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2010 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems

295 complaints (22% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 85,000. 4 crashes reported.

owner complaints
295
of this car's complaints
22%
typical mileage
85,000
crashes
4
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Instrument cluster/panel
    3
  • Instrument panel: speedometer/odometer
    2
  • Wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
    1
  • Wiring
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems in other years

1997200020052010201520202025

Specific symptoms reported on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu electrical

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Warning lights 12Fire or smoke 9Key fob 8

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2010 Chevrolet Malibu owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Electrical · 210,000 miles · TX

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was listed as 170,225. During a service appointment for the check engine warning light illumination, the vehicle history report revealed that the mileage was 210,000.

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · 160,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after driving for 5 miles, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with the message "Service Traction" displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as intended after cooling down; however, the failure recurred after driving 5 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with high resistance in the BCM harness. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); which was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the recall repair was a one-time free-of-charge repair. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Filed Jan 21, 2026 · Electrical · 192,000 miles · SC

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while reviewing O'Reilly diagnostic report, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 159,000, and the current odometer reading was 174,804; however, O'Reilly service report listed the mileage at 192,000.

Filed Jan 7, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · 270,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that under previous vehicle ownership, the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); however, the recall repair failed to prevent a failure. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the rear brake light failed to illuminate as intended; however, when the brake pedal was released, the brake lights would illuminate. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.

Filed Dec 16, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · MI

Power Steering Randomly Goes off taking the Traction Control with it. Terrible for the snow roads to have. Have to life the steering wheel slightly when starting to the car get it to work. Steering Angle Sensor or Torque Position Sensor Maybe??

Filed Nov 6, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · WI

I lost power steering while driving, making the wheel hard to turn. While the car is idle, the steering wheel shakes. Also “ESC” pops on on the dashboard.

Filed Jun 7, 2025 · Electrical, Fuel system · NC

The car will drive but is unable to turn. It's like the steering wheel is locked.

Filed Mar 18, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 140,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact had been informed by other drivers that the brake lights failed to illuminate as intended while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the brake lights randomly illuminated while driving. The traction control warning light was illuminated intermittently, causing the cruise control to become inoperable. The contact stated that as an independent mechanic, he had replaced the brake sensors twice; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure might be related to the brake sensors. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Filed Dec 29, 2024 · Electrical, Steering · MO

Steering not working correctly it is ver hard to turn steering wheel. Cluster lights went out so dashboard lights do not work, brake lights not working seems to be electrical problems with the vehicle

Filed Dec 22, 2024 · Brakes, Electrical · MI

This is in reference to GM Recall Number: 13036 - I noticed that from time to time the service traction warning comes on, service esc warning comes on, my cruise control stops working suddenly. I didn't think anything of it until I finally noticed my brake lights were illuminated in my back window without my foot being on the brake pedal. I replaced the sensor on the brake pedal hoping that would fix it and it did not. I looked up my VIN for active recalls and for some reason it's saying there are none. This is clearly the recall that is listed. I'm worried I'll be driving and someone may either rear end me or get confused thinking I'm braking when I am not. Very unsafe. I'm just unsure what to do. Any help would be appreciated as I need a vehicle and can't be without one.

Questions about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu electrical

Does the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu have electrical problems?

Owners have filed 295 complaints about the electrical of the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, 22% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2010 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 85,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu electrical?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Chevrolet Malibu have the most electrical problems?

The Chevrolet Malibu model years with the most electrical complaints are 2013 (376 complaints), 2009 (368 complaints) and 2010 (295 complaints).

Other 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems

Steering 454Driver assistance 244Brakes 199Lights 195Airbags 144Transmission 133Engine 126Acceleration 116Body 44Fuel system 39Wheels 33Seats 25Visibility 24Locks 17Seat belts 16Suspension 13Tires 7

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