general problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu - part 1

The vehicle was purchased on 04/07 and represented with a mileage of 167,334 at the time of sale. No issues with the odometer or mileage accuracy were disclosed prior to purchase. On 04/08, the vehicle was taken to walmart auto care center for routine service, where it was identified and documented that the odometer/instrument cluster is not functioning and does not display or track mileage. Because the odometer is inoperative, the stated mileage cannot be verified, and the condition existed at the time of sale but was not disclosed. The vehicle was sold in a condition where accurate mileage could not be determined, despite a specific mileage being provided. The failure of the odometer creates a safety concern, as it prevents proper tracking of maintenance intervals, including oil changes, brake servicing, and other critical upkeep. This increases the risk of operating the vehicle with worn or unsafe components, which could lead to mechanical failure while driving. The issue has been confirmed by an independent service center, and documentation is available. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. No prior warnings, indicator lights, or disclosures were provided before purchase, and the defect was identified within one day of ownership.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? yes how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the car stalls and/or shuts down while in use has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? yes were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem before the failure, and when did they first appear? use purchase date 3/31/2026. First sign of issues 4/3/2026.

I have not been involved in no incident or accident with anybody but my vehicle is installing up and dying in the middle of the road the power steering is locking up the battery is draining and the car is cutting off I had the battery replaced and I'm still losing power in my battery and I can't figure out why I'm not too long after the battery dying and the vehicle starting up and dying it started overheating for no known reason at all shortly after sorting the overheat my navigational system and my radio has started to fail I took it to several places to have it put on machines they can figure out why the check engine light is on or why the battery is dying because it's showing that it has battery the battery life they don't know why it's falling up and down I'm checking till not sound but other than that they're not getting no read out on the machine they put it off of I'll contact the dealership because on certain 2013 chevy Malibu equals they have a recall on the general control module system burger is being defensive but I'm on my specific then there's not a recall online but everything that happens with the defective general control module it sounds like what's going on with my car I'll contact it the dealership and they told me that although they had the recalls on the defective funeral control module if I was to take it to a dealership and it proved to be an effective general control module that I was still going to be liable for out-of-pocket expenses because my car is not covered under the van recall and I'm not understanding how that right or how that's legal when they have all these defects of recalls on these cars and if that's what's going on with mine how is it not the same thing.

The electrical system has caused the car to stop mid traffic multiple times while driving. Had everything checked and it does it multiple times with my kids in the car. The transmission stalls and when you hit the gas it ramps up but doesn’t move until last minute and jumps causing the car to be unsafe nd jump into traffic . I see it has many recalls for this year and vehicle but yet my con isn’t showing up but it definitely has those issues . It not safe to drive at all. The electrical issue cause the battery to die over night constantly jumping it over and over to start it.

Gradual battery charge loss, check engine light (mil) illumination, and engine stall or failure to start. Burning/melting odor. Warning lights: "service charging system" or battery light on dash. Electrical failure: vehicle stalled, won't start, has a dead battery. Noise/smell: burning odor, smoke from the trunk, or rattling/squealing noises. Specific eco model issues: the 2013 eco model (eassist) has a known recall for a failing generator control module but for some reason doesn't include my VIN number in the recall even tho I've experienced these same issues.

Generator control module, I seen there was recalls on 2013 chevy Malibu eco equipped with eassist. That is what my car is and the gcm is out of it.

This is my 3rd complaint (ref: previous reports). The vehicle is now a total loss. 1. Unresolved engine/steering (prior complaints): this 2013 Malibu has a documented history of sudden engine stalling and total loss of power steering at highway speeds. Despite reporting this twice to the NHTSA and to gm, the manufacturer failed to provide a remedy. 2. Recent systemic collapse: prior to the car becoming completely undrivable in my driveway, the instrument cluster suffered a total blackout (no speedometer/indicators). This matches gm TSB mc-10181662-9999, proving a known design defect in the electrical system/bcm. 3. Recall discrepancy: in addition to these engine/steering failures, a mandatory federal recall for the rear suspension toe link (20v764), which I was notified of in 2020, has 'vanished' from the system without being performed. 4. Denial of service: the dealer is demanding a $1,900 diagnostic fee to even look at these documented, life-threatening safety defects, including the free federal recall. This is a violation of the maryland implied warranty of merchantability. On January 6, 2026, the check engine light illuminated, followed by a total instrument cluster blackout and electrical failure. The vehicle has been undrivable in my driveway since this total system collapse. This follows years of stalling and steering issues that the manufacturer failed to remedy. ".

Hybrid power train issues. Haven't drove the car for more than a week and a half. Apparently was fixed but obviously was not. Could be the gcm or generator.

The engine light came on, later while driving the car shuts down engine reduced speed, engine power reduced. I have to restart the car and sometimes that dont help. Also the (abs) light came on service stabilitrak, my anti brakes went out.

While my daughter has been driving our 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 2013, the vehicle continues to experience add loss of electric power. The dashboard display and infortainment system went down black. The problem first began -2019-2020 and continues to recur about once or twice a month. The most recent incident occurred on September 18, 2025, with my daughter behind the wheel. An independentc mechanic confirmed that cause is a manufacturer's defect in the fuse box located near the battery. He stated this is a widespread issue and refused to repair it, advising Chevrolet should address it. Chevrolet waldorf kept my car for over a month but only replaced the battery, could find the issue, which did not resolve the defect. This recurring failure creates a serious safety risk to the driver, passenger, and others on the road because the car can lose power and steering at anytime. This issue was he subject of prior NHTSA complaint I submitted in 2020 (id 11315997), and it has continued despite the report. Everytime this defect occurs with Chevrolet Malibu 2013. . . My family's safety, and the safety of others on the road is placed in jeopardy. Gm must be held accountable to correct this ongoing safety defect beforer more lives are placed at risk, and NHTSA's response wil demonstrate where consumer safety is being prioritized or neglected. The upload pdf shows the name butterflies (is me asking questions) in a Malibu forum date 2021.

My instrument cluster is failing.

My power steering intermittently 'locks"cannnot remove key from ignition. Car loses its data memory, time &date go haywire. A lot of times car wont start. I have taken it a few times to my mechanic. He has run scans, but all the codes are clear. This is the problem. He has checked the battery&altenator, all fine. He tried cleaning some ground wires. He feels bad charging me money because he cant fix a problem that he doesnt see. !! when the car is in the shop,the intermittent problem is not evident. !!! very frustrating.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at 55 mph, the "service battery charging system" message was displayed, followed by the battery warning being illuminated. Simultaneously, the service stabili-trak, power steering, and abs messages were displayed. The vehicle immediately lost steering assist, and the steering wheel became firm, and while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to slow down as intended. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. Subsequently, the headlights turned off, the interface shut off, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the alternator was running at 11 volts instead of 13 volts. The mechanic determined that both the alternator and the gcm (generator control module) needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 260,000.

Out of no where my car would not start. I got it jumped and took it to an auto store and they checked the battery and alternator health and it all came back great. I was able to drive it home from there and two hours later it wouldn’t start again.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced several electrical failures, causing a loss of power and the vehicle to stall. The vehicle also lost power steering and braking functionality. While inspecting under the hood, the contact discovered that the battery terminals were extremely hot to the touch. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.

I I took the car to get a smog and it didn't pass due to battery pack malfunction which leads to the alternator going out and drain the battery causing the vehicle to stall even turning off at times and the most dangerous part is it could cause a fire in the backseat and the trunk this is what the technician at the small place told me he said it's very dangerous and I need to get rid of the vehicle or fix it and there is a recall but when I put my VIN number it shows no recall but if I look up the year make and model of my vehicle it shows that every call is for that exact problem.

My instrument cluster isn't working correctly. Some days I go out to start my car and the instrument cluster works. As I'm driving down the road my instrument cluster just stops working. My speedometer doesn't work, my rpms, the lights, temperature gauge and gas gauge just stops working. It's very scary and my transmission doesn't want to shift and my engine power is bogging down. This is really dangerous and I feel like my life is in danger. I pull off the road and shut my 2013 chevy Malibu off and restart it and sometimes it comes back on and instrument cluster works but start driving and the instrument cluster stops working again. I have had my mechanic try to figure it out but so far I haven't been able to find out where the issue is so I haven't been able to fix it. My brakes have also been not engaging properly. I have had to replace my brakes 3 times so far after I got the brakes fixed for the 3rd time I haven't had very many problems. I also had to replace all my hubs as well as the brakes. Also something electrical isn't functioning correctly and when I shut my car off it makes a clicking noise right after I turn my car off. I'm a member of a chevy Malibu group and there are thousands of people from all over the world with the same issues that I'm having with my vehicle. No warning lights have came on for any of the problems I'm having with my car. Please look into this and help me,us that are having these issues thank you for your time. The next question of what date I can't really answer because it's been multiple dates. The question below about what mph I was going I can't answer because my mph wasn't working.

Without any warning and while driving the Malibu 2lt goes into engine reduced power mode and will not excel over 50mph. Next, the service stable track warning light would come on intermittently and disable traction control. This is very dangerous. Also the Malibu 2lt will jerk at the wheel without warning when the power steering warning comes on. Additionally, power steering fluid does not have a measuring device to see when it falls below the required amount needed. It’s basically a guessing game that costs over $120. 00 to have checked with no real resolve .

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the lights on the instrument panel would dim while driving to work. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle at the job and then returning to the parking lot after a 12-hour shift, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted at the parking lot. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times and the vehicle was jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed of NHTSA campaign number: 13v173000 (electrical system); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000.

While driving the car restarts as if I was just starting the car and all the light flicker on and off.

The instrument cluster temporarily shorts out or goes blank and them comes back on and resets in a different display mode. There are various display modes having different information such as mph, fuel efficiency, etc. Several repair shops tell me that in order to diagnose the problem, the cluster has to be exhibiting the problem when they look at it. In other words, it has to be a continuous short out. It's not continuous, it's temporary and sporadic or random. This is a direct safety issue in that the driver has no reading on the vehicle speed and when the short out becomes long term or permanent the car will have to be driven with no reading of speed or engine monitoring parameters such as temperature and oil pressure. New clusters are no longer available and rebuilt requires shipping the existing cluster for exchange. This is a common problem, as documented through google search. Concerning the vehicle speed question below, anywhere from 0 to 70 mph.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with the a/c engaged, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "service battery soon" was displayed. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an auto zone, where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with a low voltage battery. No further information was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,670.

While driving my 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, the electrical system intermittently fails: the radio shuts off, the instrument cluster goes blank (gauges drop to zero, fuel/temperature show empty), headlights flicker off then on, and turn-signal indicators disappear. Warning messages such as “service theft” and “no key detected” appear, power steering becomes difficult, and the vehicle shakes, stalls, or even turns off completely at stop signs. Sometimes the engine continues running even after the car is shut off, overheating and producing a burnt smell. These failures began months ago, occur unpredictably, and have been witnessed by an independent shop. The loss of lights, steering, and cluster data creates a serious safety hazard, and the vehicle is available for inspection.

On the backside of instrument gauge cluster the soldering goes bad and seems to be a common problem with this year of Malibu. You lose all function and lighting of cluster while driving so you have no speedometer, fuel or temperature gauges and it goes black. I would consider this a factory defect if the solder does not hold up. It can be very dangerous for the driver. The cluster would go on and off for awhile but fails to work at all now.

2013 chevy Malibu LS headlight found shorted and was causing other electrical issues. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 30-45 mph, the instrument cluster and the infotainment system screen display were flickering. Additionally, the steering wheel was jerking to the left and to the right, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 5-6 minutes and continued driving; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the failure could not be replicated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer several times. The vehicle remained at the dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Not starting due to loss of power I believe it's electrical.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the systems displayed on the instrument panel suddenly powered off. The radio, heater, ac, and other electrical systems also turned off independently. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle during the warmer seasons, the vehicle stalled while idling. The contact restarted the vehicle and was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the failure was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Battery voltage going up and down. Car will make clicking sound. Car will shut off and start back up. Battery issue will pop up n steering wheel will lock while driving and service battery charging will pop on dashboard.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the instrument panel lights started flickering, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. Additionally, when the brake was depressed, the brake pedal was abnormally firm. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was then towed to the residence where the battery was charged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the generator control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.

The instrument cluster goes out. Can't see anything on the dash speed gas or anything while driving or goes out completely. Can not drive car. Not safe to drive don't know if I have gas or how fast I'm going or if I have any warnings on the car.

5/31/23, while driving uphill, car shuttered as I was slowing down at stop sign and displayed "service stabilitrak" & "engine power reduced" which caused the car engine power to drop drastically. I was barely able to make it home safely with my children. On 6/1/23 tried to crank it, first time it wouldn't turn over, second time it started up. Check engine lights and messages still on, radio screen completely black (has gone out multiple times at random over past two years). Drove around the block with half power. On 6/2/23, attempted to crank three times, never turned over. Popped the hood to discover negative battery terminal severely coroded. While cleaning terminal, find battery cables possible faulty. Upon research, discovered how many thousands of others have the exact same issue, gm refuses to acknowledge to release a recall for those like me who can't afford hundreds wasted having anyone even looking at it, much less paying for guesstimating the wrong solution. So now I'm stranded along with my children, and don't have any resources to hope for a solution in the near future.

My 2013 chevy Malibu eco 2lt has 120,000 miles on it. I purchased the vehicle at 68,000 miles from the only owner of the car. I have had the car 6 years and kept up on all maintenance. While I was driving in a 45mph zone my vehicle’ s interior lighting started flashing. My dash flashed then said service stability track, car went blank then back on said service power steering flashed again and said service battery charging system and then went completely dead. When I got to the bottom of the hill to turn off main road my brakes had locked up in the rear and I had no power steering and wheel locked could not turn wheel. Vehicle would not allow me to shift into neutral so I could be pushed out of traffic and I had no flashers or any power. Battery was 1year old. My biggest concern is that the vehicle never alerted me with a service engine light. There was no indication that my alternator was not responding. And mechanics and dealership service shop are wanting thousands of dollars for possible parts and labor without a clear idea of what the exact issue is. I believe that this issue was recalled but since my vehicle was not manufactured in a specific state was never repaired. I believe that my gcm has a malfunction that was to be replaced and reprogrammed with the appropriate software!!.

The dash board instrument cluster is turning on and off randomly. Loosing steering control due to electronic steering. Mechanics cant find a problem and seems to be common with this year Malibu. Wont replicate at mechanics completely random. Just had a new battery installed also and mechanics say everything is within specs. No warning on this it just happens. 83000 miles on car and it happened about a year ago once and last two weeks several times. The front passenger seat got some water on it and the presence sensor must have deactivated the air bag system. Much to sensitive to be reliable.

El tablero DE mi carro se apagó y más nunca a querido prender. Y se agota la batería del carro.