U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Chevrolet MALIBU HYBRID problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

25 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

59,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 21 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 25 complaints (24.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	8	32.0%
Engine operation	4	16.0%
Braking behavior	4	16.0%
Transmission and shifting	2	8.0%
Electrical and battery issues	2	8.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Steering

Electrical System

Power Train

Air Bags

Engine

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Equipment

Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 6; Steering: 6; Electrical System: 5; Power Train: 5; Air Bags: 2; Engine: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 2; Equipment: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 7; 150,000 and above: 1

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (8). 4 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

2016

2018

2019

2010: 3; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2014: 4; 2015: 2; 2016: 1; 2018: 2; 2019: 7

Pattern summary

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10573888 · 2014-03-20 (March 20, 2014)

PLEASE REVIEW NHTSA ID NUMBERS 10360384, AND 10464366. MY ORIGINAL CASE IS 10360384, AND BOTH ARE THE SAME PROBLEM. I WORKED WITH GM A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN I SUBMITTED MY CASE. THEY NOTED THE HESITATION AND SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL. MY CAR WAS "BETTER" FOR A WHILE AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE LATELY. I AM WANTING TO KNOW NOW IF THIS IS A SIMILAR ISSUE IN REALITY TO THE OWNERS THAT COMPLAIN OF THE BRAKES BEING LOCKED ON. NOW I AM ALSO NOTICING THAT WHEN AT A CRUISE AND HAVING TO ACCELERATE SOME, THERE IS A CHUGGING FEELING. MY FUEL ECONOMY FOR CITY …

Owner-reported narrative. 59,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10573888 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10611378 · 2014-07-17 (July 17, 2014)

ON THE MORNING OF JULY 17, 2014 I EXPERIENCE MY POWER STEERING NOTIFICATION ILLUMINATE AS WELL AS SERVICE TRACTION NOTIFICATION AS I WAS PREPARING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. LUCKILY ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE MY VEHICLE WAS ALMOST HIT BY A 18 WHEELER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AS I WAS DRIVING MY POWER STEERING NOTIFICATION CAME ON AND ALMOST CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, THE FIRST TIME HAPPEN IN MAY OF THIS YEAR BOTH TIMES MY SON WAS IN THE CAR. IN FEBRUARY OF…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10611378 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10360384 · 2010-10-13 (October 13, 2010)

ON 4/29/10, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF NOT ACCELERATING OVER 45. ON 6/18/10, I WAS TRYING MERGE ONTO A INTERSTATE AT RUSH HOUR, BUT THE CAR HAD NO POWER. I ALMOST WAS HIT BECAUSE OF THIS. IMMEDIATELY THE SERVICE HYBRID LIGHT CAME ON SO TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND A LEAKING BATTERY AND BAD SENSOR. CAR REPAIRED AND BEGAN TO DRIVE HOME. AFTER STOPPED AT A LIGHT, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STARTED TO GO BUT THEN STARTED TO CHUG LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ANY MORE THAN AROUND 5 MPH. KEPT CHUGGING …

Owner-reported narrative. 17,588 miles reported. Look up ODI 10360384 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10464366 · 2012-07-05 (July 5, 2012)

MY CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS ALMOST GOING TO STALL OUT WHENEVER I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. THIS HAS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME WHEN CROSSING AND INTERSECTION FROM A STOP. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT SEVERAL TIMES. I AM NOT SURE, BUT I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM. THIS USUALLY ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON, BUT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT WITH IT OFF TOO. NOW, WHENEVER I COME TO A STOP AND TRY TO ACCELERATE, I HAVE TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BECAUSE IF I DO THAT, IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE ITS GOING TO STALL OUT NEAR A…

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10464366 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10399127 · 2011-05-04 (May 4, 2011)

CAR REFUSED TO GO ABOVE 30 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LIGHT ON RIVER ROAD EVEN WHEN APPLYING FULL THROTTLE. WENT ABOUT HALF MILE UNTIL I SMELLED FRICTION MATERIAL. PULLED CAR OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. WALKED FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL TO SEE HOW HOT THEY WERE. LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS EXCEEDINGLY HOT AS WAS RIGHT REAR WHEEL. LEFT REAR WHEEL & RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WERE COOL ENOUGH TO TOUCH. CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 5 MINUTES IN URBAN TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WHEN CAR WAS RESTARTED, THE BRAKES RELEASED & NO FURTHER TROUBLE ENCOUNTERED. TWO DAYS EARLY…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10399127 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10411238 · 2011-07-05 (July 5, 2011)

VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 20 MPH AFTER STARTUP FROM INTERSECTION. LEFT FRONT & RIGHT REAR BRAKES APPLIED THEMSELVES. VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 20 MPH EVEN AT 4100 RPM. PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED ENGINE OFF. WENT FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL - LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR TOO HOT TO TOUCH. RIGHT FRONT & LEFT REAR COOL TO TOUCH. APPLIED MOISTURE TO LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR BRAKE ROTORS; BOILED OFF IMMEDIATELY. TURNED ENGINE BACK ON & VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. SAME FAILURE HAPPENED IN MAY 2011 AT 8,601 MILES. NOT TDC'S EITHER…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10411238 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10432875 · 2011-10-26 (October 26, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE SHIFT CABLE FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BECAME DETACHED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFT CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V073000 ( POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RE…

Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10432875 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11207777 · 2019-05-17 (May 17, 2019)

2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS ISSUES. THE DASHBOARD WARNED TO SERVICE THE TRACTION CONTROL AND HYBRID. *JS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11207777 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10357191 · 2010-09-23 (September 23, 2010)

THERE IS A RECALL OF MY VEHICLES BATTERY HYBRID PACK. I BROUGHT IN THE CAR 2 WEEKS AGO B/C THE ENGINE CEASES AND RESTARTS BY ITSELF AND JERKS FORWARD AT EVERY STOP SIGN AND RED LIGHT. THE DEALER SAID TODAY THAT THE PARTS WONT BE IN FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS. THE CAR IS HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE AND THEY WONT GIVE ME A LOANER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 14,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10357191 at NHTSA ↗