Problems with 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while the contact's son was driving various speeds, the power steering failed to turn left or right and the instrument panel lighting automatically turned off without warning. the contact's son pulled over to the side of the road and waited 8-10 seconds. afterwards, the vehicle returned to normal. the contact's son was able to drive to work and back home. the vehicle was taken to the dealer (serpentini chevrolet of strongsville, 15303 royalton rd, strongsville, oh 44136), but the failure could not be duplicated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure recurred several other times. the vehicle was taken to another dealer (pat o'brien chevrolet south, 3880 pearl rd, medina, oh 44256) where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure occurred again after the repair. the manufacturer was contacted at 866-790-3600 and stated that they were unaware of the issue and the contact would have to pay for the repairs. case number: 8-314031920 was provided. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Radio, interior lights, and power steering stops working when i turn on my signal lights or sometimes when i'm just riding. it seems to always happen when i'm going at speeds 40mph and above. it's very scary and my girlfriend whom is pregnant with our child has had this happen to her on the highway.

While driving the radio and interior lights go out and power steering stops working. seems to happen when left blinker is used. headlights will flicker when this happens also. there is no warning prior to shutdown. one occurrence car completely shut off on its own after power surge. very unsafe to drive this vehicle, i almost hit a parked car because of this failure. it happens on highway or neighborhood. car is parked at dealership til problem can be resolved. odometer has 53,000 miles on it. *tr

Vehicle moving on city street, lost power to radio, navigation system, etc., then lost steering. lost steering while making u-turn. lost steering in forward and reverse while parking vehicle. power to control panels shut down during both incidents. occurred briefly on highway while traveling at high rate of speed. the loss of power and steering has become more frequent and lasting for a longer period of time. vehicle is now at dealership for same issue. i purchased vehicle 3 months ago. my 17 y/o son uses this vehicle and i am concerned about his safety. i looked into this problem on the web and discovered that this has been an ongoing problem with this make and model. i received a phone call from the dealership where my car is being serviced. they cannot find a problem. this was expected based on what i have read. i find it hard to believe that they have never heard of this happening before especially since gm has recalled earlier models with the same problem but refuse to do anything about the 2013. you cannot understand the nervousness you feel before getting into the driver's seat unless you have experienced this yourself. for gm and dealership to knowingly allow a person to purchase this vehicle and drive off their lot with a serious issue such as this is mind blowing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while the vehicle was stationary, the doors locked on their own and the contact could not exit the vehicle. in addition, the ignition key became stuck on more than one occasion. the vehicle was taken to be repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

My car initially started with the radio and touch screen powering off for a few seconds. then, i was driving and went to make a left turn, the radio power went off as well as the steering wheel locked up, again only for a few seconds. now, when it happens (it's happening more frequently), the headlights and dash lights flicker as well as the radio power shuts off and the steering locks up. it all only lasts around 4-5 seconds, but can be very dangerous at the wrong time. i took it to the dealer who could not reproduce the problem, in which i explained it's sporadic and unpredictable. this is becoming a safety issue and more frightening that dealerships are unaware of the issue or how to fix it. gm really needs to do something about this before it causes a serious accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start and an abnormal noise emitted from the vehicle. the contact was unable to exit the vehicle because the doors were locked. the contact had to manually unlock the door in order to exit the vehicle. all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument cluster. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 85,000.

When driving, specifically at night, all lights flicker off, while driving or sitting idle. also when i put on the turn signal, or just make a turn, stop, accelerate. there is no reason, just happens, the lights flicker off. all of the lights, including the screen. all the lights go completely out for a few seconds then come right back on. twice the car has turned off, all the lights go out, then they come back on, but of course the car is still off. luckily the first time it happened in my driveway. the second time, however, i was on the road, with my kid in the car. we were at a red light and the whole car turned off. the lights came back on but i had to turn the car back on. i have been reading about this issue on several different forums and gm should make this a recall before someone is hurt or worse.

I have had problem with the 2013 malibu since i purchase it on october 22, 2015. on october 07,2016 me and my child almost got hit by a 18 wheeler getting off the interstate. i ran in the ditch to avoid having a accident. i look in the dash of the car and it stated that engine power is reduced and when i push the gas down it told me engine overspeed. the car is park now because i do not feel safe.

While driving vehicle at various speeds the electronics and power steering will turn off causing and turn back on. this also occurs while making turns without warning.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph and turning left, the vehicle stalled. a "service theft deterrent systems" message illuminated. the vehicle was coasted over to the side of the road and restarted. the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, but the failure was not duplicated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the electrical system shorted several times. the dealer was unable to replicate and diagnose the failure. in addition, various warning indicators flashed on the instrument panel. the dealer indicated that the subwoofer was draining the power. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin and failure mileage were not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle's power seized. the vehicle restarted after one attempt, but the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 42,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at any speed, the electronic screen blanked out, the engine shut down and the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was driven to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure recurred multiple times. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 49,968. updated 12/01/16*lj*****updated 12/22/16*lj updated 7/9/18 *jb

While driving down the highway first the windshield wipers quit during a down pour, the anti traction was malfunctioning on the screen then said anti theft system needed service then the steering went out and locked the car down. all of this happened while the car remained running. was very scary. have done some research and it appears gm is aware of a problem. the car is currently at the dealership. no known reason why yet although the dealership stated it did this to them when they were trying to pull it in the garage. gm needs to figure this out and issue a recall before there is serious injury including possible death the car was in motion on a highway when this occurred

I got my car 6 months ago, and now my car steering wheel locked , and lost battery voltage , i'm getting message to service wheel steering system ann battery charge system

The check engine light comes on and stays on - when checked at the dealer they told me no code found for two years, then as time went on it started adding service power steering and ac/dc shut down. after numerous visits to the dealer and two major repairs, the check engine light still comes on, and the power steering locks up. on august 24, 2016, i was driving 50+ mph on a curvy road when the check engine light came on, followed immediately by the service power steering, followed by something stabilizer, followed by ac/dc shut down, to engine overheated idle engine. the power steering locked up and i was unable to steer the car and ran off the road. the car was towed to the dealer who had just worked on the car for the second time in a month, and they found no codes - no surprise! i complained to chevy for the third time at corporate level and they had denied my claim as being safety related. i find it hard to believe that a car you suddenly can't steer isn't considered a safety issues. i also find it hard to believe that chevy can't recognize that there is a problem with the 2013 malibu. how many people have to die before they address this issue? also, why are they waiting on codes when the problem is most likely an electrical/computer problem. if the computer isn't working its no surprise that the warnings are not throwing a code! common sense! also, a car doesn't throw warning lights and check engine lights without something setting it off! hence you have a problem!

On numerous occasions my 2013 malibu has lost power causing a steering issue. it could be while driving, turning, stopping or accelerating. the car will lose power to the touch screen radio causing the screen to go black, then i lose the steering momentarily and then everything will come back on. this can happen once or sometimes it continues to happen which causes the service stabilitrack warning light to come on or the service power steering light to come on. this has also led to the car stalling and losing all electricity and then starting back up right away. the more electronics you use such as the blinker causes the problem to get worse and usually ends up in the car stalling. i have taken it to the dealer four separate times for this issue and nothing has been fixed. i have not had my car more than a week since august 22,2016 because i refuse to drive the car until it is fixed. the dealer is focusing on my after market remote starter which is wrong seeing there are many of the same occurrences listed on tis website.

While driving car instrument panel turns off, after which steering locks up and brakes become inoperable. instrument panel turns off for seconds, then as the instrument panel turns back on, all messages on instrument panel flash (ie engine light, low battery, etc). most common message is about stabilink. even after instrument panel turns back on, the steering wheel will remain stiff and hard to move until you leave the car off for an extended period of time. there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the problem, other than driving it. i've had it happen in stop and go traffic where i'm going from not moving to at max 5 mph, i've had it happen on an empty highway going 65 mph, i've had it happen two minutes into my drive, and i've had it happen 40 minutes into my drive. steering wheel does not always lock up in the middle of a turn, but most frequently it happens when making a sharp turn. i have video of the occurrence of the steering wheel and what happens to the instrument panel but am unable to upload it. i've tried to get the whole thing on video but it really just depends on if someone is in the car with me or if my phone was at the ready and i'm in a safe environment to record. it's scary enough to have the steering and brakes be useless to me, so my focus is usually more on controlling the car.

While driving, all of the sudden the raio/ screen goes out, steering locks up! has happened right after started, day & night, may be fine for an hour to 4 or 5 hours, never know! has happened when turning, very dangerous! i've almost had 4-5 accidents due to this problem! chevys says they haven't had any knowledge! dought this, complaints all over the internet. this started around 45,000 ruth just the radio /screen going off for a few seconds, by 60,000 started effecting the steering! i now have 80,000 miles on car. this needs quick attention from ntsb , wonder if any deaths from this? help!

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the electrical system intermittently stopped functioning, which resulted in a loss of power steering, abs functionality, and the windshield wipers operated independently. the failure occurred without warning. the failure occurred approximately eight times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the solenoids needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but not repaired due to the manufacturer's denial of the claim. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Our 2103 chevy malibu "loses electrical power and power steering" whuile being driven. this is now happening even more frequently. the dash and steering, etc goes blank and resets after a few seconds. this is happening more often and is dangerous. i see on the internet that dozens or hundreds of other 2013 malibu owners are having the same problem. some have had accidents as a result. my mechanic is not able to find an error code, nor to fix, and it seems like neither gm nor the other mechanics are able to fix either. this happens in a variety of movement settings, slow speed, high speed, turning and not, etc. this last happened 5+ times the evening of july 31.

My chevrolet malibu shut off on me in the mid of the way and i almost go into a accident with my children. took it to the dealership and they can't find out why my car is doing this.

My vehicle has 49000 miles on it while driving i loose power steering...the steering wheel locks up.. radio turns off...and the dash lights go off... after a second i get power back and control.. i have almost had head on collisions a 2 occasions.. i also had my steering completely lock while parked.. and as with before my radio went off and would not turn back on until i turned the car off and back on.... this is a hazard and someone will be injured or killed if this problem is not addressed... i have had it in the dealer for this and they informed me i had 13 plus warnings pop up on diegnostics, however, they found no problem and reset the computer... 3 days later the problem came back...

While driving my vehicle on a highway going 65mph, it suddenly stopped,locked up, and would not turn on. the electrical panel goes off and on when it wants to. sometimes the car will not steer and it gets really stiff. have taken it to the dealership numerous times and they have told me that they find nothing wrong with the car. i know something is wrong with it and it is dangerous to operate a car that all of a sudden shuts down and locks up. this can kill someone. there needs to be enough complaints for gm to fix these cars. no one can fix them but we are stuck paying for them still and risking our lives.

I have a malibu eco boost. on june 23, 2015 i was driving on 96 and the charging system failure light came on the car began to shut down. the power steering went out. i was able to pull over on the shoulder but the keys could not be removed from the ignition. i had it towed to graff chevrolet andthey said the only thing they could find wrong was a speedsensor. the guy tom said i could come get my vehicle at 8pm since thepart was enroute. i drove over 80 miles to get there at8 and my car wasn't ready but the guy said i cold take it with me. i did not.they fixed that then said it was a right wheel hub.i know these two things havenothing to do with the charging system. tookmy car home and the same thinghappened on the holiday july 4th.why didn't thecomputer or the mechanic detect a problem with the charging system.

While driving, service air bags ,service anti teft system,warnings come on, a/c,radio shut off aswell as gas ,speed odometer,all gauges shut down.

Engine shutoff - electrical system issues: noticed problems when turning left and engaging turn signal: the radio would turn off and turn back on. the interactive system would also turn off/on. a/c fan would speed up or slow down. using bluetooth synced phone would cause interactive system to turn off/on and would kill engine. power steering and brakes no longer would work due to engine cut-off. during warm weather (70 degrees f), one nuance that seemed indicative of the previous things about to happen, the outside temp on the interactive system would read in the 30's and the dash would let you know about possible icy conditions on the road. i was luckily driving 10 mph when engine cut-off and in a dealer parking lot. however, i did experience all of the other issues under normal driving conditions. i took the car to the dealer a week ago and they couldn't replicate my issues. today, they saw them first hand.

When driving, the car will shut off for about 5 seconds and then come back on fine but the wheel and the brakes lock up. it will randomly do this. it happens on normal side streets as well as on the interstate. i have also had it happen while sitting still in park. the car was turned on but the radio would blink and the air stop and then after about 6 seconds it will start again like normal. however about 4 times it has had major episodes where all of the lights will blink (like i was restarting the car), the wheel locks up, the brakes lock up, the car acts as if it is in neutral and then about 6 seconds it will jerk like it's going into gear and once i pull over and restart it, it may happen again or it may be fine for a while. it has shown on the screen on these 4 times words of "check power steering or stabilitrak warning" it's very scary. i've almost wrecked 3 different times because the wheel locks up and i was in a turn when it did it. the last time it happened i was traveling with my young children and we were almost rear ended by an 18 wheeler on the interstate at rush hour traffic. i feel like i'm driving a death trap. i took it to the shop that the dealer advised me to take it to. they say it is the ecm. the dealership is not willing to pay for it since it's not covered under the manufacturers warranty. i've had this car since october and its been in the shop 5 times for this and overheating. i'm in the process of contacting gm about this issue because i'm not the only one having this trouble. it's extremely scary and it needs to be corrected before someone is seriously hurt. it's a hazard not only to me as the driver and the children that i carry in my car daily, but the other drivers on the road because when it happens its without warning and the car completely locks up.

Out of the blue car looses electrical power, radio, power steering, etc. then comes back on. car shut down completely will in parking lot. brought car into dealer said they would update the programing per bulletin. car was good for two days then happened again. this is a serious problem, hope they can fix. gm needs more scrutiny...

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the steering seized and the vehicle experienced a loss of electrical functions and power. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the failure could not be replicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

2013 chevy malibu continues to power down while driving. radio will shut off then electrical panel and often times it would lose complete power and cause the power steering to shut off. very dangerous. took to dealership 3 times they continue to finagle the negative wiring. but the problem persists. no check engine light; no fix. something is defective and pose rlly chevy can't figure it out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving various speeds, the electrical system failed. as a result, the power steering seized. the failure recurred numerous times. in addition, the ignition switch failed to release the key and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and the sensor circuit was replaced in the camshaft. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

My driver seat is stuck all the way in the full recline position and wont go back up. i contacted chevy dealership and they told me 1,400 to buy a whole new seat. i dont have 1400 laying around to buy a new whole seat and that it troubles me that a whole seat would go out with my car when it has less than 45,000 miles. now my wife and i are forced to drive a unsafe car because not only we don't have that kind of money laying around for a seat that shouldn't even be broke at 42000 miles. ive contacted gm but they have not contacted me back yet. i also paid 130 dollars for the dealership to tell me that i need a whole new seat? i could have told them that. i hope i don't get in a accident probably wont have a chance with the way the seat is sitting seat belt wont work properly.

Problem 1: driving car at 40mph (on a city street) it begins to overheat, the steering wheel seizes then stalls out repeatedly. take vehicle to chevrolet dealership, technician says need to replace parking brake control module (water intrusion) gm pays 50/50 payment assistance, i paid $417.23. within a week's time several issues arise as indicated below. problem 2: while car is in motion driving the city streets the dash lights and touch screen radio (entire electrical system shuts off) for about 5 seconds then comes back on. the brief box pops up for a few seconds, indicating check power steering, stabilitrak warning light on and parking brake says it's on. all this happened, eight times in ten minutes. then i proceed to make a right hand turn and my steering wheel locks up and i nearly hit a vehicle that was stopped at a stop light. it happens randomly but i did notice when i had the a/c on it happened repeatedly. again vehicle is at chevrolet dealership and unable to recreate the problem, dealing with gm corporate at this time.

I was driving about 70mph on the interstate with the radio and cruise control set and i hit the blinkered to change lanes and the radio and cruise control shut off and i lost power steering for a moment. this happened multiple times. i took it to the dealership and supposedly it was fixed. two days later it did the same thing. sometimes if you roll the window up or down it shuts the radio off. sometimes when you are driving and click the brights on the radio ahuts off and thw entire dash goes black and i lose all power including the steering and the engine revs. sometimes i will be driving at low speeds in town and if i slightly accelerate the radio shuts off. once i was at a stop light and i had my turn signal on to make a left turn and when the light turned green i began to accelerate and the car lost all power and died in the middle of the intersection. too many incidents to go into detail here. has been at the dealership twice and they say there ia nothing wrong with it. i even called gm directly to report the issue and all they did was waive my diagnostic fee and say nothing is wrong and next time it does it to bring it back. i was on my way home from the dealership and it happened again so i guess i'll take it back again in the morning. seems like gm isn't going to do anything about this until someone is seriously injured or killed. i have had this car less than 2 months. i keep reading complaint after complaint about the same issues i am having yet no recall and gm acts like this is the first time they are hearing about this kind of problem.

Power steering goes out and steering wheel jerks when this happens. first radio light all go off, then steering jerks and lose power steering and dash lights go off, then flash. this all lasts 5-10 seconds, then everything is normal. had car to dealer to fix same problem 4 days prior to it happening again. this occurs usually while highway driving and when steering jerks and you lose power steering it is surprising and have almost hit several vehicles while going 55-65mph. sometimes occurs while driving in town and turning, especially turning right. i have also contacted chevy and they tell me they are not aware of any of these problems with these cars. also said they would contact my car dealer and call me back in 2 days. i have heard nothing back from them.

Console freezes can't control defroster or backup camera

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the heat would independently activate while driving and the instrument panel indicated that the vehicle overheated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor in the computer malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, it sporadically had an abnormal burning odor. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 15 mph, all the interior lights suddenly failed to function. in addition, the vehicle was making an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment. the contact also stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the accelerator pedal felt abnormally soft. additionally, the ignition key failed to release from the ignition switch when the vehicle was turned off. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician informed that the failure was unable to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 12,700.

Sometimes when i start my car the air conditioner come on by it's self , while the knob is set on off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but it failed to start. in addition, the check engine and battery warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to viva chevrolet (5915 montana ave, el paso, tx 79925, (915) 247-2086) where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was not included in any recalls. no further assistance was offered. the approximate failure mileage was 35,200.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle stalled. after several attempts to turn the vehicle on, once the vehicle was able to start, all the electrical functions malfunctioned. the service stabilitrak warning light illuminated and the vehicle began to shake when being driven. the contact mentioned that the failure would occur when making a sharp turn. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to determine the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 70 mph, the reduced engine power warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled and crashed into a curb. the air bags did not deploy and a police report was not filed. no injuries were sustained. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. the contact mentioned that the dealer cleaned the battery terminals, but the failure recurred with the reduced engine power and abs light illuminating. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 57,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle started to slow down on its own. the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the heater activated. in addition, a strong burning odor started to emerge from the vents and all the warning indicators flickered on and off. the vehicle decelerated from 35 to 5 mph. the vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electrical harness was not making contact. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred five times since the first week the vehicle was purchased. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 8,000.

Car dies without warning while driving. restarts itself after a count of 3. will die completely when standing still and all the lights and windshield wipers go off. the computer does not register the dying. i lose power steering if in a turn when it dies. it starts with the radio. dealership can't find problem and can't seem to recreate it. no diagnostic trail to follow.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while parked, the vehicle was unable to start and the key could not be removed from the ignition. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 42,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and restarted independently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the input actuator and crank shaft position sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired however the failure recurred. the failure mileage was 65,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving 25 mph, all the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel, the windshield wiper blades operated independently, and the vehicle experienced a loss of power. the contact mentioned that the vehicle would restart after 10-15 minutes. the failure only occurred sporadically. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 81,000.

Actuator did not meet specs it was necessary to replace actuator. this service was done by jim keras chevrolet in memphis tennessee. the covering on the driver seat that protects the seat controls has fallen off, the car has no pick up when depressing the excellerator and makes noise as if the transmission is not changing. i went to vincheck pro and there were 7 recalls specifically electrical system software. i bought this car off the showroom floor of acura of memphis at ridgeway and 385. no one told me of any factory recalls. the money i am spending for this car is already too much and now having so many problems out of a car thats only 2 years old is ridiculous. thanks for listening.