2010 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,204 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 90/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 88,144 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2015, 2019–2022.
Avoid
Where 2010 sits among all Malibu years
What owners report
“My low beam lights keep going out. I have changed the bulbs 4 times now with oem bulbs and also the wiring harness. At first it was the driver's side only now it's both.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Malibu
“My esc light comes on while driving and power steering locks up. So have to pull over and turn car off and back on and it goes away for a little bit then will come back on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Malibu
“Power steering warning comes on. Esc. Traction steering is stiff to turn is hard.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Malibu
“The brake lights are on all the time while driving. When the brakes are applied the brake lights go off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Malibu
“Passenger airbag light keeps coming on. If i move passenger seat sometimes it goes off. 37,000 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Malibu
“Transmission suddenly failed while driving on a street. Car only had 70,000 miles. Later discovered it was due to a broken gear shaped part of the transmission. Shows bad quality, should not fail at 70k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Malibu
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,657 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 84,325 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,000 and 116,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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.
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
1,253 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2010 Malibu TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu drew 2,204 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 90/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The top reported problems for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu are electrical (490 complaints), steering (455), and other (316).
At what mileage do 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?
Owners most often report 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 84,325 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,000 and 116,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.