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2011 Chevrolet Malibu Electronic Stability Control Esc Engine Problems

8 owner-reported electronic stability control esc engine complaints from NHTSA data

8
Complaints
Jan 2016Dec 2014
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (8)

mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Jan 2017

ENGINE REDUCED POWER MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED AND THE ENGINE LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. CAR MAY STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. ENGINE CODE IS P2135. IT HAPPENS BETWEEN 4-10 MINUTES AFTER STARTUP. WHEN IT HAPPENS WE HAVE TO SHUT THE IGNITION OFF WAIT A COUPLE MINUTES AND RESTART THE VEHICLE WHICH THE VEHICLE RUNS NORMAL AT THAT POINT. THIS IS A REPEATED DAILY PROCESS AND STILL IS NOT RESOLVED. WE REMOVED THIS VEHICLE FROM HIGHWAY USE DO TO THE UNSAFE CONDITION. IT IS WINTER HERE IN MICHIGAN AND MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISSUE.. CAR HAS 130,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA #: 10948634
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Feb 2016

SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION, ENG PWR REDUCED. THIS MESSAGE HAS HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES LATELY, MOST NOTABLY WHEN TRAVELLING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. ENGINE LOSES ALL POWER NO MATER HOW FAR I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR.

NHTSA #: 10825828
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Jan 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REDUCE ENGINE POWER AND THE ESC LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT EXCEED 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000.

NHTSA #: 10818458
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Jun 2015

6/6/2015 CAR WAS SITTING IN PARKING LOT. UPON TRYING TO START THE CAR ERRORS FOR ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER SHOWED UP. CAR WAS SPUTTERING AND RUNNING ROUGH. TURNED CAR OFF. WAITED A LITTLE WHILE AND STARTED CAR AGAIN AND NO ERROR MESSAGES. BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ERROR CODE THAT CAME UP WAS P2101. 6/10/2015 SAME THING HAPPENED. LET THE CAR SIT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND TRIED TO START AGAIN. SMELLED HEAVILY OF GAS WHEN IT STARTED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.

NHTSA #: 10724582
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Mar 2015

I WAS ON THE WAY TO WORK WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO JUMP, SPUTTER AND THEN STOPPED COMPLETELY, WAS GOING ON TO THE EXPRESSWAY. THE ENGINE REDUCED POWER LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AS DID MANY OTHER LIGHTS. TRIED TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON BUT DID NOT START, WAITED A BIT AND FINALLY GOT THE CAR RUNNING. TOOK TO MY AUTO MECHANIC AND STATED IT WAS THE ECS AND THROTTLE BODY THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE LOOKED AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME ISSUE. I WAS DRIVING TODAY AT 70RPM WITH THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND WAS LUCKY ENOUGH FOR GET OFF THE HIGHWAY PRIOR TO CAR COMPLETELY STOPPING. IF THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WHY IS CHEVROLET WAITING UNTIL SOMEONE IS INJURY OR WORST YET KILLED BEFORE A RECALL IS DONE. *TR

NHTSA #: 10691575
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Dec 2014

SINCE MARCH 2014, I HAD INSTANCES WHERE THE CHEVY MALIBU I WAS DRIVING WARNED ME ON THE DASH THAT I NEEDED TO SERVICE THE ESC. IT WOULD TELL ME ESC TURNED OFF AND TRACTION CONTROL TURNED OFF. THIS MESSAGE WOULD DISAPPEAR WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. IT STARTED DOING IT MORE FREQUENTLY SO I CALLED GMC ON AUGUST 2ND. I HAD TO WAIT 2 WEEKS UNTIL THEY COULD GET ME IN TO THE DEALER. THIS WHOLE TIME MY CAR WAS SHUTTING OFF MY TRACTION CONTROL. THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON SOLID AND STAYED ON FOR 3 DAYS ON SEPTEMBER 12TH. THEY PAID TO DIAGNOSE AND FOUND THAT MY 4TH CYLINDER WAS MISSING AND WAS LEAKING 45%. ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, THEY SUGGESTED $140 FOR A CARBON COIL FLUSH TO SEE IF IT COULD POSSIBLE FIX THE PROBLEM. ON SEPTEMBER 25TH THEY DID THE COIL FLUSH AT 10 AM. AT 1:06 I GOT THE MESSAGE THAT ESC ACTIVE. I WENT ON A 2 WEEK VACATION AND DID NOT DRIVE MY CAR. ON OCTOBER 12TH, AT 2:08PM ESC WARNING AND SHUT TRACTION CONTROL OFF. OCTOBER 13TH, AT 5AM THE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON SOLID. ON OCTOBER 27TH, THEY REPLACE MY INTAKE/EXHAUST VALVE ON THE LEFT SIDE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY WARNING LIGHTS SINCE THEN, BUT I DROVE FROM AUGUST TO THE END OF OCTOBER WITH THE CAR SHUTTING OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL. I CAN IMAGINE TRYING TO DRIVE IN HEAVY RAIN AND DYING BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TRACTION CONTROL WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST. *JS

NHTSA #: 10669408
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Sep 2014

2011 MALIBU WAS ACTING LIKE IT WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS OR BAD SPARK PLUGS. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME AND OTHER INDICATOR LIGHTS. HAD A DIAGNOSTICS RAN AND SAID THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD A PIN HOLE. REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP, GOT A TUNE-UP RAN GOOD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. WENT TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND IT ONCE AGAIN STARTED ACTING AS IF IT WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS AND ENGINE LIGHT ONCE AGAIN CAME ON, SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT WILL SOMETIMES SLOW DOWN FROM THE CURRENT SPEED. FOUND A RECALL CONCERNING THE SERVICE ESC, BUT THE DEALER SAID THEY DO NOT THINK IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. THIS STARTED WHEN ALL OF THE CODE STARTED POPPING UP. *TR

NHTSA #: 10638115
mediumELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE
Filed: Jan 2014

LUCKILY I WAS STUCK IN WALL TO WALL TRAFFIC DUE TO BAD WEATHER ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. I ATTEMPTED TO HIT THE GAS TO INCH FORWARD AND MY CAR STARTING SHAKING AND SEEMED TO BE IDLED UP. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY DASH READ ENGINE POWERING DOWN,SERVICE TRACKING SYSTEM AND MY CAR WOULD GO NO FASTER THAN 20 MPH. THE PART ISN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ON A 3YR CAR AND I HAVE TO PAY $388.00 TO HAVE THIS FIXED. *TR

NHTSA #: 10559125

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