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2010 Chevrolet Malibu: check engine light

88 of the 1,363 complaints about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu describe check engine light.

owner complaints
88
of this car's complaints
6%
typical repair cost reported
$1,400
typical mileage
83,535
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 214 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Check engine light by model year

What owners say

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 Sep 22, 2026 · Tires, Transmission · 122,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. After starting the vehicle with the transmission in park(P), the gear shift indicator indicated that the transmission was in drive(D). The transmission was shifted into drive(D), and the vehicle jerked and the engine revved loudly, but the vehicle failed to move. The TPMS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the gear shifter was loose while shifting, and the vehicle rolled forward while parked. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 12V460000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Filed Jan 24, 2023 · Electrical · LA

Since sometime in 2016, these warning messages came on the dash periodically after hitting a bump - Service Traction, Service ESC, ESC off, Eng Power Reduced. The engine light stayed on. The car then ran slowly. After stopping and pulling off again, the car jerked forward. This could be dangerous in traffic! At first, I was told by a mechanic that my gas petal sensor needed to be replaced. After each of the 3 replacements, the problem seemed to be solved. But after a while, the warning messages would return after hitting another bump. The engine light would again stay on. Now, these warning messages come on every time I drive the car, with the engine light staying on. The same problems while driving still occur. A second mechanic advised me to put in this complaint, saying the problem was well-known to Chevrolet. He diagnosed it as being caused by water getting into a poor connection between the wire safety harness and the computer. The machine at AutoZone gave this assessment of the problem - "The ECH has detected that the APP sensor 1 and APP sensor 2 disagree more than 4.5 percent for less than 1 second. Probable cause: 1. Poor electrical connection. 2. Failed APP sensor." When I took the vehicle to a Chevrolet dealer in July 2016, they were unable to fix the problem. It would be really wonderful if this serious problem was the subject of a safety recall and was fixed for all affected drivers!

Filed Jan 9, 2023 · Engine · 77,000 miles · IL

The contact's mother owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was common and referred him to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the failure and provided the contact with an estimate for the repair. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Filed Feb 21, 2022 · Electrical · NH

“Engine Power Reduced” comes on suddenly, alongside numerous other lights (check engine, service traction, ESC, etc). This causes the vehicle to reduce speed in traffic, increasing risk of collision. Other models of Chevy Malibu have been recalled for this same issue (faulty throttle sensor).

Filed Jan 12, 2022 · Steering, Suspension · AR

The ESC and engine light came on and then the stability track light came on for a matter of a min and then all the lights just went off. I seen there are recalls on these issues but not for my vin number.

Filed Oct 7, 2021 · Airbags, Electrical · FL

The airbag don’t work, I just payed 1200$ to replace the computer pc because the car wouldn’t start and that didn’t solve the problem the check engine light is always on, the car have electrical problems; if I run the Ac it blows hot and then the car go to engine power reduces within 4 minutes. If I drive the car it will go on engine power reduce after 6 minutes because the fan is not working due to the fact that that car has electrical problems and the fan is not getting enough power to warm the car up and the engine gets real hot and it go to making a loud rumbling noise and growling and I can only drive 10 mph and 40 mph the fastest but then the car go to shaking and wen I try to park the car it’s shaking Nd rumbling which can cause an accident

Filed Oct 1, 2021 · GA

I was driving and the service traction control came across my car the the engine powering down notification appeared, and the check engine light. I took it to advance auto and they hooked up the machine which gave them the code DTC P2138. I took it to a mechanic who said the accelerator pedal sensor needed to be replaced. I replaced it and I'm still having the same issue. This time when it came on the pedal completely lost power until I turned the car off and restarted it.

Filed Feb 9, 2021 · Steering · 45 miles · NC

While in motion I turn and my steering wheel locks up and on the screen power steering and ESC traction control off pops up it's locking up more frequently now and this is very dangerous. Then a couple days later my engine light pops on I figured it was because of the power steering ESC traction control problem but after serval days later I'm at work and the car want start . I try a couple times and gives it some gas then it started so I was on my way then maybe 15 minutes down the road the steering wheels locks up again and the same message pops up on the screen this is really weird and again dangerous.

Filed Sep 14, 2020 · Driver assistance, Steering · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact also stated while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn with the service traction control warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that after starting the vehicle, she was unable to shift out of park. The contact stated she was able to shift into drive gear after 2 hours. The vehicle was taken to unknown local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the control module to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was informed that the steering control module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Apr 29, 2020 · Brakes, Electrical · 89,300 miles · WI

My check engine, power steering, service ESC, ESC off, brake system (!), ABS system lights all flash, and all of my gauges fluctuate simultaneously. The same problem keeps occurring, and I have had my control computer nodule replaced, as well as my power steering module replaced at lynch chevrolet in kenosha, wi. While driving my car shifts/jerks, and my steering wheel locks up, almost causing me to crash. When I come to a stop at a light or sign, my car does not want to accelerate, causing me to be in an intersection for longer than normal because my car won't take off. The vehicle also jerks into different gears while all of these service lights are flashing. This feels very dangerous to drive, and the problem cannot be resolved. It started in january and is continuing to happen despite replacing parts.

Filed Apr 1, 2020 · Transmission · 105,000 miles · MA

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shifted gears independently with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000. The VIN was not available. *bf consumer stated same thing happened with the transmission.

Questions about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu check engine light

Is check engine light a common problem on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?

88 of 1,363 owner complaints about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu (6%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2016.

How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,400 (median of 11 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?

There are 0 recalls and 214 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu

Power steering loss 153Loss of power 100Headlights 95Adaptive cruise 81Airbag light 64Steering lock-up 55Stalling 49Door locks 47Engine failure 32Jerking 32ABS 23No deployment 21Transmission failure 18Wipers 17Hesitation 15Won't shift 14Won't start 14Fuel pump 12Warning lights 12Fire or smoke 9Key fob 8Misfire 8Seat belt 8Knocking 7Slipping 6Tire blowout 6Grinding brakes 5Harsh shifting 5Steering noise 5

All model years of the Chevrolet Malibu

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