpful because this is not a wear and tear issue or it being 10 years old. This is clearly a sensor issue that was recalled and had a special warranty for. And I just want my steering, break and heat to work and that’s all I care about but I cannot afford $3000 to fix it when the car is only worth 2000 and I highly doubt that right now. But this is a safety issue for myself and other drivers and I need my car to take my kids to school and to care for my household.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became significantly difficult to steer. The power steering warning light and the esc warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to continue driving to her residence by using physical strength to turn the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure had persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 99,401.

Power steering issue.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while her son was driving 30 mph, the electronic power steering warning light illuminated, after which the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway and after restarting, the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The electronic power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 mph and turning the steering wheel to the left to enter the left lane, the steering wheel was difficult to operate. The contact used extra effort while turning the steering wheel to keep from crashing into the highway barrier. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to exit the highway and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that later in the day the failure reoccurred. The contact repeated the process and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred a third time however, after turning off and restarting the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering torque angle sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the seat belt warning light was illuminating with the seat belt securely buckled. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light was illuminated with the seat belt buckled. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

My power steering stopped working 4 times in the middle of the road all the power steering lights came on the dash yes it is available for inspection it is a huge safety problem because the steering wheel stiffen up all of a sudden and u cannot move the steering wheel while driving, I had to stop my car in the middle of the road to avoid collision. I know it had a recall few years back so I took it to regal Chevrolet dealership in lakeland but they dismissed me saying Chevrolet wont pay them for this . It happens all of a sudden out of nowhere and it never shows any symptoms prior. It first appeared few years back .

Power steering stops working while driving at highway speeds. Power steering light illuminates on the dashboard. When this happens, it is barely possible to steer car to the side of the road to prevent accident or injury. Other than brakes defects, this is the most serious safety concern there is.

There wasnt an incident, but the power steering went out in my car and its a problem that the manufacturer knows about so I believe it should be a recall. I had the mechanics at firestone look at my car and they told me that it needs a lower steering column bracket and motor assembly along with the torque input sensor. The service light came on when the power steering went out the light on the dash says service esc power steering.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the steering had pulled to the left independently. The contact pulled to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The steering control warning light was illuminated after the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty electronic steering assist motor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the recall expired. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

Torque sensor and my steering column and as I did research gm new that it was faulty.

Power steering keeps failing. Steering wheel shakes. Power steering light with the esc service light come on. If I turn the vehicle off and back on again, sometimes the power steering will work again.

While driving, my vehicle will abruptly lose power steering and the wheel will lock up. I am unable to turn my steering wheel. I have to stop my vehicle and turn off the ignition in order to the power steering to work properly. This only last for a few minutes and then it will happen again. This is dangerous and I have had to pull over on the highway to stop and start my vehicle. This first happened in March 2023. Also, my vehicles shows a svc notification on the dashboard. And the tire pressure sensor is always on even with inflated tires. Lastly, my auto start does not work.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently stopped without depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a sharp left or right turn, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The power steering assist warning light, the check engine warning light, the esc warning light, and the traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to napa auto parts to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

I have bought multiple chevy Malibu manufactured in the 2008-2012 year range and I have experienced the same problems on all of them. The first one is almost everytime I remotely start the car and begin to drive the electric power steering feature goes out until I park the car and restart it. Another problem I’ve been experiencing is the the passenger door malfunctions and does not open from the inside or outside even though the locking system is working properly. Upon looking online I have also seen there’s been a good amount of people reporting the same problem.

The power steering light came on on my car after driving on the highway. Pulled over turn car off and on then sign went away. Two days later the power steering and esc light came on and then it went away. Took it to holm dealership and they requested I change the outer tie rods and lower control arms. Made them changes and the power steering still twitches. This can be a deadly situation if this aint figure out. I don't feel like I should pay all these fees to try to figure the cause of this. Everything I read come up with this electrical power steering sensor.

I was driving on 2/5/23 when my car started making a ding sound and the steering wheel locked up. This begin on 1/20/23. There has been 4 incidents with the steering locked while driving. Once results in someone almost getting hit on the side walk as I was turning in the back parking lot. Twice turning left on to my street and once driving around a curve almost hit another car in the other lane.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle as having a steering torque sensor failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 182,000.

2011 Malibu LS 2. 4 power steering keeps going out. Service esc and traction control keep coming on. Very dangerous.

Power steering failed and locked up the steering wheel. Had to stop car mid road to restart car. Car no longer has any power steering. This is a very dangerous issue!.

Power steering fails when driving. Upon restart of the vehicle, power steering comes back and will go off randomly at a later point. Symptom is felt more frequently at lower speeds and less often at high speeds, but still happens. My car is available upon request for inspection. My safety and other's safety was put at risk because it occurred a few times while driving on highways. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center because I refuse to pay out of pocket for an issue that should be covered under a recall. However, a quick youtube search will show that the symptom is wide spread and the public is not aware that it is a known issue to gm. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Symptoms have been identified as part of a gm special coverage 15356. The issue is that mass dissemination of this information has not reached the public. Owners of this vehicle, who are now just experiencing this issue, are not included in the special coverage because it expired at 150,000 or may 10, 2021. As an active duty service member, if any letters were sent, they were delivered to my home address and not my physical address, therefore if any attempt was made to contact me or my family would have been futile. Just like many consumers, I only track recalls and not special coverages.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at 5 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel felt loose and unstable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that failure had been reoccurring increasingly. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 14e044000 (steering). An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

When I cranked my car, the power steering immediately went out. I had no previous issues and the car uses an electrical power steering component that does not allow me to add fluid.

My 2011 Malibu has approx 170000 miles. Was driving on the highway when one by one, low fuel range, tire pressure, and antitheft lights illuminated blinking in dash. The radio flickers like loosing power, the car jerks pulling hard to right side and the power steering goes out and the car literally shuts down in drive on the highway not even giving me time to get off road. Pushed car to side of road. When I try and restart engine turns but sputters like out of gas. Again and again I try until the battery is dead but car wouldnt stay running. I check battery terminals and fuses, a friend brings gallon of gas and jumps car. Same result. I have towed home. I put battery on charger put battery back in car and it starts immediately and stays running. Again I try to go to town. The same thing happens 2 miles further from where it previously did, this time the esc was added to the others illuminating on dash. I tried the same things I did before getting same result. I take battery call a ride and go home to put battery on charger. When I return 48 hours later and put battery in, it cranks right up.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud cracking sound coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, the wheels failed to respond while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was similar to the failure listed in NHTSA campaign number: 14e044000 (steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 160,000.