FaultScore

2008 Chevrolet Malibu equipment problems

10 of the 1,489 complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu are about the equipment — 1% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 38,000 miles.

B

10

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 4 40.0%
Equipment 3 30.0%
AIR Conditioner 2 20.0%
Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift 1 10.0%

Equipment & Accessories across every Chevrolet Malibu year

1997 11 6.1%
1998 44 24.3%
1999 32 17.7%
2000 36 19.9%
2001 22 12.2%
2002 13 7.2%
2004 13 7.2%
2008 10 5.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 38,643 miles Stafford, VA

EQUIPMENT

2013- APRIL, RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN FOR A FEW MONTHS THEN STEERING BECAME TOO HARD, BARELY MADE TO DEALERSHIP. STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY REPLACED ALONG WITH INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PART NO. 25979679 AT 38,643 MILES. 2019-DECEMBER RUBBING NOISE AGAIN AND SLIGHT SHIFTING OF CAR TO LEFT PULLING INTO PARKING SPOT, LOWER U JOINT ON INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WITH TOO MUCH PLAY LEADS TO STEERING SHAFT BEING INSTALLED PART NO. 25979679 INSTALLED AT 72,712 MILES. 2020-FEBRUARY RUBBING NOISE STARTING AGAIN CAR WILL BE CHECKED OUT ON APRIL 18TH. THIS CAR HAS HAD NO HARD USE SUCH AS COMMUTING OR MULTIPLE LONG DISTANCE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #11321202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,000 miles EL Paso, TX

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

REAR DOOR LOCKS FAIL TO FUNCTION.

NHTSA complaint #10676183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 58,341 miles Little ELM, TX

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR JUST STOPPED AND TURNED OFF, I COULD NOT SWITCH GEARS OR TAKE MY KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AND I PAID $470.00 TO GAVE THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED,

NHTSA complaint #10577405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 38,000 miles Burlington, KY

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

PASSENGER DOORS WILL NOT LOCK (OR UNLOCK ) WITH THE REMOTE OR MANUAL PUSH BUTTON SWITCH ON DRIVERS ARM REST. THE ONLY WAY TO LOCK (OR UNLOCK) REAR DOORS IS CRAWL OVER FRONT SEATS TO MANUALLY PULL UP LEVER ON BACK SIDE OF DOOR. OR.......USE THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS AND LOWER REAR WINDOWS TO REACH IN FROM OUTSIDE......WHICH ANYONE THAT LIVES IN A COLD CLIMATE KNOWS YOU DON'T LOWER AN ELECTRIC WINDOW IN COLD WEATHER.....HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY REFUSE TO COVER ANYTHING.....WHAT IF I HAVE MY GRANDSON STRAPPED IN A CAR SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT AND AN EMERGENCY ARISES ? HOW DO I "QUICKLY" GET HIM OUT??? THIS IS A VERY COMMON SITUATION WITH THE CHEV. MALIBUS. PLUS THERE ARE NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE FRONT END AND STEERING COMPONENTS.

NHTSA complaint #10563485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bethany Beach, DE

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

KEY FOB DOES NOT UNLOCK OR LOCK THE FRONT AND BACK DOORS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. IF SOMEONE IS IN THE BACK SEAT THE DRIVER CAN NOT GET THEM OUT AS THE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE FOB. WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN DRIVE THE DRIVERS DOOR DOES NOT LOCK, SO IT IS ASSUMMED THAT YOU ARE SAFELY LOCKED IN THE CAR, BUT THE DOOR NEEDS TO BE LOCKED MANUALLY AFTER IN THE CAR IS PUT IN DRIVE. WHEN LOCKED MANUALLY WHEN IN CAR, WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AUTOMATICALLY AND HAS TO BE MANUALLY OPENED BY PULLING THE LOCK ON DOOR UP ON THE DRIVER DOOR AND THE BACK PASSENGER DOOR. WHEN TRYING TO USE THE REMOTE TO LOCK THE DOORS, THE FRONT AND BACK DOORS DO NOT LOCK UNLESS DONE MANUALLY. WHEN THE FOB IS USED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS AS I TRY TO GET INTO THE CAR THE FOB DOES NOT WORK AND I HAVE TO MANUALLY WITH THE KEY UNLOCK THE DOOR. WHEN TRYING TO REMOTE START THE CAR THE REMOTE START DOES NOT WORK, AS THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND BACK DOOR WILL NOT LOCK, SO REMOTE START DOES NOT WORK. I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH THE BACK DOOR WHEN I NEEDED TO GET AN INDIVIDUAL OUT OF THE BACK SEAT QUICKLY AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. I HAD TO RUN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR AND GET THE INDIVIDUAL OUT BY PULLING THEM TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR. WHEN I AM APPROACHING MY CAR IN AN AREA THAT I FEEL UNSAFE IN, SUCH AS A GARAGE, I AM NOT ABLE TO OPEN MY CAR DOOR WITH THE FOB AND HAVE TO AGAIN USE THE KEY. AGAIN THEN WHEN I GET IN THE CAR I AM UNSAFE AS THE DOOR DOES NOT LOCK, FRONT OR BACK IF NOT LOCKED MANUALLY. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO GET SOMEONE OUT OF THE BACK SEAT OR ME OUT OF THE FRONT SHOULD I ENCOUNTER AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, OR IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT, OR IF FOR ANY REASON I HAVE A FIRE IN THE CAR.

NHTSA complaint #10498167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,500 miles Ocean Springs, MS

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

AC SYSTEM WILL NOT OPERATE. VARIOUS SETTINGS WILL NOT ACTIVATE SYSTEM. DEALER SAYS THAT NO DTC COULD BE FOUND (NO TROUBLE CODES). VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE IN FALL OF 2008.

NHTSA complaint #10462210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 46,143 miles Mckinney, TX

EQUIPMENT

DRIVERSIDE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR UNLOCKS NOT WORKING, OR WORK INTERMITTENTLY. HAVE MANUALLY LOCK/UNLOCK BOTH DOORS.

NHTSA complaint #10406064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 16,988 miles Houston, TX

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, THE BATTERY, THE STARTER CABLE WIRES, THE SYSTEM COMPUTER AND THE DOOR LOCKS ON BOTH REAR DOORS. ALL OF THE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,988 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA complaint #10342048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Raleigh, NC Fire

EQUIPMENT

WIRE BURN IN CAR AND IT IS SMELLS LIKE SMOKE AND MY CAR HAD A LEAKY ROOF AND GM REFUSE TO EXCHANGE IT AND IT ALSO GOES IT JERKS INTO GEAR. AND LAST WEEK WHEN I TRIED TO MISS A TIRE IN ROAD I ALMOST GOT KILLED CAR ALMOST TURNED OVER

NHTSA complaint #10322458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodbury Heights, NJ

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE A TIRE, THE JACK FAILED, AND THEN CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MOVE. AS A CONSEQUENCE HIS RISK FOR SERIOUS INJURY WAS INCREASED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. UPON CONTACT A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE NOT BLOCKED; ALTHOUGH THE EMERGENCY BREAK WAS ENGAGED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint #10284911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2008 Chevrolet Malibu problems

← Full 2008 Chevrolet Malibu report