Owners have filed 1,359 safety complaints about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 41 crashes, 14 fires, 47 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, here is how reports break down by system.
"Power steering went out and I'm told it's a sensor that is in the steering column. Very expensive to have fixed due to location of the sensor. I seen a recall for this problem however it is only good for 150,000 miles or 10 years. I just purchased this car 2 years ago with 172,000 miles. This recall should still be valid if it hasn't been repaired. I almost wrecked the car not realizing this happened while driving."
"The power steering goes out at times. When I start up or when I am driving my steering will get harder and I get a power steering warning on the dash. If I shut the car off, sometimes it goes away but most of the time it does not."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu peaked later than usual, in 2014.
4 recalls apply to some or all 2010 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January …
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2009 Saturn Aura vehi…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,359 complaints about the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.
The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu has 4 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.