Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While traveling at 60 MPH, lost power for a split second then regained. About 5 miles toward destination, at a traffic light I was attempting to make a right turn & when I accelerated, the car completely died with line of traffic behind me. Should this car have died in the midst of heavy rush hour traffic we could have caused a serious accident with a chain reaction of vehicles piling up behind me & possible injuries. . We were slowly creeping around the corner trying to catch a clear path to proceed when the car went dead. There have previously been problems when after driving for 30 minutes then returning to the car it would not start, cranked but not start with no warning lights present.. But after repeated restart attempts it would start maybe an hour later. But this time it died in traffic 3 days ago and we had to be towed home, it still will not start. …
I have a 2010 and repeatedly have issues. It has been to the dealer as it completely lost power in rush hour. Car dash said service ABS, power, saver mode, traction control, service ESC and then died. I took to shop and they replaced the PCM is what they told me. Car has since had lose of power, sluggish, dies periodically, and now almost 3 years after thousand dollar repair not to mention the air bag light that is on that they are telling me will cost at least 1000 dollars as well to repair as my car is out of warranty and that it is a saftey concern. My car died again while coming through a intersection and the p0341 has come up and been replace3d four times since February 2019. This car is a danger and I am forced to drive it when it runs as I have so much money invested I cant afford a new one. …
There is a problem with the fuse box located in the trunk. My car has completely lost engine power while driving on multiple occasions. Fuel pump, alternator, and battery have needed replaced. There is a short in or near this rear fuse box. Fuel pump relay has been replaced, and connections greased. Temporarily fixed, then a few days later shuts off while running. From researching, this appears to be extremely common with this model across multiple years, with the wire leading to the fuel pump relay burning up and shorting. Clearly poor wiring. At least three times my car has completely shut down while in motion with no warning at all. Multiple crank/no start situations as well. My next option is to replace the entire fuse block, but that will not fix wiring design. Have been towed multiple times in a short period of time.
Vehicle has service airbag on repeatedly, seat belt alarm goes off even when seat belt is properly fastened. While driving car suddenly lost power and service ESC, service traction control, engine power reduced. Car suddenly dropped down to 27 MPH in the middle of traffic. I was able to avoid a serious accident by suddenly turning into a parking lot. This is very dangerous and can be fatal if occurs on freeway. No one can provide any reason as to why this keeps happening. I have no warranty on vehicle and purchased from a dealer 3 years ago. I have called the dealer and have had car looked at but the only suggestion is to blindly replace different sensors and parts. We need a recall done so no lives are lost due to this severe car malfunction.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated when the vehicle was taken for a routine oil change, the technician informed him that there was no oil in the vehicle and there was a fuel odor present in the oil. The contact stated that he would check the oil level every 1,000 miles and discovered that he would have to add a quart to a quart and half of oil to the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also mentioned that he had contacted several dealers and was informed there were no recalls pertaining to excessive oil consumption. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
The first time my vehicle died while driving I was slowing down to turn right. The engine died and I turned off the vehicle, tried to restart and it would not stay started. I had it towed to the dealership and they could not duplicate the problem or get the car to give them codes so they had me pick it up. The 2nd time the car died on the freeway a week later. I was going 60mph trying to keep acceleration when it lost power. Thankfully I was near an exit and I was able to pull to the side of the exit. Again had it towed to the dealership. They duplicated the problem but have not been able to figure out what's causing it.
Driving on the highway surrounded by 18 wheelers. Suddenly my traction light and service engine light came on and the reduced power notification came on, the car slowed to about 10 miles an hour very suddenly and the car was shaking violently. Pulled to side of road, waited and restarted car, worked fine for about an hour. This problem has happened multiple times on highway and in city - very dangerous. Dealership has been no help to fix the problem. Replaced throttle body and two sensors and issue still remains
Transmission failure, car will turn off on interstate or highway without warning, car will shut down while driving , roll backwards, won't accelerate. Had to get towed 3 times! After new transmission , sensors and fuel pump injector , the car is still doing the same thing ! This is a safety hazard and a lack of responsibility for defected products and price gauging mechanics ! Problem is still existing. I see this car is under many recalls and the transmission was built in Korea!
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor in the vehicle after the vehicle was filled up with fuel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank and neck filler were leaking and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign number: 12V459000 (fuel system, gasoline). The failure mileage was 25,069. Updated 06/15/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. Howard Pontiac of amhurst, illinois was made aware of the failure and performed a fuel pump relay and seat belt recalls on the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The NHTSA campaign numbers were unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Fuel System complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, 3% of the model year's 1,363 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Chevrolet Malibu fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 3 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 2010 Chevrolet Malibu fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
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.