Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Steering has become increasingly stiff and harder to turn, as if the power steering doesn't work. My granddaughter hit a curb in a tight turning entrance to a 4 lane highway and broke the wheel and other component parts.
My steering wheel shakes and jerks while driving and when I start the car. Also, my car steers and pulls to the left while I'm driving until the electric power steering light comes on and then the steering locks up and I am unable to turn the steering wheel to make a turn which can lead to a crash because I have to force the wheel in order to turn. I was driving on the highway and my steering locked and I pulled over safely and tried turning the car off and on. This has turned the electric power steering light off and I was able to turn the wheel but my steering wheel still shakes and jerks and the car pulls to the left. To add, a few minutes later my steering locks up and the electric power steering light comes on again and I am unable to turn the steering wheel. …
Having problems with my rear stop lights, traction control/ indicator light, ECS/ indicator light. When driving center brake light remains on but when I need to apply brakes they go off, lights on dashboard have been on since I purchased the vehicle which were never addressed the only light addressed was the check engine light. All other issues were voided being that they let me drive down to N.C. knowing it would void my warranty with them after putting 1 thousand miles on the vehicle without notication to me.
The passenger front light stops working no matter his w many times I fix it. Replaced bulb 3 times within two weeks. Works for 1-2 days then stops. Everyone I know who has a Malibu is having the same problem. The right wheel rubs and makes noise. No matter how many times I have it fixed, no matter how many times I replace the noise continues. Mechanic cannot figure out why.
UNKNOWN I was driving to work last week on Thursday and when I attempted to make a right turn my steering wheel was difficult to turn and a few seconds later it locked and the car turned off and on the dash board the battery light turned on and the words that appeared were Service Traction, Service ESC, and Power Steering.
The caliper arms on both of my passenger side tires have gotten stuck, wore down the new brake pads completely and destroyed the rotors of my car in the past. The dealership's warranty had covered the replacement of the pads, correction of arms and rotors previously but the second occurrence happened after my warranty had expired and was extremely expensive. When the rear passenger side got stuck the sensor for my tire pressure was showing but there was no hesitation or issue with breaking. A soft dragging sound lead me to believe the sensor itself had disconnected from the vehicle and was dragging on the ground and making a soft but strange noise. Its going to take me 2 weeks to get into the dealership for an appointment ' since then, my rear rotor has become effected and will need replacing. …
1) awhile back, after starting and warming engine and taking off, while making a left turn on city street, car turn off completely..wheel froze after turn. I turned key off and restarted car and it would work OK. It happened 3 0r 4 times. No warning light came on. I took it to dealership and they could not find the problem. 2) while on freeway, tire monitor warning light came on twice, I bought tires but did not have monitors checked. A few days later engine light came on. Now, I needed smog done, had to replace catalic converter (1400.00) and mechanic has a problem with car communications system. Its costing me too much. There is recall on something having to do with brakes.. Could this communications problem be related? I did have brake pads replaced last year. …
I am an owner of a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. For the last year or more, I've been dealing with what I then believed was tires slowly leaking air. The last couple of weeks it has been getting worst, and finally the last couple of days I've have woke up to a completely flat tire. Today I took my car to the shop to have them inspect the tire. The tire is perfectly fine. I was told that it is my rim that is causing the leak. I was informed that there has been a lot of issues with not only my car, but a lot of other Chevrolet Malibu vehicle's rims. I do not think I should be responsible for a manufacturing defect when my car has been well taken care of and no negligence on my behalf. It is obvious from my web searches on this issue that I am not the only person that has had this problem. I believe this issue should be investigated for a recall. Please look into this issue. Thanks in advance.
Premature tire failure at the bead of the tire. Bridgestone driveguard run flat tires. Vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system. Two days before the event we replaced a non related sensor in the vehicle. While the vehicle was in for service a complete service check was done including verifying the proper tire pressure in all tires. The day of the event, while on the highway driving 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly pulled to the right. After pulling over it was discovered the right front tire had ripped at the edge of the bead. The hole created was about 1 1/2 inches long. The tire have about 5000 miles on them and are rated for 60,000 miles. I have pictures of the failure. The rims, tires and car have no signs of damage such as curb rub. I have no confidence in these tires and believe that I am not the only one to experience this type of dangerous premature tire failure.
Power steering fails while driving, had to shut my car off while I tried to make a turn on the higway. The 1st time it happened at home on May 2020, car locked up and wouldn't move at all. Dashboard will say traction off, ESC off and it won't let me move my steering wheel. I have to shut off the car and wait a few minutes for it to come back. Car is at roughly 133K miles and had no issues prior to this. Also, when I drive my front side of the car shakes as if it is going over stuff. I replaced both cv joints, gotten the car aligned, and balanced my tires and they still can't find the issue with it. Only recall that pops up is the electronic, but I believe it has the steering recall as well.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2% of the model year's 1,509 complaints. The component named most often is rim (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Malibu wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Malibu wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.