Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and was diagnosed with needing the fuel pump replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,400.
MAP sensor was physically broken and replaced during a particularly cold snap (below -10 degrees F), but the check engine light and "Service ESC," "Service Traction," and "ESC off" messages continued to appear in the following weeks. Acceleration repeatedly dropped off for a split second, and would continue to dip and return until I let off the accelerator and tried again. This acceleration problem always coincided with the three ESC/Traction messages listed above, and happened multiple times every time I drove it. During a second trip to the mechanic, some "frayed wiring" was replaced and the throttle relearned, but the symptoms continued as before, prior to the MAP sensor replacement and the wiring repair. The symptoms progressed to delayed, pulsing acceleration, not just dropping out. …
car unexpectedly died on the way home with 2 children in car. Car would crank, but wouldn't start up, and sounded like a typical fuel pump problem. We had the car towed to a shop and they showed the fuel pump as working within the normal ranges and then started up the next day just fine, but paid 750 for work. A few days later the car died again, so we had it towed to the same shop, by the next day when the mechanic said it started up just fine so he wasn't able to diagnose the problem. He and i don't want to spend a 1000 every week putting parts in it that don't fix the problem while getting towed each week at 150 dollars. This is a safety concern and leaves the consumer hopeless. We want to get rid of the car, but don't want to sell it to a person for them to have the same issues and then in return blame us. GM NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. …
Car started to loose power and wanted to cut off had to drive with both feet put in the shop a few times but couldn't find any wrong finally stopped driving it and then I started back to driving it and still doing the same thing, finally the motor went out.Have notice more Malibu's in this area and surroundings area having problems with the motor.
2008 to 2012 Chevrolet Malibu's have a confirmed problem by mechanics about the fuel system regarding the electrical components going bad. The fuel pump relay will overheat the wiring behind it, and will shut the car off, regardless of if it is driving or not.
I was driving my 2011 Chevrolet Malibu at about 40 MPH on a fairly busy 2 lane street. Without warning the car lost power. A message appeared in the information screen indicating something like "reduced power to the engine". Also, a message indicated that the engine was operating under reduced power mode because I needed to service ESC, and the engine light was displayed as well on the dashboard. I was fortunately able to get the car pulled off of the road and into a parking lot. I read the owners manual and essentially found out that the vehicle was operating in "limp mode". I took the car to the dealership and found this to be a "common problem" for Chevy Malibu models. My car was, of course, out of warranty and not covered under any sort of recall, so I had to pay about $500 for the repair. My concern is that this is a safety issue as I suddenly and without any warning lost power. …
Several warning lights came on (ecs and traction control) and the display read, "loss of power". I was at highway speed and the car slowed to about 15mph. I was unable to increase my speed. After turning off the ignition switch in a parking lot, and waiting for about 15 minutes, I started the car and it ran fine. However, on the following Monday the same thing happened 6 times while trying to get it to bergstrom Chevrolet dealership. The first attempt to repair the problem only made it worse, and the second time a new throttle body assembly was installed. This repaired the problem. On my son's Chevy truck the same problem was covered under a recall, but on my Malibu I was told it was not. On the internet I was able to find six pages of similar problems that other Malibu owners had. They too were told that it was not covered under a recall. …
Check light with evaporative leak at less than 5 years and approx 97800 miles. Dealer replaced heavily corroded fuel pump module, and a week later the fuel tank itself, also due to heavy corrosion. Dealer provided discounts and free loaner, I have no complaint with dealer. My complaint is with Chevrolet for not properly designing these parts which were heavily corroded in less than 5 years. I am out a substantial sum, about $1600, and have looked online and this is not an isolated instance. A fuel or vapor leak is certainly dangerous and I assume is not in compliance with federal emissions regs. I have contacted Chevrolet and they will not even respond to email. I was hoping for some compensation as I am a longtime/multi Chevy owner. …
I was driving home in the snow and my traction control kept going on. Then something seemed wrong and suddenly my speed was reduced to 5-10 MPH and my car started shaking and couldn't get a grip on the road at all. Then the car said engine power reduced, service traction, ESC off. Luckily I was only going about 20 MPH because it was snowing. Normally I would have been on the expressway going 55mph! And I have 2 kids! Luckily no one was hurt. So I took it in to the dealer and they said I needed to replace throttle body and exhaust cam actuator which cost me almost $1000 and wasn't covered under my 5 year power train warranty. My car is almost 4 years old with 47000 miles.
In June 2015, vehicle stalled while travelling at 35 MPH. Could not restart with jump.car would turn over but shut right down on stepping on accelerator. Repair shops have failed to pinpoint problems. GM reports they have been looking into the problem. Internet research shows problem is common. Have small child and if car stalls on major highway it would be a major safety issue which could cause death or serious injury. If GM is aware of problem are they waiting for a fatality before doing something. Repair shops have no solutions, GM has no solutions. What is the consumer to do. I do think this situation which appears to not be isolated be investigated.
Fuel System complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, 4% of the model year's 978 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Malibu fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2011 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 2011 Chevrolet Malibu fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 2 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.