On numerous occasions my 2013 malibu has lost power causing a steering issue. It could be while driving, turning, stopping or accelerating. The car will lose power to the touch screen radio causing the screen to go black, then I lose the steering momentarily and then everything will come back on. This can happen once or sometimes it continues to happen which causes the service stabilitrack warning light to come on or the service power steering light to come on. This has also LED to the car stalling and losing all electricity and then starting back up right away. The more electronics you use such as the blinker causes the problem to get worse and usually ends up in the car stalling. I have taken it to the dealer four separate times for this issue and nothing has been fixed. I have not had my car more than a week since august 22,2016 because I refuse to drive the car until it is fixed. The dealer is focusing on my after market remote starter which is wrong seeing there are many of the same occurrences listed on tis website.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu electrical complaints
Page 12 of 14: complaints 311 to 340 of 376, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving vehicle at various speeds the electronics and power steering will turn off causing and turn back on. This also occurs while making turns without warning.
While driving car instrument panel turns off, after which steering locks up and brakes become inoperable. Instrument panel turns off for seconds, then as the instrument panel turns back on, all messages on instrument panel flash (ie engine light, low battery, etc). Most common message is about stabilink. Even after instrument panel turns back on, the steering wheel will remain stiff and hard to move until you leave the car off for an extended period of time. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the problem, other than driving it. I've had it happen in stop and go traffic where I'm going from not moving to at max 5 MPH, I've had it happen on an empty highway going 65 MPH, I've had it happen two minutes into my drive, and I've had it happen 40 minutes into my drive. Steering wheel does not always lock up in the middle of a turn, but most frequently it happens when making a sharp turn. I have video of the occurrence of the steering wheel and what happens to the instrument panel but am unable to upload it. I've tried to get the whole thing on video but it really just depends on if someone is in the car with me or if my phone was at the ready and I'm in a safe environment to record. It's scary enough to have the steering and brakes be useless to me, so my focus is usually more on controlling the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 35 MPH and turning left, the vehicle stalled. A "service theft deterrent systems" message illuminated. The vehicle was coasted over to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the electrical system intermittently stopped functioning, which resulted in a loss of power steering, ABS functionality, and the windshield wipers operated independently. The failure occurred without warning. The failure occurred approximately eight times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the solenoids needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but not repaired due to the manufacturer's denial of the claim. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The check engine light comes on and stays on - when checked at the dealer they told me no code found for two years, then as time went on it started adding service power steering and AC/dc shut down. After numerous visits to the dealer and two major repairs, the check engine light still comes on, and the power steering locks up. On august 24, 2016, I was driving 50+ MPH on a curvy road when the check engine light came on, followed immediately by the service power steering, followed by something stabilizer, followed by AC/dc shut down, to engine overheated idle engine. The power steering locked up and I was unable to steer the car and ran off the road. The car was towed to the dealer who had just worked on the car for the second time in a month, and they found no codes - no surprise! I complained to chevy for the third time at corporate level and they had denied my claim as being safety related. I find it hard to believe that a car you suddenly can't steer isn't considered a safety issues. I also find it hard to believe that chevy can't recognize that there is a problem with the 2013 malibu. How many people have to die before they address this issue? Also, why are they waiting on codes when the problem is most likely an electrical/computer problem. If the computer isn't working its no surprise that the warnings are not throwing a code! Common sense! Also, a car doesn't throw warning lights and check engine lights without something setting it off! Hence you have a problem!
While driving down the highway first the windshield wipers quit during a down pour, the anti traction was malfunctioning on the screen then said anti theft system needed service then the steering went out and locked the car down. All of this happened while the car remained running. Was very scary. Have done some research and it appears gm is aware of a problem. The car is currently at the dealership. No known reason why yet although the dealership stated it did this to them when they were trying to pull it in the garage. Gm needs to figure this out and issue a recall before there is serious injury including possible death the car was in motion on a highway when this occurred
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. While driving various speeds, the electrical system failed. As a result, the power steering seized. The failure recurred numerous times. In addition, the ignition switch failed to release the key and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and the sensor circuit was replaced in the camshaft. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.
I got my car 6 months ago, and now my car steering wheel locked , and lost battery voltage , I'm getting message to service wheel steering system ann battery charge system
While driving, all of the sudden the raio/ screen goes out, steering locks up! Has happened right after started, day & night, may be fine for an hour to 4 or 5 hours, never know! Has happened when turning, very dangerous! I've almost had 4-5 accidents due to this problem! Chevys says they haven't had any knowledge! Dought this, complaints all over the internet. This started around 45,000 ruth just the radio /screen going off for a few seconds, by 60,000 started effecting the steering! I now have 80,000 miles on car. This needs quick attention from ntsb , wonder if any deaths from this? Help!
My chevrolet malibu shut off on me in the mid of the way and I almost go into a accident with my children. Took it to the dealership and they can't find out why my car is doing this.
Our 2103 chevy malibu "loses electrical power and power steering" whuile being driven. This is now happening even more frequently. The dash and steering, etc goes blank and resets after a few seconds. This is happening more often and is dangerous. I see on the internet that dozens or hundreds of other 2013 malibu owners are having the same problem. Some have had accidents as a result. My mechanic is not able to find an error code, nor to fix, and it seems like neither gm nor the other mechanics are able to fix either. This happens in a variety of movement settings, slow speed, high speed, turning and not, etc. This last happened 5+ times the evening of july 31.
While driving, service air bags ,service anti teft system,warnings come on, A/C,radio shut off aswell as gas ,speed odometer,all gauges shut down.
While driving my vehicle on a highway going 65mph, it suddenly stopped,locked up, and would not turn on. The electrical panel goes off and on when it wants to. Sometimes the car will not steer and it gets really stiff. Have taken it to the dealership numerous times and they have told me that they find nothing wrong with the car. I know something is wrong with it and it is dangerous to operate a car that all of a sudden shuts down and locks up. This can kill someone. There needs to be enough complaints for gm to fix these cars. No one can fix them but we are stuck paying for them still and risking our lives.
My vehicle has 49000 miles on it while driving I loose power steering...the steering wheel locks up.. Radio turns off...and the dash lights go off... After a second I get power back and control.. I have almost had head on collisions a 2 occasions.. I also had my steering completely lock while parked.. And as with before my radio went off and would not turn back on until I turned the car off and back on.... This is a hazard and someone will be injured or killed if this problem is not addressed... I have had it in the dealer for this and they informed me I had 13 plus warnings pop up on diegnostics, however, they found no problem and reset the computer... 3 days later the problem came back...
I have a malibu eco boost. On june 23, 2015 I was driving on 96 and the charging system failure light came on the car began to shut down. The power steering went out. I was able to pull over on the shoulder but the keys could not be removed from the ignition. I had it towed to graff chevrolet andthey said the only thing they could find wrong was a speedsensor. The guy tom said I could come get my vehicle at 8pm since thepart was enroute. I drove over 80 miles to get there at8 and my car wasn't ready but the guy said I cold take it with me. I did not.they fixed that then said it was a right wheel hub.I know these two things havenothing to do with the charging system. Tookmy car home and the same thinghappened on the holiday july 4th.why didn't thecomputer or the mechanic detect a problem with the charging system.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, but the failure was unable to be determined. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
When driving, the car will shut off for about 5 seconds and then come back on fine but the wheel and the brakes lock up. It will randomly do this. It happens on normal side streets as well as on the interstate. I have also had it happen while sitting still in park. The car was turned on but the radio would blink and the air stop and then after about 6 seconds it will start again like normal. However about 4 times it has had major episodes where all of the lights will blink (like I was restarting the car), the wheel locks up, the brakes lock up, the car acts as if it is in neutral and then about 6 seconds it will jerk like it's going into gear and once I pull over and restart it, it may happen again or it may be fine for a while. It has shown on the screen on these 4 times words of "check power steering or stabilitrak warning" it's very scary. I've almost wrecked 3 different times because the wheel locks up and I was in a turn when it did it. The last time it happened I was traveling with my young children and we were almost rear ended by an 18 wheeler on the interstate at rush hour traffic. I feel like I'm driving a death trap. I took it to the shop that the dealer advised me to take it to. They say it is the ECM. The dealership is not willing to pay for it since it's not covered under the manufacturers warranty. I've had this car since october and its been in the shop 5 times for this and overheating. I'm in the process of contacting gm about this issue because I'm not the only one having this trouble. It's extremely scary and it needs to be corrected before someone is seriously hurt. It's a hazard not only to me as the driver and the children that I carry in my car daily, but the other drivers on the road because when it happens its without warning and the car completely locks up.
Engine shutoff - electrical system issues: noticed problems when turning left and engaging turn signal: the radio would turn off and turn back on. The interactive system would also turn off/on. A/c fan would speed up or slow down. Using bluetooth synced phone would cause interactive system to turn off/on and would kill engine. Power steering and brakes no longer would work due to engine cut-off. During warm weather (70 degrees f), one nuance that seemed indicative of the previous things about to happen, the outside temp on the interactive system would read in the 30's and the dash would let you know about possible icy conditions on the road. I was luckily driving 10 MPH when engine cut-off and in a dealer parking lot. However, I did experience all of the other issues under normal driving conditions. I took the car to the dealer a week ago and they couldn't replicate my issues. Today, they saw them first hand.
Out of the blue car looses electrical power, radio, power steering, etc. Then comes back on. Car shut down completely will in parking lot. Brought car into dealer said they would update the programing per bulletin. Car was good for two days then happened again. This is a serious problem, hope they can fix. Gm needs more scrutiny...
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a failure covered under the warranty; however, after the repair, the vehicle began to experience many malfunctions. The vehicle's bolts on both the front passenger and driver seats were detached. When the seats were adjusted, the uni body frame of the body moved. The contact stated that the uni body frame was able to be moved manually. In addition, the electrical systems failed without warning, which sometimes caused the vehicle to stall. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but they refused to assist. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 15 MPH, all the interior lights suddenly failed to function. In addition, the vehicle was making an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment. The contact also stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the accelerator pedal felt abnormally soft. Additionally, the ignition key failed to release from the ignition switch when the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician informed that the failure was unable to be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,700.
Problem 1: driving car at 40mph (on a city street) it begins to overheat, the steering wheel seizes then stalls out repeatedly. Take vehicle to chevrolet dealership, technician says need to replace parking brake control module (water intrusion) gm pays 50/50 payment assistance, I paid $417.23. Within a week's time several issues arise as indicated below. Problem 2: while car is in motion driving the city streets the dash lights and touch screen radio (entire electrical system shuts off) for about 5 seconds then comes back on. The brief box pops up for a few seconds, indicating check power steering, stabilitrak warning light on and parking brake says it's on. All this happened, eight times in ten minutes. Then I proceed to make a right hand turn and my steering wheel locks up and I nearly hit a vehicle that was stopped at a stop light. It happens randomly but I did notice when I had the A/C on it happened repeatedly. Again vehicle is at chevrolet dealership and unable to recreate the problem, dealing with gm corporate at this time.
I was driving about 70mph on the interstate with the radio and cruise control set and I hit the blinkered to change lanes and the radio and cruise control shut off and I lost power steering for a moment. This happened multiple times. I took it to the dealership and supposedly it was fixed. Two days later it did the same thing. Sometimes if you roll the window up or down it shuts the radio off. Sometimes when you are driving and click the brights on the radio ahuts off and thw entire dash goes black and I lose all power including the steering and the engine revs. Sometimes I will be driving at low speeds in town and if I slightly accelerate the radio shuts off. Once I was at a stop light and I had my turn signal on to make a left turn and when the light turned green I began to accelerate and the car lost all power and died in the middle of the intersection. Too many incidents to go into detail here. Has been at the dealership twice and they say there ia nothing wrong with it. I even called gm directly to report the issue and all they did was waive my diagnostic fee and say nothing is wrong and next time it does it to bring it back. I was on my way home from the dealership and it happened again so I guess I'll take it back again in the morning. Seems like gm isn't going to do anything about this until someone is seriously injured or killed. I have had this car less than 2 months. I keep reading complaint after complaint about the same issues I am having yet no recall and gm acts like this is the first time they are hearing about this kind of problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the heat would independently activate while driving and the instrument panel indicated that the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor in the computer malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, it sporadically had an abnormal burning odor. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Power steering goes out and steering wheel jerks when this happens. First radio light all go off, then steering jerks and lose power steering and dash lights go off, then flash. This all lasts 5-10 seconds, then everything is normal. Had car to dealer to fix same problem 4 days prior to it happening again. This occurs usually while highway driving and when steering jerks and you lose power steering it is surprising and have almost hit several vehicles while going 55-65mph. Sometimes occurs while driving in town and turning, especially turning right. I have also contacted chevy and they tell me they are not aware of any of these problems with these cars. Also said they would contact my car dealer and call me back in 2 days. I have heard nothing back from them.
Shortly after I purchase my vehicle it began to stall or shut down. First incident, I pulled up at school and into a parking spot and the car shut down, not allowing me to turn the key into the off position in the ignition. I was able to put the gear in park, called the dealership and they had it towed because it would not come on. They sent it to the chevy dealership and was told they were unable to find the problem. I received my car back 2 weeks later and I drove over 200 miles out of town. Once I made it to where I was going a slowed down to turn a corner and the steering wheel locked up like it lost power. I was able to make it to my destination and once there the car shut down again. I called the dealership and he told to me push the button to push the seat back and once all the way back, to then push the button the move the seat forward. Once I began to push the seat forward the whole car powered back on. It has been doing this on and off since the purchase of the vehicle in 2015. It has been sent to the chevy dealership and they are unable to find what the problem is. The vehicle to start to cut off onthe regular now, while on the highway and regular streets. I drive at least 25 miles to work everyday. This could potentially cause harm to myself or someone else if this problem is not fixed soon.
Console freezes can't control defroster or backup camera
Car dies without warning while driving. Restarts itself after a count of 3. Will die completely when standing still and all the lights and windshield wipers go off. The computer does not register the dying. I lose power steering if in a turn when it dies. It starts with the radio. Dealership can't find problem and can't seem to recreate it. No diagnostic trail to follow.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle stalled. After several attempts to turn the vehicle on, once the vehicle was able to start, all the electrical functions malfunctioned. The service stabilitrak warning light illuminated and the vehicle began to shake when being driven. The contact mentioned that the failure would occur when making a sharp turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
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