2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTI-THEFT ALARM WAS ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000.

THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE FAILED IN THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT OPERATE OR ONLY OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN USING THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK FEATURE ON EITHER THE KEY FOB OR THE DOOR SWITCH. THE DOOR LOCKS ALSO DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO OR OUT OF PARK, POTENTIALLY LEAVING THE DOORS EITHER UNLOCKED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING OR LOCKED AFTER THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE BIGGEST CONCERN WITH THE LOCKS IS IN THE PLACEMENT OF THE MANUAL PULL ON THE REAR DOORS. I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN IN CHILD SEATS THAT HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THE REAR DOORS FAIL TO UNLOCK. THE REAR DOOR LOCK PULL IS LOCATED NEAR THE "C" PILLAR OF THE VEHICLE INSTEAD OF A MORE CONVENTIONAL "B" PILLAR LOCATION, MAKING MANUAL ACCESS TO THE DOOR LOCK PULL IMPOSSIBLE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IF THE PASSENGER IN INCAPABLE OF UNLOCKING THE DOOR THEMSELVES (SUCH AS IN THE CASE OF SMALL CHILDREN OR THE DISABLED) ANOTHER PERSON HAS TO EITHER CLIMB OVER THE FRONT SEATS OR ACROSS THE REAR SEAT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE TO ACCESS THE PASSENGER AND/OR DOOR LOCK PULL TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR CERTAIN VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS FOR THE VEHICLE OPERATOR, WHO MAY BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLES DOORS ARE IN A LOCKED POSITION WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHEN IN FACT, THEY MAY NOT BE.

TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE FRACTURED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. WAS ABLE TO MOVE SHIFTER IN VEHICLE BUT GEARS DID NOT CHANGE TO THAT WHICH WAS INDICATED. GM HAD A RECALL FOR THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE BUT FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 16, 2003, THROUGH OCTOBER 5, 2007 (GM'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS 14152, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V224000). MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2008 (AS INDICATED FROM THE VIN) BUT I FEEL THE SAME ISSUE FROM THIS GM RECALL ALSO AFFECTED MY VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, EITHER WHILE DRIVING OR IN PARK, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE UP AND DOWN AND SIDEWAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

STEERING RACK HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES (2011, 2012, 2016) IN 32,000 MI. NOISE & CLUNK WHEN TURNING WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. ROUGHLY 8,000 PER FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE AND/OR ACCIDENT. WORRIED ABOUT FUTURE FAILURES IN SHORT TIMES WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE AND ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REGAIN NORMAL BRAKE FUNCTION. THE LOW TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT TWO WASHERS LOCATED AT THE REAR BRAKE BOOSTER PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,287.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO DRIFT AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ERRATICALLY WHILE SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

THE POWER LOCKS ON MY CAR ARE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. THEY DO NOT LOCK/UNLOCK WHEN I NEED THEM TO. I PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE CAR DOOR AND/ OR ON MY KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE AND SOME LOCKS UNLOCK/LOCK AND SOME DON'T. IT IS MORE PREVALENT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS 60F AND ABOVE. THE ISSUE STARTED LAST SUMMER. I THOUGHT IT HAD SUBSIDED SINCE IT WENT AWAY DURING THE COOLER MONTHS. NOW THAT IT HAS WARMED UP AGAIN IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. THE PROBLEM USE TO BE LIMITED TO THE REAR DRIVER DOOR. NOW IT HAPPENS TO ANY DOOR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. WHILE PRESSING THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON THE LOCKS SEEM TO WANT TO WORK BUT THEY DON'T. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR ME SINCE I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR WITH ME 90% OF THE TIME. DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH IT SEEMS THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE. OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES RANGE FROM THE 2008 TO 2012 MODELS SIMILAR TO MY CAR. INVESTIGATIONS THIS ISSUE AND FINDING A ROOT CAUSE MAY BE BENEFICIAL EVEN IF A RECALL IS NOT ISSUED. AT LEAST OWNERS WILL KNOW WHAT IS WRONG AND HOW TO FIX IT. I WAS QUOTED $350 PER DOOR TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND WAS NOT GIVEN A GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY REMEDIATE IT. WHICH IS QUITE RIDICULOUS.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE ELECTRIC ASSIST STEERING, CAR WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER, I CONTACTED GM AND THEY HAVE NO RECALLS, HOWEVER DOING A SEARCH APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER GM CARS AS WELL AS THE MALIBU, THE PERSON I SPOKE TO FROM GM SAID THAT THEY OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO MAKE THE REPAIR, BUT ONLY UP TO 150,000 MILES, AND MY CAR HAS 207,000 AND SHE STATES THAT I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL!