Car · Chevrolet problems

2011 Chevrolet Malibu problems

978 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The most reported area is electrical system (24% of them). NHTSA also lists 467 service bulletins and 3 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 41. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 978 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Electrical system235 · 24%
• Steering214 · 22%
• Stability control174 · 18%
• Engine and engine cooling172 · 18%
• Exterior lighting130 · 13%
• Power train (transmission and drive)112 · 11%
• Air bags93 · 10%
• Speed control and throttle87 · 9%

14 smaller areas not shown (313 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 467 repair bulletins from Chevrolet for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. PIP6113Received May 28, 2026

   This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172.

2. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

   Information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

3. 25-NA-156Received December 4, 2025

   Wheels

   Information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.

4. 00-06-01-026RReceived December 3, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.

5. PIT5214GReceived November 28, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer's vehicles that exhibit...

6. 23-NA-153Received October 25, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is...

7. PIC5650MReceived August 12, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.

8. PIT5074RReceived June 4, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer.

1. 14V252000May 14, 2014

   Electrical system

   In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit.

2. 19V019000January 16, 2019

   Air bags

   In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.

3. 15V269000May 8, 2015

   Seat belts

   In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while...

See all 3 recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Malibu will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Electrical system 235 complaints · 24%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Steering 214 complaints · 22%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Stability control 174 complaints · 18%

• Wheel speed sensor replacement$110 to $330
• ABS control module repair or replacement$520 to $1,700

Engine and engine cooling 172 complaints · 18%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2011 Chevrolet Malibu: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu?

Of the 978 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, 235 (24%) name electrical system, and 214 (22%) name steering. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 40 of the 978 complaints as involving a crash and 17 as involving a fire. They also reported 41 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 467 repair bulletins for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu.

More

• 2018 Malibu problems
• 2017 Malibu problems
• 2016 Malibu problems
• 2015 Malibu problems
• 2014 Malibu problems
• 2013 Malibu problems
• 2012 Malibu problems
• 2010 Malibu problems
• 2011 recalls
• All Chevrolet recalls
• Chevrolet problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.