Problems with 2011 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

At random times my chevy malibu 2011 w/ flex fuel steering wheel becomes hard to control. the service esc and power steering lights begin to flash. when i pull over (becomes this seems to happen on the highway a lot) i turn my car off and back on. the issue seems to temporarily go away. my car mileage is only at 107,500. i've read about recalls and tested my vin for it. unfortunately, i do not see that my car was one that was recalled for the 2008-2013 car recall for this problem. i don't have extra funds to buy a new car or get this one fixed. this is a very dangerous issue that i hope they can find a solution for.

Steering wheel shakes when stopped at idle and shakes slightly when driving, after starting the engine the power steering some times does not work and service esc message appears. i can turn off the engine and restart it and everything works but wheel still shakes.

My 2011 chevy malibu when driving the steering wheel wont function.

Fault codes power steering and break light show up on dash board. codes will not clear thus cussing the vehicle a no start no crank. the vehicle while be driven instrument guages go in and out causing it to throw codes randomly.

Started the car to go to work . on the screen came up power steering esc and service traction control, the traction control was also on and the car had no power steering. i had it towed to the dealership they replaced the cable and battery. was going to go to the store today and the same thing happened no power steering. not really driving the car this weekend. it's dangerous if it would shut down while driving in the snow. like everyone else that has filed a complaint if i shut the car off and wait a little bit and restart i have power steering again

Power steering is not working

'takata recall' the vehicle was stationary when i put the key in the ignition the light became dim. when i turned the key, i hearn a chime and the dash shows 'power steering' and 'service esc'. the car would not crank; only flicker n the dash and loose power.

Rigth turn power steering stop working olmost have a accident with the car coming power steering esc on

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 50 mph, the steering wheel seized and the service traction control and power steering indicators illuminated. the contact turned the vehicle off and shook the steering wheel to correct the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 155,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 55 mph, the power steering and traction control indicators illuminated and the steering wheel became inoperable. the vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder lane and restarted. the vehicle resumed normal operation. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 91,419.

Service traction and esc off are the messages that pop up. the traction control light stays on. unable to disable enable/disable with the tc button. while driving the two messages appeared and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. the traction control feature won't turn off and the esc feature is off. on the nhtsa website there were 3 recalls for the 2011 malibu. i have a 2011 malibu and when i made a search with the vin it says there are no recalls. on vehiclehistory.com i made a vin search and the recalls were found. the recall on the 2011 malibu was for the electrical system and that there could be disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

On 8/20/2017 at around 9:30pm i was driving on a dark back-road in lemont, ill. (bluff rd. to be exact) i was traveling at about 20miles an hour & needed to make a sharp turn. all of a sudden my traction light went on & my steering wheel locked up causing me to have no control of my car. i immediately pumped my brakes so not to go off the road. after losing control i pulled over and tried to steer my way home because this is a very dark back road. very scary!! i need to know what and how to get my car fixed. auto mechanics are on strike here

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving, the steering wheel wiggled and made a squeaky and grinding noise while making left and right turns. the contact stated that the seat belt indicator previously illuminated. the vehicle was taken to suburban buick gmc (21800 woodward ave, ferndale, mi 48220 (248) 547-6100) where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and the motor to the electrical steering needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 122,000.

Heating/air doesn't want to blow unless a window or sunroof is open and car is in motion.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 5 mph, the power steering failed. the power steering warning indicator did not illuminate. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed as a power steering failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 13,260.

While traveling at a slow speed (betw 10-20 mph) on 3/20/17, the car started to shake, the service esc message light turns on, and service traction control light turns on (with message that car will power down). so, if i pull over to the side of the road and shut the car off (before it shuts down on it's own), wait 2 minutes for the computer to reset, then get rpm up quick (so the speed is quickly above the 20 mph), then it is wouldn't do it and i could get it to the mechanic. when the mechanic went to check it, the battery was dead, so no luck with computer scan. he put in new battery. so i drove it and it did it again. i took it to the mechanic and he checked it and he replaced the gas pedal (computer code indicated a bad sensor). however, it did not take care of the issue. brand new battery and still draining battery (overnight). mechanic thinks a relay may be staying open somewhere however isn't sure. currently not drivable due to the shaking and that service esc and service traction control messages come on with statement that vehicle will power down (while driving). first occurred on 3/20/2017 and is still occurring 4/20/2017 (mechanic hasn't been able to fix)! been dealing with a slow battery drain since purchased car in july 2016. if didn't drive car for 5 days, battery would be dead (4th day was still ok). then in march 2017, other issue started and the battery drain became much worse. now brand new battery and will drain completely dead overnight. huge electrical issue. car has 85,000 miles on it.

The power steering failure occurs when driving. *tr

On 12/19/2016 as i was making a left turn when exiting the highway onto a surface street my 2011 chevrolet malibu steering wheel locked and the dash board displayed a "power steering " message. being unable to steer my car went forward and i almost hit the car on my right who was also turning left. i had to slam on the break to avoid hitting the car and the cars behind also had to slam their breaks. luckily no one hit each other. right after that dashboard message disappeared and my car was able to turn again with no problem. the night of 12/20/2016 the same happened but as i was expecting a parking lot. a week before the first incident i started to notice the steering wheel would pop like it was shutting down at a stop or red light. i read that is a known problem to gm and nhtsa and that owners in other states have received recall notices for that problem. i have not received such notice and it's not listed as a recall on the nhtsa or gm website for my vin. *tr

As i was backing out of a parking space, i lost my ability to steer. the words "power steering" and "service esc" flashed on my dash. i almost hit the car next to me. i made it to work. when i left work, the power steering was working just fine.

Steering wheel "shakes" as of 12/2016 vehicle has approx 92,000 miles purchased vehicle new in nov 2010 four new tires june 2015 full alignment august 2016. brand new brake pads and brand new rotors, all 4 wheels, november 2016. description of incident (and condition): steering wheel has been rattling noticeably at freeway speeds (40 mph to 75 mph) and while tracking a straight line. this has been occurring since the vehicle hit the 40,000 mile mark. can feel slight movement in the steering wheel coincident with this rattling of the steering wheel. does not appear to affect ability of the vehicle to track a straight line while moving. the rattle also occurs at lower speeds less than 40 mph, but it harder to discern since the city street road conditions in se wisconsin are terrible. starting about december 2016, i have noticed the steering wheel shaking when the vehicle is not moving, the engine is running, and the vehicle is in drive (not sure if this occurs when it is in park). the steering wheel seems to be doing some kind of "hunting" as the rattling is random. appears to be independent of temperature as this occurred when it was -10 deg f and as well at about 50 deg f. power steering fluid levels are normal. i can not discern whether this occurs when the vehicle is turning while in motion, or while turning the steering wheel while the car is stationary. end. *tr

Eps electronic power steering has failed. it makes the steering revert to manual steering. dealership says that the torque sensor is bad. while driving the vehicle becomes impossible to control. i can restart the car several times and the eps starts working, but fails later.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the power steering ability seized. the service power steering warning indicator illuminated. the contact was able to maneuver to the right lane. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the power steering assist motor was replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 65 mph, the power steering malfunctioned and the contact lost control of the vehicle. as a result, the contact crashed into a tree. the air bags failed to deploy. the contact sustained fractured bones on her face and the passenger sustained minor contusions that required medical attention. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was deemed destroyed. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering axle and tires were defective. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 66,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 60 mph, the power steering seized. the contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to operate. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

Power steering failed while driving. this happened in a curved part of the highway at ~45 mph. was able to make the drive home which was ~2 miles. restarted the car at home and everything worked fine until 5 days later - same problem. service esc and power steering illuminated on dash.

Car when started steering wheel locks up all the lights start flashing, locks start to unlock and lock themselves. engine lines comes on hard to move forward or backwards.

I purchased a 2011 chevy malibu in 2012. since the purchase i've experienced issues with the electronic stability control system, the service air bag light has come on while my daughter was sitting in the passenger seat. i was told that the problem with that could possibly be resolved with the recall for the seat belt lap anchor tensioner cable. i have also had issues with the car stalling / losing power after coming to a complete stop and begin to accelerate again into on coming traffic. i have also lost total control due to the power steering going out while driving. when i took my vehicle into the dealership regarding the car stalling, i was told that they could not get the car to duplicate the problem and i left without anything else being don;. i still have the same problem. there should be a recall for this before someone gets seriously injured or killed. i also have a 2011 chevy cruze that i've had numerous issues with, not to mention all of the recalls on it. all of the above issues have been while the car is in motion, while turning, and on highway and city streets. i recently noticed that my back seat is leaking from somewhere. i contacted gm and was told to take it into the dealership. the tech at the dealership tells me that the leak is coming from the molding on the roof of the car and wanted to charge me $200 for the diagnostic after i clearly told them that the leak was not coming from the roof of the car. they took down the headliner anyway and said that they did a test and water could be seen gushing from this area, but yet my seat was not wet as i had told them where the seat gets wet at. there are so many problems with these malibu's i just want gm to take the car back so that i can purchase a different brand of vehicle.

I was going on a 3hr trip on a major highway, 40min into my ride my vehicle began to shake. as i continued to drive it began pulling to the right and shaking terribly. 40min from my final destination my car was shaking horribly and it felt like the steering wheel had no control of the tires. when the road reared to either the right or left i held onto the steering wheel very tight and it felt like the wheels were not turning in the direction that i was driving. i would drop my speed from 60mph to 40mph, which did not result in a change. i agree this should definitely be a recall, myself along with others could have been killed.

Received messages of: service esc, service traction, service power steering, eng pwr reduced, engine disabled this morning while driving to work. engine lost all power, went into limp mode, had to pull to side of road to try and turn the engine off and on to try to reset. nearly caused accident from oncoming and trailing vehicles. this make and model needs to be entered into the recall.

Highway driveing speeds over 50mph steering is extreamly loose on a two lane road when bigger vehicles pass the air pushes my car so bad i get terrified it will make me hit a ditch my car is less then a week old to me. under 70k miles. even regular driveing on highways the steering is very loose.

Ntsb: 2011 chevy malibu: consumer stated the vehicle experienced steering issues, so the vehicle was taken to the dealer service. during service, the consumer was notified the parts in question were deteriorating severely. *ss the dealer found the rear trailing arm bushings and lower control arm bushings needed to be replaced. *jb

While i was driving i lost the power steering on the vehicle. it happened twice . thank god there was no traffic other wise i could have had an accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14e044000 (steering). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle restarted and the steering wheel functioned occasionally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electric motor steering racket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 129,000.

On 12/23/15 approx 8:40 am, i was driving eastbound on kelly drive approx 40 mph. i was heading into a soft curve, when the esc came on and the steering wheel locked up. the car shook violently, jerking and swerving from left to right, going into the lane with oncoming traffic, and then jerking back into the lane i was originally in. the car jerked and swerved back and forth, approx 4 time. this lasted roughly about 10 seconds. the esc light went off and the car felt like it had decreased engine power after that. i came to a red light and the engine shook, shuddered and then settled down. i continued on for another 15 minutes to work and parked the car. i'm afraid to drive it because i could've hit another car, crashed into the side of the wall, or another car could've crashed into me

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 15 mph, all the warning lights illuminated and the vehicle began to lose power. the contact also stated that the power steering seized intermittently. the failure was recurring. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

While driving at highway speeds the vehicle pulls to the left. i had it aligned and took it back several days later because it was still pulling left. the mechanic stated that everything was within spec and it should be fine. they tried rotating the tires again as well and that did not change anything.

2011 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to electric power steering recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the rear fuse block and circuit had to be replaced. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds, the check engine, electronic stability control, traction control, and electric power steering warning lights illuminated. the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. in addition, in rainy weather conditions, water leaked through the hood onto the brake lever and the steering wheel seized. the contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, but the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Being a second owner of this vehicle i noticed that at times the power steering would become ineffective and steering wheel was very difficult to move, along with a lot of clunking in the steering column...especially at lower speeds. after owning this vehicle for two months, i was backing out of my driveway and the wheel was extremely heavy as the power assist was not working and the entire steering popped and i had no more steering control ( the steering wheel was free wheeling). luckily, this situation did not happen on my commute to work at speeds of 65 mph! as it happens the free wheeling of the steering wheel has damaged the clock-spring inside the steering hub that provides power to the airbag and cruise and radio controls, mounted on the steering wheel.i am convinced that this problem was a design flaw in the steering system of this car, but am told that there is no recall on this car for this particular problem. my mechanic has estimated a repair bill close to $1000 and this should be taken care of by gm, in my opinion...as it is a life threatening issue (no steering control at high speeds)!

Driving car about 30mph. noticed decrease speed, check gear shift to make sure in d. looked at dashboard, all lights were on. scrolling, power steering, service engine, then the power steering went out. made two turns without power steering. event three-four minutes. parked and turned car off. drove car to dealership for service, problem did not occur.

While driving back from vacation, i began to notice a vibration and noise from the driver's side front tire area. this would worsen and increase in intensity as speed increased. although it did not appear to adversely affect driving, it would not go away and never improved. after taking it to a local chevrolet dealer, they diagnosed it as a bad/failing wheel bearing. subsequent investigations online reveal this to be a very common issue with this particular make and model, not limited to this model year. the danger in this is that the bearing was nearing a point of failure that could have resulted in wheel separation or bearing lockup; either of which could have sent me into oncoming traffic. the repair was not covered under any warranty, which left me to pay $420 for the repair. i would appreciate it and urge the consideration of a recall on this. i have retained all paperwork pertaining to the repair and can produce this if needed for evidence or supporting documentation.

I was driving an my power steering went out in a large curve. 8 had to have the car towed but luckily was not injured. gm recently sent out an "extended warranty" on th power steering module only. this was replaced. in may of 2014 gm sent out recall 13036 that included my car. this recall is not pulling up on my vin. the letter stated that parts were not yet available for a fix. i have lights and bells that my electronic stability control is not working. they found at yhe dealer that at least once i have had a brake error. in the recall letter it states that the brake lights may function when i am not braking or they may not function when i am. i am afraid to drive my own car! please push for a resolution to this recall.

I was slowing down to make a right-hand turn and the power steering suddenly ceased, forcing me to steer manually. i was not able to complete the turn, i had to stop quickly and resume my direction of travel prior to turning. if there was another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction of where i intended to turn, most likely i would have collided with that vehicle. i had to use a significant amount of force to manually steer the vehicle after losing the power steering. also, as a result of the power steering failure, the vehicle esc became inoperable. i was able to carefully drive the car to a chevrolet dealer and was advised i need a new electric power steering motor and other parts totaling approximately $1200. i advised chevrolet of this situation and currently awaiting to hear from them. i regard this product failure as a very serious safety issue with potential risk of personal injury. the vehicle has 39,085 miles and has been dealer serviced since purchase. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. when the ignition was turned to the on position, the steering wheel seized and the service power steering warning indicator illuminated. the contact proceeded to travel a short distance and turned the ignition to the off position. once the ignition was turned to the on position again, the steering was restored. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 39,100.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the steering angle sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 60 mph, the contact heard a chime and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 42,000.

Was driving down the road and could not turn the steering wheel when it was necessary to do so. once i made the turn i couldn't turn wide enough because the steering wheel was tight and ended up in a ditch. *tr

2/28/15 twitch in steering at 55 mph. (5 twitch/8 mi.) had been snowy with subzero temps, and suspected ice in steering linkage. following day exhibited same twitches, but fewer. backing out of parking space when steering became very difficult. messages on driver information: power steering failure, esc requires service, and a yellow triangle with wavy marks was illuminated. drove 2.25 mi to relative's home. turned car off & restarted; power steering worked again. next day checked fuse connections on passenger side of console, and under hood near battery. 80a power steering fuse was loose on one side. nuts securely tightened, but rivets on fuse body were loose; lug could be moved approx 1/32". replaced fuse, and worked better. then noticed that twitching had returned; was prevalent with vehicle stopped and running. on wed drove vehicle to pickup lunch,; steering wheel was twitching with car in park and engine running. used remote start system to let engine run as it was near 0 f and had only driven 3 mi. returned to car within 10 min remote start run time, inserted key; power steering didn't work & same messages displayed. stopped & restarted car; power steering didn't work. arranged for repair, and drove car to shop later that afternoon; power steering worked, but lots of twitching. steering column replaced due to steering wheel torque sensor code c0545. power steering failed and fought me as evidenced by uneven jerky turning force. system allowed steering wheel to run about 1/8 turn, and then dampened turning. have a sore right shoulder. force required to steer without power steering is inexcusable. system does not disengage when it fails, and intermittently interacts while display indicates it's out of commission. system is inherently dangerous due to function during failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 20 mph and changing gears, the vehicle jerked without warning. also, when turning the steering wheel left or right, it made noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000.