Problems with 2011 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2011 malibu 2lt 3600 vvt. i have multiple instances of the service esc, service traction control & engine power reduced messages appearing. the last time, today, almost caused me to be rear ended due to the engine fluctuating between about 200 and 1500 rpm. after the first instance i brought the car to a dealer to have recall #14v252000 addressed. this seemed to solve the issue but after a couple of days it all happened again telling me there's obviously something else wrong. through on-line research i have found hundreds of complaints about this exact same issue with almost as many supposed causes. there is no warranty left on my car and i can't afford a mechanic to guess. i strongly feel that gm needs to address this issue before someone dies. *tr

This morning i was driving my children to school when check engine light suddenly came on and car went into reduced engine power mode and was violently shaking. it is snowy conditions and freezing. we were nearly rear ended. i turned the car off for a minute and it ran fine once i restarted. however check engine light remained on. when in reduced power mode it gave a message about the traction and service esc. also, for about a week, dash lights have not been working at times. dangerous and common problems from what i see. *tr

Service air bag light turned on and has remained on when car was started one day. it was not involved in any accidents, collisions, etc. coincidentally, the light appeared after the oil was changed and the computer reset for oil change. *tr

Several warning lights came on (ecs and traction control) and the display read, "loss of power". i was at highway speed and the car slowed to about 15mph. i was unable to increase my speed. after turning off the ignition switch in a parking lot, and waiting for about 15 minutes, i started the car and it ran fine. however, on the following monday the same thing happened 6 times while trying to get it to bergstrom chevrolet dealership. the first attempt to repair the problem only made it worse, and the second time a new throttle body assembly was installed. this repaired the problem. on my son's chevy truck the same problem was covered under a recall, but on my malibu i was told it was not. on the internet i was able to find six pages of similar problems that other malibu owners had. they too were told that it was not covered under a recall. this type of problem could have, and maybe has, caused numerous accidents and i assume injuries. there should be a recall and i should be completely reimbursed for my repair expense. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that after starting the vehicle, it shook and the traction, the esc and the engine power reduce warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure occurred on five occasions. the approximate failure mileage was 48,000. the vin was not available.

In february 2015 my chevrolet malibu had an issue with the ignition switch. after taking it to the dealership it was determined that there was a wiring issue. during research it seemed that many people has the same problem with the same year and model. more recently on 09/16/2015 my vehicle had another electronic problem where the engine control module would shutdown causing the engine to shut down while traveling at 40 mpg. this issue had happened in the past that prevented me from starting my car and every electronic device in the car would flash and beep/click out of control. but in this more recent case it happened while driving. also after more research it looks as if other drivers of the same year and model have had the same issue, some stating that that is the worst year of that model they ever owned and i could not agree more. at the time i had my child in the car with me. i could not stop wondering what would have happened if this incident occurred minutes earlier when i has in a busy highway under az heat with no air conditioning working because the engine would not start. gm has not have a good reputation with the the quality of their vehicles, specially with electronic components. if the car engine and electronics shut down, would the air bags activate in case of an accident? codes: p0113, p1668 maf (mass air flow sensor) has been replaced with new once after incident and issues have continued.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. after the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), the passenger side air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the diagnostic system module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. in addition, the low engine, the power traction and the check engine warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the throttle body and the pedal sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

I started a 2011 chevrolet malibu with 64,000 miles on a thursday evening after work. it had been parked for 12 hours. there was a warning message stating reduced power when the vehicle was turned on and then another message flashed stating service traction. the engine light was on. i could not go over 10 miles per hour. i had to have the car towed to a chevrolet dealership and the throttle body (position sensor) was determined to be bad. i did some research and saw that there have been countless issues with this throttle body sensor according to many other chevrolet customers, but chevrolet said there was not a recall on it, yet. this is the 3rd issue in 6 months i've had with this vehicle which has never been in a crash. one issue a couple months ago was a bad water pump and the other issue from the last 6 months was a brake light malfunction. this car is 4 years old and has 64,000 miles on it. the car cost over 30k and has been mainly used for easy highway driving. *tr

While driving through a school zone at approx 25 mph, all of the dash warning lights came on and the dash said "loss of engine power" the abs and traction control lights came an the vehicle sputtered and would not go more than 5 mph. *tr

I was driving on the highway and my "service airbag" light came on the dash. there was no crash and nothing was hit. i pulled over and turned my car off. i turned the car on a half hour later and the airbag light and message were gone. 90 minutes later the light illuminated again and has stayed on. i called chevy, the said there was no recall, and connected me to the service dept of a dealership, who said this happens all the time, but couldn't give me an estimate of the cost to fix it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle decelerated and would not exceed 5 mph. the vehicle also began to jerk. in addition, the contact stated that the lost power indicator, the abs, and traction warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 44,000. the vin was unavailable.

My chevy malibu needs to be recalled!! the engine harness is heat damaged causing trouble codes to make driving the car very dangerous. this was told to me by a chevy dealer who got the codes to happen just by moving the harness with their hands from the engine compartment. their fix is to just put more insulation around the harness not a proper fix!! also the repair is very expensive and the district supervisor has offered to split the cost of the repair 50/50. why am i paying anything!! this car is less than 4 years old and the wiring harness is heat damaged? i have not done anything to this car but add an alarm. this car and the others like it need to be looked at!! anyone else feel my pain???

Two issues exist: 1. the throttle body prematurely wore out and caused various symptoms including but not limited to immediate loss of power, instability in the braking system due to the engine revving up when the vehicle was stopped or slowed, and various warning indicators including traction control and ecs indicators. steering also was difficult while the symptoms persisted. 2. the connector to the electronic control module (ecm/ecu) that is the vehicle's computer was not completely sealed which allowed water to get inside which started to corrode the pins of the connector. this caused instability in the electrical system of the vehicle. *js

2011 chevrolet malibu has experienced numerous occasions with "hiccups" (temporary loss of power) while driving followed by flashing warning light of traction control then followed with "service esc... service ecm... esc off". service engine light also came on and stayed on. by the time we took the vehicle to gm service the engine service light was off and they could not duplicate the problem or get a code but recommended a new ecm. problem occurred again and returned back to gm service with same result and recommendation. my wife commutes 1.5 hours per day and also drives our 3 children to school each day. after having the vehicle continue with these issues, the vehicle finally stalled completely, on 2 separate occasions, in heavy traffic but would eventually start and run again. she did not feel safe and would no longer drive the car so i drove the vehicle one week each day to work to witness the problems myself. every single day while driving the vehicle would flash the same error codes on each trip to and from work finally, on the way to the gm service department, the vehicle died in the middle of busy traffic and i had to have it towed. a new ecm was installed (with a cost of $650+) and within two days of driving, the exact same problem has occurred. gm service sent a tow truck and i await their next attempt at fixing this vehicle.

Check engine light came on, reduced engine speed, low traction lights came on, and could go over 40 mph. we stopped and let it sit for appx 5 minutes, and were able to drive it home. my son has an automotive computer we were able to hook up and it read the mass air flow sensor. we removed it and cleaned it with mass air flow sensor cleaner and replaced it. as soon as we started the car up, the check engine light went off. the car drove fine until 2-7-2015 where the exact same thing happened at appx 74,700 miles. we took it in to the dealership (coughlin automotive in circleville) on 2-14-15. they tested it and it showed the code p2135 #pip2019 they checked connectors for corrosion & damage , but found nothing. they ran the throttle sweep test. it tested ok. they cleared the code & drove & couldn't get it to do it again. they said they just can't replace parts because they cost too much, not knowing exactly what the issue is. they said if it happens again, to bring it in. my wife drives this car every day to columbus ohio during rush hour, on state highways. i'm scared this is going to happen again during rush hour and something bad is going to happen like a serious accident and or loss of life to someone. so, does gm think parts cost more than a loss of life because of this issue?????? *tr

The instrument panel told me that i lost engine power. the error message says "engine power reduced/service traction/service esc". my car lost power from ex: 40 mph to 30 mph, and couldn't go above 50 mph depending on the grade of the roads. it would climb speed very slowly. this has happened three times in two weeks. i had to drive with my hazard lights on until i pulled over safely. i would have to shut off the car for a few minutes. sometimes it wouldn't totally reset; sometimes it would. it comes back on unexpectedly. *tr

Cannot pass inspection! short circuit fault - camshaft position actuator solenoid fault. open or short circuit detection condition in the solenoid. this is a known issue and defect with chevy malibu and other models and my vin has not had one recall issued on it - though there have been several recalls already on other malibu 2011 models. need to have dateline nbc or an attorney investigate vin fraud for not having my vin # assigned these recalls for which the manufacturer would pay for all repairs related to these known safety defects. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at any speed, the vehicle stalled intermittently without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where unknown sensors were replaced. the vehicle was repaired. however, a year later, the contact was driving over a railroad when the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was successfully restarted after twenty minutes. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 65,000.

I was driving my vehicle on at 50 mph and vehicle reduced to a unsafe speed with the error messages "service traction" "esc off" and "eng pwr reduced". the unsafe drop in speed almost caused a car to hit me in the back. this is a very scary problem and if i was on the expressway and this occurred something very bad could have happen. a recall on the vehicle or the throttle body need to be made public before someone is seriously injure due to this flaw! *tr

While driving down the highway, my power engine warning came on and the same as warning lights for esc and traction warning. i just recently took my car into the dealer for fixing the recent recall problem and i wonder if it made my car worse?? will be stopping by monday morning...if i make it home ok after i've had to stop and pull over twice to fix the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 65 mph, the esc warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. the failure recurred in cold weather numerous times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine management and ignition sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the service esc and the traction control warning lights illuminated. the contact mentioned that there was a sudden increase of engine rpms. however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. the vehicle was able to restart but the failure progressed over time. several months later, the contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was serviced under the recall and the technician stated that the cam shaft position actuator solenoid valve needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the throttle body assembly would need to be repaired. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 85,656.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, an abnormal noise and smoke started to emit from the vents. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that wires were burned and disconnected the battery as a precaution. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph, burning fumes were present inside the vehicle and smoke appeared out of the front bumper. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the battery cable caught fire. the contact extinguished the fire. there were no injuries. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at 10 mph and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. a police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. the contact stated that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 14v438000 (electrical system). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 57,356. updated 10/31/14*lj the consumer stated the electrical failure effected the radio and the door locks. the locks would not lock or unlock. the radio would power off or switch cd's to auxiliary then to the radio. updated 4/28/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact received notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system , electronic stability control , exterior lighting , service brakes, hydraulic , vehicle speed control). the contact stated that the dealer was contacted twice and was informed that the part was not available. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 35 mph, the contact smelled smoke inside the vehicle and an unknown warning sensor illuminated. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed flames on the driver's side. the fire department extinguished the flames. the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. the cause of the fire was unknown. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 66,000. updated 10/17/2014*lj updated 4/1/15 *js

When driving, generally on the highway, my cars rpms will flutter between 2200-2500. i have to change gear (speed up quickly or slow down) to get it out of that flutter. car has a pick up and slow down reeling when doing so. has been happening since i got it a year ago at 17,000 and still doing it. it should be a recall so i don't want to get it fixed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled on several occasions. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the failure was unable to be replicated. after approximately three months, the dealer stated that the fuel lines needed to be cleaned and carbon buildup from the intake valves needed to be removed. in addition, the dealer reprogrammed the codes and performed a fuel induction cleaning. after the repairs were performed, the air bag, the brakes, the seat belt, and the engine warning lights illuminated. the contact mentioned that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), but was unaware if the recall repair was performed. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear fuse box and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 86,687.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system); however, the part needed for the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 50 mph over a bridge, the vehicle suddenly stalled. immediately following the failure, the service air bag warning indicator illuminated on the instrumental panel. the contact was able to shift the vehicle into neutral and safely coast off the bridge. after numerous attempts, the vehicle was successfully restarted. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the technician was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. two weeks later, the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician stated that there was a short circuit in the hard wiring. the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 171,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact that the vehicle was exhibiting the same failure specified on recall nhtsa campaign number 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the contact mentioned that the vin number was not included in the recall. the approximate failure mileage was 60,185.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system , electronic stability control , exterior lighting , service brakes, hydraulic , vehicle speed control ) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign id number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). however, the part needed was not available. the dealer was unable to provide a specific date for when the part would become available. the manufacturer was also contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repair. the contact did not experience a failure.

The engine light appears the light comes on and says engine power reduced, service traction, service esc this appears at random speeds and even when im setting at the bank with my car in park it has occurred. this immediately reduces your cars power and you can only run about 30 mph which is very dangerous. this used to start by saying ice possible and then all the above would begin. now after having the break recall completed this is happening more frequently it has happened at least 4 random times in one week. you can only clear this by shutting off your engine and letting it set for several minutes. *tr

Power locks don't work! the remote key chain button will unlock the doors but will not lock the doors. i can't even use the power locks on the driver door to lock the doors on the inside. i have to lean over to the passenger side to lock the doors then get out of the car and check the handle to make sure my doors are locked. the remote key chain will not lock the doors! also, the trunk release will not work on the remote key chain or in the car. i have to use the key to unlock the trunk... *tr

While driving my vehicle on the highway at about 60-65 mph its very hard to have stability in the vehicle. i have 4 brand new tires. the vehicle has been balanced and rotated. i also too vehicle to brake specialist who said everything looks ok to them. also while driving at this speed the vehicle engine will start shaking and the veh will drop from 65 mph to 20mph cause the speed control to drop automatically. my vehicle has never been in an accident and the right signal light has an electrical issue and air bag light is on. 4 new tires and every 2 weeks the air pressure on them is low i think it has something to so with the stability of the vehicle. this is my 2nd review about this car. i don't want have a wreck and kill me and my children. *js

When car is at stop light the esc traction control light comes on the dash. the car starts shaking feels like it will stall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. in addition, while driving approximately 30-45 mph, the vehicle decelerated and stalled. the contact was able to restart the vehicle however it failed to accelerate over 20 mph. the warning lights flashed and the contact was unable to unlock the vehicle to exit. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electrical fuel pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 58,800.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the rear window defogger failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear fuse box and the wiring harness needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 72,000. the vin was not available.

At random when driving down the road the radio will switch to aux. you can touch the dash on the side or around the radio and it will go back to radio. it will also switch sometimes when you put the car in drive, or turn on windshield wipers. you have to bump the side of the dash or the area around the radio for it to switch back. *tr

While driving my car a service light came on. the message was "service traction" and "service esc". the car will loose power and act like it's going to die. i took my car to a chevrolet dealership on 2 different occasions and the first time they would not look at it because they could not figure out if it was under warranty. the second attend at the dealership they diagnosed the problem as the wiring harness and it needed to be replaced. on may 14, 2014 gm recalled chevrolet malibu's for the model year 2004-2014. i contacted gm about the recall and was denied help to fix the problem with my car. i informed the person i spoke with that my car had been diagnosed by a dealership with the same issue as the recall. gm informed me that i could pay to have the vehicle fixed out of my own pocket and maybe get reimburse at a later time. i explained my concern for the safety of my child that gets transported in the vehicle and they did not care. the lady on the phone just kept repeating that i could pay out of pocket for the problem. i have read online that it was all models recalled from 2004-2012 but i am still getting denied help. *tr

I was driving to work and all the dash warning lights came on. the car slowed down and the steering began to shake. i'm having my boyfriend look at it after work but i found this site so i decided to post this as well. *tr

2011 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to vehicle body control module connection system recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the dealer did not inform him of any recall. the vehicle would not start. each time, he went to the dealer, they stated nothing was wrong. on once occasion, in march 2014, the vehicle accelerated on its own. the consumer voluntarily surrendered the vehicle to the bank. *jb

2011 chevrolet malibu experienced problems associated with the electronic stability control and was not drivable. *mw the consumer experienced a problem associated with the electronic stability control/ the check engine and esc lights illuminated. the vehicle would loose acceleration and the ability to accelerate while in motion. the consumer believed the problem she experienced, was the direct result of recall 14v252000. the consumer was informed, the repair that was performed, was not covered by the recall. *jb

3 times my sons car has just shut off while driving on freeway. *tr

I was driving my 2011 chevy malibu way too work , rush hour and unpleasant weather. as i was driving the car just slowed itself down, started to tremble and the ;engine power reduce / service traction warning lights came on. i was almost rear-ended since car just decided to reduce its engine power. i pulled over for a few minutes, turned car off and restarted but the engine light stayed on. car started to run smoothly, and then it happened again. i called into work and cautiously drove car to local dealership. i was told car will not be looked at til the following day. the service attendant calls me the following morning , to tell me the car was checked and needs throttle body replacement and is not covered by the manufacturer, due to it being an electrical/mechanical defect possibly caused by the cold weather. i asked why would the throttle body defect , be the consumers fault; i didn't know cars cant be out in the cold weather. so, i decided to look up the 2011 chevy malibu recalls/defects and found 22 of 57 complaints over the same car issue/problem/defect. so, i ask; why hasn't this been put up for a safety issue, a recall, and have this taken care of??? this can cause alot of accidents! as im sure the consumers who have experienced this engine power reduction have felt at that moment and time. so now im too pay $546.00 (estimated) too have this problem taken care of, since the manufacturer decided to use faulty/defective parts on these vehicles. i thought chevrolet was a dependable maker. all my friends, neighbors, and my parents have purchased chevys- from traverse- malibu's and they are all surprised this is happening. *tr

Once last winter i started my car at 4:30 am to travel to work. i noticed my defroster was not working. my car had been running for 15 minutes and was warmed up. i chose not to drive my car since i could not see out of my windshield. this summer, my car did the same thing after work one day. the blower motor was not working. i got a mile down the road and it started working. it grew more frequent and i asked the dealer to diagnose it. we paid $90 for that. they told me that my blower motor needed replaced and that it would be $500 since it had to have a specialized kit installed. i have driven my car the last 2 days with no heat whatsoever in 15 degree weather. it has not snowed or sleeted so i am able to do so safely except when my windshield starts to fog up. gmc installed a faulty motor blower in my car and now i cannot defrost my windshield while driving which could cause me to wreck and die. *js

I was driving this vehicle on one of the main highways where there is a lot of traffic and several lights appeared first it was the service esc, engine power reduced, and service traction light, along with my check engine light, and traction light, the car then dropped from a speed of 65 to a speed of 20 and would not go on the highway this almost got me killed. i feel that gm should look into this issue as there are several people having the same issue, i would rather my life be saved than driving in a defective vehicle. *tr

I was driving on the highway and out of no where the check engine light came on. my car than started to jerk like it was running out of oxygen, the car felt like it didn't want to shift in gear.. took to have check and come to find out its the (tcm) transmission control module which isn't covered under warranty for and extra two thousand dollars from santander consumer and bronx suzuki/victory in bronx, ny. i have been ripped off in a car payment that's more than the car is worth. *tr