Chevrolet MALIBU HYBRID problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
93 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
38,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 to 2019 model years. Data snapshot: . 56 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 34 of 93 complaints (36.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 22 | 23.7% |
| Steering behavior | 17 | 18.3% |
| Engine operation | 15 | 16.1% |
| Braking behavior | 15 | 16.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 12 | 12.9% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 2.2% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 34 |
| Power Train | 21 |
| Engine | 17 |
| Unknown Or Other | 13 |
| Steering | 9 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 8 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 7 |
Electrical System: 34; Power Train: 21; Engine: 17; Unknown Or Other: 13; Steering: 9; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 8; Vehicle Speed Control: 8; Fuel/Propulsion System: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 24 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 8 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 9 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 10 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 24; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 9; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 10; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (24). 37 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 9 |
2010: 5; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2013: 2; 2014: 5; 2015: 3; 2016: 2; 2017: 5; 2018: 8; 2019: 16; 2020: 8; 2021: 9; 2022: 5; 2023: 5; 2024: 5; 2025: 9
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 22 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 15 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 10533026 · 2013-08-01 (August 1, 2013)
FIRST SUMMER OF OWNERSHIP, HOT DAY, AIRCONDITIONER ON. CAR STARTED FLASHING ALL KINDS OF WARNINGS. PULLED OFF ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE PULLING INTO LOT AND THEN CAR SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. AT FIRST SERVICE, TOLD DEALERSHIP WHAT HAPPENED BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. THAT SAME YEAR OR NEXT YEAR THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HYBRID BATTERY AND IT WAS REPLACED. THOUGHT MAYBE MY PROBLEM WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN BUT EVERY SUMMER HAD SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH CAR PULLING INTO STOP AND SHUTTING OFF. WAS A…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10533026 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 ↗
Owner report 10525612 · 2013-07-18 (July 18, 2013)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE STEERING SUSPENSION WAS RECALIBRATED BY THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AFTER THE MALFUNCTION FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,580…
Owner-reported narrative. 70,580 miles reported. Look up ODI 10525612 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 10783115 · 2015-10-18 (October 18, 2015)
VEHICLE IS STRONG GAS SMELL COMING FROM THE REAR. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY CONFIRMED THE FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUES BY GM TO FIX THIS ISSUE ON THE CHEVROLET MALIBU.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10783115 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11042658 · 2017-11-02 (November 2, 2017)
SMELL FUEL AND THERE IS A LEAK NEAR UPPER TANK BY THE FUEL PUMP.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11042658 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
2008: 0; 2009: 0; 2010: 0; 2016: 1; 2017: 0; 2018: 0; 2019: 0