Problems with 2011 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have gotten my low beam headlights changed on both sides twice, costing me $150 each time due to having to remove the bumper, and they keep going out!!! i work at night in an area heavily populated with deer, among other issues with just needing to have my headlights working regularly. i don't have money to keep replacing them! and i just got it in october.

Numerous dash lights randomly come on service esc service traction control engine power reduced engine power reduced followed by engine disabled . at that point the engine dies and you are unexpectedly faced with the surprised horror of being at a roll un able to power out of the way of traffic .and at the mercy of the exact location of all these things suddenly happening at random all the warnings are quick so quick u have no time to pull over befor you are at a dead roll . today my mom n me as well as my girlfriend were all most killed by a semi truck carrying hot asphalt . i couldnt imagine having to be smashed to death with no chance to react and to top it off possibly even burned to death crushed all while haveing to hear my mothers screams in my last moments of life.please look into this problem i've researched online and ive found many forms where ppl arehaveibg simpler issue. the whole smashed burned by hot asphalt senerio was only a flash of images i imagined but the five foot of space between the truck that fact all most side swiped us today is and was fact that causesd this horrible vision due to the defective engineering in some desine of the car she bought only days ago from hwy 59 motors car lot . thank you

When i first purchased the vehicle the engine light would constantly come on and go off but now the engine light is always on. i just recently started having issues with the airbags on the passenger side not being engaged and the engine esc comes on whenever it pleases, even when the weather is good outside. last weekend, my battery died for the first time, i'm just glad that i had someone to jump me off. my primary concern is my headlights. i have gotten pulled over by the police 3 times due to my intermittent headlights. the first time my right side headlight went out, a officer pulled me over and informed me of the issue, so i got it fixed the very next day. a week goes by and i get pulled over again and the officer informed me but this time i informed the officer that i just changed the bulb a week ago and he mentioned that it could be the wiring. after the officer left, i got out my car and hit the headlight with my fist and it came back on just to go back out the next day. i went to my local mechanic and he changed the light bulb socket. that only lasted 3 or 4 weeks and now i literally have to ride with my headlights on bright or can't be out at night. after going to multiple auto shops, they all says that it's the wiring, which i already knew because the gages on my dashboard lights up like christmas lights every other day.

The front passenger headlights low beam keeps going out i have changed the socket 2 times and changed the wire harness 1 time and it's only the low beam burning out on repeat like every other month i change it and try fixing it with new sockets or lights and it keeps burning out i think this has to be an electrical issue from manufacturer because many people are experiencing the same issue on the passenger side headlight low beam please can we get this recalled and fixed please

Vehicle lights dim, loss of power, esc, traction control, illuminates on dash. car sputters with no acceleration. car is unable to turn. this happened as i began to leave my subdivision, luckily i was able to push it back. i have a new battery no car will not crank unless i have a jump.

Service esc light came on and disabled my engine twice! 1 time on february 14,2019 which i was told it was the throttle body got that replaces in march. come june samething happened service esc engine disabled and we had to be towed off of the expressway in june of 2019. after taking the car to the mechanic to get it serviced for the same issue again i was told that the body control module has a shortage in it and fuses in my fuse box had melted to the fuse box and caused a shortage ! the car stopping on the expressway could have killed me and my mom!!!

Every year had to get my connector replaced because my light bulb keeps going out. happening for the past 3 years.

Drivers side low beam headlight keeps going out, replaced it several times only to realize it's not the bulb itself

My 2011 chevrolet malibu has had 5 incidences over the last year of low beam headlights going out. never both at the same time. this is not only annoying and expensive each time i bring it in for repairs. it is also dangerous. particularly when one of the headlights goes out at night time driving on dark roads. additionally a headlight out is sufficient reason for law enforcement to issue a summons. i contacted general motors may 20th 2019 via phone regarding this safety issue. received a case number. i received a call back 6 days later. response was that the car is out of warranty. i did inform gm that there are literally over 300 listings on google for persons with the same problem. gm shows no interest in this expensive repair, in a repetitive problem, and an illegal situation that can result in law enforcement issuing a summons. apparently there are issues with the connectors at the bulbs not making contact. the replaced connectors exhibit overheating which may indicate overload of power, or connectors not making contact. this problem took place with original gm connectors intermittently - never on both headlights at once. here is a similar complaint to nhtsa id number 11204441 4/12/2017 complainant states 5 repairs and still a problem with headlight intermittently going out on driver side. additionally there are several hundred similar complaints on the web regarding 2010 & 2011 malibu's. because the fenders and under the hood plastic panels must be pulled to get at the headlights....this is quite an expensive repair and is repetitive and frequent as well.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 mph, the vehicle stalled as the immobilizer indicator warning light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the tim lally chevrolet dealer (440-359-8781, 24999 miles rd, warrensville heights, oh 44128) where the vehicle was kept for observation. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 82,000. the vin was not available.

My passenger headlight went out on the highway at night. i replaced the light and it went out the next day. i took the car to get serviced and found out that the headlight pigtail was melted.i believe the problem to be the drl relay switch because there are numerous chevrolet models having this problem.

While driving and stationary the inside lights blinks, the power steering cane on twice and i have my seatbelt on the light indicator comes on while the it's connected

My vehicle is at an auto shop been there for a week and a half to repair the clunking noise in the steering column but the motor and module for the electric steering assist is seizing up which would be dangerous to turn in traffic. i already spent enough time and money on parts and labor. this is nothing i have done to the car only had for a year. i need your help! this should be a recall issue! or send me a new motor and module for this car please. you guys can at least do that. i love the car but this is a problem. 2.4l electric assist. the steering column is fine just need the motor and module. thank you for your help!

3rd time passanger headlight has gone out in the last year. along with the previous issues i reported

Lights on panal come on go off when i stop the car and turn back on. i was driving maybe 30-35 mph on city street going straight. no we rain, pot holes or speed bumps

My girlfriend was driving my car home from the doctors and all of a sudden the power steering went out. it cause her to hit the curb and possibly do more damage. she was only doing 30 mph on a busy street. i have a date with a dealership on the 27th of march 2019 to wait for the verdict of what there going to say. i have read alot of the post on here and have seen that it is a common problem. i also have a problem with my headlights going out i have changed them several times with different brands and they continue to go out. i have to run with my high beams on because the lights keeps burning out. this is cause and safety issue and could involve points on my license if pulled over. this is critical since i'm a cdl driver. the steering could cause death if traveling at a higher speed. gm knows about the problem and if public isn't notified that it's faulty could also involve a lawsuit.

Update on complaint #'s 1144041 & 11172602. on 2/8/19, i was 2 blocks from work when messages displayed for (service ecs, reduced engine power, check engine light). i drove right from work to the dealership, which was 9 miles away, with my hazards on and at a max speed of 25 mph. i drove it into the bay and told a service advisor that i was told to bring it back while the problem we keep trying to fix was actually happening. he tried to get someone to come hook up the code reader to it but was unable to so he turned off my car. i received a voicemail mid-day monday 2/11/19 to say that because my battery had been out of my car too long, they had to relearn the throttle body assembly. i left a message to specifically say that the last time the battery had been out of my car to my knowledge was 3/2018. when they called back, their conclusion was that the battery had not been installed or secured properly which caused them to have to relearn the throttle body assembly. on 2/19/2019, it happened again but they could not read a code when i brought it in, so was again sent to come back when it was occurring so they could hook up the code reader while it was happening. on 3/5 i drove my car to them while it was displaying the messages and running rough. they again tried to put the blame on the battery. even though the codes where p2176 and p2135, the recommended fix was new battery and battery cables ($733). i still had warranty for that battery as it was installed nearly a year ago after the first incidence, so i went back to that auto shop. he did not find anything associated to battery but did find gm bulletin from 2012 (pip5019). he re-crimped throttle body circuit pins after doing a pen out test at ecu. it is now 3/25 and no other issues! hoping we have found root of the problem. no thanks to dealer or chevy customer care...

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 40 mph, the traction control system warning indicator illuminated and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the contact stated that the failure began approximately a year ago and was worsening. the vehicle was taken to four different independent mechanics, but none of them could resolve the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

Car continues to go into reduced engine power and will not drive/run longer than five minutes. i have already had all recalls fixed on the vehicle including the one that supposedly fixed this problem.

I was driving down troy ave in illinios when my car all of a sudden lost power and said engine reduce and and steering wheel got stiff. i went all the way from 60 to 20 mph and almost crash and got hit from behind. i have had this problem non stop after fix after fix. but nobody seems to know the problem. then my head light go in and out on the right side ever since i had it fixed over and over.

Ecs light, check engine light came on, reduced engine power, abs light, code throws map sensor error. happens after vehicle go through the carwash or get slush and moisture from the road. map sensor connector seems to be causing the electrical issue. very dangerous going down the road, happened suddenly while not expecting it.

1) service air bag light comes on periodically when starting vehicle or while in auto is in motion. 2) internal lights on dashboard dims while driving periodically while auto is in motion.

The fuse for my rear defroster got so hot in the fuse box it melted the panel-the fuse box is in the trunk-i took to dealer and they want over 500.00 to repair- i feel like this is a safety issue and hazard for drivers as it could have caught fire if it was that hot- i do not feel like this is my fault and more a manufacture issue-if i don't get this fixed i will never buy another chevy again and i am looking to purchase a car within the end of this year. why try and make drivers pay for something that is manufacture? shady business! also now my radio display is going in and out-thinking maybe another fuse issue or electrical.

Upon starting vehicle, "power steering" yellow caution light and the "service esc" light illuminate. sometimes on restarting vehicle they do not come back on, whereas at other times they remain on.

While normal driving. car will give the following error codes: "service esc" "service traction" "esc off" and "engine pwr reduced" back to back. the car will power itself down until ~10 mph while making a rattling noise. the car will start and act as if everything is fine once i pull over and fully shut the vehicle off. this happens at any point, driving highway or neighborhood speeds, while turning and even when idle.

I have had to change my passenger low beam bulb 3 times in 2 years, drivers side twice and my drivers side just burnt out after two months. after researching numerous forms this seems to be a problem from 2008-2012 malibus

My headlights keep going out. i have changed bulbs on both passenger and driver side and then light went back out at different times on both sides. i then noticed that passenger headlight went out again, and this time when i went to change it, it came on when i touched the pigtail so i figured there was a short somewhere. when i took the lightbulb out, i noticed the pigtail was fried, so i changed the pigtail and bulb this time. a few weeks go by and the same exact thing happens to the other side. i changed the light bulb and pigtail on the drivers side. this continues to happen and i've not mentioned how difficult it is to change the bulb. the whole front bumper assembly pretty much has to come off. this is not easy to do and is a pretty bad design flaw. since i've noticed that the light comes on when the pigtail is shaken, i have to disassemble the bumper just to get to the light. someone really needs to look at this. finally, i must also add, i have seen more than 10 chevy malibu's, not sure of the year, but is the same model as mine, with a headlight missing. it makes me wonder, are these people having the same issue? do these people maybe just have a headlight blown but knows the headache it is to remove whole front bumper assembly just to change headlight? have these people gotten tired of changing the headlight because it keeps blowing out? please look into this.

My 2011 malibu has starting issues but if i mess with the rear fuse box and wiggle the wires connect to it, it start. it cuts off very often. when i took it to different shops no one can figure out the problem. there is one mechanic that says he has ran into this problem multiple time especially with this make and model. i feel there should be some type of recall or even a warranty for this problem.

Brake lights without applying pressure to brake pedal. turns off traction control and esc.worse in colder or damp weather.

My passenger side low beam light keeps going out and replaced it four times. i had sun chevy rt. 19 mcmurray pa replace it the first time, laurel auto service munhall, pa replace it 2nd time in 12/2017 and i have replaced it twice in 2018. i purchased bulbs at advanced auto, w. homestead, pa. i have copies of invoices if needed for documentation. i noticed it when diving vehicle or at night.this just happened again today on 8-30-2018. this is a huge problem to fix as you have to take off front shroud of car each time to replace light bulb.

The power steering went completely out making it almost impossible to turn car was in motion when it went out. i was able to stressfully get it home off the main road. a few hours later the car was fine and the power steering was back on after some research i found i was not the only one with these issues. if i was traveling any faster this could have caused a accident

The car had a "short" in the blinker. when trying to locate the short, the car went completely off. it appears to ha e triggered an anti theft device. in this mode, you can do nothing. so, even in my driveway, i can't get the car in neutral to tow it. everything is locked down due to a problem with the blinker.

Takata recall. brake apply sensor fluctuates on and off also turning signal is not working on the left or right even though the bugs been changed and inside the vehicle it shows a turning signal, no rear brake lights when driving or at a complete stop. even though fuses and new bulbs replaced, electrical shortage with radio and cigarette lighter, also replace bulbs and headlights and they continue to shorten out and blow

The car wont start bring 3 times at dealer ship no funs any reazon a but the problem

My car will randomly show the oil 100 one day and next it's 50% and the tires sensers would show low when the tire would be full air bag would say to get checked then i'd take it in for a oil change and everything would be good . nothing wrong it's very odd and off

The headlights keep going out. after replacing the bulb. i have replaced the 4 times within 3 months

While driving, a notice of reduced power, service traction and the check engine light came on. pulled the car off the side of the road and shut it off, upon restart the whole car started shaking. i then shut it off for a few minutes, this time when i restarted only the check engine light was one. there are several reports of this issue and no fix from gm. this is a major risk when a car stalls out on the highway with a small child on board.

The passenger side low beam bulb keeps going out. i've had this bulb replaced multiple times and had the wiring harness replaced because the bulb kept going out. after having the wiring harness replaced the bulb went out again.

Well first i seen that my driver side low beam light was out then later it went on then again it went out again so i repaired it then about a month later it went out again then i fix it again and the same thing happen again its a on going thing as i see online a lot of other people are having the same problem as me.i hope they can get to the bottom of this to fix ,it not right for me to keep buying headlights ,as clearly as we can see everybody has the same thing going on with there headlight. thank you.

Randomly starting about 3 weeks ago my 2011 chevrolet malibu started going into reduced power mode and showing service traction, service esc and eng pwr reduced. the vehicle would shake and suddenly slow down. it showed a p2135 code. the vehicle restarts after a period of time sitting, but the events happen again when it is driven again. it takes approx. 20 miles from when it was started. researching this p2135 code i found many complaints and they all involved the throttle body or throttle position sensor. i contacted chevrolet and they told me it wasn't covered under a recall although they do have a special coverage 14582a which is currently open. but they said my vin was not covered by that program. this is a very dangerous situation and i can't imagine that not all 2011 malibu vehicles wouldn't be covered.

Takata recall dealers are to attach the wiring harness to the bcm with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the bcm and harness connector and on the bas and harness connector, and relearn the brake pedal home position free of charge. and also dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket to re-locate the tensioner 30mm rearward. dealers will also inspect the cable, and if necessary, replace the lap pretensioner. these repairs will be completed free of charge.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 45 mph, the passenger side low beam head lamp failed. the contact drove the vehicle with the high beams activated. the following day, the contact noticed that the harness to the low beams was burned. the contact stated that this was the second time the harness burned, and the driver's side harness was replaced one time also. the vehicle was taken to the dealer (jim glover chevrolet in tulsa, oklahoma) the first time the failure occurred, and the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

The wiring on my vehicle has always been messed up causing my check light engine to stay on at all times. i've had multiple machinists look over my vehicle and have spent lots of money trying to get this issue fixed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while operating the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, the rear brake light would not illuminate; however, the brake light would remain illuminated when the brake pedal was not being depressed. the vehicle was taken to apple chevrolet (1200 loucks rd, york, pa) where it was diagnosed that the electrical brake light wiring was faulty and corrosion was present. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired in october 2014 per nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, exterior lighting), but the failure recently recurred. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 72,000.

Right passenger side headlight wiring has a shortage. it continues to go out even after wire harness changed. i first noticed this when i was travelling to chicago from texas and just got it changed prior to the trip. it worked for a day then just had gone out.

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.

Last 3 yrs my esc and service traction light comes on. last aug 2016 had the car if for this replaced a brake sensor problem came back 3 weeks later. went for 2 more diagnostic test. could not find issue. may 2017 problem started again. in addition, when this service esc comes on my brake lights do not work. this is very dangerous. i am bring the car in again for another diagnostic. i am scared to drive. the light comes on during the warm months, either during the actual braking or when i am in a stop position holding down the brake. gm customer care has be of no help thus far.

Engine power reduced and the vehicle sounds like it is going to explode. it reduces the speed to 5 mph. you can turn the car off sit for a few minutes and turn the car back on and it runs fine. it does this daily. i have replaced several sensors and it has not fixed the problem. i have also replaced the throttle body twice and that did not fix it either.

Car seat (heat warmer) caught on fire

Speed slow down on a 55 mph highway to 10 mph and wouldnt get no speed and it throttle and shake until i came to a stop the most scary thing to ever happen to me i went from a ford to chevy the most stupid idea i could've ever done and ever light on dash board is on and blinking to brake light,traction light,etc light, radio and clock lights the speed door and window lights its to much to deal with im afraid that this car is gonna take my life from me but noone can find no problem with this car i've got an oil change to spark plugs and so much more done on this car and nothing has changed this the fourth time this car has put me down in the six mths of me having this car somebody please help i love the car but its not a safe car to have and i can even exchange it out for another one at least thats what the people at the car lot says.