Problems with 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Shortly after i purchase my vehicle it began to stall or shut down. first incident, i pulled up at school and into a parking spot and the car shut down, not allowing me to turn the key into the off position in the ignition. i was able to put the gear in park, called the dealership and they had it towed because it would not come on. they sent it to the chevy dealership and was told they were unable to find the problem. i received my car back 2 weeks later and i drove over 200 miles out of town. once i made it to where i was going a slowed down to turn a corner and the steering wheel locked up like it lost power. i was able to make it to my destination and once there the car shut down again. i called the dealership and he told to me push the button to push the seat back and once all the way back, to then push the button the move the seat forward. once i began to push the seat forward the whole car powered back on. it has been doing this on and off since the purchase of the vehicle in 2015. it has been sent to the chevy dealership and they are unable to find what the problem is. the vehicle to start to cut off onthe regular now, while on the highway and regular streets. i drive at least 25 miles to work everyday. this could potentially cause harm to myself or someone else if this problem is not fixed soon.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a failure covered under the warranty; however, after the repair, the vehicle began to experience many malfunctions. the vehicle's bolts on both the front passenger and driver seats were detached. when the seats were adjusted, the uni body frame of the body moved. the contact stated that the uni body frame was able to be moved manually. in addition, the electrical systems failed without warning, which sometimes caused the vehicle to stall. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but they refused to assist. the manufacturer was made aware of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000.

The radio shuts off. the climate control goes haywire. and the steering locks up. this has only happened whle the car is stopped. but reading all the hundreds of complaints it seems to happen at any time. this has happened multiple times. something needs to happen immediately before there are fatalities.

I purchased a 2013 certified pre-owned chevrolet malibu from a chevrolet dealership in november of 2014. i was satisfied with my purchase for a few months with no issues until i started having problems with the electrical. my first frightening experience was traveling on the interstate exiting onto a highway via a cloverleaf. while merging onto the highway, i lost all power, including power steering. luckily no one was in the other lane, as my car veered across the line, into the other lane. the power came back on a few seconds later. i brought my car into the dealership where i purchased it, however they were unable to pinpoint the issue. they scanned the vehicles system for error codes, cleared the codes and sent me on my way. since this initial issue, my car loses power randomly while driving, parked, using my turn signal, turning left, turning right, etc. the power steering goes out, the dashboard and vehicle display monitor go black. some instances it will flicker, other times it will shut down completely. i have had it towed from my driveway as i have been unable to turn it on and towed from a retail parking lot. i have had the car inspected by the dealership 4 times and a separate privately owned garage twice, with no resolution. i contacted gm/chevrolet regarding the issue and a case number was given to me. they had me bring my car to a chevrolet dealership. after their inspection, the dealership stated it was the positive battery cable that is malfunctioning. i reached out to chevrolet again about a resolution and they indicated the vehicle is outside of warranty so no repair support will be provided. if this issue would have been resolved within the initial inspection, the certified pre-owned status of my vehicle may have covered repairs. my concern is the larger impact of others experiencing the same issues and getting the same response by gm.

Climate control issues. fan is stuck at one speed on passenger side and will not heat. when a/c compressor is on it blows ice cold air. when heat is on it also blows ice cold air, no matter the setting whether in "sync" mode or not. the climate zone does not change from high to low of vice versa. this causing heating issues in colder weather and defroster issues on passenger side of vehicle.

While i was driving the car kept shutting off and throwing it into theft mode...this happens on daily basis now and i'm scared it will cause an accident due to the continuous shutting off in the middle of driving in certain speeds...i see there is recalls on this which i do keep getting the anti theft deterrent system error message in my main screen when this happens. when will there be a recall for this on this year & model because i see so many complaints about this online? *tr

Car bought from the dealership as used with 28k miles in nov 2014. in march 2015, the steering wheel started to lock while turning. meanwhile, the screen and the radio restarts. the locking of the steering wheel happens under different circumstances, including but not limit to when parking, cruising on the neighbourhood (speed below 30 mph), change lanes in highways (speed around 50 mph), and several times while the car was actually parked without motion. the car was brought to the dealership in april 2015 for the first time. in the following two years until last week (march 2017), the dealership replied "could not duplicate the issue" every single time. in the recent several times of me visiting the dealership about the same issue, they replaced the battery cables (with a charge for $750), and the fuse box (with a charge of $108), but still, the problem exists. the last visit to the dealer ends up with the routine reply of "can not duplicate" but they did admit that there is indeed an issue since i showed them a video i recorded when the issue happens. the locking of the steering wheel happens every single time when i tried to rotate the steering wheel (to make turning while driving or parking of course), but the issue is that it does not always happen. it only happens every now and then. that is why i am still driving it after two years since unfortunately, that is my only car. this is extremely dangerous since the locking of the steering wheel only locks while turning. it can cause accidents in the neighbourhood and a lethal accident on the highways. the gm offered me a coupon for some credit to be applied to my next purchase of a new gm car but i don't think that is a solution i can accept. i am attaching some of the service histories to support my statement. there are more but i can only upload 5.

Was sitting in my seat adjusting the seat by pushing the button that had a short when i pushed the button i herd a clicking noise then i smelt a fume type of smell i put the car in reverse when the seat wouldn't move as i looked down at the gear i notice that the driver seat where i was sitting was on fire every where the car was wired is where the fire burned up i called the fire department in which they informed me that it was a electrical fire and car insurance confirmed recall on the car had been reported for doing the same thing prior to this incident i called kin dixon where i purchase the car and they told me that my car according to the vin number i have to them was not affected by recall i have gm and they have yet to respond to me i could have been one of there numerous customers who lost their life in there defected retort cars i was not burned but the poor car was torched. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving 50 mph, the windshield wipers failed and caused the instrument panel lights to flicker. the failure continued until the instrument panel dimmed completely. the dealer diagnosed that there was a loose battery cable. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure continued intermittently. in addition, while turning the vehicle, the wheels seized and the instrument panel lights dimmed. the vehicle was restarted, but the failure recurred. the contact notified the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 34,200.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would momentarily shut off causing the power steering assist to fail and making it very difficult to control the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 33,000.

Blend door functions do not work properly. dual climate control only allows heat to drivers side of vehicle. passenger side blows a/c cold air no matter if a/c is on or off. periodically drivers side only works on defrost or feet only settings. have to have heat to foot setting and stuff blanket under passenger side dash to heat car in winter. i cannot defrost entire window.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving at approximately 30 mph, the vehicle jerked and lost power. the theft attempted warning message and the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the sensing and diagnostic module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was made aware of nhtsa campaign number: 12v224000 (electrical system) however, the vin was not included. the approximate failure mileage was 46,000. updated 3/3/15*cn updated 9/13/2017*cn

Since 2015 car has experienced engine speed problems, wiring issues and every 5-6 months the car is in a chevy dealership, they say its fixed but then its back in the shop

For no apparent reason the vehicle will stop and the electric controls will go off (lights, display indicators and signals)....car will stall as if i have turned it off with the ignition switch for no reason while i am driving. no warning whatsoever and have plenty of gas. i have to sometimes stop in the middle of traffic until i can regain some control of the vehicle. and at that point it will seem as though it is not fully functioning because all the indicators are displayed. (it seems that there is something wrong with the computer system)..... *tr

I was riding in the car with my wife and cousin heading to her brothers house. we had just drove from out of town after visiting some family members and was taking my cousin back home. while driving i notice the car electrical system acting up it would say i needed to put air in the tire or the back tire was not functioning correctly. it also would say i needed to put my seat belt on when it was on. but this was not my biggest concern my wife while driving ran off the road a struck a tree head on. had she had been driving faster then what she was going i fell as if she would have been severely injured. the airbags never came out and this was a concern because who knows how many vehicles are affected by this. i thank god that her injuries were not that serve as well as my cousin and i, although pain will heal the pain of losing a love one will never heal. so i ask that you look into because this is a safety concern, i know if had my wife been told that her airbags may or may not deploy she would have never brought the car....... *tr

Lights dimmed inside the car on dashboard and indicator lights for radio and climate control could not tell if the a/c was on and also the fan indicator lights were not visible. after stopping checked the voltage and noticed it was lower then usual. it's like there was a drain on electricity somewhere while driving the battery should be charging i noticed this 3 times this month. last time today 10/29/2016 while driving on hwy 288 at 60mph. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, but the failure was unable to be determined. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that all the warning lights in the instrument panel illuminated without warning periodically. the speedometer failed to display the travel speed. the turn signals and the engine temperature gauge failed to operate. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the electrical failure in the vehicle was caused by the contact's heart pace maker. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 9,900. updated 01/07/14*lj updated 02/04/15*lj the consumer was advised by the dealer that the defect was longer found to be caused by pace maker electrical interference. updated 10/6/2015 *js updated 9/8/2017*cn

I was on the on ramp, behind another car driving to get onto the highway when we both drove through a big puddle of water. the car in front of me stopped and the water came over the hood of my car. my car then stalled and i coasted to the left side of the on ramp. my car would not start. the other car continued driving. no water entered my vehicle. *tr

Key fob is too sensitive, especially on the trunk button. keys are in my pocket, and if i bump up against something, the trunk is open. when you are in public (say a public park for a family reunion) and need to store large valuables in your car, where do you store them? in the trunk. well what happens if you bump something and your trunk pops? those valuables get stolen. the fob should have the trunk button inset into it, require to press two buttons simultaneously, or require you to press the trunk button twice for the trunk to open. i believe that this is a chevrolet design error. the day that i bought my previous chevy car (2012 camaro) this same thing happened. just so happened there wasn't anything in my trunk with the camaro. but it did rain and my trunk was full of water the morning. this seems like an easy fix, and i am sure that i'm not the only person with this problem. sucks to see my mom lose a coach purse and wallet, personal and business debit cards and checks, medication, and cash while on a family vacation. *tr

I started the car and viewed the message "service power steering" in the message center between the odometer and tachometer. there did not seem to be any issue with the steering, but wanted to get it checked out by my local dealer since it was less than a half mile up the road. as i put the car into the gear, the car would not move. the indicator lights that normally show me what gear i am in (prnd) were blank. then all of the sudden, the car surged forward violently, as if the malibu was just rear-ended. i then turned the car off and restarted it. the ?service power steering? message appeared again. however, the ?check engine? light had lit up, and the ?service parking brake? message appeared as well. the car then surge violently again forward without shifting into any gears. i then shut the car off and called spencer chevrolet to tell them i was going to have the car towed to their shop. after a few minutes, i tried once more to start the car and was able to shift into gear and drive it to the shop in limp mode with half the warning lights lit up on the dash. after further diagnostics, the maintenance manager at spencer chevrolet informed me that the transmission computer module (tcm) had failed and needed replacement under warranty. this was the third electrical issue i had with this vehicle (the trunk was opening on its own while driving, parked, or during the night, and the radio was locking up with no control). i was worried that the transmission issue could have happened while driving, and didn't want to take any risks. *tr

In summer 2015 while using ac, heat randomly would blast out. (while idle or driving). would have to restart car to get ac to work again. in the past 2 weeks dec15/jan16, engine overheated-idle indicator came on while driving on the highway, once at 65 mph, once at 30 mph. then a few minutes later it would turn off. i looked at temp gauge, and it was not at an overheating level (half way only). also, now heat only intermittently works. i will have to turn car on and off repeatedly, and turn ac on/off, heat on/off, defrost on/off, and sometimes the heat will finally get warm. never seems to get hot like it's supposed to. took to repair shop for the engine overheated/idle warning and stated nothing was wrong. safety issue not having heat for front windshield defrost when it's under 30 degrees out. mechanic said it's probably a computer issue with the car. but now i'm seeing this is a recurring problem with many car owners. gm needs to recall, as this can be a safety concern!

While driving the engine power suddenly reduced and a warning came on indicating reduced engine power. the vehicle was taken to dealer who had it for 2 weeks and drove around 500 miles on car and were unable to replicate error. *tr

fire in the tail light that also got some of my trunk. the fire stopped 1/4 inch form the gas tank. *tr

When i started the car the fan and the heater came on full blast. within seconds it was very hot in the car. the fan and the heater were turned off at the time but were lit like they were on. it scared me. i turned the fan on all the way then turn it back,but that did nothing as with the heater. i turned the car off and waited a minute and restarted and it was okay. i took talked with my garage repair (may 9 2014) and was told they couldn't check the problem on the computer unless the problem was occuring at that time. i did not inform dealership where i purchased my car as i do not use them for repair or maintenance. *tr

Since april this has happen 3 times. i would start the car and with everything turned out, the heater comes on full blast. the first time, it scared me. i have to turn the fan on all the way then turn it back and turn the heater on full blast and back off to get it to stop. i took it to a dealership yesterday.may 6 2014 they put it on the computer and found nothing wrong. for being a new vehicle, this should not happen. what is the problem? *tr

2013 chevrolet malibu. lawyer on behlaf of consumer. the consumer experienced four separate incidents which put the vehicle out of serivce for repair for over 30 days. would like car replaced or bought back. *ta six months after the vehicle was purchased, the consumer started experiencing serious problems with its functionality. the vehicle would not start or would shut off whiel being driven and would not re-start. the dealer was unable to correct the problem. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the steering wheel exhibited a slight delay and a jerking motion. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where they informed the contact that the failure was contributed to a computer glitch. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 7,000.

Vehicle sold and delivered with an open active safety recall (13142) on it at time of purchase, which was a violation of federal law title, 49 subtitle vi, chapter 301, section 30112a3 restricting the sale (and/or introducing into commerce) of a vehicle with a safety defect. this information is consistent with the information in gm recall bulletin #13142. dealer sold have not sold or delivered the vehicle until the recall was addressed. dealer/chevrolet risked the safety of the vehicle owner and general public by placing it into commerce with the open recall. *tr

As i am driving either on the highway at over 70 mph or in the city i have lost all power to the vehicle. loss of power steering, power breaks everything. the car shuts completely down and just before all the check engine and service lights flash through. this has happened 4 times and the last time i was pulling into apple valley motors in martinsburg wv parking lot, lost power and hit the curb and blew out a tire because i lost power steering. the dealer will do nothing about it there are many of the same complaints for the same problem on chevy malibu forum. com finally someone suggested that we should report the problem here. i have had to put 3 batteries in the year that i owned it. not only this but the transmission and engine both went bad at the same time. i only have 86k on it. i contacted both gm and chevy and explained the situation and neither one will assist me. they gave me a case number but in the end they said there is nothing they can do because all warranties have expired. ( they expired because of the date, i am still under the mileage portion of the warranty) as of right now my car is at the dealership because i can't afford to have it fixed and the dealership, gm/chevy or the third party warranty that expired 8 days after they replaced the transmission will not help either. luckily i only hit a curb at a very slow speed. i could have killed someone. this has happened both on the highway and in the city while i am in motion. the dealership that i purchased it at had to change the battery in the trunk during the first 30 days that i owned it. that fixed the problem for a while. but i don't know if that is the cause of this problem or not. the first time this happened was app 4 months ago and has happened a total of 4 times since then. and still the no one will help or look into the issue. the most recent was last week.

While driving my car shot off temporaily causing my steering to lock nearly causing an accident. it has happened a few times in the last week. the only warning is the radio shuts off. very dangerous and reported in many forums.

Turned the car on heat came on full blast fan and temp gage were both in off position. it did this 3 times before i could get it into the shop a week later. this car alarm also turns itself on after driving in the rain. last but certainly not least when driving in slow traffic the transmissions downshift on this automatic vehicle is horrible it is a violent jerk down and up. my dealership continues to tell me there are no problems with the exception of the fan issue the only thing they have been able to fix. i am beginning to hate my car. the jerk scares the cap out of me i am scared one day it will just slip it is even worse when the ac is on even when stopping in normal traffic it does this and sometimes feels like i am driving over a gravel road. *tr

The car engine stalls, locks go up and down, panel lights go out, power steering is disabled, rpm gauge revs up to 7000+, then engine comes back on. this has happened multiple times nearly causing crashes and causing extreme anxiety. the service department says no error is stored on the car computer and they cannot duplicate the incident. after 2 days in the shop, i got my car back, drove 378 miles and the incident happened again. it has occurred with every member of my family. i want to be taken seriously or i will contact an attorny before someone gets injured not afterwards. *tr

While driving when i turned on ac it went full blast to heat even though setting was set low. went to dealer second time it happened changed out something however it did it again just a few weeks ago. have to turn off fan let it rest then turn it back on after a couple of minutes. worked great then. this has happened to me 4 times now and dealer doesn't know what the problem is. it's called a defect! gm needs to fix this. *tr

After driving the car with the a/c on, shutting the car off and restarting the heat will come on even tho the a/c is still on and you cannot get the heat to stop. took it to dealer as it was blowing full force heat and they could not get it to stop. no one can figure it out. gm engineers are baffled by it also.. only happens when you have or are using the a/c. *tr

When getting gas after starting car hot air comes out of the heater vent's even when car is turned off.at times does this most of the time when getting fuel' when i turn off eng.its stops. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled and numerous warning lights illuminated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

Our malibu was just purchased with 9 miles new on january 31st and has the easiest eco feature which is supposed to shut down the vehicle at stops. our vehicle is not shutting down. the dealership states there is no known issue, bulletin, or recall for this. any information would be helpful thank you. *tr ## vin failed ##

2013 chevy malibu 1ls manufactured 11/20/12, currently less than 7,000 mi. 1) chrome & radio glass - when sun shines on console it blinds driver & driver must cover area with a scarf or jacket; console is beautiful to look at, but not practical from a safety viewpoint since the driver is blinded & cannot see until the area is covered from the sun. 2) when air conditioning was turned on, a blast of very hot air came out; it took a couple of times of turning the settings off & on (at least 60 seconds or longer) before the hot air stopped & the air conditioning came on. the hot air could not be immediately turned off. happened only once. 3) passenger side front fender/bumper loose - makes noise, can pop it back in, but on hot days, it pops out, vibrates and makes loud noise until popped back in. 4) rear windows - when down 1/2, 3/4 or fully, vibrates, makes very loud noise that sounds like tires are coming apart, causing driver to immediately pull over to check tires, the distraction & being on side of road could be a safety issue. 5) no spare tire - unable to locate a tire & rim (or donut tire) for purchase to insert in trunk tire area. no can of goop, also goop only lasts for 6 months & must be discarded & new can purchased. not good when stranded in inclement snowy weather or out in the hot desert & must wait for tow truck. i like my chevy malibu very much, it has been able to handle rough gravel/dirt roads in inclement weather, snow, & highway travel. i plan to take it to the dealer shortly for an oil change & to take care of these issues. what i don't like is that i am unable to turn the driver airbag off (i sit less than 12 inches from the wheel & am concerned that if it were to deploy i would be killed) & that the vehicle is fairly low to the ground, making speed bumps & getting out of businesses where there is a dip onto streets difficult. *tr

Trunk opens automatically when key fob is carried in pants pockets..i've tried shielding the fob, but it is just to sensitive for normal use!!! i got different fob, but it still opening my trunk, & i don't realize it, till i return to car... my car is not in a garage, & in mornings, the trunk is wet from snow or rain.. plus:anyone could steal from mytrunk all nite long !!!! *tr