2011 Chevrolet Malibu: harsh or hard shifting

Filed May 8, 2022 · Transmission · WV

The transmission has a rough shift in third and fifth. It won't down shift when slowing down. It was confirmed from a independent service center. There was no warning when it did it the check engine light came on. There is many people with the same complaint with the transmission being faulty. My safety and others was at risk because the car would not down shift and come to a stop.

Filed Jan 18, 2021 · Steering · 80,000 miles · MI

A clunking was coming from the steering column while driving, which ended up being the intermediate steering shaft.

Filed Apr 19, 2019 · Electrical, Steering · 107,000 miles · MI

My vehicle is at an auto shop been there for a week and a half to repair the clunking noise in the steering column but the motor and module for the electric steering assist is seizing up which would be dangerous to turn in traffic. I already spent enough time and money on parts and labor. This is nothing I have done to the car only had for a year. I need your help! This should be a recall issue! Or send me a new motor and module for this car please. You guys can at least do that. I love the car but this is a problem. 2.4l electric assist. The steering column is fine just need the motor and module. Thank you for your help!

Filed Oct 18, 2018 · Seats · 49,150 miles · IL

On 10/17/18 I was just about to pull onto the suburban side street that I live on, going approximately 10 mp, when I suddenly heard a very loud "clunk" or "snap" and immediately felt my driver's seat shift downward and to the right. After completing my turn, I pulled to the side of the road, put my vehicle in park and noticed that the entire driver's seat was "loose." I got out of my vehicle and the driver's seat was tilted toward the center console, on a downward angle, the seat was rocking back and forth/up & down when I gently touched it. What a serious safety issue! If this happened while I was just driving down a suburban side street at a low speed, then what would happen in an accident? One thing I want to point out is that shortly prior to my seat breaking, I had used my automatic controls on the side of the seat to adjust my seat slightly. I adjusted the height and tilt of the frame (not the angle of the back of the seat). It appears that I am not the only individual who has had this experience, that is scary! I am waiting to get an estimate from the chevy dealership I go to, and I am hoping it is covered under my extended warranty. My car is a 2011 malibu and is just under 50,000 miles. It is serviced regularly by the same dealership I purchased it at, there is no reason why this should have happened!!!!!!! Very scary to drive with a seat that is no longer secured properly. It does not appear that this is being addressed by chevrolet, either as a recall, safety investigation, or etc. If this happens to 1 or 2 people, maybe coincidence, but google is full of reviews with this complaint. In fact, when searching on google for "driver seat broken" the first thing that comes up is this exact issue in a malibu!!! There are a couple other search results on the first page that are this exact issue in a malibu as well.

Filed Nov 16, 2015 · Transmission · 92,000 miles · CA

Transmission failed at92000miles hard shifting reverse is bad drive home from on the city streetwork transmission stated to shift hard and slip.un safe to dr

Filed Nov 5, 2015 · Steering · 52,000 miles · MI

Replaced intermediate shaft on feb 12, 2015. Was told not included under certified warranty. Also not included in recalll. Would like consideration of refund of repair. There was a clunk noise on left side. Found to be intermediate shaft and paid for repair.

Filed Aug 29, 2015 · Steering · 87,568 miles · IA

Being a second owner of this vehicle I noticed that at times the power steering would become ineffective and steering wheel was very difficult to move, along with a lot of clunking in the steering column...especially at lower speeds. After owning this vehicle for two months, I was backing out of my driveway and the wheel was extremely heavy as the power assist was not working and the entire steering popped and I had no more steering control ( the steering wheel was free wheeling). Luckily, this situation did not happen on my commute to work at speeds of 65 MPH! As it happens the free wheeling of the steering wheel has damaged the clock-spring inside the steering hub that provides power to the airbag and cruise and radio controls, mounted on the steering wheel.I am convinced that this problem was a design flaw in the steering system of this car, but am told that there is no recall on this car for this particular problem. My mechanic has estimated a repair bill close to $1000 and this should be taken care of by gm, in my opinion...as it is a life threatening issue (no steering control at high speeds)!

Filed Jun 8, 2014 · Steering · 61,000 miles · UT

Have heard a clanking/clunking noise in steering since vehicle was purchased in nov 2013. Not always but on occasion and it became a normal driving noise in the vehicle after several people tried to diagnose what I was hearing and feeling in the steering. Noise became louder the last couple weeks and 4 days ago it made a loud banging noise and was difficult to turn in either direction. No noticeable change in control at this point just seemed a little loose. Yesterday while driving on the interstate at 70 MPH on a s curve, as I attempted to steer the car right to follow the curve midway I noticed it was not responding and continued to cross the lane I slowed my speed by pressing the brake lightly and the car began to respond to my steering I exited the interstate and stopped. I laid under the vehicle and used my foot to turn steering wheel back and forth. It was loud resistant and had minimal response to half turns of the wheel. I am almost no longer in control of the vehicle and its getting worse with every slight turn of the wheel. Im afraid that if I hadn't known that driving the car in these conditions is dangerous I may have continued to do so and eventually crashed. What is so frightening is that the majority of people who operate a vehicle think that little noises like this one started as aren't anything major. With the lack of vehicle knowledge things could easily progress into serious injury or fatality's. I have 3 kids under 10 and a crash at any speed after loosing steering control could kill driver, passengers, pedestrians other innocent people. Something needs to be done.

Filed Apr 5, 2014 · Transmission · 317,322 miles · MD

While driving the vehicle on interstate 270 at around 50 to 60 MPH, the vehicle transmission down shifted upon breaking with a loud clunking noise. When I went to reaccelerate, the vehicle was unresponsive as though it was stuck in a higher gear and would not down shift to accelerate. This problem has recurred frequently so now when I drive on the highway, I set the cruise control to make sudden acceleration and deceleration unnecessary but the car still clunks out of gear upon exiting the highway.

Filed Aug 30, 2012 · Transmission · 2,000 miles · NY

I purchased this vehicle in march 2010 from mangino chevrolet. It has had a problem with (I believe) the transmission from the very beginning. The problem is very intermittent, that is to say it doesn't do it all the time and appears to do it very regularly if the vehicle has been on the road for several hours or it is hot(over 85 degrees) out. It is always the same though; it begins by not shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear smoothly. What it does is it takes several seconds to get to 3rd gear. It is almost like it goes into neutral for seconds before it slams into 3rd gear. This has left me in a dangerous spot while changing lanes on several occasions. Once the problem begins, it then will buck and clunk when it is shifting. I have brought the car in to the dealer several times & even called onstar while the problem was occurring (at the dealer's recommendation). I am currently vacationing in myrtle beach sc & was without my car for 2 days while the local dealer (jud kuhn chevrolet) tried to diagnose this problem. What has happened to date is no parts were changed & all I get is the same story that there is no "code" showing up & they can't replicate the problem. What I would like to see is for the dealer to fix the problem. If that involves swapping out parts (transmission, torque converter, drive module etc) until the problem goes away. I have also noticed (searched online) other people are having similar problems with this vehicle. It is unacceptable that the dealer can't repair this without the computer telling him how. I otherwise am very pleased with my vehicle. Please help me to resolve this problem. I have been a loyal gm customer for over 30 years.